Filmmaking like a winning team
tep into the locker room of any championship sports team, and you'll hear all about how important each individual is to the team's overall success. Everyone has a role to play, and they must perform their role at a high level.
The same is true of filmmaking. The director must give the cast and film crew clear instructions, and everyone must work together to bring those instructions to life. If one person fails to do their job, the film will not be successful.
This article discusses the importance of collaboration and team effort in creating exceptional award-winning branded content.
It Begins With the Director
To keep the sports analogy going, you can think of the director on a film set as the coach of a team. They are both responsible for ensuring that the plan is executed. And it’s their job to ensure that talent, as well as every crew member understands their responsibilities and how to perform them at the highest level possible. Not only are they responsible for the individual crew members, they are also responsible for setting the atmosphere, maintaining morale, and electing leaders to help them keep everything going strong.
The Producer Provides
If the director is the coach, the producer would be like the general manager (GM). Both roles are responsible for the financial (or resources) side of things. They set the budget and ensure that everything stays within it. If someone needs a specific piece of equipment or needs to bring on other talents, then it’s the producing team’s job to make that happen.
Department Heads Lead the Film Crew
Just like you have multiple position heads on a sports team (i.e. quarterbacks coach, wide receivers coach, or offensive line coach), the film crew consists of a director of photography (or DP), a gaffer, art directors, audio supervisors, key makeup artists (MUA), key hair stylists, and wardrobe supervisors. These leaders must know the director’s overall plan and how they can help their team members perform best in their roles.
Communication and Collaboration Are Essential
It’s one thing to know what it takes to build great content. It’s a whole other thing to communicate what you know and understand how to better collaborate within your team. Great coaches and directors don’t just keep their knowledge to themselves. They share it. They collaborate well. And they push their team to do better each time.
Working in isolation may get the job done, but it’s unlikely to create something special. Collaboration is necessary. Everyone on the team or film crew needs to feel connected and have stock in the work’s success (or failure).
How to Make Film Like a Winning Team
So, how is this done? How do you build a collaborative team?
It starts with hiring the right people. You need to find individuals who are not just great at what they do but also have the ability to work well with others. They should be able to take and give constructive criticism. They should also be coachable and willing to learn from those around them.
The next step is to create an environment where collaboration can thrive. This means having open lines of communication and being willing to listen to others’ ideas. It also means trusting the team members you’ve hired and giving them the freedom to do their jobs.
Finally, giving everyone on the team a sense of ownership is essential. This can be done by ensuring that everyone understands the goals and objectives and knows how their work fits into the bigger picture. It also means giving people the opportunity to contribute their ideas and have a say in the direction of the project.
When all of these elements come together, you’ve got a recipe for success. A team that understands collaboration is the key to creating great content.
Let’s Win Some Championships Together
Are you ready to take your content to the next level and work with award-winning content creators? Check out Chosen Few Media. We understand what it takes to build a championship team, and everyone on our team knows their role in creating exceptional branded content for you.
You can see some of our work and find out how we help elevate brands through storytelling. Let’s discover where we can help you take your brand.
