MUMBAI: The Indian film industry is huge and so is the size of its production and crew. Actress, director, writer and producer, Damini K Shetty talks to us about how a small budget Hollywood indie-horror film taught her the importance of the quality of the crew and not the quantity. 

“In 2015, I co-directed an indie-horror film in Hollywood called Down’s Revenge. It was produced and directed by Lekhraj Patel, his first, and marketed by California Pictures. The film was shot in Miami and Florida with a crew of just 20 people. It was a slightly scary experience for me as I was worried how I would be accepted there but I knew my director was completely raw and needed my support,” tells Damini.

Also read: Damini K Shetty talks about the plight of TV producers

She adds, “Thanks to the terrific crew, who were so open-minded and did their job perfectly that we had a smooth run of the shoot. It was amazing to see them work with so much focus and concentration. Everyone was punctual and did their work without being told what to do. "

“The entire schedule was of 22 days but we managed to crunch it down to 18 days. It was a brilliant and huge learning experience. That’s where I learned about working with smaller crews. It’s not about the number of your crew, it’s about how good and cooperative they are and they work as a team - that’s what makes the difference.” 

With the on-going lockdown, it looks like small crews will soon be the new norm.