Building a brilliant team
We all get by with a little help from our friends, so today we’ve got some tips for everybody in your filmmaking crew! How to find out what you like, how to work well in a team, and how to use teamwork to make the dream… happen!
Plus, don’t forget we go in depth on all the different roles on a film set (and heaps more) in episode I of Nextwave Online! So if you want to get a leg up on the competition, check out subscription options for Nextwave Online below.
Do you live on the Mid North Coast or Northern Rivers regions of NSW? If so, you and your school is eligible to get Nextwave Online fully subsidised, thanks to the NSW Government’s Department of Regional Youth. Click the button below to register your interest in the program!
1. Great minds
We don’t all think alike, and that’s a great thing, especially when working together. It’s good to be on the same page, but everyone will have different strategies and creatives ideas to bring to the film.
2. Be flexible
You can work solo, in pairs, a small group, or as a whole class! Remember to adhere to social distancing and lockdown rules for wherever you are, and utilise all of the amazing ways we can stay connected in this digital age! Going it alone is also a really great option to gain valuable skills and help define what it is about filmmaking that you truly enjoy.
3. Work to your strengths
There are lots of different roles on a film set, from pre-production and planning, to acting and filming to editing and polishing the film. You can find the right role for you in Episode 1 of Nextwave Online – but our key piece of advice here is to do what you most want to do – love storytelling? Write! Love decorating? Design sets!
4. Be kind
Disagreements are pretty inevitable when making a film with a team – perhaps one person wants a close up and one person thinks it should be wide – but that’s just part of the process to deciding together what will work best for the film. Hear out everyone’s ideas, and communicate thoughtfully to reach an agreement, your mental health AND your film will be the better off for staying cool under pressure.
5. Help is at hand
Yep, Nextwave is a youth filmmaking competition, so all key roles need to be completed by young people – 10-25. But reaching out for help from teachers, family and mentors is absolutely a vital part of making a film, especially for the first time, so be sure to ask and accept the help you might need along the way. You can also reach out to the Nextwave Team if you’ve got questions to ask! Just reply to emails like this one!