William Akers, chair of the motion pictures department, was recently featured in the premier episode of Get Real: Indie Film[Cast], a podcast dedicated to sharing stories and advice with filmmakers. In this episode, Akers shared his advice on avoiding common amateur pitfalls regarding casting, safety on set and feeding the crew.
His biggest piece of advise: “Be professional with people’s time.” Akers noted that on a small set, or in producing a low-budget film, it is vital to get volunteer crewmen excited to be there by offering more than cold pizza or bagels. He said that if you cannot pay them what they deserve, you must at least respect them and their time.
