ON PRODUCING "CRUSHING IT": Working Virtually

The Internet and social media is factoring into every facet of this project. No surprise there.

With a team of writers, actors, and media professionals located in Toronto (Canada), New York City (U.S.A.) and London (U.K.), the office is a virtual thing. We’ve been holding our meetings on Skype, coordinating and collaborating by way of online tools, and of course, email is our old friend.

Some of us already knew one another while others began as strangers. In the course of working together, some of us have had face time while others have never met in person. Yet we have formed working relationships that are every bit as effective (and in some ways, more) as those formed in a bricks and mortar working environment.

Among the advantages of working via electronic communications and social media is the access to people. While technology is one reason for access, I think a greater factor is the mindset and work culture of the people who use social media. They are more plugged in as active communicators. So it seems natural to work and collaborate anytime, anywhere. Five time zones dissolve into an electronic space where everyone mashes it up.

Our virtual working environment has helped make possible the breakneck speed with which CRUSHING IT is coming together. Our timeline from first story meeting to air date is only two weeks. That’s an astonishingly short time for a five-episode scripted series that includes websites, blogs, and vlogs, and so on. A lot of the credit for that goes to our amazing writers and media creators. But some points can be given to the fact we are navigating the Internet, not navigating traffic or subways. Our communications are instant; responses are quick. We are, as they say in corporate-speak, a nimble organization. We are also working with a flat hierarchy. That’s another characteristic of a social media culture. The team has aligned themselves to goals and are self-motivated to deliver results.

That reminds me: Detail number 628: Check schedule. Online, of course.