No matter the scale of your production, it takes a village to produce great video. And, if you’re aiming for high-quality video content, you’ll need to rely on a high-caliber crew. That’s why video pro networks are so important. It’s how producers, directors, and major talent come together to ultimately turn out a polished piece of work.  One seriously important element for the success of your project relies on bringing diversity to your production talent and crew. Making a clear commitment to fair representation won’t simply improve your project — it can help bring about lasting change.  We know how the chaos of production can feel. Whether you’re on your first video or 90th, it can be tempting to lean on the networks you’re familiar with. But, with a few small tweaks to your routine — it is actually easy to branch out beyond your personal circles and find great candidates who would love the opportunity to have more access to creative careers. (If you’re not sure where to start, check out For Hire to start building your dream crew.) We spoke to four top-notch filmmakers who are excellent at bringing diversity seamlessly into their projects and narratives. Here’s what they had to say:

Widen your network

 Staff Picked documentarian Veena Rao, and director of Vimeo’s Small Business Shorts series, makes a concerted effort to bring diverse talent to all levels of production. From sound design to colorists, Veena is always looking to hire highly skilled, underrepresented creative pros to make her narratives come to life. Here’s a clue in to how she staffs a diverse crew — regardless if she’s shooting in Buffalo or Istanbul. “Sometimes when in a time crunch, you go with the first names that come recommended from a trusted colleague, or someone who has a nice list of credits or a strong reel, but don’t necessarily put a priority on representation. You have to work harder to cultivate relationships and get into networks that support BIPOC and women creators. That way you have places to tap into when you are gearing up for production. Follow organizations like Firelight Media, Chicken and Egg, and Brown Girls Doc Mafia, which recently created this list of BIPOC crew. You can also request a list of Black Editors from Ri-Karlo Handy here. Start prioritizing a diverse crew. Then, create your own lists that you can share.”

Take your activism to work (and maybe throw out the resume)

Award-winning filmmaker, Mohammad Gorjestani, melds raw, unabashed activism both in his independent work and his branded content. His creative studio and production company Even/Odd churns out these narratives for big names like Square, Beats by Dr. Dre, and Lyft. His crews have masterfully tackled issues like women’s incarceration, First Nation empowerment, and what it means to be an immigrant in America. And, in telling those stories, he is equally passionate about building a crew that mirrors these underrepresented perspectives.

“When you actually do the homework, and study the issues and why they matter, the conversation becomes easier. Having the conviction to say, ‘I’m not going to limit my activism to my personal time. I’m also going to take it to the workplace.’ Because it’s where you work in America that you’re going to make the cultural change that’s needed to affect the economic futures of so many people, especially artists & filmmakers.

We have to change what we define as merit. And that will require you to say, ‘You know what? I can’t look at a resume. A college degree isn’t a qualifying thing. I’m looking at a series of reels, and the person who is a minority may not have had the access to make the quality of reel as their white counterpart. And if I’m in a position of power, I need to hire people who are skilled at seeing raw potential and actual unique perspective.’ So much of what minority filmmakers need is rooted in resources, support, and apparatus to take our ideas born from adversity and allow us to execute them in a high-quality way –– something that white filmmakers I think take for granted.”

But do it in your downtime, too

 Executive Producer, Eric Tu, has his own unique approach to large scale ad campaigns (and he’s taken home Cannes Lions and Emmy awards). For him, whether it’s music videos or art house productions, keeping the crew representative of varying backgrounds happens more often in the lulls between shooting. “Make diversity and inclusion your passion during down time between projects. I always have a list on my phone of talent and crew I want to collaborate with. When I am out socializing I try to spark conversations with people who don’t look like me or have the same background. In most cases, careers come up. If they express interest but don’t have a formal network into our industry I always offer to make intros. You’d be surprised how many check back with me years later with lots of industry experience, eager to offer to free support since I helped them start their careers. I generally ask them to just pay it forward to someone else who wants to break into the industry. It’s really a beautiful cycle.  Pushing for diversity is a career-long journey and it always proves to be a win / win for everyone. I bring this knowledge and passion to client meetings. It makes each brief an exciting opportunity to be more inclusive and celebrate how many choices we have.”

Be intentional 

 Filmmaker Oge Egbuonu — whose vital documentary “(In)visible Portraits” debuted on Vimeo this year — knew that staffing her shoot was an opportunity to create more spaces for underrepresented members of the industry. So she spent three months sourcing an all-woman crew for her production. Here’s what she had to say about the experience: “I set the intention in the very beginning to cultivate a space that invited softness, tenderness, and warmth during production. For me, that involved a production crew of all women. I had a lot of people tell me to just hire men, as there were more men available than women, but I knew it was possible to find women, on any level, who could do the job, it just required patience and research.  I talked to friends in industry and gathered recommendations and I researched on Free The Work. My process was mostly word of mouth, but I will say this: It is possible to fill production roles with women. We are here and we are available. We just need the opportunity.” 

Remember: No experience necessary

One final takeaway about staffing your video team: Any hard working person is an asset to your production. Anyone who holds a job in the service industry can PA. Any trustworthy human with a driver’s license can transport grip. Any organized individual can support producers, directors, and talent. So the next time you’re building your crew: Look beyond film school networks, and ask way beyond the film industry. Tap friends who manage staff or employees in any field. Think: Restaurants, retail, even high school teachers you know. Who do they know that stands out, and might not have the means to kick off a creative career on their own? Be blunt! Tell them you’re looking for ambitious women, BIPOC, and lower-income background humans to help with production — no experience necessary.

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