We’re one week out from principal photography on The Shape of Kindness.
Today I meet with our director and producer to lock the shot list and shooting schedule.
Next Wednesday is camera prep.
Next Friday is the final tune-up.
It’s all becoming real.
And this week has brought something into sharp focus for me: the shift from “I used to carry everything” to “I am one part of something bigger.”
For most of my filmmaking life, I was the team.
Writer. Producer. DP. Editor. Sound. Color.
If it had to get done, it landed on me — not out of ego, but out of necessity.
It trained me to stay hyper-responsible, hyper-vigilant, and constantly braced for something to go wrong.
Now, working with a real producer, a seasoned director, and fully staffed departments, my role is singular:
DP.
Not project captain.
Not an all-hats problem solver.
Just DP.
And letting go of everything else has been uncomfortable.
Not because I don’t trust the people around me, but because my body still remembers years of doing it all alone.
My instincts still whisper: Don’t let go. Don’t loosen your grip. Don’t trust it will get done.
But here’s the lesson I’m finally learning — the moral of this week:
If you’ve spent years carrying everything yourself, collaboration will feel like losing control at first… but it’s actually gaining strength.
Because now the vision doesn’t rest on one tired set of shoulders.
It’s supported by many.
It’s shaped by people who bring what you can’t bring.
And it grows into something far better than the version you could build alone.
This week, during prep, that clicked for me.
The team isn’t taking anything from me.
They’re giving the film more than I ever could on my own.
For now, I’d love to hear from you:
When did you first realize that letting go wasn’t losing control — it was gaining a stronger film?
2 people like this
Congratulations, Lindsay Thompson and The Shape of Kindness team! I can't wait to watch it!
"If you’ve spent years carrying everything yourself, collaboration will feel like losing control at first… but it’s actually gaining strength." You're right. I remember trying to make a feature film way back, and I brought producers on board. It made the film stronger because of their knowledge, experience, ideas, and connections.