Are you tanking as a PM like Josh Trank ?


The new reboot Fantastic Four movie is just out, and running parallel to the release is the controversy with Josh Trank, the director stepping back from the final product due to issues with Fox studios interference in the project.
As a director of the movie, Josh Trank plays the same role a any project manager. He is responsible for the final product and steers the project in the right direction. A movie is a major project that has all the moving parts that needs a firm leadership to ensure it's final product is a major success.
Some interesting point can be gleaned from this as a guidance for any project success.

1. Agree upfront on the requirements and scope of the project

Each project should start with the list of requirements that all the stakeholders want to be present in the final product. These should be agreed upon upfront and be specifically called out.
In this case, for example, 3 major action scenes were specified.

2. Key stakeholders should have confidence in the project manager

Confidence in the person hired to lead the project and do the job is essential. After all, I believe the person would not have just fallen into the role and was selected based on the requirements of the role and project requirements.

3. Don't change requirements at the last minute

The quality of the final product, in this case the Fantastic Four movie,  is still up for debate, but the initial reactions to it is not good. News being circulated that this is due to last minute changes by Fox studios, which removed or changed significantly some of the requirements agreed to earlier with the director.
Changes that occur late in the project will impact the quality of the final product as each piece contributes to the whole.

4. Manage the change

As any project manager will know, any changes to the requirements will impact the final product delivered. The skill will be to manage it so that the changes make the final product better and not worse.

5. Take responsibility or cope out

Does the final product reflect the skill of the project manager despite any interference be it from key stakeholders or outside influences ?
Is studio interference an excuse for the failing reviews or a valid reason for the situation ?
You can see the full discussion here

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