Producing Tomorrow’s Producers: Why Sarah Baulcomb Enjoys the Creative Challenge
Sarah Baulcomb began her career as a buyer for a major high-street retailer before swapping fashion for film and transitioning into production management. Coupling her aptitude for numbers and negotiation skills (…do we really need that techno crane?!) with an enthusiasm for filmmaking craft, she spent the next ten years PMing commercials and broadcast television shows for Channel 4, BBC and ITV.
Sarah joined forces with Simon Elsbury, Wes Pollitt and Si McDowell in 2017 and founded Lobster as head of production. A creative production company with infectious positivity, bold ideas and a super flexible mindset. The company has gone from strength-to-strength in recent years, producing content and TV commercials for lovely agencies and brilliant brands, including Tanqueray, Grant’s Whisky, Jordans Country Crisp, Dove, Flora, Standard Chartered, Belvita, Wilkinson Sword, Ziploc and Maltesers.
LBB> What advice would you give to any aspiring producers or content creators hoping to make the jump into production?
Sarah> Working in production can be a challenging but a very rewarding journey.
I would recommend getting as much experience on set as possible, be helpful and proactive. Real experience is invaluable and helps you understand the inner workings of production. Recommendations in this industry are key, so always listen, work hard and build a great reputation. There is so much to learn and you never know who you’re going to meet.
The number one skillset as a producer is problem-solving. It's essential to understand how to prevent issues from arising and to find solutions for anything unexpected that comes up. Being a producer means thinking on your feet and staying calm under pressure.
Be prepared to be flexible. This could mean jumping on last-minute requests from clients or adapting to changes in the production schedule. Flexibility also involves being open to taking on different roles and responsibilities as needed to keep the project on track.
Most importantly, relax, be yourself, and enjoy the creative journey. Our job is Fun!!
LBB> What skills or emerging areas would you advise aspiring producers to learn about and educate themselves about?
Sarah> There isn’t a particular educational background you need or that I particularly look for with producers, the most important skills are great communication, amazing organisational skills and someone who is personable. Producers are in the middle of everyone and it’s your job to get the best out of everyone.
It’s also really important to stay up to date with the latest trends and technologies, especially in the current environment with everything changing so quickly! I would recommend reading, attending and listening to as much as you can about current trends in the industry to stay up to date and continue to develop your skills.
LBB> What was the biggest lesson you learned when you were starting out in production - and why has that stayed with you?
Sarah> Building a team around you who you enjoy working with is key! In production we lean heavily on freelance support, build that little black book of your key team members to call on, you want to know that the people working with you will deliver the results you expect, on time and without ego! It’s great teamwork that ultimately delivers the best results in production!
LBB> When it comes to broadening access to production and improving diversity and inclusion what are your team doing to address this?
Sarah> Diversity and inclusion is really important in the industry and at Lobster we want to make sure we are giving everyone an opportunity. We actively speak to new talent from runner to director level and we believe the best work comes from positive relationships with all of our team members.
It’s our job as producers to tell an authentic story and it’s essential that we have the right voice telling that story to make it the best and most impactful it can be.
LBB> And why is it an important issue for the production community to address?
Sarah> It’s so important for us to address this and ensure that everyone is treated equally. In order for stories to be told authentically, they need to be told by those who share the same experiences. If we do this correctly then it has a hugely positive impact on the narrative and the way the story resonates with the audience.
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?
Sarah> This is a really interesting question, I think there is a place for both to exist side by side, however it is important that people coming into the industry understand the difference. Clients will always want to push the budget, and there are jobs that will match a content creator’s skillset and client's ambition, but those jobs are very different to the jobs we execute as production companies.
As well as producing TVCs we’re very used to delivering multiple assets and making budgets work harder without compromising on quality, but that price point and output will be a very different field to content creators and it’s important that difference is understood. Previous experience and the formal training that our crews have undertaken shouldn’t be underestimated.
LBB> If you compare your role to the role of 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?)
Sarah> Budgets and the amount of deliverables required!! As social media has boomed over the last 15 years so has the requirements for motion and stills deliverables and the speed of turnaround. Where traditionally we would have been asked to create one 30” ad, we’re now being asked to create multiple cut downs and aspect ratios from a single shoot and turn them around at lightning speed.
Which involves a different set of creative problem solving skills, at Lobster we are very used to doing this and actually enjoy the creative challenge!
LBB> When it comes to educating producers how does your agency like to approach this? (I know we’re always hearing about how much easier it is to educate or train oneself on tech etc, but what areas do you think producers can benefit from more directed or structured training?)
Sarah> We look at this on an individual basis, leaning on the natural skills each team member has and focusing on building the skills they need to develop their career further. We’re a really hands on team and value the right person for each role. We work closely with our team members but give them the space and confidence to develop at their own pace. We truly believe it’s about learning to overcome each problem you come up against, come to us with the problem and we’ll talk through the solutions together.
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?
Sarah> Speed and volume is increasing but it can’t be at the detriment to quality. It’s learning to manage expectations, but still deliver to a high level. We encourage producers to speak to the individual team members involved in the process to get realistic time frames and work together to come up with solutions, the more you speak to each other the more you learn about the process, time involved and the creative solutions you can offer.
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?
Sarah> I think we never stop learning, there is so much you can learn and take from younger generations as well those more experienced. This industry is constantly evolving and it’s important that we evolve with it.
LBB> Clearly there is so much change, but what are the personality traits and skills that will always be in demand from producers?
Sarah> Communication, problem solving, flexibility and most importantly a positive attitude. You’re the one person that everyone leans on and you’re the person that brings that team together. Every problem can be overcome with the right attitude, we’re lucky to be part of a great industry and it should be an enjoyable role to work in.
