#84: Be careful with what you say during job interviews.

#87: Track and prep demo reel requests before artist roll off.

#109: Read the job description of your role even it's from another studio.

#139: Research your potential studio before applying.

#196: It’s not a bad thing to talk to other studios.

#219: You don't have to list all your work experience and education on your resume.

#247: Sometimes, interviews are for personality checks.

#4: Spell names correctly.

#8: Schedule a meet and greet with new team members.

#10: Keep on learning.

#11: Send weekly targets.

#13: Thank your offboarding crew.

#16: Avoid weekend email sends.

#19: Ask for help.

#23: Understand what your departments do.

#33: Send "While You Were Away" Notes/Emails.

#34: Sync Up with your Upstream and Downstream departments.

#38: Remember that the Prod Team is also your team.

#73: Start a list of lessons learned.

#75: Get that pay raise.

#79: When flagging issues, come with solutions.

#82: When handing off tasks, take the time to explain why the task is done. What's the purpose?

#83: Message artists what to work on or direct them to ShotGrid if you are late in sending their target emails.

#88: Get advice from production teams of another show or project within your studio.

#91: Lift each other up.

#93: An organized upstream sets up for a smoother downstream.

#96: No one expects you to carry the entire show on your shoulders.

#100: Share your knowledge. Help each other.

#102: Own up to your mistakes.

#105: Ask for a performance review.

#109: Read the job description of your role even it's from another studio.

#114: Establish the ideal style and processes of communication between teams early.

#117: Review the post mortem notes of a previous show at the start of your current production.

#121: Send a card or swag bag to team members who are expecting.

#122: If you're screen sharing, be proactive in bringing up references mentioned in the discussion.

#124: Arrange the ShotGrid walkthrough for artists who are new to ShotGrid.

#128: Share the review process with the team.

#131: Set up bi-weekly lookahead schedule chats with supervisors.

#132: Do not downplay stress.

#134: There are still lessons learned in what didn't work out.

#145: Morale matters.

#149: If possible, keep work-related chats within the team member's working hours.

#150: Schedule difficult conversations earlier in the day.

#151: Gather feedback on ShotGrid page utilization and efficiencies.

#152: Some skills can only be learned on the job and through time.

#154: Don't beat yourself up. If at the end of the day, you can honestly say that you did your best, then it was a good day.

#156: Be careful with what you say in chat. Can it be a 1:1 meeting?

#157: A good manager and a bad manager both have lessons to offer.

#159: You're not always going to be at the top of your game and that's okay.

#163: You have to type fast.

#165: Get ready for work as if you're coming in in person.

#170: If someone new is joining a meeting, introduce them and share why.

#174: Note down what is working well.

#197: You are responsible for the energy you bring to a room.

#196: It’s not a bad thing to talk to other studios.

#218: Tailor to your team.

#220: Keep meetings brief during a short week.

#222: Talk to artists. Don't just rely on a database.

#223: Not all requests are your responsibility.

#225: If you want the team to be engaged, then YOU have to be engaged.

#227: Work IS personal. The more we can think this way, the more we can humanize work, encourage empathy in the workplace, and create space to thrive in both our jobs and life beyond work.

#229: In virtual calls, observe the mute/unmute icons to help hold space for anyone who is usually talked over by others.

#232: Be mindful of who's in the room with you and other attendees when joining a call remotely.

#233: Lead with love, compassion, and empathy.

#244: Your greatest resource is each other.

#250: Be true. Don't hide. Acknowledge it when things are bad.

#5: What is the request, who is it assigned to, when is it needed by?

#11: Send weekly targets.

#14: "Everything is high prio" is NOT prioritizing.

#16: Avoid weekend email sends.

#23: Understand what your departments do.

#29: Send a reminder of upcoming holidays.

#30: Cut down on meetings when it's a short week.

#71: Remind supervisors of upcoming vacation days.

#72: Share the current year's holiday dates.

#78: Avoid booking meetings for 30m if 15m will do.

#83: Message artists what to work on or direct them to ShotGrid if you are late in sending their target emails.

#85: Organize to do lists by priority from most critical at the top to the least essential at the bottom.

#87: Track and prep demo reel requests before artist roll off.

#93: An organized upstream sets up for a smoother downstream.

#96: No one expects you to carry the entire show on your shoulders.

#97: When catching up on emails, start from the most recent.

#101: If you don't have MS Excel, you can export csv data sheets from ShotGrid and open it via Google Sheets.

#115: If you're in episodics, keep a copy of the production order handy / nearby.

#117: Review the post mortem notes of a previous show at the start of your current production.

#127: Be familiar with the playlist order for dailies.

#131: Set up bi-weekly lookahead schedule chats with supervisors.

#150: Schedule difficult conversations earlier in the day.

#153: Confirm any studio closure plans for the holidays ahead of time and let your team know as soon as possible.

#155: Before the holiday break, update your OOO notification auto reply and status.

#160: You can't undo deleting sheets in Excel.

#166: Write down the top 3 things that absolutely must get done that day.

#168: Check your emails/chats early for any surprise prios or requests.

#169: Enter holiday dates in Shotgrid as Work Schedule Exceptions.

#192: Chat with the lead, supe, and artist before reassigning tasks.

#201: Keep a physical calendar. If possible, at 4 months at a time.

#215: Set cut-off times for deliveries.

#222: Talk to artists. Don't just rely on a database.

#234: Stop Google Sheets from auto-omitting the first zero of sequence/shot numbers by adding ' at the start of the name.

#238: Urgent and important are not always the same thing.

#242: Being ahead of schedule isn't always a good thing.

#1: Use action words when taking notes.

#2: In bullets, outline the action items.

#3: Type "0000" before emailing.

#4: Spell names correctly.

#5: What is the request, who is it assigned to, when is it needed by?

#6: Close out email threads once they're resolved.

#8: Schedule a meet and greet with new team members.

#11: Send weekly targets.

#13: Thank your offboarding crew.

#15: Collect bloopers.

#16: Avoid weekend email sends.

#19: Ask for help.

#23: Understand what your departments do.

#27: Edits in a script are marked *

#28: Clarify the note during reviews.

#30: Cut down on meetings when it's a short week.

#33: Send "While You Were Away" Notes/Emails.

#34: Sync Up with your Upstream and Downstream departments.

#35: Phrase notes that make sense to someone not in the meeting.

#36: Ask for your request at the beginning of your email.

#40: Enable the “undo send” on Gmail.

#41: F7 on RV shows the file name.

#43: Replace “Hi Team!” with a specific person/department on emails.

#45: Stick to your meeting time.

#48: If you’re in a call, focus on the call.

#49: Avoid verbosity in emails.

#53: Know the artist end dates.

#54: Use email templates for recurring sends.

#56: Before you book a meeting, can it be an email?

#58: Add descriptions to meetings and calendar bookings.

#59: In review notes <— is screen left and screen right —>

#60: State the goal or purpose of a meeting at the start.

#066: Use the snooze button to delay following up on an email at a later time.

#78: Avoid booking meetings for 30m if 15m will do.

#81: Set up OOO emails on auto-reply if you'll be away for a few days.

#96: No one expects you to carry the entire show on your shoulders.

#97: When catching up on emails, start from the most recent.

#98: Update your email signature.

#100: Share your knowledge. Help each other.

#104: Set your boundaries early.

#105: Ask for a performance review.

#107: At the end of a meeting, repeat the action items out loud and have the team confirm if correct.

#108: Follow up on the action items.

#111: Add the show alias in the email subject line.

#113: Add "see attached" to the notes if there is a reference or annotation included.

#114: Establish the ideal style and processes of communication between teams early.

#117: Review the post mortem notes of a previous show at the start of your current production.

#119: Speed up note taking by using symbols for common words. Here’s what I use.

#122: If you're screen sharing, be proactive in bringing up references mentioned in the discussion.

#123: Proofread your emails before sending. Including the distro.

#124: Arrange the ShotGrid walkthrough for artists who are new to ShotGrid.

#125: Check that you're in the correct colour space before reviewing in RV.

#127: Be familiar with the playlist order for dailies.

#128: Share the review process with the team.

#131: Set up bi-weekly lookahead schedule chats with supervisors.

#135: Use simple font variations to make notes easier and quicker to read. Here’s how to do it in ShotGrid.

#138: Test your playlist, collaboration links, and equipent before a call or meeting.

#141: To A/B means to toggle and compare the differences between versions.

#144: When noting, the less there is to guess, the better.

#146: , and . to frame by frame on YouTube.

#149: If possible, keep work-related chats within the team member's working hours.

#150: Schedule difficult conversations earlier in the day.

#151: Gather feedback on ShotGrid page utilization and efficiencies.

#153: Confirm any studio closure plans for the holidays ahead of time and let your team know as soon as possible.

#155: Before the holiday break, update your OOO notification auto reply and status.

#156: Be careful with what you say in chat. Can it be a 1:1 meeting?

#158: In a meeting, say their name first, then ask the question.

#168: Check your emails/chats early for any surprise prios or requests.

#170: If someone new is joining a meeting, introduce them and share why.

#173: If you’re in the same meeting, confirm who is in charge of taking notes.

#174: Note down what is working well.

#175: If someone was not heard in a meeting, follow up with them via chat.

#176: Encourage face time in meetings that require collaboration.

#179: Ctrl + E to clear all drawings/annotations on CineSync.

#181: Acknowledge missed items on the agenda.

#182: Be interested in a lot of things.

#185: Tutorials should be timely.

#187: Watch movies and TV series to be familiar with references in notes.

#188: Ask if someone can join the call on the spot.

#190: Connect with people and studios via LinkedIn.

#194: Someone else can take notes if you need to pee.

#195: Speak up if a process is inefficient.

#198: When responding to emails, know when to “reply” vs “reply all”

#204: Be present about what you’re typing in the notes.

#209: Standardize the subject line format when sending emails.

#215: Set cut-off times for deliveries.

#216: Stop apologizing for doing your job.

#217: It’s okay to remind them that the meeting time is ending soon.

#218: Tailor to your team.

#220: Keep meetings brief during a short week.

#222: Talk to artists. Don't just rely on a database.

#225: If you want the team to be engaged, then YOU have to be engaged.

#229: In virtual calls, observe the mute/unmute icons to help hold space for anyone who is usually talked over by others.

#231: Include the "next steps" in review or discussion notes.

#232: Be mindful of who's in the room with you and other attendees when joining a call remotely.

#241: Double check the meeting attendees before a meeting.

#244: Your greatest resource is each other.

#245: Do not just assume that someone's read the email.

#1: Use action words when taking notes.

#2: In bullets, outline the action items.

#3: Type "0000" before emailing.

#5: What is the request, who is it assigned to, when is it needed by?

#19: Ask for help.

#20: Hold CTRL to stop Shotgun from refreshing.

#21: Write down To Do Lists.

#23: Understand what your departments do.

#27: Edits in a script are marked *

#29: Send a reminder of upcoming holidays.

#30: Cut down on meetings when it's a short week.

#33: Send "While You Were Away" Notes/Emails.

#74: Ask help from pipeline for tools that automate tasks.

#85: Organize to do lists by priority from most critical at the top to the least essential at the bottom.

#87: Track and prep demo reel requests before artist roll off.

#96: No one expects you to carry the entire show on your shoulders.

#100: Share your knowledge. Help each other.

#101: If you don't have MS Excel, you can export csv data sheets from ShotGrid and open it via Google Sheets.

#107: At the end of a meeting, repeat the action items out loud and have the team confirm if correct.

#108: Follow up on the action items.

#115: If you're in episodics, keep a copy of the production order handy / nearby.

#118: On Shotgrid, click the star beside the page name to save it to your favourites. To access, click on the top screen right menu. All pages > My Pages.

#119: Speed up note taking by using symbols for common words. Here’s what I use.

#120: Decrease the number of tabs open to help destress.

#122: If you're screen sharing, be proactive in bringing up references mentioned in the discussion.

#127: Be familiar with the playlist order for dailies.

#128: Find ways to streamline repetitive tasks.

#138: Test your playlist, collaboration links, and equipent before a call or meeting.

#151: Gather feedback on ShotGrid page utilization and efficiencies.

#153: Confirm any studio closure plans for the holidays ahead of time and let your team know as soon as possible.

#155: Before the holiday break, update your OOO notification auto reply and status.

#158: In a meeting, say their name first, then ask the question.

#160: You can't undo deleting sheets in Excel.

#163: You have to type fast.

#166: Write down the top 3 things that absolutely must get done that day.

#168: Check your emails/chats early for any surprise prios or requests.

#220: Keep meetings brief during a short week.

#223: Not all requests are your responsibility.

#231: Include the "next steps" in review or discussion notes.

#238: Urgent and important are not always the same thing.

#239: Look into if repetitive tasks can be systemized or automated.

#4: Spell names correctly.

#8: Stay offline on your day off.

#9: You have the right to be here.

#10: Keep on learning.

#13: Thank your offboarding crew.

#15: Collect bloopers.

#16: Avoid weekend email sends.

#17: Don't feel bad for calling in sick.

#18: Get enough sleep before Monday.

#19: Ask for help.

#37: Celebrate milestones with the team.

#42: Do not dismiss distress.

#50: Take your lunch breaks.

#51: Check in on how your team is feeling.

#55: Meditate in the morning.

#63: Ask a supervisor what something means.

#64: You are not responsible for how people around you behave.

#68: Turn on blue light filters on your phone or screen to reduce eye strain.

#70: Help each other.

#76: Use up your benefits.

#80: Be nice to yourself even when you make mistakes, even when you should have known, even when you're in a rut. You'll be better next time but you've got to pick yourself up first.

#86: Taking a break from work means to stop thinking about work.

#89: Get some sleep.

#90: If you're stressed, get a massage in the morning before work.

#91: Lift each other up.

#96: No one expects you to carry the entire show on your shoulders.

#103: Check your pay stubs.

#104: Set your boundaries early.

#116: Know your work benefits.

#120: Decrease the number of tabs open to help destress.

#121: Send a card or swag bag to team members who are expecting.

#126: Eat well, hydrate, exercise, sleep.

#129: Stop working for free.

#132: Do not downplay stress.

#134: There are still lessons learned in what didn't work out.

#136: Ask for ergonomic equipment.

#140: Try listening to binaural beats, lo-fi, or baroque music to help with focus.

#145: Morale matters.

#149: If possible, keep work-related chats within the team member's working hours.

#150: Schedule difficult conversations earlier in the day.

#154: Don't beat yourself up. If at the end of the day, you can honestly say that you did your best, then it was a good day.

#159: You're not always going to be at the top of your game and that's okay.

#164: Stop thinking about work when in the shower.

#165: Get ready for work as if you're coming in in person.

#167: Drink water.

#180: You’re supposed to enjoy life; and that includes work too.

#191: Block out some focus time on your calendar.

#193: Look after your health first.

#202: Take a moment to appreciate the awesome. They’re not all bad.

#203: Thank your team members.

#206: Follow up on OOOs that are unaccounted for. Make sure they’re okay.

#215: Set cut-off times for deliveries.

#216: Stop apologizing for doing your job.

#223: Not all requests are your responsibility.

#224: Life happens. Let it. Live it.

#225: If you want the team to be engaged, then YOU have to be engaged.

#227: Work IS personal. The more we can think this way, the more we can humanize work, encourage empathy in the workplace, and create space to thrive in both our jobs and life beyond work.

#229: In virtual calls, observe the mute/unmute icons to help hold space for anyone who is usually talked over by others.

#230: Had an epiphany about work on a weekend? Jot the idea on a sticky note, but work on it on Monday.

#232: Be mindful of who's in the room with you and other attendees when joining a call remotely.

#233: Lead with love, compassion, and empathy.

#237: Unplug, sign out, enjoy your time off.

#243: Give yourself permission to rest.

#246: On your first week working in studio, test your badge everywhere.

For SG video tutorials, click here

—

#20: Hold CTRL to stop Shotgun from refreshing.

#23: Understand what your departments do.

#25: Shotgun / Shotgrid (SG) is now Flow or Flow Production Tracking (FPTR)

#44: Click the “Revert Page” option to reset a ShotGrid page’s settings

#46: Set rules on a ShotGrid page and Format Rows based on conditions.

#62: There are ShotGrid tutorials on YouTube.

#65: Design ShotGrid with tabs that access frequently used pages/doc/info.

#69: Press R on ShotGrid to restore full screen media to its default size.

#83: Message artists what to work on or direct them to ShotGrid if you are late in sending their target emails.

#94: Press N on Shotgrid to view the next in queue.

#95: Press P on Shotgrid to view the previous version in queue

#101: If you don't have MS Excel, you can export csv data sheets from ShotGrid and open it via Google Sheets.

#110: In ShotGrid, to speed up asset creation or shot creation, select a similar item, right click and hit "duplicate selected"

#118: On Shotgrid, click the star beside the page name to save it to your favourites. To access, click on the top screen right menu. All pages > My Pages.

#124: Arrange the ShotGrid walkthrough for artists who are new to ShotGrid.

#143: Close open notes in ShotGrid.

#151: Gather feedback on ShotGrid page utilization and efficiencies.

#169: Enter holidays in Shotgrid as Work Schedule Exceptions.

#178: Encourage artists to update the “Time Logged” field in ShotGrid.

#183: ShotGrid was formerly known as Shotgun (Software).

#184: Press F6 to highlight the link / URL of the current page.

#186: Before flagging that it’s missing in ShotGrid, check if there’s a next page.

#189: Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open the task manager

#199: In SG, you can investigate changes via the field’s “View History”

#211: Simplify ShotGrid pages for general artist’s daily use.

#212: If a project is missing in ShotGrid, ask if it’s a permissions issue.

#221: When viewing a ShotGrid playlist, press T to view upcoming items on the timeline.

#222: Talk to artists. Don't just rely on a database.

#226: You can batch update tags in Shotgun ShotGrid by selecting multiple items and editing one of the selected item's tag field.

#235: There are annotation tools built right into ShotGrid when viewing versions.

#236: Hide/unhide other department asset info by clicking Pipeline > Steps* > select the dept

#249: The Notes App in Shotgrid lets multiple users draft notes on the same playlist at the same time.

• For a full list of Windows hotkeys: click here

—

#3: Type "0000" before emailing.

#12: Press F2 to rename folders

#22: Ctrl + Shift + T to open the last tab closed.

#24: Ctrl + Shift + N Creates a new folder.

#26: F5 refreshes a page.

#27: Edits in a script are marked *

#31: Hold CTRL then click a link to open the link in a new tab.

#32: Ctrl + N When in File Explorer to open another window.

#39: Ctrl + Shift + V to paste without formatting

#47: Ctrl + Y to redo the last action.

#52: Ctrl + W to close tabs.

#57: In Google Docs, Alt + Shift + 5 to strikethrough.

#61: Ctrl + arrow key in RV snaps to the next in queue

#67: Highlight the text then press ctrl + k to hyperlink (add a link).

#77: Hit "tab" to jump to the next form or text field.

#92: Ctrl + T creates a new tab.

#99: Press the spacebar to play or pause on RV.

#106: Alt + A to save the current frame and annotation on CineSync.

#112: Alt + Tab to toggle between programs that are currently open.

#125: Check that you're in the correct colour space before reviewing in RV.

#130: Ctrl + Shift + ↑ ← → ↓ in MS Excel to select a full row/column.

#133: Press F10 in RV to annotate.

#137: = Today () autofills a cell with the current date in Excel or Sheets.

#142: The backtick key [`] beside #1 toggles full screen in RV.

#146: , and . to frame by frame on YouTube.

#147: Ctrl + < > to jump between marked frames on CineSync.

#148: Ctrl + Q to mark an email as read on Outlook.

#160: You can't undo deleting sheets in Excel.

#161: Shift + home to highlight text from end to start of a row or sentence.

#162: Highlight a row of text by clicking Shift + End at the start of a row.

#171: Ctrl + Shift + 7 to add a border in Excel.

#172: Ctrl + Shift + _ to remove a border in Excel.

#177: Hold the Windows key + L to lock your screen.

#200: Ctrl + F to Find a specific word(s) within a page or doc.

#205: Ctrl + Home / ⌘ + Home to jump to the beginning of a doc or page.

#207: Ctl + P / ⌘ + P to print.

#208: Window is offscreen? Click “cascade windows” from the task bar.

#210: Click Alt on Windows to show the menus at the top.

#213: Shift + space to select the entire row of a worksheet.

#214: Ctrl + space to select the entire column of a worksheet.

#228: In Excel, use the concatenate function to combine text from separate cells into one.

#234: Stop Google Sheets from auto-omitting the first zero of sequence/shot numbers by adding ' at the start of the name.

#240: Shift + F11 adds a new tab in Excel or Google Sheets.

#248: Press F4 to repeat the last action.