Rule of Filmmaking

The number one rule of filmmaking (and life) is to be nice. I had to mention this a few times today with my girls. We were in a rather toasty room and the heat and the close quarters were wearing them a little thin. One said something that hurt the other's feelings and it spiraled downhill from there. These girls are rock stars and it's so hard to make them believe it. They doubt themselves way more than I expected. And I know it's just the age, but it really bums me out. I just wish they could see themselves in ten years. See themselves a little more comfortable in their skins, a little more confident with their talents and a little more aware that not everyone's opinions really matter but their own.

But I digress. Back to the number one rule. Filmmaking is a collaborative effort. Many, many names appear at the end of a movie and all of those names, from craft services to executive producer, have made their mark on that screen. The best filmmaking experiences are those you share with people who feel like family, or rather become your family ... on set, in the editing room, when you book theaters in far away places. It's a shared experience and definitely for me, one of the coolest.

So people, take it to heart. The world would be so much more awesome if everyone was nice. Sigh.