Time, because it is so fleeting, time, because it is beyond recall, is the most precious of human goods and to squander it is the most delicate form of dissipation in which man can indulge.                      W. Somerset Maugham     

                                                                                                                                                                                             

In production time is not your friend. It seems that most days within an hour of starting we’re already behind and racing to catch up.  How does that happen?  A problem with load-in, a vital person caught in traffic, a missing piece of gear or technical problem, an actor who’s lost their way and a director struggling for the right phrase to bring them back, a lighting setup that’s just not working or indecision over lens selection or dolly placement.  Sometimes we catch up, the talent nails a performance in the early takes or the crew hustles to get back on schedule but on other occasions it goes the other way.  First, it’s pushing off lunch by an hour, then it’s cutting planned additional coverage and finally dropping shots all together to avoid heavy overtime or that dreaded extra day.  Realistic scheduling is important, forcing two days of work into one to fit a budget rarely works out, multiple company moves in a single day does not help and utilizing a new piece of gear or production technique for the first time without allotting additional time will come back to bite you.  It’s a never-ending battle to make your day, to stay on schedule yet still carve out time for those happy accidents that can make all the difference between good and excellent.