Production Parallels: Part 1
For years, I was the one standing in front of a classroom, explaining difficult philosophical theories and working with students to assess the implications of these theories for how we all live our lives. I spent hours–no weeks, months… years–perfecting lesson plans, creating assignments, and figuring out how to make abstract concepts come alive for my students. Teaching, as it turns out, is more than just delivering information—it’s about structuring it so people can understand it, then managing as you deliver it. It's about facilitating discussion while ensuring that everyone stays on track. This experience is something I think producers, who lead teams and meetings on a daily basis, can relate to. So, here is a first installment of best practices in teaching that have a parallel in production.
Producers: Your advocate and servant
If you’ve met me and heard me talk about the producer role in motion design and post, you probably have heard me say that producers are advocates and servants. What do I mean by that? I mean that a producer’s job is to protect both the client and the creative team for the good of the project and the studio. Let me elaborate.
Educating Clients on the Creative Process: Two Tips
At Deducers, we tell our students that a crucial part of a producer’s job is to educate clients on the creative process. Often, clients don’t know the studio’s creative workflows, and they don’t understand the time it takes to get a job done or to do it right. At times, it seems like many have beliefs about creative requirements that are very far from the mark. This can be frustrating, and it can lead to diminished morale within the creative team, inefficiencies in the creative process, and lost profits for the studio.
How can we manage their expectations and help them learn?
Streamlining Post Production Processes and Workflows
In the fast-paced world of motion design and post-production, efficiency is everything. With new technologies and AI making projects more complex and deadlines tighter, having streamlined workflows and effective project management strategies is a must. Whether you're working on a short animation, a commercial spot, a corporate video, or a feature film, using the right techniques can make all the difference in delivering top-notch work on time and within budget.
AI and the Increased Workload Effect
Lately it seems like everyone is buzzing about AI and what the prospect holds for our livelihoods. Change is imminent. It’s hard to deny this fact, but the question everyone wants to know is, “Will it be for the better?” Since our work at Deducers focus on production, what Rebecca and I have been pondering is, “What will AI mean for the creative industry generally and producers more specifically?”
A Recipe for Accountability
As producers, we juggle multiple responsibilities to ensure our projects are successful. It's not just about meeting deadlines and staying within budget; it's also about meeting client needs, supporting our creative teams, and keeping everyone on track. We're the hub of information, constantly knowing where we stand in the production process, what feedback needs attention, and who's responsible for what. It's a lot to handle, and let's face it, it can get stressful. Even so, being a great producer means not only holding our clients and team members accountable but also ourselves.
Clarify, Consolidate, Communicate
We’ve all been there as producers. You stand at the helm of an ambitious 3D animation project. The team has been toiling away for months, their creative energies pouring into every frame, every texture, and every light shadow when an email from the client lands in your inbox filled with feedback that could shape the project's next phase. . . What do you do?
Celebrating a Year of Success: Deducers’ Journey Empowering producers
A few reflections on our first year and on what’s to come!
The Producers’ Approach to Life: Beyond the Office
The holidays are upon us once again, and while it's undoubtedly a special time of year, it can also be quite stressful. Balancing our regular day jobs with an ever-expanding to-do list becomes overwhelming. Gift shopping, wrapping, grocery shopping, cooking, parties, and cocktails—all of these contribute to December feeling like an endless task list. And let's not even mention the challenges of travel during this bustling time! It's a wonder we can focus on work with all the personal life excitement.
Anticipating Needs
In the dynamic world of production, a great producer is the linchpin that holds a project together. They navigate complex terrain, ensuring that every element comes together seamlessly. Recently, I conducted a poll asking my LinkedIn network to weigh in on what they believe are the most crucial qualities and skill sets of a top-tier producer…
Connection makes it memorable
The importance of connection is why, at Deducers, we are meticulous about how each lesson is structured, craftered and delivered. We are dedicated to fostering our students' ability to assimilate the material to their own lives and the realities they face on the job. . .
Welcome Darren Jaffe!
We are excited to announce that Executive Producer, Darren Jaffe has joined our team! Darren brings with him a wealth of experience producing at top notch studios across the nation. He is currently EP of Advertising and Games at Digital Domain. Darren will be teaching “Blaze” in the Fall of 2023 and is currently providing expertise for our course solutions. Welcome, Darren!
And so it begins . . .
This Tuesday, Valentine’s Day, we kicked off our first class, Flame. . . Truly a perfect day to show some producer love. Our first class focused on . . . the beginning! How do you evaluate incoming projects? How do you evaluate fit?
