🔒 Control Freak

For years, this is what making a film looked like to me:

 I had to write every script (or at least re-write someone else’s).

 I had to come up with every shot.

 I had to manage every logistical detail of the production.

 I had to do the whole edit.

While this approach gave me total creative authority, it slowed me down, stressed me out, and ultimately hurt the quality of my work.

Besides that, I’ve noticed that my peers who DIDN’T clutch onto that kind of control, ended up going further, faster.

Here’s why…

🚀 Speed

Trying to do everything yourself slows you down immensely. For example, trying to light a single night scene by yourself can quickly become a nightmare.

Having your DP light it with their grip and gaffer? There’s just no comparison.

“But it’s expensive to hire crew” – yeah I know… But at a certain point it’s expensive not to.

When you’re wearing multiple hats on a film, even if you save money or time in the short-term, over the long run the ultimate cost is fewer films, slower growth, and missed opportunities.

While I was stuck in the editing bay, or trying to write my next film, my peers could grab one of their friends’ scripts and start shooting their next project immediately, while another friend was busy editing their last film.

If you focus on building a network of collaborators, even unskilled ones, you may move slower at first – but this is a clear tortoise vs hare race.

A novice team’s combined effort outpaces what you could accomplish solo every day of the week, and that advantage grows exponentially over time as their skills increase.

Even if your crew is less skilled than you in their respective roles, you’re better off. Why?

Speed usually matters more than perfection.

Speaking of which…

🎨 Quality

Here’s the brutal truth: When you micromanage, you limit the potential of your film.

I used to show up to set with my own rigid shot list, leaving little room for my DP’s creativity.

It’s the equivalent of giving actors a line reading: you reduce their role on your project to that of a parrot. And instead of enhancing your vision, the best they can perform is now limited to the best you can read the line.

When you collaborate the right way—which means empowering your team with context instead of control—you create an environment where everyone knows what the goal is, and they can all bring their best ideas to the table.

This was actually one of the key principles of managing people when I was working with Netflix: