How Much is Your Soul Worth?

Jerks who pay are still jerks. You don’t have to be a slave to a paycheck, y’know.

Aw…. busted!

If a prop or setpiece or other object breaks, immediately let someone know.

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Target: Good boundaries!

If you want to get a little experience under your belt, browsing online classifieds (such as Craigslist, Mandy, etc.) can help you find productions in your area that are crewing or casting. Usually, they pay little or nothing, but if you’re just starting to learn, this sort of experience can be invaluable.

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Plus, it adds adventure to your life!

Find those people who — when presented with a problem — ask “How can we make this work so we can keep moving forward?” Those are great people to have on set. Cultivate those connections.

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Nobody Wins Anyway

Don’t fight. Seriously. Yes, there will be disagreements. Yes, there will be frustrations. Yes, there will be setbacks. That is normal. But please, don’t fight about it. There’s no need to yell or shout or scream or whinge on.

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And then get back to work on the next one.

Make a big noise when you finish something. Celebrate, dammit — finishing a movie is a Significant Event!

“It’s pretty nice work, considering the source…”

You may run across people who try to discourage you. They may not even mean to do it, but whenever you talk with them, you’re discouraged. Your best defense is the following mantra: “Just get the shot.” Most of the folks who are discouraging are really trying to discourage themselves. Don’t buy into their limitations.

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Plus, you live in a glass house.

Even if you had a crappy time on set, keep it to yourself.

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Stretch those chewy hamstrings!

Before you do stunts or other physically demanding action, take a few minutes to stretch and limber up. There’s a reason zombie hunters do it!

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And Dinner!

Remember you have a life outside of production. Everybody else does, too.

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Look! The Sun!

Network, network, network! Meet other people making movies! You’re all in this together and you all offer unique talents. Yes, there’s a lot to be said for keeping your head down and working, but once in a while, you need to get out and meet other filmmakers.

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The world needs more ‘Lerts.

Be secure. Lock your personal stuff in your car or keep it on your person.

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“Fourple”

On a low budget movie set, a lot of people have double, triple, or fourple duties. On a low budget set, “fourple” is a word. No matter what you’re supposed to be doing, chances are, you’ll wind up doing some other things, too.

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Wish there was a spray for ‘em.

Watch out for drama queens. Drama belongs in front of the camera, not behind it. If they are indispensable, contain them severely. If they are not indispensable, dispense with them.

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Get. The. Shot.

There are three words that should drive everything in Production: “Get the shot.” The only two types of activities on set are activities that help get the shot and activities that are preventing the shot. Keep the former going, and minimize the latter. Food belongs to the former category, by the way.

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…or hate it, but I recommend against that.

Making movies is fun. Never forget that. Maybe some folks do it only for the money, but I doubt it. I think they still want to have fun, and making movies is fun. If you’re not having fun, you’re probably not doing it right. Don’t get me wrong — it can be hard work, but the big picture is that it should be fun. Have fun!

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But not the single malt.

Sometimes, after a late shoot, when everyone’s busted hump and created Great Things, it’s okay to overspend the Craft Services budget and treat ‘em to a few beers, or a hot meal at the nearby tavern. Everybody can use a little occasional decompression time with the gang.

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