If the sound technician is unhappy during a shoot, I’d first take a moment to understand their concerns without jumping to conclusions. Sometimes, it’s a technical issue, a miscommunication, or even just the stress of the situation. I’d offer practical solutions, like tweaking the setup, reallocating tasks, or giving them a short break to regroup. Showing appreciation and emphasizing how crucial their role is can go a long way. It’s about staying calm, being empathetic, and ensuring everyone feels supported so the production can keep moving smoothly.

Privately address the sound technician’s concerns with empathy, resolve immediate issues, and keep the team focused on the shoot’s goals. If necessary, delegate tasks or adjust the schedule. Follow up after the shoot to prevent future conflicts.

On most low budget shoots, everyone will chip in and have fun, but there are 2 roles that always need lots of love: the director of photography, and the sound technician. DPs can thrive off artistic expression, and they're social. It's a very energetic experience for them. But sound technicians are isolated in their own world; all they have are headphones. They are the ears of your project. The world rests on their shoulders. Make their jobs as easy and fun as humanly possible. Give them coffee, give them perks, pay them whatever you can and more. Go into your shoot knowing that this is the person who has every right to get grumpy, and you thank them for being grumpy. Because without decent sound, you have a silent film.

Last week during a major brand shoot, our mic started acting up and the camera guy was THIS close to losing it. (we've all been there 😅). Here's what a couple of years of production mess-ups at The B Funda taught me: - Take a quick 5-min break, chai, coffee, or just silence (trust me, beats having unusable footage) - Listen to your team's concerns (gives them a boost of confidence) - Always, ALWAYS have backup equipment ready. Pro tip: Build relationships with your crew before the shoot. Because when things go wrong (and they will), it's these relationships that'll save the day! Anyone else been in similar situations? What's your crisis management style? 👇

Capture an extra overlay of sound to allow the sound engineer to rework the sound mix later, but make sure you clear you have put some budget and time to make it happen.