According to your experience, how does the hierarchy function on set?

Hierarchy doesn’t exist if the task of each crew member is well-defined. If everybody knows what he/she has to do, hierarchy doesn’t have any role to play. But it depends if we’re talking about a professional shoot for which the people have a contract and are paid, or a volunteer team. The contracts define clearly the responsibilities of each crew member thus the hierarchy is accepted. Each higher responsible has a key function in terms of team supervision, like the DOP and the Head of Electronics. Human resources should be well-managed, especially because the director should not be really involved in them. This is why the role of assistant director is so crucial for a film’s dynamic. He/she is there to avoid potential conflict. When everything is going well, the team will be focused on the main thing: the making of the film. On the contrary, on a set with a small budget, some problems linked to hierarchy or differing expectations could appear as people are not paid. But most of all I would say that the real leader is the film! We obey it, in a certain way…

Besides the role of each crew member, could you tell us the key factors that help a shoot be efficient and successful?

I will definitely say the trust between each crew member you work with. Sometimes it’s better to work with people you don’t really know, but who are professionals. On the contrary, when you work with friends, there are maybe fewer problems of trust but they could also be less experienced. And with them, you rarely face ego problems! I think we should learn in film school how to manage ‘ego’ because this is a hot topic in the creative field. I remember on a short film set, the whole team decided to stop the film because the director wasn’t managing his demands well. And as the crew was not so well paid, they all left! It’s an exceptional situation but it clearly shows the importance of human relations. But the project itself is obviously a key factor! If the people feel that they are doing something interesting, it helps the group dynamic. I attended one of Joachim Lafosse’s shoots, with some famous actors (e.g. Isabelle Huppert for Elève Libre). The team was really concentrated. You could feel the positive tension of the crew. Also, to give you a tip; always start by shooting simple scenes, to slowly build the cohesion in the team. And since filming is really demanding, it’s also important to have a good location. It could seem minor but it’s really important to eat well for example and to have some free time to shake off any tensions.

On your last short film Dimanche Soir, you were directing and acting in the main role. How did you manage it?

It’s two complementary roles. Being actor helps you to direct and viceversa. As a scriptwriter, I’m used to playing out the scenes I write to check if they work or not. In film school, you should at least try acting once when you learn directing. Then you realise how important it is to have well-described scenes to guide the actor physically. On the set of Dimanche Soir, the challenge was the constant changing of positions. The script-girl, the sound engineer and the cameramen were taking the role of director to replace the “empty seat” from time to time. I selected professionals I could trust in terms of feedback and ideas. That was crucial. Also it’s interesting how you can feel a scene differently as actor or director. As an actor, I sometimes had the impression that I was not enough in the mood of the character but from the director’s point of view, I was! The actor has some unconscious gestures that only an external eye could evaluate.

By Joanna Gallardo