Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1434261
WINTER 2021 29 STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR CREW'S MORALE Supervisors are busy, but make a point to engage in crew group chat and show up at crew-driven (not only studio-driven) fun events when you can. It's also important to know where your crew members are emotionally. If an artist is going through a bad breakup, it may explain a dip in their work output. Without this context, you iht instead find yoursel rustrated with this person and assume they're slacking off, which can send you on a tear of other wrongful assumptions that only hurt the process and give you an unnecessary headache. If crew members trust you enough to talk to you about what's really going on with them, you can strategize around unforeseen issues and avoid both burnout and missed deadlines. Crew trust takes time to build and requires consistent, active participation from you, but it pays off in dividends. Foster that trust, and never abuse it. NEVER FORGET WHAT IT WAS LIKE IN THE TRENCHES When I became a Supervising Director, I inherited a pipeline based on a previous show by the same show runners. The first thin did as inentory the thins that made me miserable on that show and present effective alternatives. I didn't ant to e up until a fiin boards like my Supervising Director, nor did I want my episodic directors and board artists working every weekend the way I had. I can only roll my eyes at people who get promoted into power and feel that those under them should have to suffer as they did. What kind of insecure garbage is that? Protect your crew from the pressure of unpaid overtime. Educate them on their contract and empower them to enforce it. Stand up for what's right and fair, even when it means uncomfortable conversations with your producer, showrunners, or studio. Take care of your people, and they will feel motivated to deliver for you. ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP If a crew member is overwhelmed, ask what would help their situation. You may not be able to make their deadline go away or do their work for them, but identifying a small attainable way to release pressure can make a difference. Some people just need to feel heard— ae tie to listen r i soeone has physical work piling up, I might offer to thumbnail one board sequence or to start creating models for their SB Pro library to give them a boost until they can take it over. Without overextending myself, doing these things can make a HUGE difference to the person feeling swamped. In exchange for an hour of my time, I've kept the pipeline moving and built loyalty with the person who was struggling. Crews want to work for the captain who is willing to help row the boat. Am I asking a lot on top of the standard job description functions you already perform? Yes, I am. Caring about people is a ton of work—it's also my favorite part of this job. I've never had a greater sense of kinship with people than I do right now, with my ride-or-die crew built on mutual respect. It's up to those of us in leadership to set the tone on our crews and be instigators for positive change for Guild members. This is how we get better working conditions; this is how we build community with our peers. Being effective in a leadership position is an ongoing conversation between you and your crew that requires active maintenance and earned renewals of trust. It's never too late to start that conversation. Long and her crew vote on costume themes for each Friday leading up to Halloween and dress up weekly to enjoy the whole month. They started this the last year they were in-house and continued the tradition over Zoom. D I A L O G U E