Why Great Creative Teams Disagree

One of the biggest misconceptions in filmmaking is that disagreement slows a project down.

In my experience, it’s one of the most valuable tools you have.

Every person walks into a room carrying a different perspective, different experiences, and different instincts. Development is the process of putting all of those ideas into the same pot and discovering just how versatile and subjective the truth can be.

It’s important to clearly explain what you’re trying to accomplish, then watch someone else approach it in a completely different way. Sometimes they’ll solve the problem in a way you never would have considered. Sometimes they’ll make the idea even better.

That’s the point.

Disagreement gets you out of your own box.

The goal isn’t to prove your version is right. The goal is to make the story stronger. As long as everyone keeps the story at the center of the conversation, different perspectives become an advantage instead of an obstacle. You may still be telling the same story, you’ve simply found a better way for more people to understand it.

One of my favorite moments during development is when you can literally watch an idea click.

At first, everyone is thinking. People look confused. They’re asking questions. They’re trying different approaches. Then someone says something, another person builds on it, and suddenly the entire room starts laughing or smiling because everyone realizes they’ve found it.

You can feel when an idea has improved.

Ego, however, has no place in that process.

In fact, I’d argue ego should stay out of every part of filmmaking.

The moment a project starts serving one person’s need to be right, you’ve stopped serving the story. At its core, filmmaking is about telling stories that connect with people. That’s what audiences invest in not who won the argument in the conference room.

That doesn’t mean there shouldn’t be leadership. Every project needs someone to make the final decision. A director, producer, or creator has to choose the path forward.

Making the final decision isn’t the same as making yourself the center of attention.

The best creative leaders I’ve worked with don’t surround themselves with people who always agree with them.

They surround themselves with people willing to challenge an idea, improve it, and ultimately help tell the best story possible.

Because in the end, audiences don’t remember whose idea it was.

They remember how the story made them feel.