In Production: Julia Parfitt

Julia Parfitt graduated with a degree in Media & Film Studies before working for renowned graphic design company The Designers Republic.

Moving to London for her next adventure, she was offered a position at then live action production company Nexus 16 years ago and trained as a production assistant under Chris O’Reilly and Charlotte Bavasso.

With a longstanding Interest in how you could combine story and design she was intent on moving towards animation and when Nexus set up the animation arm of its business, Parfitt continued to work alongside them and her role has been growing with the company since and has seen her rise to head of production and EP.

Below she speaks about a recent ad that’s caught her eye, the role of a producer today and her own experience in the field of advertising and animation.

Tell us about an ad campaign you’ve seen recently that stands out for its production quality and standard…

I love the Honda ad The Other Side. The production values are high but I also love the interactive aspect. The fact that it is not complex interactivity but is incredibly well executed and compelling is great.

And of course, the recent Sainsbury’s Christmas ad is incredible quality and beautifully shot.

What are your thoughts on the role of the modern producer?

I feel the role of producer has always been important. They are an incredibly valuable part of the production process and it’s essential to be a creative producer in today’s market. At Nexus we get approached earlier and earlier by our clients as we are now seen as a creative partner, not just as a production supplier.

Also, it is often necessary for the producer to carry the job longer until it becomes apparent who the natural person is to be the creative lead/director. I feel that this achieves better creative results as you end up with the right director leading a project but it does mean there is much more emphasis on the producer in the interim. However, we actively train our producers to have these capabilities.

Tell us about a recent risk/investment you’ve made in your career or for your business?

I’m working on a truly exciting short film project at the moment which is part funded by the Space & Arts Council. The challenge is the level at which we are pushing the VFX, as essentially it has feature film quality VFX, but in a short film.

I’m working with an incredibly talented team led by award-winning director Kibwe Tavares (below). Along with the CG/live action integration challenge that we are trying to creatively solve, I am also involved in finding additional external funding opportunities and delivering a pitch that makes a prospective company see why their involvement is appealing and beneficial to their business. This has been personally and professionally very challenging, but I do like a new challenge now and again!

How has the industry changed since you started working in it?

The pitch process is getting harder and harder. At one time, we used to write a page and share a visual, now it is huge decks covering all aspects in detail. However, at Nexus we take massive pride in our pitches and the accompanying treatment, drawings, designs, visuals and concepts that are created especially for it and they have an incredible beauty in their own right. Expectations are much higher and the challenge is to really move an idea or a script forward so it makes Nexus stand above the other directors and companies pitching.

The other major change is we are often pitching an interactive or digital treatment alongside the traditional film aspect (live action, animation or mixed media) and the skill for the producers is to neatly dovetail these very different disciplines together to make a really strong company proposal.

What’s your favourite thing to do away from work?

Get some fresh air (preferably with my three year old).

What’s your most valued production tool (tech or otherwise) and why?

My brain. It’s experience that counts.

What would you like to see change in the world of production?

I would like to see budgets improve and more scripts written with animation in mind. Characters are an incredible tool for brands to work with and use cross platform. I’d like to see more scripts that could be approached in different ways and open to greater interpretation.