Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1524736
for each day to film, nonstop, and then at night, we would camp out in the wild. We would rest and reset to rinse- and-repeat for the next several days to the finish line where $1 million was waiting for the first team to arrive. It was a great opportunity for the contestants to suck it up and be dirty, hungry, and uncomfortable in the wild for a nice potential money prize at the end of the grisly race. As a camera and audio team, we got paid to be dirty and hungry and filthy and uncomfortable while working in the wild and traveling to countries for this production. The race had a suggested course route with hidden supply drops for the teams that came across them. Included supplies like water jugs, some empty, some with minimal water, equipment they may need along the race like ropes to repel, items that could help them start a fire, or tools to help them along the way. I accepted the challenge and the job and I asked the producers, "So, where would our camera teams be able to get water or food throughout the duration of the race?" The room went silent. Then one producer shouted, "We will give you a CamelBak and you can fill it in the morning." Then I asked, "What about 4-6 hours into the race? What water source will be provided when we run out… Because we will not be allowed to use any of the supplies the race has planted for cast, right?" The room went silent. During the silence, I also asked about safety support, camping supplies for our camera and audio team, and a simple request for first-aid at the end of each night, along with time to reset. The room remained silent even longer. One producer chimed in and joking (but not jokingly) said, "Wow, you are either really needy or you really know your sh*t!" They proceeded to schedule us for another meeting to go over—and have answers for—all my questions the next day. Sherry Klein CAS In my early days at Sony—the early '90s—I was doing a temp dub on a film with a director who was described to me prior to the session as a loud, nasty, old- school jerk. I started mixing before he got there and when he walked into the studio, he was yelling loudly at someone on the telephone. I just turned back to the console and continued to mix. He sat down and finished his yelling, hung up, and then there was a strange quiet for about one minute. Then he stood up and yelled, "Hey you!" I turned around and he said in a very nasty voice, "I never worked with a girl mixer before." I'm thinking, "Oh sh*t, here we go." So, I stood up, looked at him, and in my most self-assured voice said, "Of course you have … ME," and then turned around and started mixing again. There was another moment of silence and then he just said, "Well-played young lady." I still think it was one of my best lines ever! Griffin Richardson CAS The late Steve Davis, our excellent first AD on 30 Rock, once said something to me on set when he noticed me being frustrated by not getting exactly what I wanted. "This is television. If everyone here isn't able to compromise just a little bit to get this whole thing done, I wouldn't be doing my job and we'd be an absolute disaster of a show." He was one of the nicest, warmest people I ever had a chance to work with. Over seven-plus years, I don't think he and I ever really had a big argument or disagreement—which is saying a lot, that a mixer and an AD could have had that kind of relationship. What I learned while conducting this informal survey with friends and colleagues is this: There really are no dumb questions. So, don't be afraid to speak up in that pre-production meeting when the budget or schedule seem unrealistic. Or on set when you're not sure if what you're being asked to do might be unsafe. Or in post when the tasks are piling up and you need to delegate to an assistant. We all want to do our best and, I believe—despite the uncomfortable silences— these unknown factors are a team-building experience waiting to happen and a learning opportunity for all. "Be curious, remain teachable, and never stop asking questions" is what a director once told me. I'll keep trying. How 'bout you?