The term “creative producing” can mean a myriad of things. From helping a client save money on a project to finding a way to make one location work for three, my job is a varied and wonderful one. I’ve had the privilege of honing my skills with Lure Digital, and have found these to be the 5 Golden Rules of Creative Producing.
1. Working relationships should be friendly.
This industry can sometimes feel impersonal and product-driven. There are so many talented people that have to come together under one creative vision to make any project happen, and it feels like a miracle that anything gets made at all. At the end of the day, everyone that is involved in this industry–whether it’s a homeowner who rents their space, on-camera talent who made it through multiple rounds of casting, or someone from the grip & electric team lighting the scene to perfection–is doing it because they love what they do. I am in awe of the vast variety of skill sets that each and every person brings to the table.
With this in mind, I think it’s important to identify and vocalize when a working relationship is, well, working. Lure maintains a roster of “contractors” full of people that we have worked with in the past and want to collaborate with again. Not only does it make pre-producing future projects a breeze, but it also enhances our overall on-set experience. Teams that have worked together in the past–whether it is the camera department, production support, or talent that know each other from a previous project–have an established “shorthand” on set, making for a well-oiled machine. And a well-oiled machine allows for play on the day, expanding what is creatively possible.
The operative word in commercial production is “collaboration,” and I love that Lure shares this mission of creating working relationships that can turn into friendships and long-time collaborations. It makes me excited for what’s to come in the digital marketing world!
2. There is always a workaround.
We’ve all had that stress dream. You know, the one where you’re on stage, supposed to be performing something, but you have no idea what it is? Or the one where you’re leading a very important shareholder’s meeting for a company you’ve never heard of?
I’ve had these before, but my stress dreams now involve permit turnaround time, gear rental, and coordination. Things going wrong unfortunately comes with the territory of producing digital media. Someone is late, or the incorrect gear was rented, or the location had to back out last minute. What I’ve learned is that there is always a workaround. On our most recent Rayovac commercial campaign, we had a key talent change their look so they no longer looked like part of the specifically cast family. We had to come up with another perfect fit for this part, and fast. My Creative Director, Bria Little, and I got on the phone with the client and all brainstormed together. One conversation and casting later, and many reorganized families by Bria, and we had the perfect person booked and the paperwork sent.
Stills from our campaign for Rayovac of our final cast family members enjoying their beach vacation, birthday party, and holiday respectively.
This isn’t to say that ironing out issues is always this smooth (sometimes insurance paperwork comes in ten minutes before you need to pick up gear), but mainly to say that, with a problem-solving mindset and an open line of communication between all departments, nearly anything is possible. It’s all about keeping an open mind and keeping the wheels constantly turning. I still have those stress dreams, but I’m learning how to dream up even better solutions.
3. Details and specifics save time (and money).
One of the most important conversations I have with my Creative Director happens before we even begin pre-production - and that’s our creative brief. This provides an opportunity for Bria and I to connect on exactly what she is looking for - from location, to camera “look,” to talent; even specific props to buy. This helps me paint a full picture of what our needs will be going into the pre-production process. It is then my job to digest, re-organize, and disseminate this information. On our most recent project, a commercial spot for Rayovac, we felt it would be invaluable to draft an onboarding email together. That way, each and every crew member we were bringing on had access to our creative documents, deliverables, and important dates. By getting this squared away early on in the process, everyone was on the same page long before we found ourselves on set together, which made us work faster and more efficiently.
Because we are a robustly nimble company that offers full-service production, I often wear many hats. When approaching a casting call, I want to make this information as detailed as possible. Detailed instructions and self-tape requests put talent in a place to be successful and can save me hours in pre-production time if we find our perfect fit on the first round of casting as opposed to the second or third. This is huge on e-commerce projects (like the ones we do for Energizer Lights) that have slim margins for error. I find that, while it sometimes feels like a lot of work to devise a detailed casting, it pays off in spades. It once again creates an environment that fosters creativity as opposed to confusion.
4. Hard work on the front end saves money on the back end.
Production is hard work! Some days can feel like walking in two feet of sand. Other days, all of your best-laid plans crumble at the same time. Producing anything, in my opinion, is a small miracle, but that miracle doesn’t come without a lot of people all working very hard towards the same goal. I am a big proponent of preparation & communication and think both make for a smooth (and painless) shoot day.
Just recently, we were location scouting for an upcoming shoot with our frequent client and collaborator Montecito Bank & Trust. It felt like a slog - the second one thing felt right, someone backed out; the timing wasn’t working. I ended up doing about three or four different tries at our schedule based on client and talent availability. Instead of viewing it as a burden, I tried to frame it as an expansion - it was making me much more familiar with the material we were shooting each day, which helped tremendously when we had to inevitably pivot on our shoot days. Most importantly, it was part of the process of finding what would make this project the most successful. Eventually, we got there, and when I was able to reframe it as part of the whole grand process, it made me feel a lot better as things started to fall into place.
Another HUGE asset a production can have, if the budget allows, is a pre-light day. We worked with A/C Pro on their Training Program videos, and they were wanting a luxe, sleek look. This budget afforded us not only a scout day but also a prelight. On our scout day, we were able to see the space, meet the owner, and take amazing spec photos on our phone (shoutout Cadrage!) to share with the client. No more imagining - our vision was already starting to take shape, and we were able to breathe life into something that had only been words before.
On our prelight, our wonderful art department (helmed by Eve Axness) was able to come in and have several hours of uninterrupted dress time to get the space exactly how they wanted it. Then, our fantastic Director of Photography Chris Kas was able to meet up with his G&E team (Tiara Olson & Sergio Crego) to start shaping the light ahead of our first day. Not only did this save us time lighting on the first day, but also allowed us to shape the light and space directly to the client’s dreams. This prelight, without a doubt, saved us tremendously on overtime, additional shoot days, and general morale. We were so happy with the result and it is something our crew is proud to share, too!
5. Setting up the editor for success - the art of the hand-off.
My job as a Producer, in some ways, is done once the shoot is wrapped out. At Lure Digital, we are a full-service agency and our work is only halfway done the second we call “wrap”! We have two incredibly talented editors and a VFX specialist on staff with us who then have to digest all of our on-set footage and create the final product for our clients. That is why the “hand-off” is its own art form that a producer needs to hone.
Typically, our Creative Director connects with whoever is editing the project at hand to discuss how the shoot went, if there were any specific callouts, and what is priority (in the case of filming multiple videos on one shoot). Bria and myself try to take detailed notes on circled takes, how the slates are named, and other important aspects of capturing what we need (we can act as our own Script Supervisors, too!).
Passing on the content is important, but passing along client information is perhaps the most important aspect of the hand-off. Editors will not be in pre-production meetings and will not have access to much of what we discussed with the client before our shoot day. Therefore, it’s very important to brief the editor on expected delivery dates, delivery specs, and other miscellaneous notes from the client. Sometimes this requires a call to sync with the editor, but our team uses Trello to organize all of our projects. It’s an invaluable tool that allows Bria and myself to add live notes to a “card” that an editor can then reference later (along with Dropbox, Frame.io, and several other platforms in tandem). This helps streamline all delivery specs and even post-production timeline notes so all pertinent information can be shared with every member of the team. I have found Trello to be an awesome addition to my workflow and can’t recommend it enough!
Why we love what we do
At the end of the day, creating content is hard work. It takes manpower, coordination, communication, and a whole lot of patience. But I love this job so much because of how hard the work is, not in spite of it. There is something so rewarding about seeing how all of the pieces of the puzzle come together, and I think that is a thrill that most, if not all, people in this industry share. And of course, none of this would be possible without the unwavering support of Lure Digital’s owner and founder: Ky Schultz. He has fostered a community that uplifts not only full-time employees but every contractor who signs paperwork with us. His trust in me and in the creatives we work with is really what enables all of these “small miracles.” It’s a privilege that I get to witness them at all, and I feel so grateful that Lure Digital has given me the opportunity to be an active part of them on a regular basis.
Jameson Connors // Lure Digital // Producer
Lure Digital. An award-winning video marketing agency in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles dedicated to creatively connecting people to your brand. Connect with us to create content for your brand.
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