ENDA Episode 124→ The time when ENDA shares his Production’s Diary (Part 7)

On our college graduation shoot, we knew assistants were vital: script, art, sound, you name it. So we recruited underclassmen to help. Yet our veteran camera operator wasn’t 100% convinced. He’d always juggled every task himself and assumed an assistant would only fetch lenses or shift tripods.

Three days in, everything changed.

➡️ Securing the gear: during a complex location move, his assistant kept the camera locked down and safely transitioned kit between floors, so our operator never worried about a dropped rig.

➡️ Streamlining collaboration: when we discovered a tricky framing issue, the assistant handled monitor hookups and peered through scopes, freeing the operator to consult with the DP, art director and director on shot composition.

➡️ Maintaining momentum: between takes, the assistant swapped lenses, helped move the camera, and managed cable runs, small tasks that stole precious focus when done solo.

By day four, our Steadicam pro admitted what we’d all seen: he couldn’t do it alone anymore. That extra set of hands didn’t just lighten his load; it liberated his mind to solve real creative challenges.

Lesson: We often shoulder too much workload until someone steps in to share a bit of it. Whether it’s a co-worker, an intern, an assistant, or even a lead. Then we realize how much liberated we feel, and we can start to focus more on the things that actually matter.

The journey continues…