Avoiding Surprises and Finding Solutions with Anke Thommen

Anke Thommen is a multiple award-winning producer and executive producer with strong producing and storytelling abilities in all formats. Anke has worked with some of the most highly respected clientele in all genres including Beyonce, Madonna, Warner Bros, and Roku.

As the executive producer at Storyform, Anke brings her expertise to a wide range of projects, from sixty-second commercials to longer-form branded content, music videos, social media campaigns, live television and concerts, as well as feature-length narrative and documentary films.

LBB> What first attracted you to production - and has it been an industry you’ve always worked on or did you come to it from another area?

Anke> I honestly had no idea about film production nor any real interest. I moved to Hamburg, Germany, from Frankfurt to study journalism but was too young for the program. At the suggestion of one of the professors at the school, I looked for internships in film and television.

LBB> What was your first role in the production world and how did this experience influence how you think about production and how you grew your career? 

Anke> My first internship was at one of the most prestigious commercial production companies in Europe.

I very quickly moved from intern to VTR - back then, we recorded out of a video tab from the film camera onto a three-quarter-inch deck. As VTR, I ended up becoming the liaison between the director/producer and client and got myself a well-paying freelance gig.

Being in that position allowed me to absorb all things production from the client, agency, and film crew side, and it taught me that with the right crew, you can do anything. 

Parlaying my first internship into a paid VTR position allowed me to intern and assist in other departments and gain access to all areas of filmmaking. This gave me an understanding of each department’s role and needs - very crucial to my career in production.

When in pre-production or bidding a project, I am able to foresee the needs of each department and identify how we can set up each department for success. For me, the planning/pre-production is where producers seed the magic that can then unfold on set with the director and talent. 

Knowing the tools we have at our disposal to create, understanding how to build a team that knows how to utilise the tools, and bringing the talent in front and behind the camera together on set is such a big and rewarding part of the job.

LBB> How did you learn to be a producer? 

Anke> Once I was on set and part of a film crew, I never wanted to do anything else – so I took any and all opportunities and turned into a sponge.

I worked as a 1st AD, was trained by great and knowledgeable producers, and began to work as their production manager. At the time the lines were a bit more blurred, so I could be a location scout, then manage a job and AD it on the shoot days.

In between commercial gigs, I began working for a TV station as a stage manager and segment producer. I partnered with a director and started my own production company producing commercials and corporate films for BFG Bank, Kellogg’s, BMW, etc. 

Eventually, Hollywood/Los Angeles became a goal with the idea of learning from the best of the best. I moved to Los Angeles in 1994 and started all over again – very humbling. My trajectory in Germany was fun, well-paid, and incredibly supportive. Los Angeles was highly competitive, intimidating, and intriguingly dysfunctional.

Despite it all, I managed to work on independent films for Sony Pictures, Orion, and Touchstone. I then had the amazing opportunity to work on and eventually produce many music videos with iconic artists.

Eventually, I began working as head of production and EP at one of the highest-grossing music video production companies on projects such as Missy Elliot 'Work It', Outkast 'Hey Ya', Beyonce 'Crazy in Love', and many more.

LBB> Looking back to the beginning of your career, can you tell us about a production you were involved in where you really had to dig deep and that really helped you to grow as a producer? 

Anke> Making the move from Germany to Los Angeles was where I had to dig the deepest. I went from being a successful co-founder and producer at my company to sending out thousands of resumes without a reply. That experience taught me that being humbled can create the anxiety to fail, but ultimately, it just means I can continue to learn and evolve. I had to dig deep to stay committed to making my dream work. 

I feel this helped me as a producer. We are often confronted with what seem like insurmountable tasks or, at times, wild situations beyond our control, yet we are in charge of keeping things on target. 

As far as physical production goes:

I line-produced my first feature film at $1.5M; it involved celebrity talent with a first-time director at the helm. Our BIG day involved shooting on a moving train from Lancaster to Union Station. It was our most expensive day and took weeks to permit. 

It involved stunts and a few of our other higher-paid talent. We only had one shot at this; once the train left the station, there was no going back.

I was excited and very much looking forward to the day. Everything was going great; everyone showed up on time, the crew was loading in, and in the midst of our load-in, the conductor closed the doors, and the train left the station with a few grips, the celeb talent, and the director. No camera, no DP, no stunt team, not I. I looked at the 1st AD in disbelief, wondering what had happened. She said all she knew is that the director told the conductor that we were ready to go, and off they went.

We tried to catch up to them and convince someone to let us on board with the DP and team but the day was done. By the time we all reached Union Station, the talent had called his agent and wanted off the project, the EPs screamed all sorts of insults, and I just wanted to disappear.

I reminded myself that this was what I truly wanted, and now I have to navigate this to the best of my ability. We eventually smoothed things over, scheduled a pickup day, and made it work – but it was probably one of my hardest days in production.

LBB> A good producer should be able to produce for any medium, from film to events to digital experience. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why/why not?

Anke> I think any producer eventually develops a style that defines them and the tone for the set. Different producers have different comfort levels regarding genres and budgets and define their production styles.

I personally love all budget sizes and formats, and I enjoy travel and location jobs more so than stage shoots - unless it is a creative project with a great, talented director or cast, then anything goes.

LBB> What’s your favourite thing about production and why? 

Anke> Very few things, if any, are as rewarding as arriving on set in the morning and seeing the crew working on making it all happen. Seeing everyone putting their expertise, passion, and craftsmanship, and being open to bringing it to the test while executing a vision is unmatched. A great crew is like a solid family - you can do anything.

LBB> How has production changed since you started your career? 

Anke> Overall, I am afraid creativity has suffered due to too many cost efficiencies. So we no longer choose what is best for the project. Now, we choose the best creative solution within the budget or, worse, compromise on the execution of a creative because of budget. I would prefer being given an opportunity to come up with ideas that are a better fit for the budget.

LBB> And what has stayed the same? 

Anke> A good story will always be a good story.

LBB> What do you think is the key to being an effective producer - and is it something that’s innate or something that can be learned?

Anke> People skills are probably at the top of the list. Part of our job is to find solutions for any and all problems and then rallying everyone to get behind it so you can have a smooth and focused shoot.

Between client, agency and director management that can be very challenging - then you move on to motivating your crew. Effective producing can be learned and gets better with experience, great producing is something that is innate and constantly evolves with personal growth.

LBB> Which production project from across your career are you most proud of and why? 

Anke> This is tough so if it’s ok, I would like to pick one from each genre.

There are several music videos, but the first that come to mind are Missy Elliot’s 'Work It' and Outkast’s 'Hey Ya.' Both projects were extremely budget-challenged, so the director and I worked with the artists to produce an idea that was original, aligned with their vision for the song, and something the directors felt proud to make. Both projects happened soon after I became HOP, and everyone put these great expectations on me. Seeing both videos becoming iconic pieces of pop culture is rewarding. 

A close second is when I got to work with Dago Gonzales on producing video content for Madonna’s Confession Tour. Working with him and Madonna was amazing and a great learning experience. Madonna is an absolute perfectionist, and we had one-on-one meetings where she asked detailed budget questions, how things would be accomplished etc., and I truly felt I reached an entirely new level of ‘Don’t fuck this up.’ Plus, seeing your work go around the world and be experienced by a live audience was breath-taking.

LBB> And in terms of recent work, which projects have you found to be particularly exciting or have presented particularly interesting production challenges? 

Anke> The project we finished last year, a documentary on Renee Montgomery, former WNBA athlete turned activist and now owner of the team she used to play for, definitely challenged me as a creative, executive, and line producer. It was exciting to team up with my partner, Sandrine Orabona, who directed the film.

Working in partnership with LeBron James’ company had been a dream of ours, so we both constantly challenged ourselves together and individually to craft a compelling vision and succeed in the execution.

The production budget was one challenge that we carefully navigated, but I must honestly admit that navigating licensing rights with a major league and working through archival clearances was nerve-wracking. It has been a great journey, and we are happy to say the film got picked up by Roku and made it to the Sundance Festival.

LBB> Producers always have the best stories. What’s the hairiest / most insane situation you’ve found yourself in and how did you work your way out of it? 

Anke> There are many crazy stories from talent sitting fully naked in their dressing room and refusing to come to set and me and the agency producer gently trying to talk him into getting dressed, to locations falling through, to taking over NY city hall with an entire cast of BDSM talent and being told to leave, to the day we filmed at one of the biggest entertainment parks in Florida. 

For the shoot in Florida, we took over part of the park and rented it as a backdrop for a flooding scene. We barricaded the equivalent of a city block and square and rigged it so it could be flooded. We were shooting a dystopian scene—with tigers swimming through the city, the talent in a canoe, another drifting, etc. We had to light pretty much everything from above work with 70-ton construction cranes to hold grip and lighting rigs.

Our shoot became part of the park’s attraction tour. On the third and last day, as the AD had just called lunch, I heard, “Anke, go to channel 4 please” on my walkie. I switched the channel, and the BTS shooter said, “Hey, you might want to come to set; one of the big cranes just fell into the water with the lighting rig and took down the technocrane with the camera.”

I don’t think I ever ran that fast in my life.

Our set and much of the equipment was ruined, but luckily, we had extra camera bodies, and no one was hurt. The animal wrangler had just put the tiger back in the cage. The park authorities were threatening to shut down the shoot as this was not a good look for them, and the client just wanted to know how we would finish the day.

The director was great and thought of ways to shoot on a small set and deploy some green screen setups. I eventually convinced the park to let us finish the day and learned much about insurance claims.

LBB> What are your personal ambitions or aspirations as a producer? 

Anke> I love development and ideation – Especially in times where budget challenges seem to be a daily concern I think producers bring great value in the early stages. I am working on a few TV projects at the moment including two documentaries and love the process. Would love to work with more brands on strategy and creative development in that space.

LBB> As a producer your brain must have a neverending "to do" list. How do you switch off? What do you do to relax? 

Anke> A life/work balance is tough, especially when you enjoy your work, but I love music, going to record and book stores, going on nice hikes, and finding meditation a great asset.

LBB> Producers are problem solvers. What personally fuels your curiosity and drive? 

Anke> I believe that problems are just opportunities to learn - either more about yourself or a new perspective, tool etc. I love acquiring new tools to apply in challenging situations to achieve the desired outcome.

LBB> What advice would you give to people who are interested in becoming a producer? 

Anke> Don’t be afraid to ask questions and make sure you are ready to push your limits – every job holds its own set of challenges, and know your controllables and how to utilise them.

LBB> From your experience what are the ingredients for a successful production?

Anke> A successful production starts in pre-production where we select and work with the department heads, and establish the work environment. Good and strong communication skills are a must. I ask my crew to be focused and present on the day. It is important that the crew knows that we problem-solve together and that is easier done ahead of time than the day of the shoot. I try to avoid surprises. 

LBB> What’s the key to a successful production-client relationship? 

Anke> Listening, transparency, and honesty.

LBB> Producers are naturally hands on - they have to be. How do you balance that in the more managerial role of an EP? 

Anke> I am fortunate to own my own production company and have a great partner. Our clients love the fact that I am their point person from start to finish. I don’t produce all the productions as the managerial role does require my attention, but especially with cell phones, the internet, and the benefit of virtual meeting spaces, it has become a lot easier.