Meet Your Makers: Keeping Your Mind Open with Jasmine Shalkoie

Jasmine Shalkoie is an experienced senior producer with a global track record in creating TV commercials, branded content, short documentaries, films, and innovative VR/AR activations. Her expertise spans film production, digital strategy, and client services, making her a versatile and invaluable asset to any project.

Over the years, Jasmine has collaborated with some of the world’s most iconic brands, including adidas, Canon, Audi, IKEA, Disney, Binance, Universal Music, and Bang & Olufsen. She’s also worked with leading charities such as the British Heart Foundation, Friends of the Elderly Team Kenya and Scope, producing meaningful campaigns that make a difference.

Known for her professionalism and passion for visual storytelling, Jasmine approaches every production with a positive outlook and a commitment to making the process enjoyable for everyone involved. She’s client-facing, detail-oriented, and has a proven ability to deliver award-winning campaigns on time and on budget.

In addition to managing teams and coordinating production, Jasmine has extensive experience collaborating with business development and creative departments on pitches, presentations, and strategic planning. Whether working on small NGO projects or high-profile international campaigns, Jasmine brings her professional energy, expertise, and a touch of sparkle to every production.

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?

Jasmine> It all started with German music videos - my brother and I watched them when we were kids through a satellite box my dad set up for Iranian channels. At eight or maybe nine years old, I was captivated by how short, dynamic, and creative they were - bending the rules of traditional TV. I remember thinking, 'That’s so cool, I want to make those!' and from that moment, I knew I wanted to work in the industry, even if I had no idea how.

Before diving into production, I had a whirlwind of random jobs; I worked in a boutique clothing store, helped reunite people with their lost pets at a company called The Missing Pets Bureau, served drinks at festivals, worked at a Post Office, and even had a short stint as a TV presenter.

My big break came when I boldly emailed a company called Ape Creative, joking that if they took me on as an intern I’d always bring bananas with a smile. That little comment got me through the door, and that’s how my journey in the creative industry began.

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?

Jasmine> I’d been dabbling in content creation working at an agency in London, but when the chance to lead the producers at SeeThat (a production company in Brighton) came along, I jumped at it. It was an exciting time, phones had JUST started playing videos, and short-form online content was exploding everywhere. We were in the right place at the right time and the company tripled in size within my first year. 

LBB> How did you learn to be a producer?

Jasmine> I’d been an account manager at a creative agency, and at a PR agency, creating and producing content as well as doing all the things in between. So, when I actually had the official title of ‘producer’ it felt like I’d finally put on the perfect pair of shoes and was ready to go dancing!

Then it was an all hands on experience, from tiny budgets to big TVCs with big-ass brands and constant problem solving. Learning how to speak to different people in the right way is 60% of the job, the other 40% is covering your back and keeping everyone happy and in the loop.

At times you really have to step out of your comfort zone and put on the charm. I've had to stand in the road and hold traffic, offer a bunch of builders biscuits so they would pause for 15 minutes so we could capture some audio, that sort of stuff, but it’s all part of the fun!

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?

Jasmine> When I was freelancing I met a friend of a friend who told me about a charity that she and her mum had set up called Team Kenya which was about educating and empowering girls and women in rural Kenya.

From getting them solar-powered lights so they could read at night to teaching women how to be smart with money, she told me about the impact they had made and how creating some videos would be helpful, so I volunteered immediately and got involved.

I raised money for them by climbing Mount Kenya and then stayed onsite for three weeks with a DOP to create a series of videos to raise awareness for the charity. For the first time I’d worked on a project that didn’t come from a client or agency so it was mine to mould how I wished. So I put a lot of heart into those videos, the stories were hard to hear but knowing that the films I was producing were going to have such a great impact kept me going and made me grow immensely. 

Team Kenya  - educating girls, empowering women, transforming communities.

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?

Jasmine> I disagree, a good producer should be able to read a brief, plan and manage a team efficiently, to create a successful production, but I’d say working in the film/ TV industry, and working on shortform commercial content are quite different. 

When I landed my job at Adidas, working internally, I thought it was going to be the dream; being flown around the world with my client hat on and handed a flat-white from a lovely on-site producer, my first shoot was meant to be in New York with Pharrell Williams!

However, Covid (of course) ruined this adventure but did teach me how to be adaptable at a moments notice. So instead I did all the hard work from home and had to dial in at silly-o-clock and remote produce from bed. But still, such a wild and useful experience.

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

Jasmine> I love being on set, for me it’s like seeing all the ingredients you’ve carefully orchestrated, picked and prepped, getting thrown into a magical mixing bowl of creativity and brought to life. It brings out the best in me.

I love taking care of every part of the production and everyone involved but doing it with a spring in my step. Like dropping mini packets of Haribo into crew members pockets (when they need it most), just little things to make sure whoever you are, when you’re on my set you’ll be leaving having had a great experience. 

The other part is the creative journey when we’re working on pitches and creative concepts. Working with the Gusto team and bouncing ideas off each other is one of my favourite parts of the day. I often find myself saying 'so I’ve got a wild card idea…' and love that I’m confident and welcomed to put something to my team, even if it’s not exactly right in that moment it’s encouraged and embraced.

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

Jasmine> Budgets have reduced considerably so you end up doing more to meet your own professional standards. There’s so much we do to create something beautiful and even if the budgets are not there you can’t help but always want to keep the quality at a high level. 

LBB> And what has stayed the same?

Jasmine> Not a lot! The only real consistent thing for me is my unwavering passion to make great films.

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?

Jasmine> Some producers I’ve met have similar traits (proactive, positive, good with people) but those skills alone won’t get you through. You need to be organised, yet flexible as so much can change at the last minute, and you can’t be too precious, the ability to quickly adapt is key.

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

Jasmine> What a question! It’s like asking me what my favourite beach is or type of crisps, how do I choose!

Ok so, I’d say it’s a toss up between the commercial for Bulldog Moisturiser where we had to build two bathrooms in a studio, have an epic water stunt, work with a gold standard Bulldog and shoot it all in a week.

And a commercial for Disney x AFLW (Australian Football League Women) ‘Proud to be a Princess’ campaign when I lived in Australia, where we were challenging the term ‘being a princess’.

But let's go with the Disney shoot as it meant so much to me, was probably my biggest production at that time, and the message was strong. Women ARE strong and being a ‘princess’ isn’t something to be mocked so lets celebrate and instill this from a young age.

Casting was crazy, we had 18 children on site, a room and crew just for entertaining/managing them, we had to find a custom tiny sofa for five year olds to sit on, then shooting at multiple football stadiums around Australia with the AFL women's league. The reason I’m proud is that when Disney HQ saw V1 they loved it and decided to amplify the campaign by making it five times bigger than the initial brief.

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

Jasmine> I loved working on the Bauer Media: Mentos x Kiss FRESH - Cornershop Drop campaign last summer with director Paul Akinrinlola. Working with Mentos and Kiss Fresh together with five different up and coming artists, in five different corner shops on a monthly basis to create a branded music video was pretty epic! 

The challenges were always entertaining, each shop needed to not only match the artist and their song but feel different to the other cornershops, so you really start looking at the aisle heights, the shop lights, flooring, camera angles through the fridge doors and so on. I also worked with the art department team and hid a few ‘easter eggs’ within the videos to link them together, little creative touches for those in the know.

In addition to that, I personally enjoyed the challenge of finding a unique green room / video village within close proximity of the shop to house the team from Mentos, and the talent. Everything from a photography studio (complete with a fancy dress box) to a south end pub, the client loved it and were always excited to see what we had in store to keep each shoot fresh and different for everyone involved.

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?

Jasmine> A while back in 2015 I was producing a shoot for British Heart Foundation called ‘Dechox - Baking Bad’ where there’s a police raid on a family home, where the family were eating and cooking a bunch of chocolate (‘Breaking Bad’ style) during a time when they should have been detoxing / dechoxing. 

The actress who we cast as the police officer was sick at the last minute and as we’d already sourced the ‘official’ police uniform in her size in advance there was only one person who could step into the role, yes... yours truly. With lines like ‘step away from the chocolate buttons,’ it was fun to produce, star in and helped save the day, as well as that I really enjoyed being a cop!

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

Jasmine> For me it’s about making more films that give a voice to those brands that need to be heard for doing good, it’s as simple as that. When you really understand what a brand is trying to do like Whizz Kidz, Scope, Team Kenya, and you work with them and your team to find a way to clearly portray that message via a film, AND it makes an impact, that’s what I’m here for. To do more projects like these that inspire, change opinions and help people grow, is my ambition. 

LBB> As a producer your brain must have a never ending "to do" list. How do you switch off? What do you do to relax?

Jasmine> My top tip is to write it down, even if something comes up in the middle of the night - I’ve been known to email myself at 3am saying ‘check parking restrictions’. When I switch off I watch popcorn TV like ‘Love is Blind’ or ‘Selling Sunset’ with a cup of tea. Otherwise I make up stories and games with my little boy (four years old) and escape into a different world.

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

Jasmine> I take inspiration from everywhere, I listen to podcasts, radio, kids books, I love technology and seeing what sticks with us and what we leave behind. I find the journey fascinating and I think seeing something through from conception to completion, overcoming challenges and celebrating great work really gives me a buzz. 

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

Jasmine> I’d say be open minded about what ‘being a producer’ is. In our industry sometimes it can be the person that does everything; casting, location sourcing, catering, props dept, so you need to be comfortable wearing many hats and wearing them well, without complaints. You also need to know your worth as having an opinion is valid at any point in the process. There are a lot of strong personalities in production so make sure you stand tall and speak out.

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

Jasmine> A strong and committed team, clear schedule, timings and communication, a supportive client that trusts you. If you get those ingredients right then you’ll have a scrumptious cake to bake.

LBB> And what’s the key to having a successful internal production team?

Jasmine> At Gusto we’re all keen creative beans and love what we do, we’ve come from different backgrounds so each one of us brings something different to the team. We also love to evolve, learn and challenge each other which makes us grow and stay relevant. What we learn we share so we’re all moving and growing together. 

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

Jasmine> It’s super obvious but one-on-one communication, don’t be scared of the phone, call people up and be friendly so they understand you’re a real person. We can unintentionally default to being robotic and formal in emails, Slack or Teams, but when you start connecting with someone that’s when the relationship really evolves and sparkles.