What is your best tip for managing the most stressful aspects of this business?
 

In your opinion, what is the most stressful aspect of this business for you and your best ways of managing it? Managing project technical issues, deadlines, workflows, the business end of things, finances, marketing, whatever. What is your best tip to others for staying cool and calm? Or pretending to stay cool and calm?
What is the most stressful situation that has ever happened to you and how did you solve it?
Did you ever find yourself reconsidering your career choice? Why? And what made you stick with it?
Or maybe you don't find this stressful at all--?

Re: What is your best tip for managing the most stressful aspects of this business?
 

I've always had a good attitude for this sort of thing. I tend to not dwell on the problem, but figure out the solution... focus on what is next.

Much later, on the drive home or whatever, I can sulk about my idiocy that lead to the mistake.

That's pretty much it. Focus on solutions. Make the best of things. Be honest and direct with clients or coworkers (but empathetic).

And have outlets that can distract you when you are stuck and super stressed. I'm fond of a good 80s terrible movie from my childhood. Or a few drinks with friends (and maybe a terrible karaoke song).

Re: What is your best tip for managing the most stressful aspects of this business?
 

People are the problem. People are the solution. Half the job is working with people! It starts with creating clear agreements...

Of course I never pull something out in front of a client that I've not made work previously. Equipment *will* break down, part of a producer's job is to recognize risk and take reasonable steps to reduce it. What will you do *when* some critical piece of gear breaks down?

Re: What is your best tip for managing the most stressful aspects of this business?
 

Thanks for you posts! What are you worst horror stories? (Clearly you lived through them).

I'm struggling a bit with an edit from a shoot that I"m not happy with,while getting ready to go out of town to shoot a wedding. Haven't slept well in days and feel very stressed. So stressed that I cannot sleep well when I finally do go lay down and am way behind. The endless output times from Premiere aren't making things any easier. The "work from home" thing also sometimes adds to it because you never truly leave work behind.

Not to complain, I chose this... I usually love this but I will need to learn to make stress my friend. I'll live. Just thought it would be a good time for a stress management thread! And a little bit of humor from everyone's favorite stories.

Re: What is your best tip for managing the most stressful aspects of this business?
 

I agree with Robert and Seth, both of whom had sage advice that is worth re-reading. I probably couldn't have digested what they said when I was newly out on my own, but I wish I'd been able to, and had advice like that at that time.

Here's my $0.02.

When I first went out on my own... I would get a gig. I would worry day and night that we wouldn't be able to get it done, that it wouldn't be good enough, that they wouldn't like it, etc, etc, etc.

Then we'd get it done.

Then I'd worry day and night that I'd never get another gig, that I'd starve, we'd have to sell the house, I'd be the laughing stock of my social circle.

Then I'd get a gig... worry, stress... finish it, worry, stress...

Eventually got sick and tired of it and thought... hell with it. If I'm gonna succeed, then I'll succeed, and if I'm gonna fail then I'll fail, but there's no use worrying about it all the time.

And then I got the same wisdom that Robert and Seth exhibit.

Which will also come to you, in due time.

Re: What is your best tip for managing the most stressful aspects of this business?
 

the most stressful thing for me is not having control which happens a good deal, like wondering is my partner getting the shot or wondering have I actually hit record on that locked off camera. A certain amount of stress is ok I guess to keep you on your toes, too much and you can go into freefall and not perform good at all.

I try and build in redundancy into what I deploy so essentially at least two of everything or more, it makes me feel a bit more relaxed and I can get on with the task.

I used to stress out a bit about not getting the shot or not getting good audio, now it mostly doesn't bother me as i usually have more than enough to cover any mishaps.
we always say to each other before we start, 'make sure the red dot or REC is on!!! everything flows from there.

Re: What is your best tip for managing the most stressful aspects of this business?
 

Love those responses...
and yeah I had a massive anxiety attack once over fearing that I had not hit 'record' during a portion of preceremony. Turns out all was well but it took awhile to breathe again.
Does it ever cross anyone's mind to quit and do something else, while in the thick of it? And yet I just...can't....
You know what's the worst? You try to know as much as possible, but ti's the thing that hits you that you don't know that you don't know.
And then next time you know.

Re: What is your best tip for managing the most stressful aspects of this business?
 

Good judgement comes from wisdom.

Wisdom comes from bad judgement.