Most productions fail before a single camera turns on. In this episode, Dan Wathen breaks down the full pre-production process — from locking your idea and running pre-interviews to building a two-tab budget that covers production and post, finding a local crew when you're overseas, and planning travel for the unexpected.

Real stories from a Paramount show, a documentary derailed by war in the Middle East, and a canceled flight in London that could have killed the whole project.

If you've ever shown up to a shoot underprepared — this episode is for you.

What's Covered:

🎬 Locking the idea before anything else moves

🎬 The pre-interview — why it's an audition, not a courtesy call

🎬 Building a two-tab budget — production and post

🎬 Music licensing, closed captioning, flat-rate editing

🎬 Small crew strategy — gorilla filmmaking in church media and on a Paramount show

🎬 Finding local crew and gear when you're not at home

🎬 Timeline — always work backwards from delivery

🎬 Travel rules — nonstops, early flights, travel agents, and backup plans

Free Download:

The Producer's Playbook — The planning system church media leaders use to walk into every production prepared. → drwmediaworks.com/playbook

The Producer's Seat — Private advisory for church media leaders stepping into producer-level responsibility. → drwmediaworks.com/the-producers-seat

Listen on:

Apple Podcasts → https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-producers-seat/id1896282413

Spotify → https://open.spotify.com/show/5MRvRuCG5gQ1aIqSZ0kdFW

Connect:

YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/@DRWMediaWorks

Website → https://drwmediaworks.com

LinkedIn → https://linkedin.com/in/dan-wathen-b94aa211

Instagram → @danthetvman

X → @danwathen

Got a question, a story, or something you’re working through in your media role? Text or leave a voicemail — your situation might become the next episode. Click here to send it in.

Most church media leaders hold at least one belief about their role that works against them. In this episode, Dan Wathen names six of the most common — and cracks them wide open with personal stories and real responses from media leaders across the country.

From "this job is just a stepping stone" to "if I push back, I'll lose my standing" — these beliefs sound like they could be true. And they are costing you more than you realize.

What we cover:

🚩 This job is just a stepping stone

🚩 Volunteers will never perform at a professional level

🚩 Nobody understands what I actually do

🚩 Nothing above me or around me will ever change

🚩 There is no room for advancement here

🚩 If I push back, I will lose my standing

Free Download: Get The Belief Breaker — a reminder card you can print and carry with you on the hard days. 👉 https://drwmediaworks.com/belief

Referenced in this episode: Be Unique — You Don't Have to Copy the Big Church 👉 Listen here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-producers-seat/id1896282413?i=1000766138196

Watch on YouTube: 👉 https://youtu.be/rTEnlVl83_M

Ready for direct coaching? The Producer's Seat — private advisory for church media leaders stepping into producer-level responsibility. 👉 drwmediaworks.com/the-producers-seat

Connect with Dan: 🌐 drwmediaworks.com 🐦 Twitter/X: @danwathen 📸 Instagram: @danthetvman

Got a question, a story, or something you’re working through in your media role? Text or leave a voicemail — your situation might become the next episode. Click here to send it in.

Have you ever finished a project — put real work into it — and then the pastor saw it and it was completely off?

Not because you did bad work.

Because somewhere between his vision and your edit, something got lost.

In this episode, Dan Wathen walks through the four places where breakdowns almost always happen — and what media directors can do to fix it before it becomes a bigger problem.

You will hear:

— The three questions to ask before you start any project
— What to do when a directive comes through a third party
— Why showing your pastor a rough cut can go sideways fast — and how to avoid it
— How a voice memo on your client's iPhone saved a full voice-over reshoot
— The stale mandate — and why old instructions you never revisited might be quietly running your team into the ground

Plus, a direct word to pastors about what their media director actually needs from them to do their best work.

This one is practical from start to finish.
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Tool mentioned in this episode:

PLAUD AI wearable — record and transcribe conversations on the go
plaud.ai

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The Producer's Seat — private coaching for church media leaders stepping into producer-level responsibility.
drwmediaworks.com/the-producers-seat

Connect with Dan: 🌐 drwmediaworks.com 🐦 Twitter/X: @danwathen 📸 Instagram: @danthetvman

Got a question, a story, or something you’re working through in your media role? Text or leave a voicemail — your situation might become the next episode. Click here to send it in.