Young Producers on the Challenges and Opportunities in Advertising

What was it that attracted you to the industry, and the role, in the first place?

James Pinnington: I started life as an account manager on the graduate trainee scheme at CHI, but eventually realised that I wanted to get more involved in the actual process of making films and having a proper input into the planning and creative.   

Tandeap Tatter: I was freelancing as a one-man-band filmmaker when my now wife showed me an internship opportunity at an agency. I applied and got to experience what producing high end adverts was all about. The ability to work with the best director, the best food stylist, the best DP or the best editors had me hooked. 

"I worked on the front desk and used to see the producers swanning into studios and ordering lunch… it seemed liked a sweet job so from then on decided that’s what I wanted to do."

Paul Van Lierop: The opportunity to push boundaries and craft something.

Zaf Choudhury: I came in to BBH as an intern wanting to be a Strategist… but they put me in production. I liked ideas but they saw I liked to bring things to life more. I’d been running a music and art collective with some pals for a few years alongside my day job,  throwing parties, exhibitions, and hosting radio sessions. I loved making stuff and they helped me to connect the dots.

Above: Aran Patterson and Anya Williams

Phoebe Robertson: I’ll be honest: shiny, pretty things. And well-crafted long copy.

Amber Lauder: It was the ability to create something. Even if you’re not coming up with the ideas, in this role you’re able to shape and build ideas into something cool.

Anya Williams: I enjoy the variety of projects that the advertising industry offers and how every job is so different presenting new challenges and opportunity’s to learn. The job is very social, and you get to meet a wide range of people.

Aran Patterson: Advertising, and production in particular, is an intense old beast that moves at a rate of knots. It demands some pretty deft mental (and emotional) agility to keep endless plates spinning and roll with the inevitable punches; I was drawn to the challenge of that. Facilitating creative work is great fun, though. Every project is different and turn-around times are generally pretty short, so you rarely feel like you’re stagnating. People give their all for a condensed period of time, and it helps that we tend to have the budgets to really be able to craft and perfect things.

Above: Jennifer Grant and Jessica Greshoff.

"When I was training to be an account manager, I thought I would be living the 'creative' London lifestyle. Safe to say, I wasn’t."

Jennifer Grant: When I was training to be an account manager, I thought I would be living the 'creative' London lifestyle. Safe to say, I wasn’t. Borne out of a need to be challenged, I managed to hustle my way onto a global, three-week stills shoot where I was the sole agency representative, playing the well-known hybrid role of account director/producer/art-director. Whilst I remain confused as to how I blagged that, I’m hugely grateful for the opportunity. Not long after, Uncommon gave me the chance to build on it. Now here I am!

Jessica Greshoff: I actually started out doing a degree in Primary Education but after seeing how passionate my peers were about teaching I realised that I was lacking the enthusiasm to continue along that path. I wanted to find the passion that they had and so decided to just study a subject that interested me in the hope that something would come from that! I ended up studying Media & Cultural Studies and from here an opportunity arose to run on a shoot for a BBC programme. I loved the fast-paced work, playing my part in a team and just generally working in an exciting environment – it totally sold me to production life.

Kaiya Taffel: I started in the industry working at Grand Central Sound Studios where my brother works. I worked on the front desk and used to see the producers swanning into studios and ordering lunch… it seemed liked a sweet job so from then on decided that’s what I wanted to do.

Was there a particular piece of advertising work that inspired you?

James Pinnington: The Nike Find Your Greatness campaign was released when I was still an account man and I thought it was such a clever spot, from the strategy through to the execution. Seeing it re-enforced my desire to become a producer and eventually end up making something (hopefully) on a level with that campaign.

Tandeap Tatter: As mentioned above I fell into advertising but I always loved what Apple did, particularly the iPad Air ad from 2014 which perfectly used Robin Williams voice and his famous “what will your verse be?” speech from Dead Poets Society. Still gives me goosebumps.

Paul Van Lierop: Not a single piece but the concept that good media and advertising can transcend its original purpose and become part of pop culture.

Above: Tandeap Tatter and James Pinnington.

Zaf Choudhury: Nike’s Secret Tournament, directed by Terry Gilliam. A caged football match... on a ship with the best players in the world, Cantona as ref and backed by an Elvis Presley remix. Everyone wanted that football at school.

Phoebe Robertson: Aside from the Nikes and the Save The Childrens, I loved that Florette ad where all the salad gets chucked around in time with the music and lands in the right place looking tasty, and I always thought howwww? That’s so cool man, I wanna be in on that. Tell me all your secrets.

Aran Patterson: I laughed my little six-year-old leg off at Lintas’s Elephants Don’t Forget Rolo ad for Nestle in 1996, and I’m no elephant, but that kind of joy stays with you.

Kaiya Taffel: I don’t think one piece in particular as I kind of fell into advertising but when I started in the industry, I always loved Volvo Epic Splits.

What’s currently the most difficult part of your job?

James Pinnington: Balancing work with my new puppy, Moose!

Tandeap Tatter: When a brilliant creative idea dies because it doesn’t answer business problems.

Paul Van Lierop: Clients demanding unrealistic deadlines and then not adhering to the timing plan.

Zaf Choudhury: The classic no-money-or-time challenge but wanting to make the best creative work possible. It’s pretty restrictive and not healthy for the industry, but on the bright side you can find yourself making some killer work when you need to think outside of the box.

Above: Hector Murray and Phoebe Robertson.

Phoebe Robertson: There’s never enough money to achieve [a client's] dreams…

Amber Lauder: Second guessing yourself. You always have to think “what’s the worst that can happen?”... and make sure it doesn’t. 

Anya Williams: Feeling like the world will come crumbling down when faced with a seemingly unsolvable problem. It’s important to remember that tomorrow is another day and you always have your team and peers to support you.

"With everyone being able to produce videos using their phones, it can be hard to manage expectation and explain why certain things have to be done a certain way."

Hector Murray: Being a junior member of a small, integrated production team, I’ve definitely been thrown in the deep end on more than one occasion. Getting that balance between taking in every opportunity to learn and gain further knowledge, as well as getting jobs completed efficiently within time and budget has certainly kept me on my toes. 

Jennifer Grant: Calming my imposter syndrome on a daily basis.

Carmela Vitale: Probably teaching new and young people – creatives and clients – about the value of production. With everyone being able to produce videos using their phones, it can be hard to manage expectation and explain why certain things have to be done a certain way and cost what they cost.

And the most rewarding?

Tandeap Tatter: When a brilliant creative idea doesn’t die because it doesn’t answer business problems but instead is celebrated for standing for something. Think Nikes recent Just Do It campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick. Or the brilliant This Girl Can campaign.

Zaf Choudhury: Every day is different; I think my mum still struggles to explain what I do for a living. One day I could be hunting for the best director or sinking into budgets or sitting with an amazing colourist, another day i’d be on a rooftop swimming pool in Eastern Europe at 4am getting the final shot on the board.

"It’s super refreshing to work with clients who are as single-minded as we are. I also get to send silly emails like this; “p.s more texture being added to the vom pool/they’re working on her severed hand over the weekend”.

Phoebe Robertson: …when we pull it off anyway, spectacularly.

Amber Lauder: It is both the industry and the environment we get to work in – you’re surrounded by interesting and smart people. This has led to a much lower level of tedium than you’d probably get in other jobs!

Hector Murray: The same! There is such a buzz around the pressure, and that sink-or-swim mentality keeps me motivated every day. There is nothing more rewarding than finishing off a job after all the energy that has been put into it – especially sharing that feeling with your team.

Jennifer Grant: Working with a crew on ambitious, hungry and slightly insane people who actively want to make work that blows people’s faces off – in the case of Habito, quite literally. It’s also super refreshing to work with clients who are as single-minded as we are. I also get to send silly emails like this; “p.s more texture being added to the vom pool/they’re working on her severed hand over the weekend”.

What do you think the main challenges will be in your role – or for the industry in general - over the next few years?

James Pinnington: The rate at which tech is rapidly improving means that the industry will need to start properly embracing it. Rather than just producing a film for clients there are many other exciting platforms and mediums to reach consumers. As a producer, it should be my job to be at the forefront of that and pushing clients and creatives to be more ambitions and utilise the tech available.

Tandeap Tatter: Relevance. Brands need to stay relevant without chasing trends and [by] telling genuine stories. My role is becoming harder because budgets are being squeezed. We all need smart ways of working to help create work that doesn’t.

Paul Van Lierop: Production budgets shrinking, which requires new, creative ways to produce quality content, but clients not being brave enough to try new things.

Above: Paul Van Lierop.

Zaf Choudhury: Pushing forward the conversation around diversity in front of-and-behind the camera with sincerity is massively crucial. The industry is already behind so there’s a big responsibility to actively hire people from diverse backgrounds. Initiatives like Free The Bid and Looks Like Me are paving steps in the right direction but there’s a long way to go. Diversity in the industry makes for better, diverse work. Also finding ways to improve sustainability within our productions over the next few years is important.

Phoebe Robertson: The need to be a super-producer; an expert in all, fingers in all the production pies. But that’s a good challenge.

Amber Lauder: The communications and audience landscapes are always evolving, so you have to be on top of a lot of that change. It is a constantly moving beast, but it also makes it more exciting and interesting.

"Diversity in the industry makes for better, diverse work. Also finding ways to improve sustainability within our productions over the next few years is important."

Anya Williams: Working to ever tighter budgets and engaging viewers thorough digital/social media platforms where you only have the first few seconds to catch their attention.

Aran Patterson: Producers will have to familiarise themselves with myriad new technologies and the processes that govern them. Smaller, more cost-effective content-producing companies will challenge bigger agencies and as budgets plateau, or reduce, clients will expect the same standard of output and demand more compelling content to cut through the noise.

Jennifer Grant: As far as I understand, the industry has changed a lot, meaning there’s not much room to be well versed in only one discipline. Much like the well-loved 90s cartoon Cat-Dog, I think us producers need to embrace the blurring lines between agency production and line production. The industry is in need of multi-skilled, fluffy hybrids.

Jessica Greshoff: Working in broadcast, one of the main challenges facing our industry is the huge shift away from linear television and the move toward streaming and online content. I think the challenge will come in working out how broadcast can stay relevant to a modern audience whose attention spans are getting shorter, and who have a world of content at their fingertips.

"Those who aren't willing to embrace this new era run the risk of being left behind."

Kaiya Taffel: There’s a lot changing in the industry at the moment. The role of the agency in general is being challenged with some clients going direct to production companies. And there’s also a lot of cultural changes with a push on diversity, inclusion, movements like Times Up and Me Too. So, I think the nature and landscape of agencies will change, with the need to be more adaptable but hopefully that will be a good thing and the industry can positively step in the right direction.

Carmela Vitale: As people are digesting content in an ever expanding number of ways, I think the biggest challenge will be keeping up with these developments and emerging technologies. Those who aren't willing to embrace this new era run the risk of being left behind. 

How important is it to network with your peers from other agencies?

James Pinnington: The more producers you can have in your network, the better. A lot of production is being able to call upon people you trust to recommend the best director, post house, editor, animator for a certain project. 

Tandeap Tatter: The more I grow into the role the more important it becomes. It’s great to get life experience from different producers to see how they work. It’s all a learning curve.

Paul Van Lierop: Extremely. We are often put against other agencies in pitches and it's important that we recognise that it doesn’t matter what agency you work at we are all striving to do the same thing; create great work.  

Above: Carmela Vitale.

Zaf Choudhury: It’s always great to have pals in the same industry as sounding boards, points of view and reassure you you’re not alone when things get tough! It’s a niche role so it’s nice to know that others ‘get it’ too (and hook you up with a last minute editor you might need for the next day…).

Phoebe Robertson: I don’t know any producers from other agencies, so I’ll find out on the night!

"Networking is an important opportunity to learn from (read: spy on) and support each other. It’s a great way to hear about new talent too."

Amber Lauder: I really enjoy meeting my peers because you learn more about different agency and individual perspectives and challenges.

Anya Williams: Networking is integral to our role. Meeting up with peers creates a great support network and can help when it comes to ‘climbing the ladder’.

Aran Patterson: Different agencies have different ways of working. Networking is an important opportunity to learn from (read: spy on) and support each other. It’s a great way to hear about new talent too.

Jennifer Grant: If that means more friends for beers, I’m into it.

Carmela Vitale: Massively important. Following what your peers are up to not only keeps you inspired but it also pushes you to keep making great work yourself. 

What piece of work from the last 12 months made you say, 'I wish I'd made that!'?

James Pinnington: The Red Cross spot, Hope. It’s such an incredibly moving spot with a hugely powerful message.

Tandeap Tatter: I’d have to go with Nike’s recent Colin Kaepernicks campaign [Dream Crazy].

Paul Van Lierop:  Rimowa, Never Still by Anomaly's Berlin office. They travelled across the entire world shooting some of the most influential people. The result is  an edgy and exciting take on Rimowa’s brand image. What could be better?

Above: Zaf Choudhury

Zaf Choudhury: The New York Times The Truth Is Worth It series directed by Martin+Lindsay. It’s incredibly compelling and crafted so well, my head of film sent it round recently and I was hooked. 

Phoebe Robertson: Kim Gehrig’s vulvas for Libresse [Viva La Vulva]. Iconic.

Anya Williams: Nike Nothing Beats a Londoner; appreciate my answer maybe a tad cliché but love the Morley’s cameo. 

Aran Patterson: Going to be hugely unoriginal here, but DDB’s Skittles Superbowl ad for one person, and Saatchi & Saatchi’s brilliantly self-aware It's Tide Ad made me say “Ugh, that is goood” out loud. And of course I can’t not doff my - albeit biased - cap to W+K’s Nothing Beats a Londoner - blisteringly good.

Hector Murray: Being a huge fan of Spike Jonze and Apple’s advertising in general, the Welcome Home spot for the Apple HomePod stands out for me. Seeing the ‘Making of’ film showing the practical effects and intricate sets shows it would have been a dream production to have been involved with. 

Kaiya Taffel: Definitely Nike Londoner. But also, Amazon Alexa Lost Her Voice for the 2018 Super Bowl. I did get to work on their Super Bowl spot this year though, so that’s a highlight.

The full list of attendee producers, nominated by their department heads, is;

Tash Bedford, producer, JWT

Chloe Brown, assistant producer, Ogilvy

Zafar Choudhury, producer, BBH

Alfie Glover-Short, producer, The & Partnership

Jennifer Grant, creative producer, Uncommon

Jessica Greshoff, project manager, BBC Creative

Katie Heaselgrave, producer, The Corner

Camilla Hempleman-Adams, production assistant, WCRS

Amber Lauder, production assistant, Mother

Hector Murray, production assistant, Above and Beyond

Aran Patterson, production assistant, Wieden & Kennedy

James Pinnington, producer, Gravity Road

Samantha Roberts, assistant producer, AMV BBDO

Phoebe Robertson, junior producer, MullenLowe

Holly Simmons-Betts, junior producer, Publicis

Kaiya Taffel, producer, Lucky Generals

Tandeap Tatter, junior producer, Media Arts Lab

Paul Van Lierop, junior producer, Anomaly

Carmela Vitale, producer, VMLY&R

Anya Williams, producer, Havas