Three Questions To Build Winning On-Set Vibes
Productions are dynamic and stressful, and often it’s the team’s ability to gracefully and productively respond to problems that determines the quality of our work. Set vibes, the team psychology, make an enormous difference. But how can we consciously build the right team psychology? Below is a simple checklist I’m working on to make building vibes on set a more conscious habit.
1. Am I demonstrating care for my crew?
Our industry–dominated by freelance labor–can too often seem transactional. For this reason, when we demonstrate care for our crew and talent, it goes a very long way. From the basics like attending to safety, privacy, and security to providing good catering and healthy snacks to simply asking people how they are doing, how their energy level is, and what they are doing in their lives. The path to doing great work can only happen with the team we have assembled. By caring for them, they’re more likely to want to see us succeed.
2. Does my team know what they will be doing?
This is a fairly basic checklist item, but it’s profoundly important to get right. For the crew, it means communicating the requirements of the day prior to beginning, ensuring that crew is well prepared, with the tools and experience needed to do their work. Want to erode trust with our crew? Spring unexpected tasks on them with no warning. Does this mean all shoots must be well-planned and executed? No. But, if we expect a shoot to be chaotic, then best to prepare the team in advance so that they bring the right mindset to the day.
The same goes for talent–whether actors or real people. Properly prepare them for the day with expectations around schedule, and performance.
3. Does my team know why we are doing this?
So, if the “what” is fairly basic, it is the “why” that often profoundly differentiates between a team that is good and one that is great. When producing, we can fall into a trap of executing the plan, but forgetting the big picture. As a producer or director–or another major key position– we may sometimes question why it is important for an AC or PA to understand the purpose of our shoot. Here’s two reasons why it is highly useful for everyone to know what success looks like:
- Our job is hard. Crews are often working back-to-back days for long hours, and freelancing with many different production teams. Why are we doing this? Reminding people of the purpose of our shoots, gives them a reason to get out of rote execution so that they can put in the extra attention and effort that leads to great work.
- Interpersonal and soft skills go a long way regardless of crew or talent position. Especially in many of our real-people shoots, letting the crew know about the purpose of the interviews/work filters into the performances of those on-camera. It’s subtle, but when talent sees people connecting to the purpose of the day, they are more likely to do so themselves.
And that is it, three simple questions that can help create the kind of winning vibe that makes sets a success.
Thanks for reading and I hope this was helpful.
Rufus
