Producer Resources for Finding Crew

I hire a lot of crew. Currently I am producing a documentary and we are filming at least one to three times a week. I am often trying to fill crew needs when our main crew have conflicts in their schedules.

And I make one to two narrative features per year as well.

So my crew needs never end.

Where do I find all of this crew? I prefer to find them through referrals from my colleagues. But referrals only go so far. I often have more needs for crew than referrals can cover.

And I have tried pretty much every resource out there for crew. I will rate them here.

1) Crew Lists. The best resource besides referrals are past crew lists from other projects -- and not just your own. Little known resource: State film commissions collect crew lists from film projects in their regions. Ask for copies of those crew lists. Call the producer and get the scoop on the crew you are seeking.

2) Craigslist. Yes, Craigslist is my number one Internet resource for finding crew. No fee to post when you put the job under gigs and you get immediate responses from probably the largest pool of people.

3) Mandy.com. Mandy is a close second but I think Craigslist is a little better as more people know about Craigslist than Mandy.

4) EntertainmentCareers.net. Great resource for longer term job postings -- like finding assistants or interns. As the title suggests, this site is primarily for career jobs so I don't really use it for crew but I do use it for finding interns!

5) Media-Match.com. Pay is involved for those seeking gigs. That means less of a pool tracking the gigs. Great site but I try to avoid those that require a fee for anyone.

I know there are other sites as well but I just don't use them. By the time I make it through the above sites, I usually have hundreds of resumes to sift through...