Checking References

You've seen the reel and had the meeting. There's one step left before you commit, and it's the one that prevents disasters: checking references. A reel is curated and a meeting is a performance — both show you someone's best face. A reference call shows you what they're actually like across a whole shoot, from people who lived it. Almost every "this hire was a nightmare" story ends with the same admission: "I never called anyone." Don't be that story. Checking film crew references is fifteen minutes that can save your whole production.

Who to call

The candidate will offer references — take those, but understand they're hand-picked to say nice things. The most valuable references are the ones you find yourself: a director or producer who worked with this head, whom you know or can reach through your network. That person has no reason to spin, and will tell you the truth. So:

• The references they give you — worth calling, but weigh that they're chosen to impress.
• People you find yourself — a mutual connection who worked with them. The gold standard: honest and unfiltered.
• Directors especially — for a DP or key creative head, the director who worked with them knows exactly what the collaboration was like.
• Their team — if you can reach someone who worked under them, you learn how they lead, which matters enormously (Chapter 10).

The questions that get honest answers

The single most powerful question is the first: "Would you hire them again?" — ideally followed by silence. A genuine, warm "absolutely, in a heartbeat" is a green light. A pause, an "um," a qualified "well, for the right project…" tells you everything. And "what were they like when things went wrong?" cuts straight to what a shoot is really made of: anyone's fine on a good day; you're hiring for the bad ones.

Read between the lines

People in a small industry are reluctant to trash a colleague on the record, so references speak in code. Learn to hear it. Effusive, specific praise ("she saved us three times, I'd work with her forever") is real. Faint praise is a warning: "he's very talented" — with nothing about temperament — often means talented but difficult. "He's… fine" is a red flag dressed as neutral. When someone dodges the temperament questions and only talks about the work, that gap is the answer. Listen for what they don't say as much as what they do.

How to do it well

• Actually make the calls. A quick phone chat beats email — people say things out loud they'd never write down.
• Talk to more than one person. One reference can be a fluke (good or bad); a pattern across two or three is the truth.
• Be specific about your shoot. "Would they be good on a tight-budget, fast-paced indie?" is more useful than "are they good?"
• Keep it confidential and warm. People are candid when they trust you're discreet and just trying to hire well.
• Weight the sources. An unsolicited reference from someone you trust outweighs a glowing one the candidate chose.

You've verified the head is talented and good to work with. There's one more thing to test before you commit — the specific creative chemistry between you and them. Next: chemistry and creative fit.