Principle #6 Teamwork

Custom Projects Require Custom Teams

Who is the crew for your home movie?

Owners mobilizing a team for custom home construction are looking for a one-of-a-kind design solution. We contend to produce the one-off design, a custom team should be assembled to fit the needs of a project.

Think in terms of producing a film: what major “players” and crew are needed for a project and how they are engaged? The major “players” are easy. The Owner produces, creating the conditions for construction. The Architect Directs, being responsible for overseeing the creative aspect of the process. The Contractor is the production manager, supervising the physical aspects of the production. Overall, the major players need to share the vision of the final product and trust each others roles in order to produce a winner.

To assemble your home production team, think in film production crew terms:

1. Questions to consider when aligning the right Production Manager and Director for your home movie production:

• Do you as the producer have any experience?
• Is the project complex?
• Will you as the producer be living on the set?
• Will the problems be difficult to solve?
• Is there a short delivery date?
• What are the investment goals?

2. From the “players” resources, who are the best crew members for the project? Issues to think about while finding the Crew.

• Are the outdoor scenes important to the movie?
• Does the set need a kitchen expert?
• Are there complex details to the costumes that integrate into the look and feel of the scenes?
• Is there a complex set that requires engineering?

3. What specialty crew is needed? Do you need to accommodate special lighting to make the scenes work? Are automated sound and visual effects needed? Is the production off the grid? What environmental concerns are there?

How to identify the team, and in what order:

1. First identify the story and engage the producer and director to develop story boards and budget the production.
2. Pick the best production manager perfect for the project.
3. After the major players are on board and the projection is determined to be viable, identify the best crew to fill all roles from the major player’s resources.
4. Follow a process that allows decisions to be made in the right order.

Assembling the right crew means finding the appropriate architect, contractor, consultants, venders and subcontractors for the particular project that best fits the client, project type and budget. We contend our most successful projects are also our most successful teams trusting each other while following our decision guidance process.

Who is the Crew?

Producer Resources

• Investors – Are outside investors required or are you reinvesting from another production?
• Angel investors – Family money
• Market research – Is the production in line with other productions in the neighborhood?

Director Resources

• Surveyor – Location manager
• Structural engineer – Stunt coordinator
• Civil engineer – Site logistics
• Lighting – Gaffer
• Kitchen designer – Props
• Interior designer – Wardrobe
• Landscape – Greensman
• Low voltage vendor – Director of animation.

Production manager resources:

Grips, Key Grip, Best Boy, Dolly Grip. We don’t exactly know how the rolls compare to the foundation guy and the framer, but the point is certain sub-contractors and venders are better for different kinds of project and should be selected to align with the expertise required and the budget.

Contact Jones Pierce:
Bryan@JonesPierce.com