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. Eager to keep the momentum going, you skim through the detailed notes, pass it to your CD who responds with a mix of technical jargon and specific requests that are poorly written and seemingly out of scope for the project, but that, presumably, you are to convey to the team. 

What do you do? 

As producers we are funnels, we pass information from clients and CDs to keep our teams on track. Importantly, we are also filters. It’s through us that the information makes it to our team in a coherent form and also is consistent with the goals of the studio as well as the demands of the client. We need to take out the silt and the rubble—it’s through us that our team knows what they are responsible for and what they should be doing to move forward. 

You might have seen our posts on Deducers buzzing around reminding producers of the importance of the 3Cs: Clarify, Consolidate, Communicate. This brief vignette reminds us of why it’s imperative to approach feedback with the three C’s in mind. 

Let’s talk about that for a moment. Why do we need to clarify, consolidate and communicate feedback and, crucially, in that order? 

#1: Clarifying feedback aligns expectations.

Clarifying feedback is vital in a creative environment because it bridges the gap between expectation and reality, ensuring that all parties (client, artists, producers, leadership) are on the same page. It not only enhances understanding but also fosters an atmosphere of mutual respect and openness between ourselves, the client, and the creatives on our teams. Importantly, it helps everyone learn how to improve their communications, so that future feedback is on target and easier to understand.

Feedback from clients to producers and from CDs to producers can be difficult to understand for a variety of reasons. It might be seriously complex. It might be vague and ambiguous – it can mean more than one thing and you’re not sure which. Ever read something when you're hungry and read it again when you’re full? What about when you’re angry or after a good night's sleep? Your physical and emotional state matters too! You might be on the same page, but you just can’t see it. So, you need to ask questions, communicate your understanding and use information you gain from the interaction to align everyone’s understanding of the request. 

#2: Consolidating feedback increases quality and efficiency.

Consolidating feedback from clients and creative directors is crucial for ensuring that artists' efforts align closely with both client expectations and the studio’s strategic goals (e.g., to do something reel worthy, to achieve a certain profit margin, to maintain positive cash flow, to promote a durable partnership). Artists need a clear sense of direction. The only way they can get it is through consolidated feedback from clients and creative directors– meaning through producers as filters. When we give them consolidated feedback, it reduces confusion and redundancy. In turn, it enhances motivation. We do less work overall, and artists know their efforts aren’t merely wasted time.

It’s true, sometimes as producers we have to pass along tidbits of information at a time, but when we can provide the information in a single communication, organized clearly, it’s easier for our teams to recognize, interpret and remember what they need to do. For one thing, they don’t need to flip back and forth between multiple messages to figure out how best to proceed! For another, the what, the why and the how are laid out for them, so it’s less likely they’ll have questions and the easier it will be to make everyone accountable for what they need to do. 

#3:  Communicating feedback gets the job done, and in the right order, it gets it done right.

Communicating feedback is the only way to truly move forward on a project, but it should be the last step. We all know communication needs to happen and in a timely manner. Timely communication enables the creative team to swiftly adjust to evolving creative requirements. Delayed feedback and missed feedback mean our artists are potentially making headway in the wrong direction. Feedback needs to be seen to be heard and heard to be seen. So, let’s do ourselves a favor and consistently put it in a place where everyone knows to find it. However, over and above all else, clarify it and consolidate it first when you can. If we don’t, there will be risk for confusion, a higher likelihood of the need for revisions, and in turn a higher sense of frustration. 

While, as producers, we are naturally empathetic to the struggles of our clients and our teams, and we want to make processes smoother and people happier, it’s important to keep in mind the personal benefits of adhering to this process as well. Remember, if our teams are frustrated, we probably are too, and we deserve better than that! 

Clarifying, consolidating and then communicating helps align expectations, increase quality and efficiency, enabling us to get the job done right.