A Day In The Life Of A...Producer (Part 2)
Producers come from all walks of life. There are many actors that become producers on their own shows / films. But what exactly is a Producer and why do so many actors strive to get those producer credits? The producers at Particle 6 Productions take on many tasks such as;
Location Hunting
Research & Creation of Proposals / Pitches
Budget
Keeping Key Messaging in check
Hiring Cast & Crew
Client Relations
A mix of creative, financial, technological and administrative responsibilities. Today we have interviewed one of our wonderful producers about his duties.
Cameron's Interview
At Particle 6, you’re known to be an enthusiastic participant in the arts both in front and behind the camera or microphone! So, how is it that you came to be a Producer here?
That’s nice to be known as that. ~ Well, I was encouraged to take on the role in film school. I went [to film school] purely with the goal of directing but then we were introduced to all the roles and one of them was producing. I had a really great tutor and producer who were very inspirational and it seemed like fun. Something challenging. Something interesting. Something I could do.
What are the roles you usually take on under the producer umbrella?
I see a project through from start to finish. From the first client meeting gauging who they want and need, the messages they’re trying to convey so that we can execute that and deliver a project that we are proud of and the client can be happy with ~ preferably more than pleased with.
Do they need actors? If so, what ages? where are they going to be from? What accents are they going to have? Do they need to speak any languages? etc. So casting is a fairly big part of it. Which is great for me because I come from an acting background. So I've always enjoyed seeing it from different perspectives. You get to really work closely with the actors and you know what the client needs. You can work with the actors to deliver exactly that.
How do you feel your acting background has helped you in your producer role?
First thing’s first, It gave me the advantage of having a sense of what an actor needs in general. An idea of the story is essential, and what the product is if it’s a product video you know you wanna know what are we showing off here…Having been an actor myself and doing a bit of acting still. It helps me with my communication with other actors. We speak the same language ~ in a way.
Working with actors is lovely. They are very creative creatures in general and very happy and energetic. Their whole lives are spent trying to create these wonderful characters and it’s nice to see a new one being created just for you.
What is it about Particle 6 that you feel has helped you develop in your production role?
I’ve learnt EVERYTHING here. I learnt a hell of a lot about producing in film school and then I came into the real world, to Particle 6 and realised...I. Knew. Nothing. One of the most important things I’ve learnt as a producer at Particle 6 is Client Management. How you communicate with a client is of such importance if you wish to keep them on as a client for future projects which of course is always the goal. We don’t strive to do one offs and then have the client forget about us or us forget about them. We prefer to build lasting, strong and positive relationships that will improve over time. We want to be the go to brand for video production for every client we take on. So that means you need to really dedicate yourself to each project and try to make the best out of it so that they will want more. And more importantly, when they want more, that they want it from you.
After all this discussion over what it is you do, can you try to sum it up in a sentence (or two) what it is a Producer does?
A producer is the puppet master of a project but the puppets all have brains and are very talented. You just need to lightly tug the right strings to guide them all harmoniously towards the finish line.