Attitude of Gratitude
by Thomas McKenney
When one is lucky enough to get his or her first job in the entertainment industry, how does one keep it going? How does one build a career? Actors face auditions and wait for callbacks in hopes of being cast in a role. It isn’t so different for writers, directors, producers, and those of us below-the-line. In baseball, they say that you’re only as good as your last at-bat. In basketball, you’re only as good as your last jump shot. Management, coaches and the fans ask the question no matter what you accomplished in the last outing, “What have you done for me lately?” The first job is ultimately the toughest to get. Starting from scratch, we ask a production to take a chance on our unknown qualities. How do you get asked back on the next project and the next?
What follows is a lot of common sense, but it can be easily forgotten amidst 14+ hour days:
- Think of others, not just yourself.
- Respect everyone.
- Serve the story.
- Stay on top of the ever changing technical landscape.
If I’m not working on a show, I attend as many seminars, expos and training opportunities as my schedule allows. Keeping current is a full-time job, but easier with online industry forums for those who don’t live near production houses or can’t get away.
Once on a set, several temptations can arise depending on the circumstances. Like the seven deadly sins, they range from delusions of grandeur to simply slacking off. Fight these. Attitude is key.
Talent can blossom from experience but attitude cannot be taught. It is not enough to know light meters, filters, framing and composition. People make projects and, like any other business, it pays to get along. Think about it. Crews spend long hours collaborating to achieve a director’s vision. Who would you want in the foxhole with you?
Every person on a set is essential, from the Show Runner to their bosses at the studio to the PAs, drivers and generator operators. Everyone comes together to contribute their gift(s) to accomplish the final vision. No matter what position you might play on the team, fulfilling your duties is paramount to your individual success and the success of the picture. Do your job better than anyone else if you want to keep it.
William Shakespeare reminds us, “There are no small players.” This is true beyond the stage or in front of the camera. If given the honor of directing a project and the responsibility to a crew willing to serve that vision, respect them. Common courtesies such as please and thank you will serve any director.
No matter what position, do not be complacent. Give it your all. Realize and remember that a thousand women and men stand in line behind you hoping to take your place. Keep your eye on the prize.
Look out for safety issues. Respect the property the shoot is on as if it were your own home. More important, look out for fellow co-workers. No one wants to be responsible for an injury to anyone on the staff.
Don’t complain. Robert Townsend’s film Hollywood Shuffle had the tag line, “There’s work at the Post Office.” (All due respect to the good people that move the mail.) Negative thinking has no place on a set. If anyone is unhappy in their work, they should move out of the way. There are others ready to take that place. Talent, at any position, is important but not to the extent where a destructive attitude will nor should be tolerated. If you can do this project better, challenge yourself to put your own production together. Until then, serve the vision as communicated by those who did the planning and pre-production that led to this opportunity.
Think how any action will affect others on the team. For example, do not get so self-involved that a comment about sound might get in an actor’s head and jeopardize the validity of the scene. Channel anything to the actors through the director. These people lay exposed before the camera, crew and eventually an audience and their performance must ring true. They must look as natural as possible in a situation that is anything but natural. If they don’t look good, the production and everyone involved doesn’t look good.
After every wrap, sit quietly and contemplate your own performance honestly. Consider the additions and discords brought to the set. Strive to score above average.
At any moment of the day, be grateful that you can express your creativity with fellow artists in hopes of thrilling an audience. Greet each production day with an attitude of gratitude.
Thomas McKenney is a Director of Photography based in Los Angeles, California.
