https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wSAX3_-xCk

Wow, there’s so much I want to say to you. I hope that we can FaceTime or see each other in person soon and talk more. But for now, I’m just going to send you a few thoughts. Hopefully, this won’t take more than a few minutes—though I don’t have the best track record for keeping voice memos short, and I don’t think you do either. I want to start with an apology. Man, when I read the second part of your message, my heart sank. I’m really sorry—I for sure fell short. You worked really hard on that, and the way you framed it, and how that made you feel, really hit me. I just want to say thank you for sharing that with me. That takes a lot of trust and vulnerability, and I feel really grateful that you feel safe enough to tell me how you feel and share that with me. I’m really sorry—I messed up.

That’s a failure on my part. One thing you should know about me is that I will always admit and apologize when I fail. I am far from perfect. I’m a deeply flawed man, as my wife will attest. I’m going to mess up. I’m going to say the wrong thing. I’m going to put my foot in my mouth. I’m probably going to piss you off at some point. But I will always apologize and find my way back to center—that’s one thing I can assure you of. I’m sorry I made you feel that way. That must have been terrible, and I will absolutely do better. That was not my best weekend, and I should have given it more time. And you’re damn right—you have great friends if they knew how you felt and supported you. We should all have friends like that. Aside from the fact that they’re two of the most creative people on the planet, the three of you together? That’s unbelievable. Talk about energy.

But I just wanted you to know—I didn’t need that. Your work is really good. It’s going to make the movie sing, like you said. And I’m excited to go through the whole movie with you. I’m just excited to spend time with you—to be in your sphere, in your presence—and for us to share creative energy together. I think you and I have been trying to build a relationship, and I think we’ve done that successfully. I mean, here we are, talking like this—me, into my phone at 2 AM. We mostly communicate via text and voice memos, and I’ll be honest, that’s not my biggest strength. I love being with people, being in the same room with someone. So I know I’ve fallen short at times in our texts and voice notes. There’s just so much to communicate, so much happening. All that to say—I’m really looking forward to spending time together. I think it’s going to go a long way for our chemistry, which I believe has been there from the start. I felt it in the room when we met. I think it comes from the fact that we’re both so damn hardworking, that we have a vision, and that we refuse to settle. I’m excited to have a creative partner in you. It’s really exciting. There’s so much more to say—so much I want to say. Oh, and one more thing: I am so sorry for what you’ve been through with other filmmakers and producers, or whoever those people were that you worked with. That pisses me off.

Those assholes. I’m still blown away that this is the industry we’re in, and that you’ve experienced that as a woman. I know I don’t need to say this, but that is not going to be your experience with me. There’s nothing more exciting to me than getting to work with Blake Lively and having all of her—that’s what I want. And there’s zero hesitation on my part about sending you the final draft file. I am totally fine with that. The only reason I didn’t send it today is because I was trying to implement and add your notes into my working draft. I’m all over that draft right now, so there’s a whole bunch of new stars that are going to be collated pages—I just haven’t had a chance to send it yet. But there is no hesitancy.

I’m happy to send it to you. And I’m sorry this has happened to you before. I hope that after this experience, there will be—well, I don’t know—I hope it’ll be healing in some way. Because that’s all I want. I want this movie to be healing. I want this movie to be commercial, just like you do. I want it to affect people. I want it to touch people. I want to walk you through my whole plan, the work we’re doing with our domestic violence partner (No More), and just my vision. I know this can be really, really special. It is going to be special. You’re the secret sauce. We’re the secret sauce. Anyway, I have so much more to say, but I’m going to stop rambling now because—Jesus Christ—it’s been six and a half minutes. So… yeah.

I’m sorry. You probably have kids all over you and a baby on your chest while you’re listening to me ramble at 2 AM. I hope you’re feeling better. Give Ryan my love.

Thank you for trusting me with your feelings and your thoughts—that means the world to me. And I can’t wait to spend more time with you. Okay, I’m done cutting myself off now. Goodnight.

The Art of Professional Communication: Analyzing a Late-Night Voice Message

Introduction

In the entertainment industry, effective communication between directors and talent can make or break a project. This analysis examines a notable voice message from director Justin Baldoni to actress Blake Lively regarding their collaboration on “It Ends With Us,” focusing on its communication style, effectiveness, and areas for improvement.

Context

The message was sent following a creative disagreement about a rooftop scene rewrite. The director’s initial reaction to Lively’s changes had been less than enthusiastic, prompting this late-night response.

Strengths of the Communication

1. Prompt Accountability

The immediacy of the response demonstrates a commitment to addressing issues quickly. Despite the late hour, the sender prioritized repairing the professional relationship over waiting for a more convenient time.

2. Clear Acknowledgment of Impact

The message directly addresses how the sender’s actions affected the recipient, showing awareness of the emotional and professional impact of the earlier interaction.

3. Specific Commitments

The sender makes concrete promises about future behavior and collaboration, including sharing draft files and maintaining open communication channels.

Areas for Improvement

1. Professional Boundaries

The message occasionally crosses professional boundaries with overly personal statements and informal language. A more measured approach would maintain warmth while preserving professional distance.

2. Message Structure

The stream-of-consciousness style, while authentic, could be more focused. Key points get buried in repetition and tangential thoughts.

3. Emotional Balance

While vulnerability can be effective in professional communication, the extreme self-deprecation risks shifting focus from resolution to reassurance.

Better Approaches

Here’s how the core message could have been delivered more effectively:

1. Clear, Concise Apology
   “I apologize for my initial reaction to your rooftop scene revisions. You put significant work into those changes, and I should have given them more thorough consideration.”
2. Specific Action Items
   “I’ll send you the current draft with your notes incorporated by tomorrow afternoon. I’m also setting up time for us to review the entire script together next week.”
3. Professional Appreciation
   “Your creative input is strengthening this project, and I value our collaborative relationship. I’m committed to ensuring you have the support and resources needed to do your best work.”

Industry Implications

This interaction highlights broader challenges in entertainment industry communication:

• The need for clear professional boundaries in creative collaborations
• The importance of balancing artistic vision with collaborative input
• The ongoing work of creating respectful, equitable working environments

Conclusion

While the message shows commendable intent to repair a professional relationship, it would benefit from more structure and clearer boundaries. The entertainment industry can learn from both its strengths in accountability and its opportunities for more effective professional communication.

The key lesson is that effective professional communication requires balance: between promptness and polish, between warmth and boundaries, between accountability and professionalism. Future similar situations would benefit from maintaining this message’s core sincerity while adopting a more structured, professional approach.