Luke Thompson: The Producers’ Secret Weapon
Stepping into a new role will always harbour feelings of anticipation. How will my day-to-day life change? Will I have more emails, or less? How many meetings will I have scheduled within a week now? Do I need to invest in a new desk chair to feel some additional support? Oh, I need to update my email signature and LinkedIn status - I can’t wait for the first set of likes and congratulations to come in!
All of those thoughts scurry through one's head and they are all very exciting in their own right, however, stepping into a role in which the description is one you’ve never heard of before… now that's thrilling in a way unlike anything else.
Luke Thompson, a firm agency-man that many would describe as an ‘all-rounder’ has done his fair share of writing copy and designing for the past 25 years. Travelling between Melbourne and New York, Luke has seen it all, from striking gold almost instantly to last-minute shot list changes because the idea no longer makes sense.
During a well-earned break from the industry, he stumbled across Tanya and Noelle at The Producers, a production company that represents directors all across Australia, Canada and USA. The pair presented Luke with an offer he couldn’t refuse.
“I was adamant that I wasn’t working, that I was having time off but it was just such a smart offer that I couldn’t help but listen. I couldn’t ignore it.” he said.
The opportunity presented Luke with a chance to be the person to connect and communicate between two worlds that cannot live without the other: agencies and production. Or, in other words, to become the production world’s secret weapon.
“The big thing is making sure that when scripts come in that it is going to the right director. To make sure that the thread of the core idea presented in briefs remains true while also including the vision of the director. To have pre-briefings with directors and discuss different avenues, questions and ideas to present during the actual production briefing. I’m basically a creative workshop, a way to move forward with work without wasting time.” he said.
As he continued to describe his new role, he mentioned that at times it works best if he remains somewhat invisible during the process, a ‘here if you need’ type of situation. Whereas at other times he is very much hands-on and becomes a core player in the decision-making process.
“I’m comfortable with the amount of work I’ve produced over the years that I don’t have to be this ‘hero conceptualiser’. I’m an extra layer, there if you need and to better prepare projects, briefs and pitches as they enter into the agency world” he said.
Luke also went on to comment on the new world that has been opened to him since taking this role, stating that he can see the trends more clearly than before.
“I’m getting data from all the agencies, I’m starting to see real trends emerging. It’s only been six to eight months, but there's already been moments where we will have briefs and I’ll think to myself ‘oh there's another wave of what everyone wants right now.”
The biggest thing both Luke and those at The Producers hope come to light from this new position is the realisation that there is a resource being presented to both brands and agencies that is inherently valuable to the way the industry runs.
Luke Thompson forms the bridge between agency and production. A simple, smart and flexible way to ensure that the best work is being produced for all involved. And time will tell if Luke will turn out to be the hero we all didn’t know we needed.
