Image by Simon Davison

Making a film is a big undertaking. For a film to reach its highest potential you will need other people to help you make it. These are people with desires other than to make your movie, though they may never say as much. People come to help filmmakers for many different reasons and if you can help them achieve what they want then they will be more gung ho to go that extra mile for you when you really need it.

Say We And Our

Nobody wants to make "your" film. They want to make a film of their own. It's semantics but it matters. If you really think this is yours and yours alone and that nobody else should be able to call it theirs, then you should do it alone. Letting them know you acknowledge their contribution to the project will be enough for some people, they just want to be a part of making a film they can call their own.

Give Credit

In the production of a film ideas come flying and it's hard to know from who what idea came. Though many ideas will slip through without an author, it's important that you do take note of those you do know the origin of. Let others know that certain ideas were not yours, but rather a suggestion from a certain crew member.

Praise Genuinely Often

People do great things all the time that go unnoticed. People crave praise and rarely get it. They get raises and new titles but never hear that they did a good job. If you have people that do a good job, don't think your praise will induce them to stop trying hard. They try hard because they want to and would do so even without your praise. Your approbation only makes them like you more.

Allow Ownership

Along with giving credit you should allow some members of the crew a significant amount of say over things they are expert at. Let them manage people if they are good at it and you trust their judgment. If your cinematographer has shown competence and you like their style, then let them do their job. A director needn't always be in the middle of things making decisions, sometimes you just find the right people and let them do their thing.

Solicit Opinions, Conversations

Many artists don't take feedback well and certainly don't go find it. As a filmmaker it can be helpful to get the crew's thoughts on your work. You can learn important things about the crew this way. On a film set you are trying to make people's dreams come true. Yes, you are making a film, but only because those people want it to happen. Some may want to contribute, but are too shy. Just like the guy you hook up with his wife loves you forever, a shy artist will be loyal to you when you help them shine. Open yourself up to other's opinions and they may give you an idea how to better work with them.

No "Film By" Credit

Directors like to think they are the authors of films, but it's a fallacy. It's an illusion. It's like saying the CEO of Pizza Hut is a chef. Directors can have a lot of say in what happens, but ultimately the film is not his or her personal canvas to paint as they see fit. Don't take the "Film By" credit if offered and announce to your crew that's how you feel. Let them know this is a group effort and not a bunch of people trying to jerk off one person. We should all get off.

Give Them Stuff

Food and a little bit of money can go a long way in securing the faith of people. They may be willing to help you, but they don't want to go broke in the process. You may not be able to give them real salaries, but you can help defray some of the costs they will incur in the making of the movie. You might spot them $5 a day to cover gas expenses to get to the set. You can cook them food while they are working on set. You could let them stay at your house while they are in between apartments. Whatever it is of value you can spare, you should give it freely.

Solve Their Problems

Lots of people on-set are doing things they don't really want to be doing. They will gladly do these jobs for now, but eventually they want to move on. If you know you have a budding director doing errands, maybe you can take him or her aside and give them an opportunity to shoot b-roll. If you know your assistant is also a writer, you can give their screenplay a read and give it sincere notes. People on your set have problems and if you can help them solve them they will help you solve yours; as in getting the movie made.

No Micro-managing

At the end of the day people will do the best they can and your movie will only be as good as the sum of the people involved. Your over-involvement in aspects will not make the movie better, rather it will just annoy people. If you don't like the way they do things, get somebody else. If they are all you can afford, help them along as best you can and let them roam free. There is always the next movie to get it right. Consider that most things you are bitching about probably most of the audience won't notice anyway, so maybe relationships are more important.

The crew makes the movie and you get the credit, but that doesn't mean you treat them that way. You offer them your all, help them be better, and give them support when they need it. Don't treat them like robots and they won't treat you like a tyrant. Understand that moviemaking is not the only thing going on in their life, stuff outside the set affects their performance. Help people with their problems and they'll help you with yours.