Handbook of Principles of Organizational Behavior - Soltanieh ...

320 GERARDO A. OKHUYSEN AND BETH A. BECHKY
the threatening edge of negative information. Group members can speak in jest about
issues that might be threatening if said directly. Humor can convey serious messages in a
less threatening way.
CASE EXAMPLES
Blockbuster
The crew of Blockbuster, a large studio - funded film, arrives on the set and each member
receives a walkie - talkie, after which the head of each department reports for the kick - off
production meeting. Here, the first assistant director takes everyone through the shooting
schedule in detail, discussing potential problems with locations, equipment, effects, and
costumes. After the meeting, each lead passes on the information to the members of his or
her department, gathering ideas and suggestions on how to deal with the expected challenges
and with potential problems. As production gets rolling over the next few hours
and days, crew members bump into colleagues they recognize, saying things like, “ Didn’t
we work together on Talk to the Animals in 2006? ” The cinematographer and the fi rst assistant
camera operator reminisce about the Rocky sequel they worked on in Philadelphia,
saying to a newcomer, “ We’ve been working together for 20 years.” They joke that in this
business, it sometimes feels like you are married to your colleagues.
Over the course of the next six weeks of production, there is a constant chatter about
what is going on, with up - to - the - minute updates on activities. There are constant conversations
about what is going on among people, sometimes in person and sometimes simply
over the walkie - talkies. On the grip channel, for example, the key grip informs his crew
that they are shooting a different scene from the one they had planned, saying, “ I ’ m sorry,
guys, we need to reorganize. I need four of you over by the technocrane. ” When unusual
incidents or concerns arise, crew members bring it to the attention of the person they
think should know. For instance, when an actor in a minor role trips and falls during early
morning filming and complains of a hurt wrist, five or six different crew members report
this injury to the unit production manager later in the day, when he arrives on the set.
Crew members also jump into action when they think they can help out, even if they are
not asked. When a fire starts in a garbage can on set, two location assistants grab a cooler
fi lled with water, run down the hill and extinguish the fi re.
The heads of departments meet frequently over the course of the day, formally and
informally. Particularly important are the meetings in the morning, when the work for the
day is discussed, and the ones at the end of the day, when they check in on the progress of
the shoot and talk over the scenes planned for the next day. When the executive producer,
for instance, asks “ What is going on with the aerial effects? ” both the cinematographer
and the unit production manager chime in. “ We are having some trouble with the weather;
it is too windy, and they are predicting more clouds and wind tomorrow. I don’t think
we can do it, ” says the cinematographer. But the unit production manager disagrees: “ No,
my weather service says it should clear up by tomorrow, and I think we should move ahead
with it. ” The executive producer considers the two different opinions and decides the
crew should prepare for the aerial shots the next day. Also at the end of every day,
the executive producer or the unit production manager reports on their progress to the