I lead my team by being humble, grateful and decisive. My vision will evolve during each day as unexpected problems result in unexpected solutions. By being well prepared and accountable I strive to keep moral up, to listen to and appreciate ideas from team members and to ensure that we all go home feeling good about the days work. Not too difficult because I love the creation process and my attitude, energy and respect for all is most often infectious. Happy smiling polite and appreciative of the talented people who do amazing stuff that inspires and surprises me is so rewarding. Drawing the best from each person is the secret. Thank you. Miles.

I start by making sure the crew is fed. Especially at the beginning of the day. There's nothing more important than making sure your crew is happy and motivated and as silly as it may sound, a meal can make or break a production day.

I find that showing appreciation during long film productions involves recognising efforts, celebrating milestones, and offering support to your team.

Often we think strategy and being professional and diplomatic can go along way. However, within this component especially as artist we must remember the value of having emotions and being intelligent with our emotions. This means commending, congratulations, encouraging and finding ways to bring about the best in our team. Constructive advise does not have to be rude it can be objective and also encouraging. How we speak to an artist can either bring them up or down. It is also important in the working environment for creatives to be respectful of constructive advice and do their best to work along with the team. So again this will create a win/win atmosphere.

Everyday of production I gather the crew together before we start the day and give gratitude. I thank them for a job well done and let them know how vital they are to the production. I tell them those wonderful performances and beautiful images we’re capturing are a reflection of their hard work. I empower them to be creative and contribute as much as they can. Every day I call out a few crew members by name on specific things they did that I thought were innovative. A little gratitude and acknowledgement goes a long way in building morale. It’s one of the most import things you can do as a filmmaker. Let them know you have their back and they will have yours. This is a people business. Get to know the crew. Show your love for them.

This can be a slippery slope is not handled correctly. You dont want your team to look for praise doing what they have been paid to do. It creates a false sense of grandure. HOWEVER.. when someone on the team nailed a task or went above and beyond what was askes and nailed it then YES point out their contribution. Another method is incentives. Most of my team members feel that is better than words. The key is whatever works keep your team motivated and constantly let them know their value. Teach them that and they will appreciate their contibution more than just a job. Peace

One thing I’ve found helpful is to share the credit for achievements as well as the blame when things don’t go so well. This shows subordinates that you are a dependable leader willing to go the extra mile for them.

Recognizing and celebrating achievements - big and small - goes a long way in maintaining morale on a long shoot. Sometimes hearing that your work is appreciated is all you need to make the long hours and gruelling labour worth it, especially if you're in a typically "thankless" position. So whether it's recognizing how quickly the art department was able to dress a beautiful scene or noticing the craft department stocked the perfect snacks, a seemingly small act of kindness can really do wonders in maintaining a pleasant and hardworking set environment.

Recognition goes a long way by appreciating the tremendous effort played by your team and this indeed will help you for them to think of you anytime even in your absence. Especially the director who is one of the principal person of that particular project.

En la producción cinematográfica, reconocer y celebrar los logros es una táctica poderosa. Esta estrategia transforma no solo la moral del equipo, sino también la calidad del arte que producimos. Es un claro mensaje de que cada esfuerzo cuenta, elevando la innovación y el compromiso. Para los líderes en cine, aplicar inteligencia emocional de esta manera no solo mejora el ambiente laboral, sino que también cimenta un legado de liderazgo inspirador y empático.

Effective communication and conflict resolution are vital in film production to maintain team harmony and project momentum. The key is active listening and respectful, direct dialogue, aiming to address issues constructively and collaboratively. Implementing a clear, open, and empathetic communication strategy encourages a positive work culture, where conflicts are seen as opportunities for growth and improvement, rather than obstacles.

One thing I found helpful is transparency and it comes with clear communication during good bad times of ongoing film production. Whatever problem it is, you have to communicate with your team members to get through that problem. Because hiding one will only accumulate more struggle and tension between the departments which end up affecting the time and budget of your shoot or the final outcome many times. And then later we all regret that we could have solved this problem then by communicating what we knew is a problem. And on the other hand it is very important to address the problem/conflict with an ease taking all team members in confidence. Film production is a team work where all the departments need to work in sync.

There are always people in your team who are very empathic. Listen closely to what they have to say. You can't be everywhere at once. If things don't go as planned, you rely on your team to solve conflicts on their own. There WILL be conflict when we reach our limits. Be prepared.

There are so many big personalities and egos on set. Each person has a different agenda to contribute to the same ultimate vision and outcome. Keeping almost all communication aligned with the job at hand helps create a unified team, in their thinking and speaking. Telling the Production assistants they are appreciated makes a difference to overall morale. Sometimes the need to let people go arises or warnings need to be made. Achieving a calm state of hyper vigilance will help allow for whatever communication is required to resolve any conflicts and complete your film in excellence.

The key to conflict resolution in my experience has always been listening. Every authentic team player hates conflict and disruption to creative flow. Therefore, when faced with one, I prefer to keep my personal feelings aside and listen without prejudice or judgment. The next step would be to figure out a solution with the concerned parties. You might have the best solution to end the conflict but I like to give parties a chance to brainstorm the solution first. This gives everyone ownership of the problem which helps for a cleaner resolution.

Considering the needs of your team with regards to their wellbeing is crucial. Factoring in some downtime for people during their day, perhaps in conjunction with your AD to manage the shoot schedule around the human needs of your people, will go a long way to avoiding burnout. Something as simple as colour grading a couple of stills from recent day's shoots can also motivate the team to give them an idea of the finished product. And plenty of food and drink, especially for lower budget productions, will keep everyone happy!

Great contributions. I realized that employing a healthy tone of voice when addressing your team’s mistake is absolutely necessary. The tone of voice is as important as the message itself.

As a Director I ensure my crew members stay motivated during long hours of the shoot because crew members can get frustrated after the 12 hours so I try to motivate them and remind them of the big vision and that helps a lot. I also celebrate them finding out what they accomplish and I will announce it and we all celebrate with them.

Encourage creatives to learn and enjoy other forms of art they are drawn to. Our best work is inevitably influenced and improved by other mediums. If anything, it will take away from their work to only see the world through one craft. It’s not truly mastered without the influence of other forms of artistic expression.

Prioritizing well-being helps prevent burnout and fosters a positive work culture, while keeping the team motivated ensures continued engagement and commitment to the project. This can be achieved by recognizing individual efforts, offering opportunities for professional growth, ensuring work-life balance through reasonable schedules, and providing a supportive environment that addresses both physical and mental health needs. Such practices not only enhance the overall morale but also contribute to the quality and success of the production.

A film day is always intense. You’ve got one chance to get it perfect. So if I could give any advice, it would be this: DONT SCHEDULE SUPER LONG DAYS! “But John, our budget is small and we’ve got to shoot this commercial.” Maybe the creative needs to shift… maybe you can go without a few toys and shoot a second day… maybe the project needs to be canceled… regardless of the solve, we’re all better off without your grueling day. The end product will be better, spirits will be higher, and most importantly, you’re not exploiting the enthusiasm and good will of your crew. So you can sleep well at night. Every now and again there’s a good reason for a long day, but that’s rare. Most of the time, don’t do it.

As exciting and rewarding (and challenging and heartbreaking and everything else) working in media can be, at the end of the day, it's a job. And there are really only 2 things that matter at a job when you've parsed all the cultural rhetoric, team building exercises, and pizzas parties: How much you work and how much you make. As a manager, these are the most important tools in your arsenal. If you really want to make people feel valued, surprise them every so often with a small pay bump or a few days of comp time. Everything else is just parlor tricks.

-Flexibility and adaptability are crucial in our team. During one shoot, when faced with unexpected challenges like a location permit issue, we swiftly rearranged our schedule and found creative solutions. It taught us that being adaptable isn't just about rolling with the punches but also finding opportunities in chaos, ultimately leading to extraordinary results.

The best way to show respect and leadership towards your crew…starts during development of the project. Make sure you have the proper budget for the project. Even if it’s a micro budget. This means everyone gets paid…something. Everyone gets fed. Everything is ORGANIZED well. If things are handled well, pre produced well, developed well, then you can avoid the typical shit show. And THAT is the best way to show respect and leadership.

It's crucial to recognise that we're dealing with humans, not machines, in the realm of production. This task lacks a fixed schedule, time constraints, or location limits, requiring both physical and mental exertion. Managing the team involves: 1. Acknowledging and appreciating their hard work and dedication genuinely. 2. Expressing gratitude and underscoring the positive impact of their contributions to the overall project. 3. Utilising emotional intelligence to grasp the unique needs and challenges of each team member, demonstrating empathy and providing tailored support. 4. Creating an environment where team members feel at ease expressing concerns or seeking guidance, emphasising the priority placed on their well-being.