Empathy — How it helps you to build your own pirate crew?
When I first started out in building a viable business model around documentary storytelling, I set a priority to do everything by myself. This was because of how boot-strapped the operations were, so naturally it made sense from a cost perspective. I also wanted to experience every facet of the production process with a blank slate, and to understand the fundamental struggles and challenges surrounding the various roles. I knew that as I worked towards bigger projects, the responsibilities needed to execute the project would demand a team of highly skilled individuals - and what worse way to greet them than with a lack of understanding and appreciation of what they bring to the table from the director.
I believe that this understanding - or empathy as is the buzzword for a while now - can be achieved by knowing ‘how’ the shoe fits, only then can you walk a mile in someone’s shoes. To do so requires you to experience life from different perspectives and to get intimate with the factors that push people to strive for excellence.
The responsibilities of documentary storytelling demands a lot from the team in order to be successful, so it is inevitable that this will stress the team to strive to ‘succeed’. In this context, to succeed is a destination, for we are producing an end product where the vision and direction of the story is crucial - and so the capability of the director to manifest the collective potential of the crew is vital.
And that is why after building this foundation of understanding for the past five years, the next logical step is to expand by working with individuals over the long term. It’s like building your own pirate crew, inviting them onboard a ship that you had designed with them in mind even though you had not met them yet. A ship is built not just to withstand the uncertainties of adventure, but to house the crew that runs it.
As the captain of my ship, I am constantly developing my own skills, for I believe that only then can I attract skilled individuals. But I also know that to achieve my great ambitions, these people will have to be more skilled than I ever will be in their respective roles. And that is why fundamentally understanding why they do what they do will determine the longevity of this voyage.
I had set sail towards my ambitions on 25 April 2013. Now I have a ship and a small trusted crew of like-minded individuals. The horizon is inviting, and I’m excited for what lies ahead.
