In Production: Matt Brown

Matt Brown, MD and founder of Dark Energy London, has been in the advertising industry for 27 years and here he tells us about the work that has impressed him of late, the changes and adaptations he's had to make through his working life, and why budgets are still an issue.

How did you get into production and tell us a bit about your current role?

I was sharing a house with a group of student friends who had all become runners and one of them was asked by a friend of his boss if he knew anyone who wanted to be a runner and he suggested me.

I initially worked in post production, TV and music videos, I then set up a short film company and, 17 years ago, started working in advertising, working at companies such as HLA, Harry Nash and Bikini. I have been a producer for 25 years and I now run my own production company where I act as an EP and sell, as well as occasionally producing.

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

BBC Music God Only Knows [below] is an outstanding piece of work, directed by Francois Rousselet from Riff Raff. The production, post and sound are all outstanding especially as it was shot over a period of more than a year in small parts when various celebrities were available. Considering this it has an amazing sense of continuity.

Do you feel the role of the producer is becoming more prominent and crucial today than it was in the past?

Yes, as budgets have declined, intelligent production has come to the fore to bring good ideas to the screen, which are frequently much bigger than the budget. In the past when budgets were much bigger there was more room to move and make mistakes. Now you can’t afford to make mistakes, as the margins are so much thinner you can’t throw money at a problem.

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

My iPhone, without it I couldn’t function and of course the great team that make productions fall into place.

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

Starting my own production company was a big risk but one that was very worth taking. The sense of freedom is fantastic.

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

It's changed hugely. Mobile phones, email, video calls, the internet, digital cameras and editing. All these things we take for granted weren’t around when I first started. These technologies have had an enormous impact on the way we work; reducing timelines, but also giving us a great deal more freedom and flexibility. Also the death of faxes and especially film. These were an integral part of my working life for many years and are now pretty much gone.

How do you relieve stress during a shoot?

I used to smoke like a chimney, now I have learned to relax and eat chocolate.

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

Play with my kids, run, swim, watch films.

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

Creatives writing scripts that are vaguely close to the clients’ budget. Also an understanding from clients and agencies that just because a piece of work is done for the internet only, doesn’t mean the budget should be lower than a TVC, especially if it’s a high level piece of work.