Thriving in Chaos: Mastering Adaptability on Hollywood Sets

Fan Mail! Have any thoughts or feedback?

Adaptability is the key to thriving in Hollywood's unpredictable environments, particularly for hairstylists and makeup artists. The episode explores strategies for maintaining composure, the importance of a solution-oriented mindset, and personal anecdotes that emphasize adaptability as a vital skill on set.

• Understanding the unpredictable nature of film sets 
• Importance of mindset in high-pressure situations 
• Actionable strategies for practicing adaptability 
• Personal stories illustrating the challenges of adaptability 
• The role of positivity in stressful scenarios 
• Building a reputation based on reliability and adaptability 
• Final thoughts on adaptability as a superpower in Hollywood

Support the show

Episode Transcript

Speaker 0 (00:00):
Welcome back to Hollywood Unscripted with
Natalie Driscoll.
I'm Natalie, your host andmentor, and if this is your
first time tuning in, welcome tothe podcast where we pull back
the curtain on the industry andshare tips for thriving behind
the scenes.
Today's episode is one thatevery hairstylist and makeup

(00:20):
artist looking to break into thebiz or even level up needs to
hear.
We're talking about one of themost critical skills to have as
a Hollywood professional, andthat is adaptability.
Here's the truth you won't hearin school or online forums.
Hollywood sets areunpredictable by nature.

(00:41):
From last minute schedulechanges to technical issues to
unexpected weather.
The one constant is that thingswill go off plan all the time.
Your ability to hit the groundrunning, stay flexible and keep
your cool in these moments iswhat separates a novice from a

(01:02):
rising star.
If you've been wondering whatit's really like to work on set
or you're ready to step up yourgame, then keep listening,
because this episode is packedwith practical tips, personal
stories and insider secrets tohelp you not only survive, but
truly thrive in showbiz'shigh-stakes environment.

(01:23):
All right, lights, camera,action.
So here's the thing about lifeon set.
It's not always as glamorous asit looks in behind the scenes,
instagram photos.
Yes, we're creating magic onscreen, but in real life it's
long hours, high pressuremoments and often pure chaos.

(01:45):
For example, I remember thisone time on a major production
where we were fully prepped toshoot an intricate scene
outdoors.
Everything was set, cast incostume, hair and makeup,
lighting, perfect cameras ready.
Then, out of nowhere, theweather turned on us, rain
everywhere, equipment beingshuffled inside and we had maybe

(02:07):
15 minutes to completely pivot.
Suddenly, that intricatehairstyle that lead actor had it
needed to align with an indoorsetting in a totally different
scene, in less time than ittakes to make a coffee Probably
a little longer than that, butyou get my point.

(02:27):
Moments like these are realityon set.
Adaptability isn't just agood-to-have trait, it's
absolutely vital Because,whether it's weather technology
or just Murphy's Law, somethingwill change.
It's not a matter of if.
It's a matter of when anddepending on the production you

(02:49):
work on.
Some productions are morechaotic than others.
Now how do you stay calm whenthings get chaotic?
It all starts with your mindset.
The key is to expect theunexpected.
This doesn't mean you walk intowork hoping things go wrong.
It means mentally preparingyourself to roll with whatever

(03:11):
happens.
Staying flexible doesn't meanyou're unprepared.
It's quite the opposite.
It means you're ready to pivotin the moment and find smart
solutions.
I always have this saying of letme see what I can pull out of
my Mary Poppins bag.
Here's something else toremember the professionals who
thrive are the ones who staycool under pressure.

(03:34):
If you approach every day withopenness and flexibility, not
only will you reduce your stress, but you'll also stand out as
someone directors and colleaguestrust to keep things moving.
Growing up, my dad instilled inus to stay calm, cool and

(03:54):
collected in everything we did.
He said that all the time makesure, no matter what we did
whether it was playing the piano, playing sports, going to dance
recital the last things he'dsay stay calm, cool and

(04:15):
collected.
I'm so thankful for it, eachand every single day, because
now I see the power behind it.
By the way, thanks, dad, I loveyou.
Okay, so now that we've talkedabout mindset, you might be
wondering how exactly topractice adaptability.
I've got you covered with a fewactionable strategies you can

(04:37):
use to thrive on set.
Number one stay present.
Focus on the task at hand.
When you're in the moment,you're more likely to notice
minor changes and adapt withoutgetting overwhelmed by the
bigger picture.
Step two be a solution finder.
Things are going to go wrong,no question about it.

(05:00):
Don't waste time stressing overthe problem.
Instead, think how can I fixthis?
Teams love solution-orientedartists who keep the energy
positive Not only teams, butproductions as well.
Number three know when to stepup and when to step back.

(05:21):
Some days, you'll need to takeinitiative and find answers on
your own.
Other days, you just need tohold tight and support the team.
A big part of adapting isreading the room and knowing
when to act versus when toobserve and take a step back.
Alright, now I'm going to sharea personal story.

(05:42):
I once worked on a shoot whereI was the department head.
The lead actor had her ownpersonal hairstylist and one day
that hairstylist had to leavefor a couple days and she had
another hairstylist fill in.
Okay, I hope you were able tounderstand that I was the
department head.

(06:02):
Our lead actress had her ownpersonal hairstylist.
She left for a couple of daysand brought in another
hairstylist to do that leadactress.
Okay, the actress wore a wig inthe show and it was a new
hairstyle they were establishingfor the first time, which was a

(06:24):
pretty big deal.
It was a period piece and itwas a whole thing.
The personal hairstylist hadleft detailed instructions on
the wig wrap and had styled thehairstyle on the wig, so it
should have been super easy forthe lady that was filling in.
But the personal hairstylistdidn't take into consideration

(06:46):
that the wig wrap needed to bechanged underneath for the new
hairstyle to work.
So picture this Okay, morningof.
We had a huge, huge day.
It was a period shoot.
We had tons of background.
We were shooting a war scene ona beach with all kinds of
different characters.

(07:06):
We had several new leadcharacters that we were
establishing that day andseveral of them were wearing
wigs.
All of a sudden, we were down tothe wire, production was
waiting on the actors to get toset and I could tell tensions
were high and all of a sudden Iheard my name Nattery, can you
come down here please?

(07:27):
I was like, oh my gosh.
I remember walking and turningto face her and the issue was
blaring at me, right in my face,as soon as she turned around.
And, to give you some context,this actress and I have had many
years together and she knew howto read my face because
everything was on my face.
As soon as she saw my face, sheknew it was going to be an

(07:49):
issue.
But I also knew her really welland I immediately knew I needed
to diffuse the situation.
I said, no problem, no problem,we can fix this.
Even though I was quicklytrying to come up with a
solution, I literally hadseconds.
Everything looked great, but thefront hairline of the wig

(08:09):
didn't have enough hair in itand there was a blonde streak on
dark red hair.
It looked completelysee-through.
I could see her own brown andbright blonde hairline through
the wig.
It was so obvious.
The ADs were yelling from theother end of the trailer we need
her.
We need her.
I said one moment, please.

(08:31):
It was a little chaotic, butinstead of losing my cool, I
quickly stepped in to fix itwithout increasing stress for
anyone else.
I immediately grabbed the RitaHazan root hairspray and created
a root to match the rest of thewig.
It was so funny while doing itbecause, for those that know and

(08:55):
have used Rita Hazan and knowit can splatter a lot, I was
really nervous.
On the inside I was protectingher face, the lace of the wig,
and was barely pushing thenozzle to try to get it to be
light, like just going back andforth trying to just barely push
the nozzle, and she jokinglyteased me because everyone was

(09:19):
watching and she was likenothing's coming out.
You know, she just was like, ok, are you going to spray or not?
I'm like, stop it.
And she also could see my handshaking In that moment.
I was nervous because, again, Ionly had seconds.
If it went bad, I knew Iwouldn't be able to fix it, but

(09:40):
I was able to create some rootand it not be see-through.
It filled it in and it justflowed perfectly, Imaginically.
It went smoothly and she wassuper impressed and happy and
thanks to that calm, proactiveapproach, it all worked out
beautifully.
It all worked out beautifullyand the actor was super

(10:03):
impressed and later down theroad she specifically requested
to work with me again and flewme to Canada to fill in on a
project for the same personalhairstylist.
So staying calm, cool, collectedokay, I know it can be tough to
stay upbeat when everything'sgoing sideways, but, trust me,
maintaining a positive attitudecan make all the difference.
And here's the thing Hollywoodis a small world and people

(10:26):
remember how you handle yourselfunder pressure.
Staying calm, staying kind andstaying focused shows everyone
on set that you're reliable, andthat's what gets you invited
back for the next project.
Positivity isnositivity isn'tabout ignoring challenges.
It's about facing them head onand knowing that there's always

(10:46):
a way forward.
Paired with adaptability, acan-do attitude helps build a
reputation as someone peoplewant by their side.
When things get tough, allright, things get tough, all
right.
That's a wrap for today'sepisode.
If there's one thing I hope youtake away, it's that

(11:07):
adaptability isn't just a skill,it's a superpower.
By staying flexible,approaching challenges with
solutions and maintaining apositive attitude, you'll not
only thrive on set, but create aprofessional reputation that
opens doors throughout yourcareer.

(11:27):
Thanks for tuning in.
If you enjoyed this episode,please subscribe to the podcast,
leave a review and share with afriend who's dreaming of making
it in Hollywood.
Don't forget to check out theHollywood Elite membership for
exclusive resources andmentorship.
You'll find everything you needto build your dream career in

(11:48):
the biz.
Visit nataliedriskellcom tolearn more.
Until next time, keep pushingforward, stay adaptable and
remember you've got what ittakes to thrive in Hollywood.
Don't ever forget it.