Partners

The joys of not going it alone

I love partners, and I love pairs. I love working with one other person to complete a task. I prefer a good partner to working alone and vastly more than in a larger group.

In groups, things fall apart. How many group assignments have we been a part of where there are one or two people who simply do nothing and expect others to pick up the slack? It feels adjacent to the bystander intervention theory; surely someone else will design the slides and make them look cohesive.

Producing can easily fall into the dynamic of the group project. When I look at shows or movies that have five or more producers, I get a tummy ache. Why on Earth do you have that many producers on something. That’s not a question, I don’t actually care to know the answer. I want you to sit in a corner and think about what you’ve done.

I have a producing partner Gaby with whom I share my remaining brain cells. She and I have very complimentary skill sets, we somehow always worry about different things, and yet we remain on the same page. It’s sort of random, but it works.

I also work with my husband, who is a director. Gaby and I are working with him now, and one more than one occasion, people have thought we were a throuple. Only one of those times was entirely my fault.

We’ve had a few other meetings recently with duos. One of them pointed out a kinship that forms when you are a duo and you meet with another duo. He framed it as sharing a collaborative spirit, to which I replied, “well, this way, someone always has the braincell.”

I think it’s important as a producer and leader to be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses. You have to be able to see yourself clearly to be an effective leader. To know your weaknesses is to ensure that you can build a strong team with people who make up for your deficits and vice versa.

For example, Gaby is incredible at talking to people. Everyone likes her. She is the much-loved mayor of the film set, while I am her weird hunchback sidekick. I excel in the structure and system building that allow the set to thrive. Both jobs are necessary, both are challenging, and we work better doing it together.

Next week, we’ll be on the ground for pre-production. I can’t wait for the braincells to be back together again.

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