Leading on Set w/ Director Ben Carter
On Unify’s second Crew’s Control episode, Director Ben Carter walks Hudson through the mindset he finds essential on set.
Whatnot’s productions have an infectious energy that we love, and the approach of Ben, Erica [Skinner], and Eric [Bridenstine] underscores that.
(Excerpts and paraphrasing directly from the podcast conversation, re-organized for flow.)
Director Ben Carter on set for one of Whatnot’s Toyota Racing Sponsafier spots
Own the Energy
Some of our projects are in a world that I am obsessed with and I love. If it's cars and racing and the things that I've been interested in since I was a kid - I think enthusiasm is the most important thing. And we try to remind ourselves, between myself and Erica and Eric - when I'm the director and we walk on set, we try to make the conscious decision - the enthusiasm that we take into this job will spread to the crew. It will spread to the agency, to the client, to the people that are paying us to do this. It'll spread to the talent. The guy who's unlocking the gate at the at the racetrack, whomever it might be. We try to remember that and try to bring that to the table.
On the directing side, that's important because if I'm trying to convey ideas to crew or to talent and I'm not excited about that idea - how are they going to be? And especially talent. Like I work with a lot of athlete-talent, and they're so afraid of being made to look stupid. That's their number one thing. They walk on set and they're like, “Oh, it’s going to be some kooky commercial where they make me look like a dope.” Fair, that’s fair. But I've been working with athletes for so long, I just know - if you're excited about the idea and you're confident in it and you can convey that to them, they'll trust you.
Director Ben Carter on set for one of Whatnot’s Toyota Racing Sponsafier spots
It’s the same thing with crew, with DPs, with G&E guys, the camera department - doesn't matter. If you can convey what seems like a crazy idea confidently and with enthusiasm, I think that that's worth so much. Like, technically, I am not close to the best director. I'm sure some directors would come on my sets and go, “ Jeez, this guy is a mess.” But I want to be excited about the things I make. And they're not always exciting things, you know - sometimes agency creative may not excite you. But I'm still going to show up and I'm going to let that sort of subtle enthusiasm go throughout the crew and the client and the agency and the talent.
Groundedness
I have my moments, don't get me wrong. Working on set is stressful and we all know it - but I think that having Eric and Erica is so important to me. I mean, it's no secret, but Erica is my partner of almost 20 years. If I'm taking a dive in my mood or something because things aren't going our way or whatever it might be, she's really quick to remind me that that's not the energy we put out to the people that we're so lucky to have hiring us.
And your crew is going to see you act sad or bummed that something didn't go your way. And that doesn't motivate people to want to go do their best. So yeah. That's when she [Erica] busts out the salts - she busts out the Pringles and a cup of coffee and she's like, “Eat, drink, and get back at it.” And Eric always says, you need to go get your salts up. And he’s right.
You can find more of Director Ben Carter’s work at https://www.bencarter.co and https://whatnot.tv
Listen to the full Crew’s Control episode with Ben here