Relationships...

I’m a Feature Film Gaffer and TVC First A.D (I know, an odd combo – but that’s a story for another day), based here in Queenstown. This Friday, as I write, I leave for Jakarta, to work with an Indonesian production company on three different TVCs with Australian and Malaysian directors.

Over the past 18 months or so I’ve built a working relationship with a well-known Australian Director / DP – Mark Toia. Mark owns the Brisbane-based film production company Zoom Film and Television. He’s an ex-pat Kiwi, a qualified boilermaker turned stills photographer, and now a successful TVC director / DP.

He’s an internationally respected and highly sought after commercials director. Our professional and personal relationship has flourished, thanks to being based on honesty and respect. Subsequently he’s introduced me to several of his international film company contacts.

International work is now starting to present itself to me as a result of this working relationship and friendship.

This new connection has introduced me to Rodney Vincent, the Executive Producer at Seven Sunday Films in Jakarta. Rodney was here in Queenstown a few weeks back, as Seven Sunday Films had commissioned Zoom and Mark to shoot a job for a large Indonesian company. Subsequently Mark hired me as his First A.D.

The job was a four-day logistical challenge, involving multiple mountainous locations, ravines and crevasses, aerial and alpine stunts, as well as the familiar hurdles involved in using international hero talent in unfamiliar territory.

As usual, there were many last-minute changes due to weather. The Heliworks pilots (Alfie, Johnny and Sam) did a great job, remaining flexible and offering alternatives where appropriate – nothing was ever a problem.

Ross Lawrence, the Operations Manager at The Remarkables Ski Area, was accommodating and always helpful; we maintained clear lines of communication with him and his team, allowing them to conduct their core business and accommodate our needs without disruption.

The local Queenstown crew – Sam Strain, Chris...

Thompson, John Hogan, Max Catterick, Eoin O’Liddigh, Ken Turner, Hippi and Amy Newbury – did a great job as usual, and Stig kept us all well watered and fed. Dave McLeod (aka Spoon) was in on the pre-production logistics from the outset, and his alpine rigging/stunt team, Mark Whetu and Andy Taylor (aka Frog) and aerial daredevil Chuck Berry performed as they always do, delivering everything the director wanted, and more.

This job, despite a testing alpine environment with ever-changing weather conditions, ran like a dream; mainly owing to strong, open, honest relationships, clear lines of communication and ample pre-production time – enabling all involved to contribute as specialists in their own field. We scheduled the days in a realistic fashion and thus we achieved the best possible result. Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t need to be difficult. If everyone has a clear understanding of what’s going on, what’s expected of them and when, and everyone has access to the information they need to do their job properly, there is no reason why the job shouldn’t achieve the desired result as planned and with little fuss.

The job was fun, the crew were great, and the client went home very happy with the results. This was the plan, and this is what Zoom Film and Television delivered to their clients.

This leads me to the reason for writing this article.

Our business is now all about relationships – individual relationships – now more so than ever. As self-employed technicians / freelancers, we trade on our reputation; this is all we have to sell. As self-employed individuals, it’s our end product that our clients remember.

They don’t remember how big or how shiny your truck was, or how long your crane might have been; they remember how you performed, not only on set but in the days prior, on recce’s and in the production office, how as an HOD you ran your team, worked within the budget and how much or how little fuss you and your team created – nothing more. They form opinions of you based on these experiences; and relationships, good or poor, develop thereafter.

As self-employed technicians, our end product is our reputation. We trade on this; and unless it’s firmly intact, along with strong client relationships, then it’s a tough road in this current economy.

In these changing times, when budgets are squeezed more than ever, production companies are being asked by their clients to deliver a lot more for a lot less. I can hear some of you saying, “Who cares, that’s their problem.” Actually, it’s OUR problem.

It’s time we supported those who engage us as freelancers. Now I don’t suggest working for free, and I don’t suggest engaging in stupid deals. Equipment has to pay its way; otherwise it’s not worth owning – this I know – but I do suggest sitting down with producers and production managers, looking closely at the storyboards and the shooting schedule, and working together smarter for the same cause.

Staggering crew calls, bringing in assistants a couple of hours after the main crew call where possible to avoid overtime, asking for prompt payment for a cheaper overtime rate: these may work for some of you. Work with the production budget and the First A.D to be as efficient and as effective as possible.

This attitude will gain you respect, and your input will be valued. Be assured, your involvement on this level will return you 10 jobs a month rather than the current 7 or 8, and your invoice book will reflect your mature approach to a collective problem.

Gone are the days when agency creative directors and film company directors turned up to set driving Ferraris and Porsches. Our industry and the associated budgets that are around today just won’t support this mentality and level of excess.

I’m not for one minute saying what went on in the late 80s and early 90s wasn’t right, because those days were great fun – but things are very different now.

What our industry does require is solid professional relationships, based on equal trust and equal respect. That’s what’s important – it’s as important for us as freelancers as it is for the production companies and their producers. One party will find it difficult without the co-operation of the other; and it’s these relationships that are going to collectively get us through these tough times.

I say stop worrying about your daily rate, how much overtime you’ve done or that lunch is late, be happy that you’re working – as that’s what’s important in this current economic environment, not the bank account, nor the invoice book.

This recession has a long way to go; those that behave like intelligent business people will survive, and those that are concerned with the shiny truck or the best gear will not!

This is entirely my own opinion, and not necessarily one that you may agree with; but after almost 25 years in this industry, I do feel that, having been around and having worked in several key roles in that time, I am qualified to have an opinion.

The one thing that I have finally learnt is that relationships do matter; they can and they do work; and they are a vital necessity in our industry. They always have been and always will be, and the sooner you engage, foster and nurture these relationships in a respectful way, the better off you’ll be.

It’s taken some time, but thankfully I’ve now come to the realisation that this is a collaborative, organic business where nothing is entirely obvious or at times certain; things change and are ever evolving as the art is created; but at some point the creative process always meets the chequebook.

It’s at this delicate crossroads that the relationship is at its most volatile, and at the same time its most important. It’s at this time that relationships are usually either forged or destroyed.

Input on a mature level is valued, respect is gained, and the resulting relationships flourish to the benefit of all, adding weight to the end result. Believe me, I know because I’ve destroyed my fair share of business relationships over the years!

I guess what I’m banging on at is: become part of “Our Business” and forget about “Your Business.” Embrace what we are collectively setting out to achieve, and enjoy doing it by playing as part of “The Team.” Cross the line (it exists, because I’ve seen both sides of it); stop worrying about the size of your invoice and how many hours you’ve worked, and contribute in a positive, productive way. You’ll find it’s an enjoyable and rewarding experience; one that will gain you respect, and one that will ensure your bank account stays out of the red.

As for my personal journey through this crazy business, I can honestly say that I’ve learnt a lot from a lot of very talented people, and this is something that I’ll always be grateful for. Only now, after 20-plus years, am I able to stand back and clearly see what that all means, and how it has shaped my career.

If you have the respect of your peers and your employers, they’ll teach you what you need to know. If you contribute in a respectful, collaborative, productive way, you’ll become a valued member of “Our Team,” and our business will provide you with a memorable career. This industry has changed drastically in the last 15 years, and more recently in the last 5 years; we have gained a well-deserved international reputation based on respected relationships and solid teamwork.

I’ll quote what my Grandfather told me before he passed away: “Son, you can’t buy respect – no amount of money will ever buy anyone an ounce of respect. Respect is something that must be earned; and once earned, you’ll have the great fortune of deciding how much money you want to make and how you want to make it.”

Wise words from an Old Goat who had seen several wars and two economic depressions; words that have taken me almost 20 years to fully digest and comprehend.

Having finally got to the bottom of those parting words from my Grandfather, I can honestly say that my career has taken on a new lease of life, with a personal project progressing well, and local and international work in relative abundance. I find myself working in an industry that I know and totally understand, full of talented and enthusiastic people of all ages and skill levels. I put this down to having made the effort and taken the time to build respectful relationships with those that work alongside me.

I guess I’m lucky, as I find myself busy working both here in Queenstown and now internationally, with quality crew on quality jobs. I have quality relationships with our local crew, and I’d like to think they feel the same in return.

This is a small town, and like most small towns it has its little idiosyncrasies and issues. But the beauty of this small film community is that more often than not these issues are dealt with as they arise; they’re not allowed to fester for long or into something much greater. This approach is apparent because everyone that lives and works in this idyllic little town is here because they love life. They’re working to live and not living to work – and I for one respect that!

With the recent sad departure of some of our long-serving, dear colleagues, I find it only right and respectful to say thanks. Thanks for everything that you’ve all imparted to all of us over the years, and thanks for believing in our industry and us as individuals when we were the greenhorns. Without these generations of believers, our industry would be nothing more than a mad dash for cash, an industry that I’d no longer want to be part of.

I’ll keep you all posted in another article on the life and adventures of a First A.D in Indonesia. It will be yet another challenge in a foreign environment, but I rest assured knowing that those that I’ll be working with will all have these things in common: honesty, transparency, and respect – all primary factors that constitute a solid working relationship and the success of Our Industry!

In closing I’ll say one last thing. Relationships are a thing of beauty; relationships are the foundation of not only our industry but our very existence. Treat them with respect and you’ll find the best in all situations, and everyone at work and at home...

No, be assured, I haven’t recently found God – I’m still the same cantankerous Old Goat!

All The Best.

Mark Gillings

First Assistant Director,

Queenstown.