Bringing the right people into a production will have an effect on the overall mood of your film. A producer will normally handle lining up and hiring business personnel such as accountants and office staff. While a producer often has veto power over all crew members, a director usually has sway over the creative team she chooses to work with, such as the cinematographer, production designer, and film editor. Typically, directors and producers collaborate in choosing and hiring the technical crew and production people who are brought on board for the shooting schedule.

Higher-budget productions usually have a casting director during the preproduction process so he can begin arranging acting talent to fill the parts. In major motion pictures, lead actors are often lined up very early in preproduction, and are even sometimes approached in the conceptual stages of a film production. During preproduction, the casting director collaborates closely with the film's director to ensure that casting is tailored to attract the best actor for each role.