Yeah, It's a Team Effort But Not Everyone Gets to Call the Plays

I was chatting with my friend, John, yesterday. John is a lighting guy, mostly for videos, plus he has a 5,000 square foot studio. He's also been dabbling in still photography and has purchased a dSLR (a Canon but I forget which one) and some strobes and modifiers. He owns a ton of continuous lighting gear and a well-equpped, 5-ton, grip truck. He owns more HMIs than anyone I know!

Although John is a pretty decent lighting designer and gaffer, I think, in his heart, what he really wants to be is a shooter or an art director or both.

We were discussing an upcoming video I'll be shooting at his studio for a client. I told John I'll need a three-wall, black set (like he's provided in the past) and, if he wanted to dress it with an interesting set piece or two, in the BG, that would be cool. I also told him not to get carried away with doing so. Simple is what I'm looking for and simple is what the client is looking for.

John started telling me how he's going to do this and that and this and that and I said, "Whoa! Dude, Keep it simple. That's what the client wants."

John responded with, "I spoke to the client when they booked the studio and he (the client) said he loved what I did last time and could I do it again?"

"Okay," I said. "So do it again."

"Yeah, but I want to..." and that's when he started telling me about what else he wanted to do to the set.

I quickly interrupted him: "Dude! What part of Can you do it again? don't you understand?"

"Yeah, but..."

"Dude!" I interrrupted again. "No buts! Keep it simple. Give them what they've already said they like. If they want it different they'll tell you or I'll tell you. Quit trying to be Mister Too-Creative just because it's what you like and what you want to do. It ain't about you. It ain't about me. It's about delivering the product the client asked for."

Then he rambled on about photography--glamour photography--and what he doesn't like about the work of certain photographers he's worked with. (I'm fairly sure when he has similar discussions with those "certain photographers," he names me as one of the "certain photographers" in those other conversations.)

In a nutshell, John was complaining about his role as a support person (lighting, studio, whatever) and how other shooters' visions don't match his visions and, of course, that "his" visions are better, more creative, etc.

I lectured him about shooter/client relationships and how shooters aren't always given a free-reign to do whatever the f__k they want. I went on to remind him that the client expects to be given what they've asked for and, with that in mind, his personal vision of doing it better doesn't doesn't amount to jack-shit. (Especially considering that, nine times out of ten, John doesn't have a freakin' clue what clients have told shooters in terms of what they want.) I also reminded him that some of the shooters he mentioned are quite successful and there are many reasons for that success including them knowing what works and what doesn't work in spite of whatever John thinks.

Realizing he wasn't getting anywhere with me, John then launched into a discussion regarding how much he likes it when the model doesn't make eye-contact with the camera and how much more artistic that is and all that kind of crap.

I reminded him that,in glamour photography, it's all about the model selling her beauty and sexual charms and eye contact is, for the most part, de rigueur. I then told him that in fashion, where the model is, essentially, a coat-hanger, avoiding eye-contact with the camera is more customary. Also, in certain other styles of portraiture and artistic stuff (e.g., art nudes)it's entirely appropriate. But in glamour, avoiding eye-contact is, for the most part, NOT how it's done and clients mostly want it done the way it's done.

I could tell I wasn't making much head-way with his hard head because I could also tell, in his mind, he has it right and others have it wrong. Finally, I simply told him, "Dude. If you want to do it your way then you go out and--instead of being the lighting guy or studio provider--get some clients to hire you as the shooter or the art director or whatever. When and if that happens," I told him, "You'll be the decider of certain creative aspects of things and then you can do it your way. If they like what you do, they'll hire you again. If they don't, they won't."

The pretty girl in the B&W at the top is Charlotte. She reminds me of some hippy chicks I've know... back in the day.