Finding and Hiring Contractors

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Find other professionals to work with can seem quite daunting at first. This is especially true if you are changing markets or professional focus. It’s important to realize that the film and video community is well established with its own professional groups and even unions. Finding qualified video crew is not difficult (if you know where to look).

  • Craigslist is Not Your Friend – Before we tackle where to look, lets get where not to look out of the way. I find that Craigslist (and others like it) are filled with ads looking for crews. Nearly all offer no pay (just experience). As such, most professionals don’t even bother looking here for work. It’s hard to find true talent when you’re surrounded by wannabes looking for a handout.

  • Professional Groups – There are numerous professional groups in most markets. A simple web search may turn up user groups for specific technology like tools from Apple or Adobe. You can also find groups that maintain directories and member programming such as MCA-I, Women in Film, and others.

  • Grip and Rental Houses – Many markets have grip and rental houses that rent lighting and support equipment used in the production of film and television projects. These places also rent to other video professionals and usually maintain or even staff crews that can be hired. These are great places to start when you need to hire in a different market.

  • Teaming – Chances are some of your colleagues are also getting into video production. Work with those you know. I have found that collaboration with colleagues works far better than viewing everyone as your competition. Work openly with those you trust and respect and go out of your way to work together. Those who are worth working with will certainly return the favor in some way.


You can download the free eBook "From Still to Motion – The Business Manifesto" to get practical advice for professionals working in video and new media


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