Anniversary 2.

Youngblood reminded me this morning that it was 2 years ago to day that "that Panel" caught fire.

Before, after. Very nice desipte the aggravation and inconvenience.

Celebrate! We are. It's tamale pie tonight. OLE!

Have a Vision.

You know this war thing is really on my mind. I think what bothers me most, is that Mr. Prez doesn't have a clear idea of what success is. Not one he can articulate anyway.

What game are we playing? What does winning look like? Is there a win-win solution? (was there ever?)

Now I can't believe he doesn't have the answers to those questions. Maybe he didn't come up with them all by himself, but the answers (objectives, goals, end game) exist in the hearts and mind of the main players.

What I can believe is that if he were open and frank with his constituants (us), it wouldn't be pretty. We'd have to take a long hard look at ourselves, again. It's all a reflection of us.

Tech Week

I love tech week. Sometimes.

When an intricate plan comes together, it's the best. When tech becomes the necessary evil or worse, the enemy, it sucks.

In that vein, I'd like to offer seven ways for directors to make the hottest creative blood run cold ...

1. Keep the big picture to yourself.

That way, no one will know what you really want.

Keep ‘em guessing. It’ll drive them to distraction.

2. Don’t bother with designers or department heads.

Just draw a floorplan on a cocktail napkin and call it a set design.

Ask the actors to bring in some things from home to wear.

Settle for “whatever”.

3. Treat everyone like they don’t know what they’re doing.

They don’t.

They’re too distracted by trying to figure out what you'll want next .

4. Hold everyone accountable, but don’t tell them for what until they screw up.

That’ll teach ‘em a lesson they’ll never forget.

5. Keep the schedule TBA until the last possible minute.

The anti-plan. Exhaustion is great for high stress.

6. Berate, humiliate and belittle.

The trinity of toxic creative environments.
Can't you just taste the contempt?

7. When it’s all over, act like you never met any of them.

You didn't need them anyway.

Break a leg.

2006. Lesson Learned.