Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Practice What You Preach, Asshole.

"If I caught you doing that on my crew, I'd fire you."

I look across the set we were rigging to see who those words were directed to. They were coming from a day player* whose usual gig was being a Best Boy and directed towards a hardworking newbie who was assigned to work with him. The poor kid was holding a cell phone, obviously in mid text.

Now, I can understand where the guy was coming from. A cell phone at work used at the wrong time can most definitely rub some people the wrong way.

But as the day wore on, I noticed the kid working by himself a lot.

And while he was working on a two person project by himself, the day playing "Best Boy" would be outside on a cigarette break... Or talking on his cell phone... Or checking something on his phone... Or nowhere to be found at all.

In fact, it wasn't uncommon for the guy to disappear for ten or fifteen minutes at a time.

What a mutherf''n hypocrite! I can maybe understand the "do as I say, not as I do" attitude, but if he pulled any of that shit on my crew, I'd definitely fire him and keep the newbie. I'd take the ridiculously annoying thirty seconds at a time texting breaks over a constant disappearing act any day.




* A day player is someone who works on a show for only a day or two. Usually because it's a particularly busy day or they're filling in for someone.

2 comments :

Niall said...

I treat the job like being in the military. Starting out you shut up and do what your told. Later on your given a little free reign in how you do things but following a certain guide line of safe clean work. Then when you're the key you have full control and people listen to you and you listen to them.

Also if your a best boy or a key you should set an example for your crew. this do as I say not as I do stuff is kind of a cop out.

The best advice I was ever given was "Observe everything, walk with purpose, take no unnecessary action". It hasn't failed me now.

A.J. said...

Niall - "Shut up and do what you're told" is definitely something you should do when you're starting out (unless you're asked to do something unsafe or stupid, like finding the bag of "t-stops"), but it's hard to respect someone who doesn't live up to their own standards. And a crew that doesn't respect their boss isn't going to be a very good one.

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