Producing Tomorrow's Producers: Getting Sh*t Done with Eric Soloway

Eric has been actively working in the advertising and production industry for over 20 years. He has been on the agency side, the production side and sometimes sleeps on his side.

He is currently head of production for CLICKON Media.

Prior to that, he spent eight years at Ogilvy NY as executive producer overseeing the IBM global account and then as director of content production for the NY office leading all accounts and internal production operations.

Eric began his career at Wells, Rich, Greene and then moved on to Young & Rubicam as a VP/senior producer, with a special interest in planning, sustainability and corporate social responsibility.

In addition, Eric spent several years as creative director/executive producer in his family run business, SoloVision, writing and directing branded content for Food Network, HGTV and Cooking Channel.

He lives in Larchmont, NY with his wife and son. When not working, Eric can be found on the trails either mountain biking or skiing.

LBB> What advice would you give to any aspiring producers or content creators hoping to make the jump into production?

Eric> Most producers I know didn’t set out to be producers. They discover or fall into it while chasing other pursuits. I originally wanted to be a photographer. Interestingly, agencies don’t tend to recruit and train young producers the way they do for creative, account and strategy. But often those folks are attracted to production once they’re on the inside and seek to “make the jump” because, let’s face it, producing is fun and cool. You don’t need to wear a suit or endlessly crank out creative ideas that may never see the light of day. If you’re a type A, task driven, creative minded multitasker who gets great satisfaction from getting things done right and leading a team, production is where you want to be. These days producers need to wear more and more hats and have tricks up their sleeves so it’s vital to know more than just the ins and outs of production itself. You need to be up to speed on everything happening in the business in order to understand the full life cycle of what you produce. This will make you a more valuable and versatile member of the team.

LBB> What skills or emerging areas would you advise aspiring producers to learn about and educate themselves about?

Eric> As everyone everywhere is saying, AI and other emerging technologies and platforms are integral to everything we do now. The basics of budgeting, scheduling, talent management, vendor relations, shooting, editing, visual effects, music, finishing, versioning, etc are still the backbone of production but now we need to apply those to the expanding worlds of generative AI, automation, virtual production, social platforms, experiential and more. Production has always been about being one step ahead in order to offer up workable solutions to any creative challenge that comes your way.

LBB> What was the biggest lesson you learned when you were starting out in production - and why has that stayed with you?

Eric> When things are going smoothly, production is a thankless job. But as soon as there’s a question or problem, everyone looks to the producer for answers. When’s lunch? What if it rains? How much will X, Y or Z cost? Will this affect the delivery date? There’s no end to the questions and the producer must always be ready with an answer even if it’s “let me check and get right back to you.” “I don’t know” is not acceptable and will cause panic. It’s like when your plane hits turbulence, check if the flight attendants look concerned before you start praying. Never let them see you sweat.

LBB> When it comes to broadening access to production and improving diversity and inclusion what are your team doing to address this?

Eric> We always consider diversity when hiring. One way to help this along faster is to cultivate a broader pipeline so a wider array of folks can gain entry. Be inclusive. Meet people. Do informational interviews. Refer. Mentor. Create opportunity wherever you can.

LBB> And why is it an important issue for the production community to address?

Eric> It’s important for all communities to address. Diversity enhances learning and results by bringing different lenses and perspectives to any project.

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?

Professional production has a lot of rigor and process which some folks, fairly or unfairly, find arduous. The creator economy is inherently more flexible and seductively cheaper but there are some liabilities when it comes to doing business directly with big agencies and brands that inherently require more structure, stakeholder approval, legality, contracts and rules around usage even if they don’t want to admit it. So I think both sides need to embrace the other.

LBB> If you compare your role to the role of the heads of production 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?).

Eric> It used to be that the boss would encourage us to see a movie by a notable director or go to the MOMA on a slow day. There are no more slow days. Heads of production today seem more weighed down by utilisation, profit margins and justifying the need for their ever shrinking staff than when I started out. Churning out great work is still the primary goal but there are more fires to be put out along the way, primarily because of short staffing. Production is tougher to scope because circumstances and parameters are always changing but that shouldn’t discount its value. We need more producers, not less.

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?

Eric> I’ll answer these together. It’s always been vital to have young producers shadow and support EPs so they can learn on the job. Training is where appreciation for craft is instilled. Working with top creatives, directors, editors, effects artists and musicians is both instructive and inspiring. Establishing that foundation is vital. It was one of my EP mentors who said to me, “Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.” Craft doesn’t just happen, it needs to be learned and aspired to. Skills training needs to keep pace with the speed we’re being asked to work. 

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?

Eric> Most producers who have been working for decades have developed new skills. That’s how they’ve managed to keep working. I don’t think the question is about retaining expertise. It’s about respecting and investing in expertise.

LBB> Clearly there is so much change, but what are the personality traits and skills that will always be in demand from producers?

Eric> It’s easy to spot producers. They’re the ones getting sh*t done!