The Nimoy Rule

I call it the Nimoy Rule: prepare for the person, not the stand-in.

Early in my career I shot a DVD interview with Leonard Nimoy. I had lit the room for the image in my head: Spock, no glasses. Then Mr. Nimoy sat down wearing big, thick glasses, and suddenly the key light was exactly where I did not want it—in the reflection.

I asked for time to adjust. He preferred to keep going. So we did.

That moment changed every interview I shot afterward. I ask for current photos. I look for recent interviews. I ask about glasses. And when I cannot get a straight answer, I build a plan that can change fast.

The lesson is simple: the person who walks through the door is the only person who matters.