You Don’t Need Three Couches

Your On-Set Indecision is Killing Your Budget

HERE’S A COUCH YOU DO NEED: A custom built couch by our Client KIMBERLY DENMAN. www.kimberlydenman.com

When I was first starting out in advertising, a production designer espoused this bit of conventional on-set wisdom;

“If the client asks for a couch, bring three. The one they asked for, the one you know is right, and a third one so it’s not so obvious.”

And it was good advice. That was, and often still is, the expectation.  “Do we have any other options?” is a question asked all the time on set.

But you pay for those options. Three couches not only triples the couch rental budget, it means a bigger truck, more guys, more parking spots, a higher headcount at lunch, more time to load in, more time to wrap out.  Regardless of how little each couch costs to rent, you pay for options . A lot.  And, this is crucial: Not just the one’s you ask for.  If the expectation is that options should be available upon request, then every department is bringing, and charging for, more than you need.

“You may not need to narrow your vision. You just need to focus it.”

If you want to do great work, on a tight budget, you may not need to limit your vision. You just need to focus it. On set, and in life, be decisive, early, and often.