The Modern Producer: From Facilitator to Peacekeeper

There's a famous story about a movie producer on a plane. A salesman next to him, fascinated by the film industry and wanting to learn everything he can about it, sparks a conversation:

​"So, you shoot the films, right?" No, answers the producer; the director does that. "Do you choose the cast?" No, that's the casting director. “You write the story?” Nope. That’s the screenwriter.

"So what do you do?" the salesman asks begrudgingly.

The producer simply says this: “I make it all happen.”

Working with hundreds of talented producers in film, advertising, TV, and digital is a privilege. And that story essentially sums up their day-to-day experience.

Producers make it all happen.

But we’re not here to blow smoke - everybody works hard.

We get that a producer's role is a delicate balance of facilitator and peacekeeper.

Understanding that enables us to better help them balance deadlines, ideas, budgets, logistics and politics; and so keep everyone on the project happy.

Art vs. Commerce?

In a perfect world, everyone on every project team is aligned. But often that's not the case.

Everyone wants the work to be the best it can be, but there may be potentially conflicting ambitions: creative cut-through, sales, production quality, budget management.

Someone has to be responsible for balancing these objectives; and that someone is the producer.

Creative Choice: The Production Catch-22

For the creative team, one of the most significant benefits of the rise of digital technology is Creative Choice.

One of the biggest drawbacks?

Creative Choice.

This is especially true for producers managing schedules, budgets, and overall output quality. Many of our producer friends have watched projects drift off the rails as key players get blinded by option overload.

It's challenging. But the modern producer knows they can achieve this with a rigorous, up-front briefing to ensure all stakeholders are heard and the creative intent is defined. Only then can every choice be evaluated and every decision held to account.

Wave If You Can Hear Me

Covid changed the game forever.

Remote working became the default. Creative projects became staffed on a fluid freelance structure, unrestricted by geography.

How does the producer ensure the core strands of a project remain on track? And just how easy is it to share previous versions of a mix with the Uruguayan team in one click?

This brave new world demanded newer and better processes involving remote efficiency, technology, hyper-organised file management, and delivery: none of which made the producer's already complex life any easier.

So far we’ve pretty much described a working life that makes the Secretary General of the UN look like a retiree dozing on a beach.

But every challenge is an opportunity, and we've thought hard about each of these to make ourselves better at what we do.

Here are a few things we've done to help overcome these challenges, all developed with the producer's needs at their core.

From Creative Choice to Creative Intent

For us, creative choice comes down to nailing a project's core creative intent and ensuring every stakeholder gets their say.

We've developed a unique way of designing a briefing - an innovative, step-by-step process designed to simplify the challenge of effectively briefing musicians and composers to lead to the most inventive work.

Result? Our projects experience fewer rounds of amends, less creative U-turns, and a more stress-free collaboration. Everyone gets heard - from ECD to junior brand assistant.

Talk Logistics to Me

Logistics may not always be sexy, but they are vital. Our client file portal allows team members to log in and see the file version history and project progress, limiting the need to scroll through expired WeTransfer links. All our studios are fully equipped for live recording and remote sessions, allowing all team members to dial in and monitor full-quality live recordings - and give their feedback - in real-time.

Different is Better Than Better

What about the work? That’s why we’re all here.

The best work is anti-obvious. It creates noise, generates conversation, and gets the maximum bang for the media buck.

Using our unique brief-designing process to get alignment at the project's inception allows us to imagine the unimagined when executing our ideas. We strive for a creative solution that delivers for all stakeholders: the creative team seeking cut-throat originality; and the client desiring media impact while staying true to brand values.

A solution that delivers work that gets talked about.

The processes described above ensure everything stays on rails; and with the right brief and the nod to execute creative work without restraints, everyone gets heard and goes home happy.