One of the basic truths about making a movie is that you can’t do it alone. You need a production crew. You need equipment. You need connections.

But how to find them?

Indie filmmakers Tom Schneider and Kainoa Rudolfo understood the dilemma of the struggling artist and created a solution they call the Hawaii Filmmakers Collective. Now in its second year, the collective brings together filmmakers, writers, cinematographers, producers and actors who agree to work on each other’s projects.

Members pitch their projects and vote for the best idea, triggering a four-month production that ends with a screening and discussion at the collective’s workspace on Waialae Avenue in Kaimuki.

“When we started the group we were not sure who would show up,” said Schneider, 46, of Waikiki. “At this point we have a good cross section of members. There are some who are self-taught and who want to learn more. And we have others who are much like myself who are working in the industry and are trying to make bigger connections and get bigger projects going.”

The collective, about 45 members, produced two short films last year, and there are two more now in production, Schneider said.

The pitch sessions have been productive, with about seven to 10 projects pitched, Schneider said. The ideas are diverse: a documentary about the homeless, a horror film, a crime drama, a psychological drama, a comedy.

“Some come in and they have a script ready to go, so they are looking for a production crew or they need equipment,” he said. “Others come in and say, ‘I have a great concept,’ but they need help with writing. So then we help them find writers. It just depends on what stage they are in for the production.”

ORIGINALLY from Switzerland, Schneider has been in Hawaii since 1999 making short films, corporate videos and commercials. Rudolfo, who has a graduate degree in communication from the University of Hawaii, has worked for ‘Oiwi Television and on a documentary, “Keone Nunes: Ancestral Ink.”

They want the collective to become a resource for filmmakers and have scheduled workshops and screenings in their 2,000-square- foot workspace.

Director Keo Woolford screened his film “The Haumana” and discussed what it took to make it. He will be serving as mentor to the next filmmakers, who will meet tonight for the first pitch session of 2016.

There is nothing else like the collective on the Hawaii filmmaking landscape, Woolford said.

“I think more than anything it builds community,” he said. “It just encourages the support of projects and in return builds connections for when someone else makes something.”

The first film produced last year was Diq Diamond’s 17-minute “God Is a Dog,” described as a heartwarming story about an old man and his pet. It screened at the Cincinnati International Film Festival and the Utopia Film Festival last year.

The 49-year-old Diamond, who started making films six years ago after being a special-education teacher, said he was trying to form a similar organization when he discovered the Hawaii Filmmakers Collective.

“Most people making small films don’t have the money or resources,” Diamond said. “The idea of a collective is brilliant. You can start building your resume by working on my film. And then it is not my film anymore. It’s our film.”

One of the biggest benefits of the collective is its ability to bring together people with different skill sets, Schneider said.

“We really want to connect people so they can get their film off the ground and get some momentum,” he said. “It’s a matter of time and scheduling. Most people have other jobs.”

For more information about the Hawaii Filmmakers Collective, go online at hifilmmakers.com.

AND that’s a wrap …

Mike Gordon is the Star-Advertiser’s film and television writer. Reach him at 529-4803 or email mgordon@staradvertiser.com.