Madrigal wrote: ↑Thu Jun 03, 2021 1:29 pm
To me it's disturbing to even imagine that I'd put my name on something that was done wrong by request. If a client wants to have something done wrong, they'd have to ask someone else to do it. I mean I would go over their head if they just don't understand after an explanation.
Pointing it out means you were there, and you don't like seeing mistakes. Have some pride ffs.
Giving somebody exactly what they ask for is sometimes the best and final resort to show someone how wrong they are. That
is personal pride. You are dying to prove just how stupid/irrational/impossible/contradictory/nonsensical their request is and no matter how subtle or blunt you are with them, they don't get it. Your name's on the work. Maybe only one or two other people in the entire world know this but it still matters to you. So when push comes to shove and you don't want the people who'll ultimately be seeing the work to be trashing it internally, you show the megalomaniac requestor just how wrong they are by giving them what they said to the T, so they have to deal with the consequence.
"This is what you said, I even asked you about it here, and you reiterated that that's what you wanted."
When I say those words it is the most liberating feeling when it comes to working on projects. Sad but liberating. I didn't want to have to do that, but liberating. When I have to show them that they were wrong the whole time, they are left with two options: 1) Admit they were wrong and humbly step aside and defer to me to let me do things how I think they should go, which makes for a much quieter, hassle-free work environment or 2) Get mad but direct the anger at anyone but me and then pay me out, thank me for my service, and send me on my way early. Not exactly a burned bridge but not the way I'd like things to go down cuz really there's not coming back. But ultimately it's for the best cuz I get my money without the fear of getting stiffed or having to do way more than is worth it is out of the way.
For the face-saving pro-tip: Always best to have such convos within earshot of other people. If the egos know other people heard you calling them out and it tends to make things play out via option 2. They're often wannabe moguls, ESxJ types, who don't want anyone around who'll shoot cannonball sized holes through their bs façade, which is exactly how they'll view you, a threat! Sometimes deviating a little bit to make things look not too bad gives them an opportunity to blame you for
anything they don't like, even if it's exactly what they said. Suddenly, it becomes your fault that you didn't clean up all their logical shortfalls or creative mediocrity. The more the egos hear others badmouth their lame ideas realized, the more your rep takes the flaming arrows in the back.
I don't always, or often for that matter, let things go seemingly unchecked out the door, even if the person doesn't know what they're really asking. It usually only comes after a breaking point of either having previously being unappreciated after having gone above and beyond to make things look good or feeling belittled upon asking for clarification to what was said or requested because "surely, you can't be so country-fool stupid to believe what you initially put down makes sense to anyone not camped inside your small world brain?!"
For some reason, a quote from a lower division screenwriting class professor stuck with me, though it does state the obvious, "No one sets out to make a really bad movie." Like ol meme floating about, "Everything happens for a reason. Sometimes the reason is you're reckless and make poor decisions." Bad movies can come about by the people making the decisions not being anywhere near as smart or creative as they'd like to believe.
I don't know everything, and I've had far more faceplants in the dirt than tiny wins, but I've not once, never, nunca, noch nie, felt a loss of dignity or sense of self over losing a gig by purposefully giving someone exactly what they wanted. I know I'm better at my worst than they are at their best.
This is not to say there isn't a twinge of embarrassment walking out the office like asking a girl to dance at the club and she says no, or the question of if my final check going to be enough to get by until finding another gig, cuz ya sure as hell ain't getting a recommendation or referral out of them! But by the time you get home and make yourself a big assed sandwich and kickback to watch some daytime TV, you feel strangely vindicated, if not reassured, for having protected your rep and for standing up on principle.