Working with difficult crew members

[ronin99]

Hello,

Often times in Student productions your forced to work in groups and occasionally a member of the group is difficult to work with. This is currently the situation I'm in kind of...I directed a previous project where this person (someone who usually directs but was in a different position in the project) was involved and perhaps their intentions were to not malign but often times he would be giving direction to actors and just generally upsetting the crew by his demanding attitude, so much so that we needed to have a talk about it.

Well now that same individual is in my group again, and I want to nip it the bud , so I'll probably talk with him and reiterate what I said previously but I need to decide what crew position to put him in, hopefully one were they would be the least trouble. I was thinking perhaps A.D., as this person likes to be in control , so they will get to somewhat control the set, but hopefully will work closely with me to achieve a common goal. I was also contemplating maybe a position in the art department (i.e. Production designer, or Art director) in order to limit his interaction with actors and or crew members during principal photography. How would you handle this situation and what crew position would you put them in?

 

[KKeller]

I would not put him as an AD, he needs to learn to work as a team member not as a team controller. Make him a grip or PA, some one with a lot of bosses that can all keep an eye on him so you don't have to. When I was in film school a percentage of my grade came from my teammate's reviews of me, if is the same with this project, give him a bad review. In the real world if you don't work with the other crew members and not obeying the chain of command you will most likely be fired, at least you definitely will not be recommended for the next job.

 

[10s]

My 3 cents: Have a one-on-one talk with this fellow student, alone, no friends hanging around. Beforehand make a list of a few things you want to talk about with him so you stay on tack and cover all items. Do not destroy any relationship; it's easy to do and no one wins from a negative outcome, so try and keep it upbeat but serious.

1. Tell him ( if you actually do) that you admire his assertive ability to lead and give direction.
2. Then say that this virtue in some situations can cause problems when he is not the director. [ask him how it would be if someone cut in while he was directing?]
3. Get him to promise to exercise angelic restraint.
4. Suggest that he would be an excellent producer for the project; he can acquire locations, get the troops assembled and on time, watch the schedule, etc... this is where an in-your-face type can be helpful. [I would suggest the AD position but that would put him too close to the action and he would probably not keep quiet. Hvae the AD give up time keeping and a few other items, give it to this guy]
5. Whatever you do make him realize two things: his natural ability is great in the right situation but it can be a problem if not controlled, and in your shoot this behavior cannot occur. There is one director, only one.
6. Before you shoot send out a memo on ground rules so everyone knows what's expected. It's a little formal but it levels the field and sets a tone for action.

I taught college film making and there are some students that are this way: some of them are really smart and correct in the problems they see on set. I have had to take them aside and explain this class is a development environment and that they need to stay back so others less developed then themselves can grow. I also give them a pep talk on how being quiet can actually help them develop further as well. It seems to work, but then again, I was the teacher with the grade book.

This can be a tough situation. Overall, it's good for you to learn how to successfully deal with this situation without ruining relationships. In fact, this could be the most important success and learning of your whole project. It could be something you take away that will work wonders for you in the future.


Good luck!

 

[JonathanLB]

Yeah, that's true 10s, my editor is that way, especially early on. Having him on set for various things, like having him help grip or even do P2 capturing, etc., he would always make suggestions or notes that were not in his realm of responsibility. That being said, after he saved my butt a number of times with those suggestions, because other professionals with years of experience were not doing their jobs, I finally decided the Hollywood way of filmmaking is not of interest to me if it means my projects won't turn out as well. I want the best project I can get, I don't care about the on-set hierarchy if it's not working for me. He has worked with me on every project I've done since I started as a filmmaker, no matter what position he is on set, he is my right-hand man and has special privileges. If that's a problem with anyone else on my set they can basically get lost. I have communicated to him, however, that he needs to come to me with concerns, and not tell anyone else what to do, just tell me directly and I'll deal with it. That way it doesn't create a situation where other people feel uncomfortable, which happened early on.

The problem is sometimes everyone gets so focused on their positions, they don't pay attention to the big picture at all, so of course that's my job but it can be tough to see it all myself, and he is always looking out for me, as he has to edit the footage and wants it to turn out good, so he has really been my extra set of eyes a lot.