30 Who´s Boss?

Best boss mug from NBC store

Little Margie productions is essentially a two person company, but Eki and I have our spheres of influence. My job is to secure the financing, usually pitch the project to our commissioning editors, arrange the travel, hotels, etc and fill out the dreaded grant applications. Eki orders the equipment, is chief photographer, king of the editing room and does the music. We both direct, write the narration and plan the schedule (by phone or at a meeting in a café).

It all sounds cut and dried. But it´s more like a loosely related family. When Antti (our steadicam operator and sound man) is with us he puts in his two cents too. Sometimes like big brothers Eki and Antti gang up on me. Or they speak fast Finnish and leave me in the dark. But most of the time there´s a lot of camaraderie and we all have fun together.

When Eki works he is totally focused on the job at hand. And hates to be interrupted. I like to take a long time on a project, be completely prepared and organized. We´re a good team. We´ve been together working on projects for around 18 years. And have established a balance of power (terror?). By now we know what buttons not to push and when to be quiet. Most of the time.

Lesson 34: The boss should never be above making coffee for the crew

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