Let’s be real: Not every project will be a success. Sometimes, you have to put in a lot of effort and spend hours detailing each task and making sure your budget is in order. The end result isn’t anything to be proud of, despite all that. Don’t worry about it, everyone makes mistakes. There were many in this summer’s flop, Fantastic Four.
Even though the film was poorly written and acted, it taught us valuable lessons. Fantastic Four has demonstrated six lessons in project management that will guarantee project failure.
1. Do not pick winners for your team.
This actor has two thumbs, a crooked mouth, and an expose in Esquire that concludes that he’s “kinda a ***?” Oh it’s only Miles Teller, the star of Fantastic Four. He is a Hollywood star with the acting skills of a wrench and the aspirations to be like Brando and Pacino.
He wasn’t the only superdiva. Director Josh Trank never made Kate Mara read the Fantastic Four comics. Toby Kebbell was happy for the press to discuss his role as Doctor Doom, along with full movie spoilers, nine months before the film was released. The director was also involved in the battle with studio heads to achieve his vision. Publicly.
Takeaways: Every project manager knows that a strong team is essential for a successful project. Choose your team members carefully and don’t be afraid of asking for personnel changes if necessary.
2. Do not allow feedback between project managers and team members.
Who cares if someone from your team has something to share? Communication was poor on the Fantastic Four set. Collider sources say that Josh Trank had heated arguments with 20th Century Fox director, and that the director was kept out of the editing area, preventing any feedback or cooperation.
Takeaways
Project management software that facilitates communication can help to avoid this. Asana, Zoho Projects and Wrike are just a few of the tools that can foster communication. These guides will help you interact with stakeholders and team members who are difficult.
3. Make your vision clear. It is not necessary to communicate it unless you have a “need” to.
People in this world love nothing more than free Chipotle, three day weekends, and secretly singing along to Taylor Swift in the car. They also love doing jobs with no discernable vision. Trank was informed by sources that 20th Century Fox had told him three days prior to filming that they were going to remove three action sequences that would have a dramatic impact on the story. Trank had to find a way to link a series of scenes that were not connected before filming could begin.
Trank’s best efforts failed to make audiences care about Trank, a geeky scientist who had the ability to become a superhero.
Takeaways: The Fantastic Four movie was a complex project that involved many moving parts, including budget, hiring decision and special effects, filming, story and relatability to the canon. If communication was open between teams, several of these moving parts could have been done simultaneously.
Gantt charts can be used to outline important tasks and timelines. You should ensure that all team members are assigned to the correct projects in order to be notified of any important updates. (Don’t let
