Producing Tomorrow’s Producers: Francesca Berchielli-Jones and Amanda Wilmer's Industry Insights
Francesca Berchielli-Jones is head of production at MOX, in LA and working with our London and New York offices to bring MOX creative to life in the best way possible.
With over 10 years experience in the industry, producing stills and moving image for fashion, editorial and advertising clients across UK and Europe, North and Central America and Asia, Frankie is now building the in-house production model at MOX to support the agency’s hybrid approach to content creation.
Amanda Wilmer is senior producer at MOX, based in London working alongside Frankie to deliver all the production requirements for the business and develop our in-house production model.
Working in the industry for over 15 years, Amanda has produced everything from editorial to multi media 360 global campaigns.
LBB> What advice would you give to any aspiring producers or content creators hoping to make the jump into production?
Francesca> Experience is key so take any assisting, interning, running/PA jobs. It all helps. Work experience in any department is valuable as it’s important to have an overarching understanding of the shoot and what all departments need. Anticipating what support crew might need is what makes you a good producer.
Getting to know your industry as a whole as well as your peers on set is really important, as you never know when you’ll run into someone again and how they might be able to help you. It’s also crucial to have good knowledge of young and developing creative partners and wider industry contacts so you can support your creative team as much as possible.
Amanda> Do it! Frankie has nailed it but there are a lot of transferable skills that you probably already have. Try to get your foot in the door with assisting jobs, use that as an opportunity to talk and connect with others in the industry. Be open and available. Unfortunately, producers are normally first in and last out on shoot days so be prepared!
LBB> What skills or emerging areas would you advise aspiring producers to learn about and educate themselves about?
Amanda> I think it’s valuable to understand the language, timings and possibilities around AI. This is inevitably going to be a big part of the industry and to arm yourself with the tools and knowledge of this skillset will be invaluable.
Likewise with any visuals that include VFX and CGI, gaining the knowledge and vocabulary around how it works and what is needed puts you in a stronger position when working with budgets and timings.
Francesca> I completely agree with Amanda. We have seen a huge shift towards working with new technologies and embracing AI so instead of shying away from the unknown, be curious, ask questions, educate yourself.
LBB> What was the biggest lesson you learned when you were starting out in production - and why has that stayed with you?
Francesca> Always ask questions - never assume.
Take time to meet everyone on set and understand what they do. Relationship building is such an important part of a producer’s job, the connections you make with people help to develop your skills and create empathic productions finetuned to suit the creative, the client and the crew.
Amanda> That there’s always a way. Inevitably you will be put in positions where there is not enough time or budget. As Frankie mentioned, having good relationships helps you to work with teams to find a compromise or solution. Being solution focused will be received far better than a ‘no’ person and at these points a calm considered producer is what is needed.
LBB> When it comes to broadening access to production and improving diversity and inclusion what are your team doing to address this?
Francesca> We are conscious of industry standard demographics and actively seek to break out of the traditional agency stereotypes, not only through harmonious recruitment but in all areas of our company culture and working styles.
We work as a fluid team with little attachment to hierarchy which really helps with welcoming in those who don’t traditionally perceive themselves as ‘right’ for production or agency work. We like to cultivate a safe working environment that fosters people’s ability to learn and develop their skills.
Most importantly, we try to be vocal about the need for more inclusive working practices as we believe amplifying the conversation will encourage our peers to prioritise this too.
Amanda> As a team we make a conscious effort to bring people on board from diverse backgrounds that have an interest in stepping into this space. This could be through a day shadowing on set, to a much longer period of time as a production assistant being across the pre and post production process as well.
LBB> And why is it an important issue for the production community to address?
Francesca> Production ultimately controls who is on set and is responsible for building out the team. By taking our commitment to inclusion seriously, we hope to have a significant impact on heroing minority groups by offering people better opportunities to develop their skills. In the long run, this will help expand our industry and bring fresh perspectives and ideas to our practices.
Amanda> As Frankie says, we can really help control and direct the face of the team behind the lens. It’s our responsibility to give access to the space, exposure and share possible career opportunities that they might not have even realised existed. The more diversity in production, the wider the pool of knowledge and the greater understanding of cultures.
It’s important to highlight that offering a diverse and inclusive team is a valuable asset to any business that wants to reach a wide audience. It should be something that companies are actively seeking out to better themselves, not just ticking a box.
LBB> There are young people getting into production who maybe don’t see the line between professional production and the creator economy, and that may well also be the shape of things to come. What are your thoughts about that? Is there a tension between more formalised production and the ‘creator economy’ or do the two feed into each other?
Francesca> I think there’s benefits to both ways of working and depending on the job, one way might be better suited than the other. Professional or formal production obviously gives you more technical training around budgets, usage and experience with more high profile clients and creative partners and the learnings that come with that.
Creator type producers on the other hand, more often than not have had to figure it out for themselves, learning in a more organic way and using creative problem solving to get things done. They’re usually working with smaller budgets, and less access to teams and vendors so it really can be a lot of trial and error; building experience this way isn't easy.
The main thing is to be aware of your experience and how you can apply this to the project, and to always be realistic with your skillset - I’ve definitely witnessed the ‘tension’ before and this is when producers overestimate or oversell their abilities. Ultimately you can’t fake it and it can be frustrating for the rest of the team if the expected support isn’t there.
The margin between self confidence and over confidence is slim and mid-production isn’t the best place to realise this!
Amanda> I think the creator economy is a fantastic way to step into the space and start to think about the logistics around production. It works really well when considering brand requirements for social content and emerging platforms. It definitely requires out of the box thinking and an agile mindset.
A more formal production role however is normally required when more people are involved in the process, there are larger budgets, and a more demanding creative or trickier post production timeline.
You may be producing a shoot that has 70-100 people on set and delivering a bank of assets in multiple sizes, languages and lengths. Just the people management around a job of that size is a skill on its own! So it’s just understanding how and when content creator production is most suited to a job and when more support is needed.
LBB> If you compare your role to the role of the heads of TV/heads of production/executive producers when you first joined the industry, what do you think are the most striking or interesting changes (and what surprising things have stayed the same?)
Francesca> I think we’re moving away from the old school mentality in a lot of ways which is really exciting. Most heads of department no longer feel the need to treat their assistants how they might have been treated, there is definitely more respect within teams and genuine support and fostering of talent.
I also think since covid in particular, remote working has become a helpful tool in keeping us efficient and ensuring communication is better than ever.
MOX PROD operates globally between LA, NY and London with our EPs working independently, not being limited to one place or space within the industry, but knowing they have the full support of an in-house production team and resources wherever and for whatever they need.
LBB> It seems that there’s an emphasis on speed and volume when it comes to content - but to where is the space for up and coming producers to learn about (and learn to appreciate) craft?
Francesca> Supporting the next generation of producers is really important to MOX which is why we’ve partnered with D&AD for the past few years as part of their SHIFT programme, which educates self-taught creatives entering the advertising, design and creative industries from outside traditional education.
We offer placements to participants so they can get a better understanding of in house experience during their course and look to offer full time positions once they graduate.
We also participate in their mentor program where we support individuals with any specific needs, offer resources and make connections to further their development in the creative industry.
Amanda> Yes as Frankie has mentioned the partnership with D&AD has been a fantastic opportunity to meet and support young creatives who want to work within the space. I still have contact with past participants and one regularly reaches out with questions. It gives you an idea of the kind of bond and access you can give someone.
Personally with regards to educating more established producers, l do not necessarily think a course is necessary. I think to be continuously curious and ask questions can go a long way. Of course understanding and being good at programs that support production (excel etc) can really streamline your workflow and make life easier.
LBB> On the other side of the equation, what’s the key to retaining expertise and helping people who have been working in production for decades to develop new skills?
Amanda> I think for more established producers, it’s less about formal training and more about staying curious and open to new ways of working. The industry is evolving rapidly, not just in terms of technology but also in the way we approach sustainability, workflows, and creative problem-solving. Being adaptable and willing to ask questions is key, doesn’t matter how many years in the industry you have.
For example, sustainability is becoming a major focus in production, and while it might not have been a priority in the past, it’s something experienced producers can lead the charge on. There are many resources (AdGreen being one) that offer practical tools to measure and reduce the carbon footprint of a shoot, but beyond that, it’s about rethinking habits—and continuously evolving, staying connected, and embracing the changes shaping the industry.
LBB> Clearly there is so much change, but what are the personality traits and skills that will always be in demand from producers?
Francesca> A producer’s main focus is to deliver the best quality work possible so I would say creative problem solving is the main skill needed as there will always be curveballs and changes to work through. Finding a way to go the extra mile to give the team what they want is the most rewarding part of the job.
Amanda> I think as a producer you really are the link between the creative vision and the reality. Given the challenges that can bring, l believe you have to be calm and not be the type of person who is overwhelmed easily. Teams will be looking to you for solutions so you’ll need language, empathy and strong negotiation skills!
