All of us want to be led to some degree, and models on shoots are no exception! The Company prepares models to be led by Shoot Producers, and we present Shoot Producers as leaders to models.
Leading is a big responsibility – those being led place their “lives in the hands” of the leader, someone they need to trust. Leading includes;
Know yourself and seek self improvement – You are never done growing as a leader, so after each shoot, reflect on how you could have done better, and feed that into how you work with the next model.
Empower models to make their own decisions, to collaborate and control what happens on the shoot.
Be technically proficient – Know what we’re making and why we’re making it. Actively seek answers to questions or anytime the “why” is unclear. Embrace new training opportunities.
Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions – Be accountable. Tend not to blame others, but to consider what could have been done differently to get the best shoot outcome. Make those changes on the next shoot.
Make sound and timely decisions – Be wise but be decisive. From understanding shoot safety, what our customers want, and our standards of care for models, Shoot Producers are empowered to make on-set decisions in the best interest of the company. The Collective is always available for support, as well.
Set the example – “More is caught than taught”. Models will follow what their Shoot Producer does, more than what their Shoot Producer says. Have high technical and creative standards.
Keep people informed – No collaboration ever failed because of too much communication! Tend to over-inform models on set about what is happening, so there’s no possibility of misunderstanding (if there is a misunderstanding, work to de-escalate it). Promptly let the Collective know of unusual things on shoots.
Ensure the task is understood, supervised and accomplished – Set clear expectations and goals, then coach and hold people accountable. Start with smaller tasks, then increase complexity and trust.
(A credit to Anderson Leadership Solutions for some of these concepts).
Practical tips to lead responsibly on a shoot
- Control the day, don’t let it control you
- Be flexible, being ready to change the order of events and take breaks to best suit the shoot and the people
- Keep a “helicopter view” of the day – keep in mind what’s left to do, what the time is now, and what time the model expects to leave
- Take regular breaks
- It can feel tempting to “power through” the whole day on adrenaline, but breaks help everyone do a “mini-reset”
- Take regular breaks, and change the “mode”- not just stand up and stretch (though that is good), but consider a walk around the block / get an ice cream / coffee or similar (good backstage opportunities as well!)
- Follow established processes
- These are designed to help Shoot Producers lead responsibility
- In particular, the Pre Shoot Briefing (and before the video), but also presenting HWB’s, Clothing Selection, and Proposing pee sequences.
- Give positive feedback to models
- Make it specific (“wow, that back-bend really shows your flexibility well”), and based on their skills, talents, education, effort (not physical attributes based on their genes)
- More tips on providing feedback to models
- Review model feedback, act to improve
- Each new model and each first-time GGT3 and GBT3 male model does a check-in call, and the report is sent to the responsible Shoot Producer
- Consider how you can improve – try new techniques, and reflect on how they worked
- Keep models informed about what is happening next
- Don’t leave models wondering – be proactive