Catching the mistake is half the job

From the Arsenal: Do not pay for the same mistake twice.

Story Of The Day: I was on a call with Bob,

looking at the checker he had built for his team.

The idea was:

Let people check their work
before it gets to leadership.

If the work passes,
they can move to the next step
without another conversation.

That saves time.
(On a good day if everyone's hitting the checks)

But what happens to the person
whose work does not pass?

They know it is wrong.
Do they know what to change?

I see this all the time in video.

An edit comes back with a note:
“This isn’t what I wanted.”

Okay.

What did you want?

Because right now,
you have given a conclusion.

You have not given direction.

Somewhere in your head,
you made a bunch of decisions
about why this video missed.

Maybe the feeling is wrong.
Or it is talking to the wrong person.
Or it looks good but does nothing.

Then all of that gets condensed into:
“No.”

The editor does not get
the thinking behind it.

So they take another guess.

And you get another version
to be disappointed in...

Sometimes that problem started
before anyone opened the edit.

What should this feel like?
Who is supposed to watch it?
Where is it going?
What do we want them to do?

What should people associate
with our brand after seeing it?

And what do we definitely
not want showing up?

Those are things that need
to get clear on in the beginning.

But people say yes
before they really know.

The team thinks they get it.
You think they get it.

Everyone moves forward.

Until the edit shows you
that you agreed to different things.

That can go all the way back
to the first conversation.

By then, “this isn’t right”
is a pretty expensive discovery.

So when I look at Bob’s checker,
I do not think it needs to disappear.

I think we need to be clear
about what we are asking it to do.

It is a filter.

It helps him see which work
needs more attention.

The people who are ready
can keep moving.

He can spend his time
with the people who need help.

But the checker cannot be
the only thing we give them
and expect everyone to get better.

Someone still needs to explain
what missed, why it matters,
and what needs to change.

And sometimes we need to go back
and fix the direction we gave them
before they started.

That part is on us too.

Because if your feedback
is no better than “pass” or “fail”...

What are you giving the team
that the checker did not already say?

Takeaways: A checker can help you decide where to spend your attention. What you do with that attention is what helps the team get better.

How to Apply It Today:

1. Don't Use Fluff Words: Instead of “this opening feels weak,” explain what you want it to accomplish. Then ask what footage or voiceover could help make that happen.
2. Ask About Their Thinking: Before revising another version, ask why the editor made those choices. Find where your directions don't align before sending them back to hours or re-edits.
3. Don't Force The Edit: Sometimes it's hard to admit we missed, and the edit just won't come together no matter how much more hours you put on it. You can choose to continue to beat on that bush or do a better job upstream next time. Or reshoot some parts. Up to you.

Pro tip: Early in the project, you get to choose the constraints.
Later, you work with limits you didn't plan for.

As promised: dialing in your video workflows 1% at a time.
That’s what we do inside the Arsenal.

If you're struggling with video... we should talk.

Blame it on me.
-David

P.S. I hope you're spending a great time out there with whoever you decide to spend it with and are making plenty of great video decisions with your team.

David Yang
​Co-Founder & CCO
DenimStitch Creative
7486 La Jolla Blvd #1012, La Jolla, CA 92037