My Biggest Lesson: Daniel Tarr

Daniel Tarr is the post production supervisor (and often ghost-editor!) at Revelator. He’s had a variety of jobs in video production, including an early gig as Javier Bardem's driver. (Javier likes to ride in the front seat and loves to sing along to Creed on the radio.) His long and varied resume also includes working on projects for filmmakers like Terrence Malick, Nia DaCosta, Kahlil Joseph, and the Zellner Brothers. Dan Story Produced five seasons of the Hulu Series Small Business Revolution and worked on numerous reality television programs earlier in his career. In charge of overseeing all post-production workflows, labour and equipment at Revelator, Dan led the charge on delivering 500+ videos for Revelator clients and partners in the past year.

The first time I encountered the FINAL BOSS, I wasn’t prepared.

It was the 11th hour of a project (the most common time they spring up). I had mentally closed up shop, waved everyone goodbye, and put a drink on ice. The unexpected DING from my inbox helicopter-spun me across the room and back into action. There was one last something needed, before sunrise, and it had to start from square one.

For those who go outside more often than me, a 'Final Boss' is the last baddie at the end of an adventure.. The fire-breathing Thing standing in your way to the finish line. They emerge at the end of your journey, when you’ve used up most of your energy, your equipment has dulled to a blunt point, and you’re brainstormed out. 

When it comes to production, or post, or rather any creative endeavour, The Final Boss is that last unexpected problem that comes charging at you near wrap. It’s that final piece of feedback 'From the Top' that jumbles the insides of an entire project.  It’s that camera issue on the most technical shot that was definitely working earlier. It’s those additional cutdown deliverables the client forgot to mention but needs tomorrow. Truly, it could be anything, but the commonality is that they’re always coming when you’re least expecting it.

I’ve worked across the spectrum of film and television throughout my career, from short docuseries to narrative features, and over repeated encounters with these proverbial foes, I’ve pieced together enough knowledge (and healed enough scars) to put together a utility-belt of mental weaponry in order to combat these adversaries. Below is my short guide on How to Defeat the Final Boss:

1) Don’t let the wheels fall off. Nearing the final stages of a project, when all lights look green and :raise_hands: emojis abound, it can be so tempting to kick those feet up and look out the window. The Final Boss thrives on the mentally checked out. They’ll leap out from the windows and rip the assured confidence right out of your person. The times it starts to feel easy are the times to stay vigilant.

2) Keep a mental back up. We pour ourselves into every project for good reason, but timing how much energy we commit at once is a honed skill. The Final Boss will know when your cup is empty. Staying mentally and emotionally ready for that one last challenge will save you from hair-pulling panic in the final hours of a project.

3) Shrink it down to size. We don’t like it, but often these unexpected challenges become emblematic. What could be a minor inconvenience is blown out of proportion because of a variety of conditional factors and stakes, puffing The Final Boss up to a two-story sized problem. Remember to put them back in perspective. You have pummelled a hundred other minor problems to get here, so don’t let it grow too big.

There are countless other minor tips to help dispel these will-breaking foes, but at the highest level I’ve learned that there will almost always be one. My work at Revelator will always keep me guessing for when the next one will pop up. We're a full-service production company that offers services from creative strategy at project kick-off, all the way through edit, colour grading, online and delivery. So, our team is obsessive about project timelines and the ecosystem of our client's workflow needs. Needless to say, avoiding the 'Final Boss' has become a specialised priority on our team. 

No matter how diligently we plan, we could all have a Final Boss waiting near the end of a project or production. The more mentally prepared you allow yourself to be, the more you’ll be ready when it arrives.