Specificity in production is the mechanism that connects people to superior work.

principle — attributed to Jason Alexander

Alexander rejects vagueness in every part of the work. What is the point. What is the moral. How does it build. What is the tone. How much educating do you want. Do the creative elements work well together. How is the participant meant to resonate. The questions are not philosophical. They are operational, and the answers govern every casting, design, and staging choice that follows. The same vagueness that makes a production thin is the vagueness that makes a benefit forgettable. Specificity is not decoration. It is what gives collaborators something concrete to commit their craft to.

For directors, producers, and event leads at the pre-production stage. The principle is most useful when the team is tempted to leave intent open and figure it out in the room.

specificity, production-design, craft, creative-direction