There’s an anecdote about getting hired to work in film.
It goes something like this:
Hiring person says to the candidate, “You want to be on my crew? Tell me about a time where you really messed up on set. How’d you handle it?”
Candidate response, “Well, I’ve never messed up.”
“Well then, you’re fired,” says the hiring manager. “You have no place on my crew if you’ve never messed up.”
The version I heard contained a lot more colorful language but the point is the same: we all mess up.
Messing up is part of how we learn.
How do you handle messing up?
If you’re new to film / video making, keep this in mind: it’s not a matter of IF you’re going to goof, it’s WHEN. You’re going to goof. And that’s OK.
Look, I’ve messed up on set many times. Repeatedly messed up in lots of different ways. I’m not bragging, and I’m not proud of it. I’m simply saying that it happens, and I’m owning it. But I’m also learning from those mistakes and trying to do my best to never repeat them.
In my humble opinion, how we handle our goofs is what makes the difference:
- When you mess up, are you learning from your mistake?
- Are you going to do things differently next time?
- Are you going to continue improving (aka: honing your craft) so that you’re always putting your best out into the world?
What goofs have you witnessed? How did those issues get resolved? How’d you handle your own goofs?
My mission on set
It’s my goal – no matter my role on set – to create a safe, enjoyable environment for everyone to do their very best work.
I want to be known for taking the best care of my people, setting them up for success, and creating opportunities to stretch us to be the very best. This may sound really cheesy but it’s a mission I carry with me every time I step onto a set. It’s been with me from the beginning.
Look, I may not always accomplish this every time. I recognize that. But I set out to do the very best I can each time.
Why? Because I want to collaborate with people. I want “my people” to want to work with me again tomorrow, next week, and next year. I want them to feel valued, appreciated, cared for, and comfortable so that they can go home feeling satisfied and accomplished. I want them to enjoy working with me. It’s not a selfless or selfish thing; it’s a core part of collaboration.
Collaboration one of the biggest things that keeps me coming back to film. I find it truly fascinating. I really, really, really love it.
Filmmaking is such a unique form of art / business. Everyone on set is valuable because they all see such different pieces of the puzzle. A good idea can come from anyone, at any time. I have a lot of respect for that.
What else do you want to know?
Want to hear some of my biggest goofs? How I handled them? How I’m going to avoid ever repeating that mistake? Tell me in the comments; let’s keep the convo going.