Working Together

In filmmaking, most of the power lies in the hands of the director and producer who then rely on other people to execute their vision. This process is standard (all film units are structured in the same way) yet unique (every film is different) and gives rise to a number of crises, frustrations and misunderstandings, which can strain good will almost to the limits. As all film professionals have experienced, problematic relationships damage the creative process and potentially reduce the film’s quality and success.

Such situations can be caused by an array of factors, including:

• lack of resources generating frustration: not enough time, not enough money…
• cultural misunderstanding: not everybody shares the same values and codes of communication
• self-protection: self-interest can mean people are less committed to the project as a whole
• manipulation: false information handed out to save face
• power play: arbitrary orders and decisions.

In the seminar, we will focus on three areas: Cultural intelligence – Conflict resolution – Collective intelligence. Participants will tackle these notions and develop tools to master them, enabling them to handle critical relationships in the filmmaking process better. As one senior British film professional once said:

« Filmmaking would be easy, if it was not about people at the end of the day... »