Why I Am Standing for the APA Council

Voting for the next Advertising Producers Association Council is underway, and those of you that are members may have noticed that I have stepped up to be in the running. The APA is a hugely important organisation for our industry, but in recent years I have at times felt a disconnect between the body and its members. 

Having worked at the forefront of the British sound design for over 30 years, I have seen the dynamics and characteristics of the industry evolve time and time again. In many ways we are now at a crossroads, with cannibalisation and digitalisation impacting how we work in ways that will alter our future seismically. It is with that in mind, that I made the decision to stand for the council. 

Now is the time for pragmatism and standing by your convictions, voicing the issues that matter and collaborating to ensure a real future for the industry. As voting continues, I’d like to share my reasons for standing – a manifesto if you will! 

• The production industry is wonderfully diverse, with a multitude of disciplines from sound design to VFX, animation to editing. We need a council that reflects this in order to truly represent the needs and voices of the broader industry, so I’m calling for better representation of all the facets of production in 2018.

• Let’s face it, the pace of the industry is swift and we are all incredibly busy, so making time for APA membership meetings can be a challenge. I understand the pressures and know that the council needs to create more practical means of member participation – no more one-week-notice meetings!

• The cannibalisation of the industry has been a hot topic this year. More than ever, the rights of independent production and post-production need representation, so that these disciplines are not eaten up in-house. I’m a firm believer in the excellence of specialist services, so let’s support the indies and keep a vibrant industry alive.

• The APA was ‘set up to create the best possible business environment for its members’. Yet in recent years there seems to be an emphasis towards marketing. We are all facing threats from ad agencies trying to eat our lunch. I want to see the APA Council focus on the job in hand whilst getting the balance right by supporting the needs of all sectors of the craft industries.    

• Many of you are no doubt members of the APA, but when was the last time you actually engaged? It’s all too easy for an organisation to lose touch with its members, and if we let that happen we’ve failed – but it is a two-way-street. What are the issues that matter to you, what are the challenges facing our industry? Tell me – and I promise I’ll make sure your voice is heard.