How to assemble the perfect production team
“His work is amazing. The set design that he comes up with is quite clever. It’s unique and full of life! But… he’s so difficult to work with.”
Hiring a talented but also reliable production team can be stressful. Of course, you want a crew that can help bring your vision to the stage, but how do you know they’ll also make deadlines, show up to production meetings on time, and overall be a professional individual?
Hiring my entire production team when I moved to a new city was tough. I usually had personal recommendations from people who had previously worked with that person, but not at that time. It was quite overwhelming to determine how to assemble the best team from a pool of applicants that I didn’t know.
I don’t have the magic formula to figure out who will be perfect for your production, but here are a couple of helpful tips to keep in mind during the hiring process.
#1. Set expectations from the very beginning
You might have an idea of what kind of work environment you want for your production. You know you want a responsible team that gets the job done, but you also want to have fun during the process. But remember that the applicant for the position has no idea what your expectations are unless you tell them.
For instance, the job interview goes super well for both parties… but what if the crew member you hired realizes down the line that the environment is not what they thought it would be? To avoid any surprises, let them know what your expectations are during the interview.
“I’m looking for a [insert position title] who...”
“Regardless of the position, I want my production team to consist of people who...”
“It’s a small/big cast size so I’m hoping…”
Like any other job, expectations go both ways. Yes, you can set standards, but you also want to create a desirable environment for them as well. Ask them how they work best. Ask them what they hope to achieve by working in this production. Ask them what they expect from you, as a leader.
#2. Ask different questions for each position
This is a bit of a no brainer, but yes, always differentiate questions amongst different positions. Questions you ask a potential stage manager should be different from a lighting designer. You want someone who is organized with good leadership skills as your stage manager, whereas you’re probably looking for a talented lighting designer who can collaborate well with other designers.
For stage managers, I ask them for their sample prompt book (if they physically have one). Flipping through the physical book already gives me an idea on how much they are actually organized. I also observe how the applicants reply to my emails. It’s not the defining factor, but something I look at. Emails definitely show their professionalism.
I also ask them situational questions. Examples and anecdotes from previous productions.
“One actor is frequently late. How do you handle that?” -> Basic, but it’s important to know how the stage manager communicates with actors.
“Was there a difficult director you’ve worked with? Please explain what was difficult about him/her/them.” -> The answer is usually accompanied by an elaborate (sometimes funny) anecdote. Follow up with a “how did you handle that as a stage manager?” to understand their problem-solving skills.
“Can you explain who your ideal director is?” -> I like this one because applicants will let you know their preferred working style and what kind of relationship they want with the director.
For designers, I ask for portfolios on their recent work to get a sense of their style. I also like sending them a short scene from the script we’ll be working on. I don’t give any artistic vision and I don’t ask for anything elaborate. The best ones have been verbal explanations on their reason behind the design or very rough sketches. The goal here is to determine what they bring to the table as a creator.
#3. Don’t be vague
Being vague is like asking someone to interpret the situation as they please. It never helps to be vague. For example, “I want good communication”... what do you mean “good”?
‘Good communication’ means different from person to person. Define what you mean by ‘good communication’ for your team. Here’s an example of what I said about being late.
“I prefer good communication when you’re late. First off, of course, try not to be late. But I completely understand that some things are out of your control and life happens. If you think you’ll be late, text me. If it’s a personal reason and you prefer not to tell me why I get that - you don’t need to. But what helps is you communicating with me that you’ll be ten minutes late rather than the entire team wondering where you are and trying to get a hold of you. We can work on other things that don’t require your attention in those ten minutes. So please, let me know in advance.”
After you hire your dream production team, stay true to your words from the interview.
In addition, have a similar ‘expectation and responsibility talk’ at your first production meeting. Bring everyone to the same page and ask them what they expect from each other. They might have great suggestions.
I also find that explaining the ‘why’ to be extremely helpful. Give a reason for your request. Instead of saying, “I absolutely need this sound cue before [date]”, you can say “Is it possible for you to have a sample tune for this scene before [date]? I want to use it for the rehearsal on [date] and I’d like to check it out before then.” The sound designer now understands the reason why that specific date is important to you and is motivated to finish the task before the proposed deadline.
Also, remember to check in with the designers (and other production team members) if the deadline is reasonable for them. They could be too busy to work on that specific task in two days. But they can maybe have it done in four days.
A professional and healthy work environment is key to a successful production. Treat your production team as you would like to be treated.