Producing : Producers Should Always Take Time to Say "Thank You" by Ian Milne

Gratitude is everything . . . ❤️

Ian Milne I really appreciate this perspective. In our industry, we often remember the big creative decisions, but it's usually the small human gestures that define the experience of making a film.

As a composer, I'm often involved later in the process, yet I've found that the projects where gratitude and mutual respect are part of the culture almost always lead to better creative collaboration. People feel more comfortable sharing ideas, taking risks, and working toward the same vision instead of simply completing their individual tasks.

I also love your point that a sincere "thank you" isn't about networking, it's about recognizing the effort behind the work, much of which is invisible. Those moments may take only a few seconds, but they can leave a lasting impression long after the project is finished.

YES!!! 1000% Francesco Marchetti Im so glad those are your takeaways. Well said!

Hey Ian Milne, this is wonderful and adding to it, I’ve found that how we speak to each other matters just as much as the gesture itself. Words carry energy, and the tone we choose can either ground a team or shake it. A sincere hello, a calm check‑in, or a genuine thank‑you can shift the entire atmosphere of a shoot.

Your mentor’s approach showing up early, acknowledging every department, and ending the day with gratitude, is leadership at its best. Those small moments make people feel seen, respected, and part of something bigger.

I try to do the same: pause, appreciate the human in front of me, and choose words that add steadiness rather than stress. It goes a long way.

This could also go in a leadership platform. I love this stuff.

Indeed, doing those little (and big) things to help people being seen AND, in that same vibe, making them feel listened to.

Ian Milne Great post and absolutely good policy! Showing appreciation for your crew's hard work is considerate and good business.

Agree 100%. Great post. One of my golden rules. Get there first, leave last and thank everyone and acknowledge their positive contributions for the day. I even insist on eating last just because leadership and tone is set from the top. I've even started jobs I've asked PAs to do so they don't feel alone or less then (hardest when it is a bathroom backup but still...respect :) Especially on low budget film that goes a long way. Be sincere!

Gratiude is a blessing for the giver and the recipient. Thank You!

For sure, recognizing all the people that are there to make your vision is important. I watched John Wells when I worked on Animal Kingdom, shake the hand and introduce himself to anyone on the set that he hadn’t met, and I do mean anyone. And a Director that I worked with wrote a book about this as well. She says on her first day on a new set or in a new office. She introduces herself and asked people’s names. We’re all in this together. When I’m on set as a first AD, I do the same thing and speak to everybody kindly. Thanks for your post!

This is beautiful Ian Milne and one post that I will take to heart for years to come. Thank you so much for sharing this. This is who I want to be.

Thank you for sharing this, Ian.

One thing I’ve learned is that people may forget a meeting, an email, or even a project, but they rarely forget how they were treated. A sincere thank you shows respect for the work that often happens behind the scenes and is never fully visible.

I also believe gratitude builds trust, and trust is one of the most valuable assets in filmmaking. Many projects begin with talent, but long-term collaborations are often built on appreciation and respect.

Thank you for this important reminder.

HELLO!

I love when I send a pitch or script to an exec for coverage and s/he thanks me for sharing it, even moreso when I'm called by my name rather than just "the writer." Makes me respect them 1,000x more (and more likely to share more material with them).

As well, I've noticed and absolutely loved how many manga artists thank you, the reader, at the end of their volumes.

I just got off of an exchange in which someone who is in academia told me how she felt ignored and ostracized because she's black, a woman and queer. I tried to be supportive and responsive to her unfair situation but the moment I tried to place a comment directly on the site, I was told I had to pay to comment. So I decided to write my response as an email. In the email, I wrote a scathing rebuke of the practice of excluding people who can't pay--after all, isn't freedom of speech, the right to be heard independent of monetary ability? Obviously not. So you are probably wondering why I am bringing this up here in a discussion on gratitude. The answer is obvious to me and probably more than a few of you. When you exclude someone because they're having a hard time financially, it doesn't matter how many times you thank them, what do you think they're going to want to do to you for being excluded? I think we need to do far more to equalize our society so that some people don't get extra privileges than others due to arbitrary factors that have nothing to do with ability or what they've contributed. To pay for somebody who's struggling is a much greater expression of gratitutde. Of course, it's easier for me to see it because I'm on the deprivation end of lack of gratitude for anything I try to contribute. I write tons of query letters about my project to executives, producers, agents, managers and others who I know are in the practice of ignoring anything they didn't solicit. Some make it a policy to tell those who wish to share their creative project with them that you're not wanted. It is made firmly clear. A way I would feel thanked for my efforts would be if any such people made it a point to challenge this excluding practie of the industry or to just invite me to share my project and take an interest in what I'm doing even if it can't lead to anything. Sometimes you need more than kind words or a gesture to acknowledge and include someone who is desiring to be part of a creative world. I try my best to acknowledge everyone I come in contact with, to be as kind as I can and to have so much respect that I trust I can share my words unfiltered with them. Thank you.

I believe making people feel seen starts with genuine appreciation. I try to listen carefully, acknowledge people's contributions, and always say thank you when someone takes the time to help or support my work. As an emerging screenwriter, I've already learned that encouragement from other creatives can make a meaningful difference. I believe every person involved in a project deserves to feel valued and respected.

"As a screenwriter from the Philippines, I always make sure to deeply respect every collaborator's time and talent. Expressing genuine gratitude to the people who read my scripts, offer feedback, or compose music for my stories has been essential. In this industry, saying a simple and sincere 'thank you' builds trust and lasting relationships."

I'm not a producer or filmmaker but I write screenplays. And when someone takes the time to give me advice, I'm all about thanking them.

Ian, I fully appreciate what you say. I am from the old school, and have been around now for over 40 years and I am convinced that nothing works like a little honest humanity especially in a business where insincerity, insecurity and callousness is too often the order of the day.

Love this. I also make a point, either at the kickoff production meeting or first thing on Day 1, to introduce myself clearly to everyone and set the tone for the set. I tell the crew that I run a harmonious set and insist on keeping it that way -- and that if anyone has an issue or concern, I want them to bring it directly to me rather than letting it turn into complaining to colleagues or resentment behind the scenes that can build. I’ve found that setting that expectation early, along with making sure people feel seen and appreciated, can have a huge impact on the culture of a production.

“I completely agree. A harmonious set doesn’t happen by accident; it starts with the culture the producer establishes from Day 1. When people know they can speak directly and respectfully, problems become easier to solve before they become personal. For me, that kind of trust can be just as important as the production itself.”

Thank you for sharing this! Learning from good mentors about gratitude on set is so important. As a writer and director, I completely agree that making everyone feel seen and appreciated creates the best environment to make a film!"

I’m still early in my career, but one thing I’ve already learned from networking is that people remember how you treat them just as much as what you’re working on. Film and television takes too many people to make for anybody to act like they did everything alone. I’d rather build relationships with people I can grow with than only reach out when I need something from them.

Completely agree, Ian. People may forget the details of a shoot, but they remember how they were treated. A genuine thank you costs nothing, but it can build relationships that last for years.

Ian Milne I think this matters even more on a film set because filmmaking is so dependent on people trusting each other when things inevitably go wrong.

A producer or director who takes the time to acknowledge people before the pressure starts can create a very different atmosphere than someone who only communicates when they need something fixed.

I also like your point that the thank-you doesn’t need to be transactional. You may never work with that person again, but they still contributed something to the film.

As a director, I’d want to build that into my own working process. The people behind the camera, in production, locations, sound, lighting, art, and every other department are helping turn something that existed in my head and on the page into an actual film. It’s easy to become so focused on the shot that you forget how many people are making that shot possible.

And honestly, I think how a filmmaker treats people during the difficult days tells you much more about them than how they behave when everything is going smoothly.

Curious for other directors and producers here: what’s one small thing someone on a set has done that made you feel genuinely appreciated?