ALWAYS HIRE THE BEST PERSON. Whether its cast, crew, agent, or distributor, always hire the best person for the job, regardless of other factors. Of course, I hear you snort, what could be more obvious? Well, many subtle things get in the way of hiring the best people, leading to compromises in the viability of your team. At a certain point the aggregate of these compromises can reach a critical mass that can sink your project.

First, let’s understand that every filmmaker works within time and budget constraints. If you are doing a no-budget film, beggars can’t be choosers, so you pretty much have to take on anyone who wants to come aboard. The problem is that the help you get is often only worth what you pay for it, and if you are paying nothing….

Let me interject at this point that on The Prankster we had a relatively modest budget, but were able to pay most positions decently. We augmented our crew with a group of unpaid interns who were absolutely astounding and made an invaluable contribution to the project. We got so much value from our interns that I feel like I am contradicting what I just said above. Our interns, however, were working within a context of a paid, professional shoot, and had aspirations to be the paid crew members on the next project. I think the legitimacy of the shoot helped motivate them to be responsible and accountable, which they so were. Thank you Prankster interns – you know who you are.

That said, in general, especially on a no-budget shoot, personnel problems are a nightmare. So for our purposes here I’ll assume you are working with some kind of budget (and I highly recommend that you don’t take on the highly daunting and laborious task of making a movie without an adequate budget).

Whatever your budget constraints are, there will be a range of possibilities for various positions. Get the best person you can afford. One hazard is hiring someone because they are cheap. We like their price tag and will try to justify hiring them for that reason – “I think they’ll work out fine – they’re just looking for a step up opportunity.” That may be true, but it may also be a case of trying to squint an ugly duckling into a bathing beauty.

Another pitfall is hiring someone because of something we hope they’ll bring to the production, other than their work or performance. For instance, with an actor, we may be tempted to hire someone who has a name, even if they aren’t exactly right for the part, or may be a bear to work with. The thinking is that their “name” will add value to the project. Quite frankly, this is one of the biggest delusions in filmmaking. Aspiring filmmakers have somehow got the impression that with better names their film will be significantly more marketable. Well, I’ve got news for you – that paradigm is quickly changing and on its way out. Also, fundamentally, making the best movie possible gives you your best chance of reaching an audience. Hiring actors that aren’t a great fit, regardless of name value, only undercuts the production.

You can also make the mistake of hiring crew based on past credits. Granted, you should take a close look at their work to be sure they can deliver what you want, but if you think having an A-list caterer is going to get you more oomph with anybody, you are sadly mistaken. An A list caterer will cost more, and may not even have the best food. Too often, one’s stature in the industry is the result of politics and hype. Taste the food of the caterers you are considering, and call some references, to be sure they are consistent, efficient, and reliable. The catering example is just a metaphor here folks. The idea applies to all positions.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle to hiring the best people possible is the impatience or overanxiousness of the filmmaker him or herself.  The filmmaker is so eager to reach the promised land that he or she hires people that aren’t ideal.  Why?  Becasue he or she is in a big hurry to get somewhere, to be somebody, to realize their dream, to find contentment and fulfillment at last.  They see hiring personnel as an annoying means to an end and want to be done with it as quickly as possilble.

Guess what – if your process is sloppy, your exprience and your product will be flawed.  Remember the guiding principle, “every step with quality with care”?  There are two reasons for it.  First, to insure the impeccable quality of your project, which is what will give you your best chance at success.  And second, to provide you with a quality experience in the now, which is its own end.

There is no pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  George Bernard Shaw said there are two great tragedies in life – one is to have never achieved your fondest dream, the other is to achieve it.  Think about that.  What G.B. means is that there is no fulfillment in externals.  What he doesn’t say, but which I know to be true, is that the only peace and joy you will ever find is in the now.

So always hire the best people.  This means being the best yourself, having patience and faith.  And smelling the flowers as you go along.  That, and only that, is real.  That and only that will bring you joy.