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You'll learn loads from you time in the creative industries, but if there's one lesson to learn early its how to play nicely with other people.
It may sound like a strange lesson, but it is one that is incredibly important, and here’s why.
Video production can be a bit of a pressure cooker. You’ve got lots of talented and creative people all in one place trying to collaborate AND get their own individual job done to the highest standard. There are all kinds of problems that can crop up and it is easy to get lost in the moment as things may be moving from Plan A to Plan B. Maybe you’re trying to figure out how to get a full crew out of bed and mobilised before the sun comes up for that epic dawn shot. Or maybe, something you couldn't know would be needed, is needed, and its needed yesterday. There are plenty of opportunities for directness to tip over into, well, d*ckishness. And while its fine saying "We'll all be friends at the end of the day,'' there's a fine line between being candid and calling it as it is and, frankly, behaving in an unacceptable way.
Get on with everyone.
We think the days of tyrannical producing and diabolical lines in the sand between production and client should be a thing of the past. Video production is at its best when it’s a truly collaborative effort. That means being on board to help with each other’s responsibilities and roles. From a client’s perspective, it means that we realize the importance of our good reputationAnd not ruining it by forgetting "It's just a job".
Being a d*ck isn't going to turn back Bernard's Watch and get that extra shot in, it's not going to move the extras any faster. The finished piece may be 5% better but it was 20% harder to get there (N.B - These are fictional numbers, don't quote us). People (production crews) don't always perform better in a pressure cooker.It’s a stressful way to go through life and it’s one that cuts you off from potential opportunities. You never know who will come back into your life and career that can be an invaluable source of inspiration, advice and support.
So, from a cultural perspective, we always aim to be courteous, professional and friendly to everyone we come into contact with. Doing a bit extra and being decent about it opens up more doors. I don't think we would have gotten here without trying to keep everything on the level.
Why make a point of this?
You might be wondering why we feel the need to bring this up at all. Most people reading this will think it goes without saying, because for the most part people in the industry are generally a lot of fun to spend twelve hours a day with.
However, all too often you hear the horror stories of other shoots where someone was difficult to deal with or created a problem in some way. We've had our fair share of weird moments with people, but thankfully not enough to pack up shop yet…!
It is incredibly important that the people we work with are talented. But it is equally important to us that we get along with them. This is why we often go to the same roster of freelancers again and again.
Simply put; if you are good at your job and generally on board to play a team game, we want to work with you. If you act like a d*ck, you don’t get hired by us a second time.
This method has not only ensured that we can work to the best of our ability in a mutually respectful, empathetic and collaborative way, but it means that each time we put together a shoot we get to work with great people, many of which have become our close friends.
We thought it would be worth putting this out as a sort of mission statement; that we are firm believers in the concept of being co-operative and human no matter what, because we wouldn't be here without being thoughtful. You never know what relationships you could build while earning a living doing what you love.
