A few years ago, I was hired to produce a how-to style video. 

 

Essentially a training or explainer piece where the client wanted to simulate a realistic sales interaction in their store.

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The tricky part?

I had to direct non-actors, in a warehouse-style retail space, during operating hours. Or rather, right before opening.

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The First Red Flag

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I asked if we could schedule filming during quiet hours. I explained that both audio and background movement would be an issue.

They didn’t budge.

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So we filmed early in the morning. But the floor was already buzzing with prep:

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• Forklifts running

• Loud machinery

• Random people walking through the background

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I remember standing there thinking:

“This is going to be a nightmare in post.”

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What I Knew vs. What They Saw

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I did my job...directed the scene, captured what I could. But in the edit, it was exactly what I expected.

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The actors’ dialogue was almost unusable because of all the background noise. You could barely hear them.

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When I delivered the final cut, the feedback I got was:

“There’s too much background action.”

Nothing about the audio. Not a word.

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That’s what really got me.

Not just that they ignored my initial request for a cleaner shoot environment, but that after all that, they didn’t even mention the fact that you could barely hear the people talking.

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The Quiet Frustration

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I’d tried to raise the issue. I’d asked for space. I knew what the project needed, 
but I hadn’t pushed hard enough.

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And that’s the lesson I took away:

Being a good producer doesn’t always mean going with the flow. Sometimes it means pausing the shoot, having the uncomfortable conversation, and saying:

“This isn’t going to work unless we change something.”

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How I Work Now

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Back then, I was worried about stepping on toes. I didn’t want to come off as difficult, especially as a younger producer.

 

But the truth is—when you’re the one guiding the project, you’re also the one responsible for its quality.

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You have to advocate for the outcome. And sometimes that means pushing back.

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These days, I do speak up. I ask the hard questions early. I spell out what I need, and if it doesn’t happen, I make it very clear what the limitations will be.

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And if someone insists on forklifts running in the background while two people try to sell something to camera?

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I say no.

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Because now, I know better.

And I don’t film next to forklifts.