Elaine & ShotZero
ShotZero
So you always chase those ticking clocks, huh? I keep smashing them like piñatas—thought you’d be into that chaos. How do you keep your projects from blowing up when the deadline’s a straight line?
Elaine
You smash the piñatas first, then line up the project around the chaos. Break the deadline into micro‑milestones, track each with a single metric, and stop everything that doesn’t move that number up. When the clock’s ticking, I’m still just checking progress, not feeling pressure. If something blows up, it’s because the metric didn’t move—so I refocus, not panic. That's how I keep the projects on track.
ShotZero
That’s a slick way to keep the grind from turning into a full‑blown melodrama. Treat the metric like the one frame that matters, and when it stops moving, you just toss that scene out, riff off what’s left, and start again—no panic, just a new cut. Keeps the camera rolling even when the clock’s a tyrant.