Filmmaking is a collaborative, artistic process involving people with egos and opinions. Just about everyone involved has ownership of some percentage of the final product and, especially if they are not getting paid or are getting paid very little, they are hugely invested in that final product being great or what’s the point for them being involved?

This can be a recipe for disaster in the pre- and post-production world. When you’re on set and in production the collaboration is face-to-face and the roles are defined and visible so it is easier to manage and to detect when something is heading in the wrong direction. In the pre- and post-production world where people communicate much more by email the potential for being misunderstood and for conflicts blowing out of proportion is so much greater. Often times the way we communicate is by asking for ‘notes’ or being given them whether we want them or not from people higher up the food chain.

There are two times we usually ask for and get notes: in script development and in the editing process. Getting notes, considering them and implementing them can make your film project better. It can also be frustrating, infuriating, it can make you very defensive and, if you blindly try to incorporate every note you’re given, it can make your film worse not better. Click for more