"Hosting" a recording session – 3 things I learned from Garry Marshall
Recently, I was re-reading Wake Me When It’s Funny , 1 the 1995 memoir by Garry Marshall , famed sitcom creator/producer ( Happy Days , The Odd Couple , Mork & Mindy ) and movie director ( Pretty Woman , The Flamingo Kid , Beaches ). Along with anecdotes from shows and films throughout his career, Marshall dispenses little bits of pragmatic advice on working – and surviving – in show business. But I’ve found his advice often applicable to working – and surviving – in advertising, too. Especially when it comes to recording voices for commercials and videos. Tip #1: "Host" the recording session “I want everyone to get along while they're working because I hate tension while I'm working,” Marshall wrote. “One way to do this is to make each person feel as if he's one of the most important players on the team.” That’s why Michael Eisner, former Paramount and Disney CEO, said that "Garry Marshall doesn't direct a movie. He hosts a movie.” 2 I’ve