Crew

Doctrine essences:

The crew includes all employees with a function 'behind' the camera.
Often a crewmember works flexible part time (within a short dense period), and like the 'cast' (functionaries 'before' the camera) on freelance basis; all crew members are in principle to be hired on a short notice for a certain time, at least 3 hours and up to 3 months, to execute a "Filmthis!...-command".

There are 2 types of crew members:

1. (Organic) vertical (↑) incoming crew members;
2. (Specialists) horizontal (→) incoming crew members

Ad. 1):  Examples of organic vertical (↑) incoming crew members are (unlimited): team-chefs, producers, camera-technicians, sound engineers, technicals, marketers, light technicians, runners, security, styling, decors, assistants, cleaners, escorts, catering, etc. technicians floor-& set-decorators, book-keepers, editors, project managers, scouts, operational ICT-ers, script-/ scenario-/ screenwriters, etc.

Ad. 2):  Examples of specialized horizontal (→) incoming crew members are (unlimited): special effects specialists, clothing, animals escorts, connectors, tactical-& technical-marketers, make up, technical directors, fixers, etc.

A crew works in a production team, with as core business: (full) making an Audio Visual product.

The size of the team (team members) depends on the ‘Filmthis!...command’, the format, project, and specific circumstances.
Minimum size of 1 team is: 1 cameraman, 1 producer, and 1 (R & D) (voice over) presenter / interviewer (all f/m).
Production teams with an unlimited maximum size, are especially active for the production of feature films.

Types of ‘Filmthis!...-commands are: to Research, to reconnoiter, interview, create scene(s), make stock shots, documentary creation, interview, evaluation, follow process, evidence collection, casting (shows), making of...', to investigate, etc. etc..

Depending on their mission, teams work independently with a mandate, or (normally) are delegated with a team-chef within a team, or a manager for more teams working together as group, or in a pack with multiple groups, or in company related (particularly when we do film-expeditions).

Each production team includes an occupation in which the targets for each function, responsibilities and powers are exactly defined.

There is continuity by cooperation-labor, because each function has a unique training component form and all the features together complement each other;
In addition, each production function is in principle quickly replaceable to realize every contracted ‘Filmthis!...-commend’.

Production teams have in addition to their salary and expense compensations contractual right to a certain team-share percentage of profit of it (produced by them) project through the priority shares portfolio by Casting International.

Recruitment and selection

Searching for and finding potentially suitable crew officials has standardized procedures.
Recruitment is looking for people with a certain mentality;
Thus looking for eg warriors and not worriers.

In terms of the selection criteria important criteria are the 3 stars of Amsterdam {heroic*, determined*, compassionate*}, and integrity* (do what you say and say what you do).

Training

All crew members of each team have firstly produced an internal learning /work-route period, including experiences in skills training and study of doctrines & drills (policy notes and standardizations) in (one of) the Organization(s) of Casting International.

All crew-trainings are standardized, and there is -since 1997- a lot of business experience with recruitment, selection and training.
Crew members are selected, recruited, and trained in video production teams according to a standard program which is innovative adapted for training in the realization of many UN film assignments.

Only those who at the end of their learning-/work-route, received a 8, 9, 10 (scale 0-10) as final mark for the training, get a ‘freelance by offering call’ contract.

The relationship man – woman within crews is 50-50.

The companies policy is, that if you have not an operational ‘freelance by call-contract’ to carry out for a moment, and study is of interests for both of us, you are obliged to follow a study, paid by the company, to update your peace- and/or skills- & drills knowledge.

Employees make the company-culture.
Starting from the beginning of the peace-work, a constantly learning/training includes integrated instructions, in the field of cultivation of motivation and performance-style that benefits both of us: you and the company.

Effort:

The teams are managed by an former officer expert, or a film production-expert, cq knowledge domain expert for video productionperiods with a length of time ranging from 3 days up to max. 3 months.
This manager is an officer in the function of pre-production producer or project coordinator.

There are 3 degrees of risk operations:

• low (all productions in Benelux),
• medium (most), and
• high (war zones, organized crime, anti-corruption projects).

The teams are compiled in terms of multidisciplinary fields of study, whereby they function self-sufficient.
Because we work with freelance flex call contracts, for divers suddenly rising ‘Filmthis!...-commends’, there are many different crew members needed of various levels and training.
State of education affairs (after 5 years of pilot-trainings): 120 CREW flex to call forces and 50 staff flex to call forces.

Motto’s / weapon yells:

• integrity (do what you say and say what you do)
• heroic, determined, compassion.
• Making negatively positive!

Human-resource management policy:

Employment contracts are the first years always for some time.
The pay is linked to the rank, which is dependent on the type of work, the specific project, the degree of education, experiences and personal abilities of the crewmember.

Crew members with a (MBO) technical basic education, who are trained organic, start their career in 'the stand of Friendships'.
Crew members with a (HBO) higher college basic education, who are trained organic, start their career ‘the stand of nNon-commissioned officers';
vertical incoming specialists crew members start in ‘the stand of non-commissioned officers'.
The function 'teamchef ' is from the ranks corporaal-1/corporale-1 to corporal sergeant(e)-1

Generally there is no overarching Collective Labor Agreement.
The assessment of crewmembers is on the basis of standard appraisal forms.
Career planning for individual crew members are based on realized projects.
The staff turnover is contractually standardized*.

Method in the case of contracts:

The normal method for contracting a crew for a client (mostly United Nations organizations) for adoption of productional Audio-Visual-work by Casting International (Second Unit), is as follows:

• According to requirements of relevant UN-organisation(s).
• The normal practice with crew members shall be made in accordance with written agreements concluded with them.

Accelerated procedure:
Appointments with crew members are to be made by phone within 24 hours as part-time flex freelance work; They shall be construed as verbal agreements, always to post a.s.a.p. to be confirmed in writing.
The Secretariat of the foundation CastingInternational-Expeditions takes care of sending the formulated assignment, maximum 2 days before departure, to send by courier, fax or email possibly followed later by post.

Above is a summary.
For more information about for example application procedures, training, certificates, specific crew-needs or schedules, please contact Casting International by using the button below.