managing creative teams
TRANSCRIPT
Managing TeamsMAKE BETTER CONTENT WITH A HAPPIER TEAM
AMY DELOUISE NAB 2017
TWEET ABOUT THIS SESSION WITH @BRANDBUZZ
“”
None of us is as smart
as all of us.
- Ken Blanchard
What brings you to our session today?
What kinds of productions are you managing?
What phase or aspect of production is most challenging?
About Amy
Started out on Big Teams
Feature films and commercials
Locations Dept. and Art Dept.
Exec. Producer/CEO, independent
production studio
Managed teams 5-50
Small budgets to $M’s
Independent Director/Producer
Specializing in non-fiction, short form for large
live events
Plug into big teams, manage smaller teams
across the US and around the world
Also consult with large corporations, govt
agencies and nonprofits
Our Agenda
Collaboration Tools
Team and Leader Culture
Pitching as a Team
Managing Expectations
Guiding Story Development
Managing Feedback
Inspiring and Encouraging
Collaboration Tools
Trello
https://trello.com/home
$0-$252/yr
JIRA
https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira
$120-$300/yr
Basecamp
https://basecamp.com/
$0-$1188/yr (half off for nonprofits)
Wipster
https://wipster.io/
$250-$12,500/yr
Vimeo (Pro or Business)
www.vimeo.com
$204-600/yr
Other Collaborative Tools
Google Hangouts
GoToMeeting
Skype
Uber Conference
Box
Dropbox
Google drive
Setting Up Strong Collaboration
Everyone on the tool from the start
Designate people for input
Educate new users
Test with an easy item for inputs
Schedule
List of existing assets
List of deliverables
Storyboards
Train Clients to Upload ALL ASSETS
to one location
Leader Culture
Styles of Leadership
Top of the Mountain
Center of the Circle
What about you?
Team Culture
TEAM CULTURE SPECTRUM
Collaborative…Competitive
Trusting…Suspicious
Organized…Chaotic
Mentoring…Independent
Hierarchical…Egalitarian
Team
Team
Team
Tips for Assembling Best Teams
Choose people based on personality and abilities, not just gear
Team player
Problem-solver
Fast-working v. slow and methodical
Personality meets needs of the shoot/project
Good with challenging people
Empathetic
Outgoing
Soft-spoken
One (More) Person Matters
Adding just one crew member can change a hellish day into a manageable one
Top choices for $200-300/day
PA to get coffee, lunch
Jockey cars, grab props, move gear
Top choices for $400-600/day
Grip – move gear, pre-light next setup
Makeup – make a nervous interviewee look and feel great; check monitor for issues
Pitching as a Team
Internal Pitches
External Pitches
Multi-Entity Teams
Pitching a Concept
Internal Pitch
Known decision-makers
Known budget parameters
Strategic plans usually known
May need to fight biases about
your group or division
External Pitch
Getting past gate-keepers
Must learn about decision-makers
Research to learn biases, budget,
strategy and goals
May need multiple attempts
SUCCESS: Solving a problem.
Multi-Entity Teams
Play to strengths
References and expertise
Proposal preparation
Production duties and personnel
Multi-Entity Teams
Define
Who has budget authority?
Who manages client day to day?
Who retains assets and versions?
Who manages copyrights, music rights and licenses?
Managing Expectations
Start with Shared Goals
How long will this take?
What will be the
impact?
What does success
look like to you? To
me?
Managing Expectations
Realistic Budgets &
Timelines
Dependency
Schedules
Cost of Options and
Add-On’s
Cost of Time, Personnel
and Overhead
Managing Expectations
Meetings Culture
Agenda: What is the
one thing we need to
get out of this
meeting?
Time limits
Consensus items (just
up or down vote
needed, no discussion)
Guiding Story Development
Preproduction
Goals & Outcomes
what does success look like?
Concept/Look Boards
show similar projects
ensure agreement on look
Script Outline
content sign-off
Location Photos
location sign-off
Casting Headshots/Videos
talent sign-off
Production
Shooting Script
Shooting Boards
Interview Questions
Client on set or not?
Post-Production
Script Notes
Transcribed Interviews
Best Takes
Editing Script
Rough Cut
Fine Cut
(Previs)
Picture Locked Cut
Audio Mixed Cut
Final Gfx
Managing Feedback
Start with Goals/Outcomes before
screenings
Try to read scripts aloud
Take notes with all feedback
Try not to respond in the moment
Organize feedback with outcomes
Ask questions
e.g. In order to recut the opening
sequence to the new music track,
we will miss the delivery deadline
by 2 days, is that OK?
Managing Feedback
Ask questions
e.g. In order to recut the opening
sequence to the new music track,
which we can do on Tuesday, with a
remix of audio on Wednesday (time
is currently on hold for you), we will
miss our scheduled delivery deadline
of Monday by 3 business days. Is that
OK?
Offer either/or options
e.g. In order to add the 16 childhood
photos/story you sent, we will need
to either extend the length by :30, or
kill the :30 story about his rescuing the
family dog. Which story do you think
is the most important?
Inspiring and Encouraging
YOUR TEAM
Feed people!
Waters, snacks and box lunches
Post about your team in company newsletter, blog post or social media posts.
Send thank you emails
Share results, impact and response
Include team in post-mortems
Make referrals and recommendations on social networks
YOUR CLIENT
Feature your client and/or project
in company newsletter, blog post
or social media posts
Participate in post-mortems when
invited/appropriate
Be honest about what can be
done better next time
Send a thank you note—yes, the
written kind!
