Who Fancies a Lemon and Ginger Tea?

It was the third day of a four-day short film starring the brilliantly talented Joseph Quinn, playing a struggling painter with a dark past. The strength of the HODs surrounding this project was immense, and we’d had a tough but successful series of days. We were in a house just off Brick Lane, and as the shoot went on, the bedroom we were in became smaller and smaller. We had just finished all our day content and were changing for a night scene: the climactic moment of the film where our character’s passion finally bursts onto canvas.

We were tight on time. I wouldn’t say behind because the schedule is a guideline and time is relative, but we needed to work efficiently to keep up with all we had to shoot. We had a big lighting change and were setting up dolly and track for a key shot of the sequence. With the clock ticking, we were coming up with a new approach to how we effectively captured the coverage needed for the scene.

Stress entered the room.

As discussions continued, there was an unnecessary tension in the air. Camera were ready in less than ten, our talent was about to step on, and we were still charged, unfocused. I decided to recentre the room and have a locker room pep talk to get us back in the right headspace. I explained the day as we now knew it, targeted the attention back to the shot we were ready for, and then abruptly asked, “Who fancies a lemon and ginger tea?”

A lemon and ginger tea, for me, is the ultimate placebo for stress management. As I took seven orders for the drink and radioed my runner to bring them up, I made the team aware that right now, no amount of stress will help the situation. When working stressed, your judgement becomes clouded and your vision narrowed. It’s harder to work with others, and your focus is challenged. It’s not worth it. We got our composure back, and the rest of the evening went exceedingly well. At the wrap party the following day, we celebrated with karaoke, and the DOP bought me the iconic beverage.

As the 1st AD, you are there to push the day forward and ensure we are shooting everything that we need. Your first responsibility, however, is that of a team leader. In order to make the day, everyone needs to be functioning to the best of their ability. Encourage and nurture a positive working atmosphere, and the team of qualified professionals will get it done.

The role is seen as a particularly stressful position, but over time you develop a skillset in stress management. Putting stress onto others doesn’t help anything, so be a sponge and soak it up. Have a lemon and ginger tea, take a breath, and get back to work.