Your Worst Enemy Onset . . . The Prima-Donna!!!

            Making movies is a complicated and beautiful process.  It all begins with an idea that develops into a story.  From there money is raised, people are hired, locations are locked, then the next thing you know, your production is on its way.   It’s a rewarding process that takes a lot of effort, but all it takes to ruin this grand-charade is the devastation of a single prima-donna.

            Prima-donnas are whiney, think they deserve better treatment than everyone else, and to boot, they’re ungrateful know-nothings that don’t belong on any set.  They can be cast or crew, male or female, above or below the line.   After all of the preparation and collaboration it takes to get a film going, all it takes is one prima-donna on set to tear all of that hard work asunder.

            The signs of a prima-donna are clear and easy to tell, but their effects are not always foreseeable until the whole production is in the toilette.  At first it starts with a simple demand, but soon devolves into petty grievances and purposeful delays that will put you behind schedule and over budget. All of this seems to go down on set, long after the contracts are signed, mind you. 

            Perhaps the worst effect of a prima-donna is its self-replication.  Its divisiveness doesn’t stop at making crew split, it continues on as more and more crew see the prima-donna taking hold and figure that they too can jump in on the action.  Some crew members may not even realize they are being sucked into the void, and begin to have flairs in temper or demands reflecting the example of the prima-donna. 

            When you spot one, there are at least a few proven cures.  The simplest solution, and first step you should always take, is to take the crew member aside and talk them down.  Explain the collaborative nature of film, tell them you care but cannot be swayed, and let them know the behavior needs to stop.  This should work.  At least pray it does.  Because in the case of a continued problem, producers can and must be willing to use the ultimate option in their arsenal: the ol’ boot-in-arse ‘you’re fired’ technique.  It’s dirty, it’s effective, and at times can be the only way to ensure that one or two members don’t rip your production apart.

No matter the situation, always act quickly, or else the rift will become permanent.  Remember, it may seem like one unreasonable demand now, but once that turns into a whole run of problems, you can kiss your movie goodbye.

Victor Phan & Rylie Potter

Torture Chamber Productions / Soph Productions

August 29, 2009