Filmmaking is a team sport.
Sometimes that’s a good and sometimes that’s a bad thing. I have been in situations where my team has been stellar and I’ve been able to rely on them to bring my vision to life, and I have also been in situations where I’ve dealt with the complete opposite. In most scenarios that involve low budget, non-union filmmaking, you will be let down by some of your team. This isn’t said to discourage you. This is the truth and you must prepare for this.
Invest in your team in prep.
Prep is the key word here. Prep (pre-production) is where you can not only work with your team to prep your film, but also learn about the people who make up your team. If you are shooting somewhere remote, it is incredibly important for you to do this. Budget for 3 weeks of prep for your key department heads. During those 3 weeks, really pay attention to how your team members execute your vision, but also pay close attention to how they react under pressure and what their priorities are on set / in their departments. If there’s something about them that doesn’t feel right, it is A LOT easier to get rid of someone during prep than during production.
It is YOUR film.
Although filmmaking is a team sport, it’s important to NEVER lose sight of the fact that your film is your film. If something doesn’t go right, the only person that suffers is you. You cannot stop filming or give up just because someone or multiple people on your team dropped the ball. Winners want the ball. You have to pick up the slack and keep going. You need to go into your day believing that if everything were to go to s**t, you will make your day and get your movie made even if you have to do it yourself.