VISION WRITER BLOG

FILMSET POLITICS and TAKING THE JOB #007

HANDLING FILM SET POLITICS – simple rules

Filmset politics can be tricky, especially in this day and age where the lines between the roles are blurred. But here are some of the hurdles I ran into in the past. Maybe they can shed some light on things to come. I can't promise that I always made the best decision. I can promise that I always chose to participate, follow the rules or not based on merit and principal.

But be clear – sticking to your morals on a film set isn't always going to make things go your way. You might find yourself a pariah the day after refusing a director or producer's request to shoot something dangerous. Erring on the side of caution isn't always going to work in your favor. So be prepared.

Always stress safety, even if they threaten to fire you. I stuck by my guns in several uncomfortable positions in my early days. At first it got me passed over or outright fired. But I could bask in the satisfaction that when a producer sent me home, I took my camera with me. Soon, however, I developed a reputation for safety, being level-headed under stress and having an eye to circumvent catastrophe precisely because I was NOT afraid to tell a director or producer something they didn't want to hear.

Here's what I learned:

People who criticize you as "being negative" when you're telling realistic facts that don't fit into how they expect things to go aren't people you want to work with. These film makers' productions are usually fraught with chaos and disaster. Even if you get through the shoot and film in the can, its not likely they'll give you a demo reel. Of if you make copies of the raw footage, they'll hold a grudge. You need to steele yourself and know that their insecurity and need for control when it overshadows professional ethics and standards is a big NO-NO for your career.

Keep in mind that if they've got problems with simple reality, you're not the first one to notice and won't be the last. These artists are probably people you want to steer clear of since their productions and reputation likely carries negative connotation in the community.

When hired to take over a shoot, ask questions about the previous DP, his crew and what they've shot. Google that person and get their point of view.

Bring your own crew. Try to avoid coming in and taking over another DPs production. There had to be a bad reason he left. And you want a crew that's loyal to you, not to someone who walked or got tossed.]

Be ware of those who judge with envy. Investigate the crew, get their stories, find out if anyone on the crew originally wanted your spot as the DP and was passed over. I came across this a few times in my career. And those film soon petered out and quit the industry (usually because they burned so many bridges they couldn't get crew or anyone to take them seriously.

Reputation precedes you. I once actually hired an actor friend of mine to pretend to be a grip on a set where I was replacing the previous DP. I needed the money and had no choice. Rent was due.

But day one, a couple of hours into it, I found the crew testing me. also, I'm a small woman of 120 pounds and 5'4 so bossing larger men around doesn't always go smoothly. So I hired a friend of mine to come in as a "replacement grip". That was his story to everyone who asked. I then had him insult me a few times, get smarmy and make derogatory comments to others behind my back and just loud enough for everyone to hear. I let this happen from 6am until about 10am. Then I fired him out loud and very publically. He walked off the set without a word. From then on I had no more trouble with social games.

This worked so well that I actually used it a few times. Eventually it was no good because eventually the crew I did keep in my pocket started to recognize my "plant". They had a good laugh. 

Like what you read. Check out my work. http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/SWatsonMaher