What’s the biggest on set nightmare you can think of?

• Accidentally reformatting a memory card?

• Accidentally “double-punching” the record button, so you’re never recording when you think you are?

• Dropping a lens?

• Forgetting to attach the boom mic to the camera or mixer?

• Finding out that an entire day’s worth of footage was slightly out of focus?

On-the-job mistakes are inevitable, but that doesn’t make them hurt any less. So the question isn’t whether or not you will make a mistake; rather, the question is How will you respond to mistakes when you make them? Here are a few things I’ve learned from my own experiences, and from the advice others have passed on to me. Hopefully they will help you, and if I’ve left anything out, please let me know in the Comments.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

The first thing to remember when you make a mistake on the job is that you are not alone. You may be thinking, “No one else has ever screwed up something so easy,” but you’d be wrong. Even if you’re dealing with your own “rookie mistake,” rest assured that there are others out there who, despite years in the industry, have done something similar.

ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY

Take ownership of the mistake. Don’t point the finger at someone else. Don’t blame some extenuating circumstance. It was your responsibility. You should have taken care of it. You didn’t. Raise your hand and accept the blame. Acknowledge the mistake and apologize to everyone who has been impacted.

IT’S IN THE PAST

Okay, you messed up. Replaying the event over and over again in your head isn’t going to help you move forward. At this point, there’s nothing you can do to correct what went wrong.

FOCUS ON SOLUTIONS

What can you do to fix what went wrong? Come up with a Plan A. Then come up with Plans B, C, and D.

TAKE IT ONE STEP AT A TIME

Solving the problem may feel like an impossible task, the thought of which will completely overwhelm you if you’re focusing too much on the big picture. Don’t think about what may or may not happen five steps down the road. What is the one thing you need to do right now to get things moving in the right direction? Focus on that. Then, once that’s finished, focus on the next thing, then the next. I remember interviewing the mother or a pediatric cancer patient and she told me that thinking about the entire three-year treatment protocol that lay ahead would send her into a panic. So, she just focused on getting through the next five minutes, and that’s what you need to do.

ENLIST OTHERS FOR HELP

The mistake may be too big for you to fix on your own. It' may be beyond your own skill set. If so, find an expert who can help.

YOU WILL PROBABLY HAVE TO EAT THE COST

Any money you were going to make on this job will probably be gone when it’s all said and done, depending on what the mistake is. Whether you have to hire someone else to help you fix the problem, or schedule a re-shoot, you need to be prepared to take those costs on yourself. You definitely can’t go back and ask the client for more money to cover a mistake you made.

DO WHATEVER IS NECESSARY TO PLEASE THE CLIENT

You have to make sure that your client leaves with a positive experience, so no matter how long it takes you to fix the mistakes, and no matter how many revisions are needed, it’s up to you to give the client exactly what they paid you to deliver.

Remember, if your team and your client can see that you have humbly accepted responsibility for what went wrong and are actively working toward a solution in a professional manner, they will appreciate your efforts.

What other advice do you have? Leave your thoughts in the Comments.