[by Blake Discher]
I have two criteria for assistants:
1. Never let ‘em see ya’ sweat
I was working in Monterrey, Mexico for an insurance company’s annual report in a closed conference room. Four lights, I’m in the center of an open-square table layout capturing candids during the annual board meeting. Both my assistant and I were required to sign NDAs. All is good until about 10 minutes in, one of my lights blows a capacitor. If you haven’t experienced this, it sounds like a small-caliber gun going off. Everyone is stunned, what just happened?
My assistant simply walked over, unplugged the light, came up to me (trapped inside the table layout), asked me for a credit card and told me she’s going to get us another light for tomorrow’s additional shooting.
She never broke a sweat.
2. Anticipate
My assistant of choice is fellow ASMP member, Matt LaVere, when I can get him, because he’s truly the best in Detroit. He’s simply amazing at anticipating. He watches everything on the set paying most attention to me, and I love it. The guy makes me look good. He’s handing the camera to me before I even know I’m ready for it! And he did it from day one. Sure, anticipation improves the longer you work as a team, but he “got it” right from the start. I asked him about it when we spoke before I hired him the first time.
Here’s what he said: “Every assistant should know when to anticipate what the photographer will need next. I’ve assisted over 60 photographers in the past few years and my MO is to bust ass and make the production run as smooth as possible with little or no problems arising.”
Dude, you’re hired!
Blake Discher is rethinking all of this – if an assistant could get it to warm up in Detroit, he or she is hired! It’s me: photography, SEO, and web marketing blog.
