LULUFILMS.TV
on film PRODUCTION
Production is a people business. It thrives on relationships, trust, kindness, respect, and honesty. Those values have shaped my career from my very first job as a production assistant back in England, where it all began.
Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working on an extraordinary range of programmes covering everything from family recipes from the Indian subcontinent, the scandal of Romanian orphanages, to chaos theory and the shape of the universe.
I’ve worked on documentaries about entropy, the Mumbai terror attack of 2008, shark attacks off the coast of California, Alan Turing, angry white people in America, Bill Cosby, and the first (and thankfully only) blacks vs whites football match in Britain.
I’ve followed a white man walking across the U.S. in the febrile summer of 2020, revisited Churchill’s decision to bomb the French Navy in Algeria in 1940, documented the construction of a city built on the sea in Kuwait, explored consumer affairs in the UK, and even covered a space shuttle mission (STS-72 in 1996 if you’re interested).
Through it all, one truth has stayed with me: production never stops teaching you. Every project brings new challenges, new people, and new lessons, and I try to face each one head-on, preferably with a smile.
I’m still learning, every day, but below are what I consider to be the ten most important lessons:
TEN Commandments of Production
ONE
Beware of Generous Strangers.
If someone with a smile offers to fully finance your film with a big check, tread carefully. True partners invest in the vision, not just the budget.
TWO
Hope for the Best but Prepare for the Worst.
Weather forecasts can be wrong, people can sometimes be unreliable, things change and schedules often have to shift. Flexibility and an open mind are your greatest asset.
THREE
Never Assume.
If it wasn’t checked and confirmed, it probably doesn’t exist, whether that’s a location permit, a hotel booking, or a “locked” script. Double-check everything. Always.
FOUR
Feed People Well.
A film crew works best and happiest on a full stomach. Bring water, snacks, sodas (the healthy kind as well as the sugary kind), and your crew will do the rest. Good food = good morale = good work.
FIVE
Don’t Panic.
Something will go wrong. It always does, but there’s always a solution, it’s just that sometimes it doesn’t appear until the last possible moment.
SIX
Respect Every Role.
From the runner to the director, everyone contributes to the story. Production only works when people feel like they’re part of a team.
SEVEN
Never Say “We’ll Fix It in Post.”
We almost certainly won’t, but trying to will probably cost triple and haunt our dreams.
EIGHT
Keep the Camera Rolling.
The best moments sometimes happen when the camera has been turned off. If we can’t keep the camera rolling, keep the sound on – we can always get pictures to cover it later. The magic often happens in the in-between.
NINE
Remember it’s Only a Film.
Perspective is everything. Stay calm, stay focussed and never forget to laugh.
TEN
Be Thankful. Always.
It costs nothing to be kind, say thank you, apologise, show a little humility. It will make the inevitable long days infinitely better.
