Hiring technicians and editors for every shoot

In film and TV, the challenge is not finding technicians, it is getting the right ones, available on the right dates, for every production. The method: a screened, up-to-date pool by speciality, advertising targeted by role and region for each new project, and fast confirmation of availability.

A project market, not a shortage

In France Travail's labour needs survey (BMO), performing arts and entertainment professionals account for 29,000 hiring plans, only 10.3% of them rated difficult. The pool exists. What takes time is the scramble for every shoot: finding a sound engineer free in the planned week, an editor who knows the production's software, an electrician available in the region.

For every new production

1. List roles by speciality and date. Camera, sound, lighting, grip, production management, editing, grading. For each, the dates, location and expected level.
2. Start from the pool. Technicians from previous productions, sorted by speciality, region and last collaboration. A direct message to those who did well often fills half the roles.
3. Advertise by role and region for the rest. Targeted advertising on social networks, video and apps, set to the speciality and the shooting area, reaches technicians who do not follow job ads. Specialist platforms complete this.
4. Screen on real work. Showreel, credits list, equipment mastered, editing software. A ten-minute call with the head of department is often enough.
5. Confirm fast and grow the pool. Availability, terms, then add the new profiles to the file for the next production.

What the offer should say

• Type of production: fiction, documentary, studio, live recording, advertising.
• Dates, location and conditions (expenses, accommodation).
• The exact role and the equipment or software used.
• Pay and contract type.

Keeping the pool up to date

A useful pool fits in a few columns: name, speciality, region, equipment or software mastered, last production, head of department's feedback, stated availability. It is updated at the end of each shoot, not at the start of the next one.

Add the candidates you spotted but did not hire. An editor too busy for one project will often be free for the next, and will remember a quick, precise contact.

Common mistakes

• Searching at the last minute, through messages to your close network only.
• Keeping the pool in the line producer's head rather than in a shared file.
• Shooting in a region with crews brought from far away, for lack of searching locally.
• Forgetting to record the availability people mention for future projects.

What a media campaign shows

Canal+ used targeted advertising to hire its master's-level work-study students (creative, technology, communication, production): coverage of the student audience tripled, cost per click fell by 25% and over 3 million people were reached in three weeks. See the Canal+ case study.

Our page on hiring in film, TV and media covers targeting by speciality. For young profiles and work-study roles, the article on recruiting Generation Z completes this method.

Frequently asked questions

How do you find an editor quickly?

Start from the pool of previous productions, then advertise an offer targeted by speciality and software, with precise dates.

Should you build a pool of technicians?

Yes. It is the fastest lever for every production, provided you keep it up to date after each shoot.