The Hidden Cost of Conflict in Film Production: A Negotiator’s Perspective

Film Crew

Ask anyone who’s ever tried to make a film, and they’ll tell you: the process is a delicate balance between vision, pressure, and collaboration. At its best, filmmaking is creative alchemy. But when things go wrong, when egos flare, communication breaks down, or expectations collide, conflict can quietly start draining the life out of a production.

In my experience as both a CFO, and now an executive producer, I’ve learned that some of the most damaging costs in film production don’t show up on the balance sheet. They show up in stalled days on set, in exhausted teams, in scenes that never quite come together the way they were imagined. And almost always, at the center of it, is some form of unresolved tension.

Conflict is not inherently bad. In fact, sometimes it’s necessary. A well-timed disagreement can sharpen the creative process, challenge assumptions, and push the work forward. But the moment that tension turns into mistrust, or worse, silence, things start to unravel. People stop talking. Small issues get buried until they resurface at the worst possible time. And what could have been a productive collaboration becomes a slow breakdown in morale, quality, and efficiency.

One of the most common mistakes I see, especially in small organizations or in independent productions, is assuming that conflict will sort itself out. However, the truth is that even in the most passionate and well-intentioned teams, conflict left unmanaged becomes expensive, both financially and emotionally. We all watched productions lose entire days to interpersonal stand-offs. I’ve seen talented professionals walk away mid-shoot, not because of money or scheduling, but because no one knew how to navigate the tension building on set.

That’s where negotiation, and more importantly, a mindset of resolution, comes in. Not the dramatic, boardroom-style negotiation most people imagine, but something quieter: listening, reframing, reminding people what they’re trying to build together. Sometimes my role, both as CFO and Executive Producer, isn’t to make a decision, but to ask the right question at the right time. “What are you really worried about here?” Or even, “Can we step back and remember what we’re trying to do with this project or this scene?”

When I entered the movie-producing world, I didn’t expect my background in conflict resolution to be one of my most valuable assets. But in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. A film set is filled with pressure, creative, financial, and personal. No one wants to look weak. No one wants to be wrong. But when someone steps in with the intention to bridge, rather than control, the dynamic changes. The work moves forward again.

There’s no single formula for managing conflict on set. Every production is its own ecosystem. But I’ve come to believe that if more producers saw themselves not just as managers of money and logistics, but as stewards of the creative environment, we’d waste a lot less time, burn through fewer people, and tell better stories.

Film is a collaborative art form. That means conflict is inevitable. But damage? That’s optional.