When I was scheduled in the studio at One Life to Live, I went into my day with a clear idea not only about the material to be shot that day, but also about the needs of the director sitting next to me. Some directors looked to me for "just the facts"--the consistent readying of shots and a clear, quick idea of how the pieces shot would edit together. Others valued my input about the scenes' emotional content. Still others simply appreciated my being "in the trench" with them, as invested as they were in the process and the product.
Flash forward to now. I am no longer in a soap studio, but assessing people's needs is just as important as it was back then. When I'm working, what can I add to the process? If I am looking for work, how do I most effectively present the "me" who will best fill a company's needs? And when I'm spending time with my kids, what does each one need at any given time--a listener, a fixer, a co-shopper, or a video game companion?
In the control room, my success was built upon both my working hard and my matching my work to the needs of the directors and producers around me. It turns out that post-soap life is not so different--no matter how hard you work and how much you may have to offer, if you don't match what you're offering to what is needed, that feeling of accomplishment--like the one I felt in the control room--may elude you. It's really all about understanding and filling needs--baking with the baking child but listening to the one with a problem to talk through, working quickly toward a live show and more painstakingly toward a fancy promo. When you match your work and attitude to the needs at hand, you can immediately be more successful--whether it's at work, or in life, or somewhere in between.
No comments:
Post a Comment