Mel Brookes was a very funny stand-up comedian.
He was about to direct his first feature film and he was worried that the film crew wouldn’t take him seriously.
Film crews are notorious for taking the piss.
They knew he wasn’t a real director.
They all had tons more experience on film sets than he did.
Anyway, he’d probably be crap at it.
So there was no point in putting a lot of effort in.
They’d just use his inexperience as an excuse to goof off.
Read the paper, sleep, go to the cafe.
They could always blag him with some technical jargon.
So the first day of the shoot all the crew arrived a bit late.
Sat around and started to kill time.
Mel Brooks came on the set and started to tell them where he wanted the lights and the cameras.
The crew slowly shuffled over in a half-arsed attempt to look like they were working.
Not much was getting done.
After about twenty minutes Mel Brookes shouted across the film set to one particular guy sitting in a chair.
Everyone stood stock still.
Now the film crew were silent, listening to every word.
I know I don’t need you or anyone else goofing off on my set. Now get outa here.”
The guy threatened, “Mr Brooks, you’re making a big mistake. You can’t fire me, I’m in the union.”
The guy looked around to see if anyone would side with him against the director.
Everyone looked at the floor.
Eventually he shrugged and gave up.
He grabbed his bag and trudged off the set with his head down.
No one moved until he shut the door behind him.
Then, all at once, everyone snapped into action.
The crew began moving film cameras, erecting lights, organising props, painting the set.
The film studio became a hive of activity.
Suddenly everyone realised that Mel Brooks was serious.
That he’d actually fire them for goofing off.
They thought he was just a comedian.
Man, now they knew they’d better watch their arses.
No one wanted to get fired.
And, for the rest of the shoot, the crew worked their socks off.
Everything Mel Brooks wanted done was done immediately.
Everyone was on time and efficient.
Mel Brooks got his movie finished, on-time and on-budget.
And it was a good movie.
What no one knew was that the guy Mel fired was actually an actor.
Mel had hired the guy before the shoot had started.
He paid him for the part, like any acting job.
He said he had to act like one of the crew, and when he got fired he had to be upset.
The guy had done his job well, and the crew never knew.
But that really got their attention
Now they knew what they’d taken for granted could suddenly be taken away.
And that stopped them being complacent.
That gave them a shot of adrenalin.
A lot more energy.
It made them appreciate what they had, and realise hey didn’t want to lose it.
So they began to take their job more seriously.
And they worked hard.
And they enjoyed it.
And by the end of the shoot, most of them wanted to work with Mel again.
They even became friends, and part of his regular crew.
Because when you stop taking your job for granted is when you realise how lucky you are to have it.
You work to keep it, you work to do it well.
So you appreciate it more, so you enjoy it more.
Nothing wrong with a little bit of fear to make you appreciate what you’ve got.
Do you own a dog Dave?
Because if you do, it could, between licking its rear-end and your ear, whisper an interesting tale about flight distance and fear.
How it led to wolves growing more accepting of humans.
How it led to their domestication, or subjugation.
How it led to the human hand stirring the gene pool to form a wide variety of type, shape and size in dog.
How it led to you having your ear licked by a pootch that bears no semblance to a wolf.
How evolution dictates that you and I can't lick our own balls [without great discomfort], but dogs can.
How life can be a cruel thing if you aren't the right species.
What this has to do with fear, I forget, but it's an interesting point worth discussion, and Mel Brooks is an astute and funny guy.
Another discussion on fear and risk. How I wish the BBC directorate would join in and explain how their hyper-risk-averse policy of 'respect for human diginity' will translate in drama, comedy and so-called reality TV? I expect their answer will be something along the lines of 'we'll lose our jobs if we don't control content more'. The trouble is, it will be to the detriment of creativity. Extremes, unexpected connections and conflicts are invariably the basis of stand out drama, humour and good TV. It's unlikely that we'll see much of Mel Brooks' style of comedy appearing on the Beeb. There'll be generations of kids who will never know that 'Hitler was a better singer and dancer than Churchill'.
Could he lick his own ball though?
Grilla,
The thing about 'flight' is interesting.
As I understand it that's where the expression 'to crap yourself' came from.
Like an animal, when we're frightened it's fight or flight.
Flight would be dumping excess baggage so we're lighter for running.
Fight would be an adrenalin dump into the bloodstream.
I think the second one is very useful for us in giving us the energy to beat the competition.
That's why I always reommend to youngsters that they learn how to frighten themselves, in order to give them the energy to do what they don't want to do but know they ought to do.
It's what pitches are all about.
Every pitch should feel like a World Cup final.
Over in KSA at Y&R we led a team that did 15 full pitches in 17 days
for one piece of business, and it wasn't the only pitch running.
In at 7am, out when the work was finished.
We lost the business twice.
And won it back three times.
We basically wore BBDO and ourselves out.
We pushed each other to the limit
and let them win a whole pile of little briefs from us while we
just focussed on the big one.
That gave us an unfair advantage.
I have never been so happily exhausted in my life.
I have a lot of respect for BBDO.
As a writer of mine used to say at Saatchi...
"I'd rather die of exhaustion than boredom".
It sort of keeps you on your toes.
Kevin,
Love that line, "I'd rather die of exhaustion than boredom".
I may have to nick that.
When I was living and working in Sydney, we pitched for a major piece of business. We has an outside chance of winning. There were some big boys against us. Our proposed positioning for the client was 'they had their own special kind of energy'. So, me and the rest of the pitch team, worked out before work together for a month, we pitched the whole campaign on our feet, in specially design track suits. A team of 5 presenters did a 3 minute rapid aerobics work out in front of the client at the very outset of the presentation which led straight into a slickly rehearsed rapid fire presentation of facts and insights without charts or slides. The clients were the only people in the room with chairs. At this point, I should point out that I was an all-England-junior under 16s gymnast before I discover sex, drugs and rock'n'roll, and advertising (all on my first day at work! I jest) By the end of the presentation I was standing on the boardroom table. I asked for the business no less than 3 times in my summing up - give us the business and we'll blah blah blah x 3. My last call for the business was "Give us the business and we'll bend over backwards for you every single day", at which point I back somersaulted off the table. I was 37 years old at the time. To be honest, my whole team and I were crapping ourselves that it was a bit over the top and that I would land flat on my back. As it turned out, I landed perfectly. We got a standing ovation from the client and were awarded the business two days later.
That's something else a lot of agencies should remember to do, never be too polite or over confident to 'ask for the business'. That's what you're there to do.
Thomas Crapper, inventor of the flushable latrin gave name to the term 'Crap'.
Going for a 'Crap', been for a 'Crap', hey mister, that idea of yours is 'Absolute Crap', had a 'Crap' day at the office darling, how was yours? All derived from Thomas. Dave, Grilla would never sell you a bum steer.
I always thought that animals did a dump or spontaneously pee-ed to leave a strong scent that would delay the pursuing foe or threat. As a distraction, as it were. Where's David Attenborough when you need him?
I went to see Rhod Gilbert's latest show (Rhod Gilbert and the cat that looked like Nicholas Lyndhurst - which is ball-achingly funny) He uses the fight or flight theory in his routine - crap yourself to make you quicker when giving it legs - or develop a ranging stiffy when the adrenaline kicks in to fight. Gags of him running up and down Queen street in Cardif and getting his girlfriend to time him before and after he's crapped himself. And another gag about him taking on Prince Charles backstage at the Royal Variety show - but backing down when Mrs Wales decided she'd fight and developed a lump under her frock!
Very funny - worth going to see his show if you get the chance.
Stalking us Grilla's is where the Attenborough fella is at.
He won't catch me though.
Did a 'crap' so fascinating he'll stop to doodoo a BBC series about it that'll go out on Sunday evenings next Spring.
I bet fear has entered the minds of many a young creative, planning or account person as they espied Dave Trott gliding towards them. Yikes, Trotty's coming!
The fear of disappointing or coming up short in the eyes of someone one holds in high esteem is a mighty motivator in those that are both young and impressionable.
The greatly missed and awesome P Arden had a similar affect... so Grilla is told.
choose it
There's a little old lady that I've gotten to know. Lillian. She's 90, lives in a care home near where I live. We stop and chat whenever we cross paths. I always ask how things are. She tells me about the uncaring staff at the home and things like that. "But I can give as good as I get" she says, "They don't bother me. It's the old people that get on my nerves", she says. "They sit around doing nothing. Younger and fitter than me some of them", she says. "I don't know how they do it". She walks about 5 miles a day. Carries her own shopping home. She's got a twinkle in her eye, a smile for everyone and not a scrap of fat on her. Lillian would rather die of exhaustion than boredom, any day.
Hi Dave,
You're welcome.
I nicked it from my old writer,
he nicked it from a poster,
the bloke who wrote the poster
nicked it from someone else.
everything is nickable.
Great post Dave.
A useful lesson indeed.
I'd just like to make an observation.
In many of the posts above,
each clause has a line unto itself.
Do you think helps enhance the logic of an argument,
making a proof clearer,
or is it just copywriter's habit?
Hi Thomas,
In writing I like the style Helmut Krone (as an art director) developed for VW many years ago.
Each sentence starts on a new line.
I went to art school not Uni.
So i prefer my copy to look open and easy to read.
Even if it doesn't strictly follow the rules of grammar.
Someone once asked Elmore Leonard the secret of good writing.
He said, "Lots of white sapce on the page."
I'll go along with that.
There's no denying,
It works.
Life's too short, like a well written sentence can never be.
A few years ago we had to hire out a studio in Mosfilm,
the old Communist film studio in central Moscow.
When we arrived, a "worker" was whitewashing the floor
whilst walking IN the whitewash.
I was astonished.
He was drunk.
I asked a colleague at the time if this was normal behaviour.
He simply smiled and raised his eyebrows.
He then informed me he had to shoot a film here the year before
but couldn't because when he arrived the set had not been built.
The chippies had decided to celebrate Christmas early!
So, filled with great expectations since 8am, we awaited this new car.
We had to shoot the the all new Lada Desyatka for a client promotion.
The car was pants, but it was a big thing for them over there at the time.
It arrived at 3pm
The idea (Execution)
was to have a Gold coloured car to fit in with the brand on a plinth.
A silver one turned up.
They nearly drove it off the plinth!
When we asked:
"Where the xxxx has the Gold one"
We were duly informed with much smiling:
" The dealer sold it last night for a fortune,
but if we could wait 3 days,
they could drive one over from Siberia?????"
This was November.
Fortunately, I am informed things have changed a little since then.
Dave Trott
Blogging for:
Member since: 08 Aug 2008
Last login: 24 Nov 2009
Total Posts: 253
