the point of diminishing return

So where is the spot where things are Excellent but still not Perfect?

In the recording world there is a saying that you can work on a song forever. But if you never stop working on it, you will never get it out to the public. So what good is that? So old saying goes that you should ask yourself this question....

Will the little old lady listening on the radio in her convertible hear what I am doing? (or.. Will the audience notice what I am doing?) If the answer is yes, then continue. If the answer is no, then stop working on that and continue on to the next thing.

That is the point of diminishing return.

But how does this translate into live production? Even if you are being paid by salary, you are costing your organization money every hour you put into something. So if you are spending hours working on something that the audience will not even notice, then you are wasting not only your time but also your employer's money.

We were preparing props for a live event. The Creative insisted that we put these little clear glass beads on these tables that were put on and off the stage. Because I was under the person, My stage crew was forced to deal with these little loose beads that wanted to roll all over when hauling these tables. And, we only had 2 minutes to get them on the stage during a blackout. We pulled it off, but because the stage is higher than the flat floor, the audience could not see them at all. Because the beads were so small, they were not even noticeable in the camera feeds as well. It was all done for the ego of the one person.

In my television classes in college there was one point that was hammered into us. Everything done must be proven as meeting an audience need. That is whole point of all productions and even religious services. When you start doing things that is beyond that, you are at the point of diminishing return.