On Humbleness

So, you have written a script, you have a camcorder, and you’re ready to go. You assemble a production team and a cadre of actors. Maybe you’ve done this on your own, or maybe you found one key person with contacts that really helped you to pull this together. Either way, remember that your team will carry you across the finish line, not the other way around.

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to produce a short film. This was my first time at the wheel, and, with the birth of my two kids, to date it has been my only project. In short, I dreamt the content of the story, wrote it over a weekend, got an AD on board, and she really ran with it.

The problem is, I didn’t trust her. Not for anything that she had done or indicated that she would do. On the contrary, she did a lot to get the project going and taught me a lot along the way. My problem was that I craved control of my baby, and this prevented me from trusting the people who managed the shoot for me.

True, my crew was composed of a bunch of humans who were doing everything they could go grow their careers in a small market. I think that’s reasonable. Hell, if they were serious about their work, they should have been motivated to do everything they could to learn and prove their value. But I saw it differently. I saw attempts to do more on the set as empire building. I undercut the people that I depended on.

This happens on a lot of shoots. There are a lot of sensitive people with their own needs and reasons for being on your set. I guess the message I’m trying to convey here is to pay attention to the needs of the individual who is working with you. If there is a conflict, or even the perception of a conflict, communicate. Talk it through, and don’t dance around it. You may find that you enhance your personal and working relationships by doing this. In the least, you will have a happier set.

The good news is that I made a bunch of good friends on that project. Bad news is that I burned my share of bridges. Good news is that I learned a lot about the process of film-making, likely more than I would have in film school. Bad news – I prevented others from doing the same. Live and learn.

Final thoughts: Film-making is a beautiful, personally meaningful, and highly energizing and dynamic means of self-expression, for everyone involved. Invite people to participate and contribute what they bring to the show. And leave your ego at the door.