The camel is a thoroughbred designed by committee. I’ve found at the beginning individual(s) are better than committees. Series have a writers room, but as an independent (doing multi million dollar work) The core “design-concept- outline-writing is best done by a small group. Then with a defined project, the group of specialists are brought in to make it happen. Thats when collaboration on execution starts. That is when it becomes team art… but still requires strong leadership AKA producer & director.

I’m currently in Liberia and we are running a multi-city livestream production for iHeart Radio leading up to election night in Washington, DC. First to coordinate all of this, it starts with having a fully capable and competent team. Cross functional talents are typically adaptable to any position they’re asked to play. And when you respect said collection of talents their voices tend to fall into place given their areas of expertise. They’ll typically see the needs or areas of opportunity but it’s your job to create the environment that fosters that ease in communication. We are currently using text threads, Google meet and Zoom to ensure communication is consistent across all platforms from production team to client needs.

To ensure every voice is heard when balancing on-site and remote team input for a video concept, establish a clear communication channel where everyone can share ideas, comment, and see real-time updates. Schedule brainstorming sessions that accommodate different time zones, and encourage contributions on a collaborative concept board (like Miro or Google Workspace) for ongoing input. Rotate leadership roles to give everyone a chance to lead discussions, and allow for asynchronous feedback through recorded walk-throughs or shared documents. Finally, recognize each contribution equally, whether in-person or remote, to foster a unified, collaborative process.

To ensure everyone's voice is heard when balancing on-site and remote team input for a video concept, establish clear communication channels that cater to both groups. Set up regular virtual meetings where all team members can collaborate in real-time, encouraging open discussion and brainstorming. Use collaborative tools that allow everyone to share ideas asynchronously, ensuring that remote participants can contribute on their own time if schedules conflict. Create a system for gathering feedback, such as surveys or shared documents, where all voices can be documented and considered equally. Finally, designate a team lead to consolidate input and ensure no contributions are overlooked.

To make sure everyone's voice is heard, I hold regular virtual brainstorming sessions and create a shared document where people can add ideas anytime. During meetings, I make sure both on-site and remote team members get a chance to share. I also encourage feedback from everyone so ideas can be improved together. This way, we all feel included and heard.