Working as a Crew

As some of you may have noticed, my first couple films were...not so hot. I worked alone, mostly because of my schedule, but also because I wasn't sure how to approach people about working for me on a shoot. I also feel badly when I can't be as flexible with my schedule to help other people on their shoots to return the favor. From making the portrait of Quinn and working with a crew, I learned that it can be incredibly helpful just to have an extra set of hands, but more so to have a second opinion on a shot, idea, or lighting technique. It is valuable to have other people around to say "Hey, I really don't think this will work because..." Also, I found while shooting my final project, that having people to back you up can also help build your confidence about an idea.
I think the only detrimental thing about having a crew is that you obviously lose some control over the shoot. You can tell someone to get a certain shot, but they may not shoot it exactly the way you would. However, the benefits of having a crew greatly outweigh the costs. As far as my crew member development goes, I could work on a lot of things. Firstly I still need to get more comfortable with the equipment and experiment with different techniques in sound, lighting, framing, etc. I would second Mackenzie in that I also need to have a more solid idea of what I'm looking to do before I get to the shoot (which can be especially tough when showing up to film 100 people dancing in a poorly lit ballroom). Planning the types of shots you want, along with what you want each crew member to be solely responsible for well before you start your shoot makes everything go so much smoother once you get there. I'd say having a solid plan, but not being 100% a slave to that plan is the way to go (it seems you could lose some dynamism if you're too rigid). I'm just looking forward to working with more people in the class, because even if you don't agree completely with what someone is doing, it is really helpful to see a different perspective on how shoots are organized and executed.