4 Production Mottos to Never Forget
Hi everyone, BDH here:) Mottos are a fun shorthand to keep everyone motivated, facilitate decision-making, and offer creative strategies and solutions. Whenever I’m getting ready to shoot, below are the four mottos I never forget (thanks to some amazing collaborators!)
“Make the first pancake.”
At one time or another, we’ve all tried to make a beautiful stack of pancakes only to have the first one come out… well, an absolute travesty. It seems inevitable, but that’s the theory of the first pancake! Creative iterations are like pancakes; the first is bound to be messy and incomplete or overbaked. But you can’t have a batch of pancakes without making the first one. So get the first pancake out — even though you know it’s not going to be your best. To think that your first will be like the others is an impossible standard, and when we release ourselves from the expectation of making a perfect batch, we’re more likely to take bold risks and discover new possibilities. That kind of creative exploration and the lessons learned from it are what make the rest of your idea stack delicious!
Where I heard it first: Director, Robert Rodriguez
“Eat the chicken and spit out the bones.”
When shooting, ideas and suggestions can be thrown at you from every-which direction and sometimes it’s difficult to discern who to listen to and what to do next. The instinct will be to close off all contributions or get caught in choice paralysis, but there’s another way. The idea of eating the chicken and spitting out the bones is a helpful reminder to take what’s most useful to you and toss the rest. It’s important to solicit all the feedback that you can, but then it’s up to you to figure out the best way forward.
Where I heard it first: Actor, David Oyelowo
“You’ll be shooting Gone With the Wind in the morning and Dukes of Hazzard in the afternoon.”
Most days on set start picturesque — we have our shot list for the day, a meticulously timed schedule, and an abundance of wishful thinking. The morning is when we film our important scenes and masterpieces — the “Gone With the Wind” of shooting.
… and then the afternoon hits. We’re behind on schedule because our precious masterpieces took longer than we expected and now it’s a run and gun situation where by the end of the day we’re saying, “Who cares?! Just keep shooting!” This is The Dukes of Hazzard of shooting.
On the one hand, this saying is a cautionary tale to not be overly precious or idealistic with time when you start your day. But on the other hand, this saying is about the unavoidable — that no matter how well we plan, surprises will come and it’s more important to go with the flow!
Where I read it first: ”Directors Tell The Story” by Bethany Rooney and Mary Lou Belli
“My loyalty is to the screen.”
You know that moment in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith when (spoiler) Anakin and Obi-Wan are having their epic battle and Obi-Wan is all like, “Anakin, my allegiance is to the Republic, to democracy!”? If you find yourself dealing with a Sith Lord on set (or someone with Sith Lord energy), reminding yourself that loyalty is to the screen, not ego-driven desires, can be a helpful mantra to reset and realign with the team’s collective goal.
Where I heard it first: Makeup artist, Vivian Baker
