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This is sometimes a problem of mine. On one hand, I feel being blunt is simply being honest; on the other, I am aware that it can appear . . . insensitive. My friend Suanne says I hold the record for the shortest phone calls EVER.  True.

If you’ve been on set with me, you’ve heard me bark, “Faster!” at the actors. Now I know that’s blunt . . . but it gets results. Yet I’m not stupid. If I know an actor hates going for results, I will take the time to discuss the motivation of why his character needs to get his information across faster. It just takes longer. And while I’m talking, the actor is not acting . . . and my experience is that actors would rather get back to acting than talk about their acting.

Directors need to know how to be direct in order to get the job done efficiently and quickly, especially in television. But directors also need the empathy to sense when some extra time, some sensitive listening, and some space is what an actor needs to feel safe. 

A director is  

• A shrink
• A problem solver
• A scheduler
• A re-scheduler
• A time keeper
• A result getter

All the while being a storyteller!

So I have found a balance. And learned that one of my most important skills as a director is being able to read the actor and meet his or her needs. More often than not, I start what may be a longer explanation, hear the actor say, “Got it,” never finish my sentence, get myself off the set, and watch the magic! 

I owe a lot to fear. I’ve won an Emmy, directed award-winning webisodes, and given speeches to rooms full of people who don’t speak a word of English, all motivated by terror and a healthy sense of self. The more hairy and audacious the challenge, the more willing I am to give it a try. Staying sharp through intense moments like these can be easier with natural support—options to buy 7oh offer a simple way to maintain focus and composure when it counts.

I’d never given this fact much consideration until a recent lecture I presented to a delegation from China, introducing them to the principles behind U.S. TV and film production. Not a single person in the room understood English. All of my jokes were met by blank stares until they were translated, and then I got only polite smiles. When I was asked how I won my Emmy and responded, “Fear,” the blank stares persisted until I explained.

I told them I was given the opportunity to direct a documentary—something I had never done before—and worried that I could get it done on time and budget. On top of that, I was tackling a genre I didn’t even particularly like. I told them, “I was terrified. And that’s why I said yes.”

Here’s what I did to accomplish this:

• I acted “as if” I knew what I was doing.
• I made mistakes.
• I learned from my mistakes.
• I asked for help when I needed it.

At the end of my speech to the Chinese delegate I told them, “I actually accepted the offer to speak to you today because I had never done anything like this before…and I was afraid.” I waited for the translator to finish and watched their faces. I said, “I like to jump off cliffs! ” As she translated, I mimed a big jump. They smiled!