Production Parallels: Part 2
Two months ago, I wrote the first installment of “Production Parallels,” which focuses on the similarities I’ve noticed between teaching and producing. In fact, the more I dive into this the more I find that there are so many similarities, producers might do well to think of their role as being part teacher! For example, both exceptional teachers and producers understand the importance of feedback: they know they need to offer it, structure it thoughtfully, and make it visible so their audience can genuinely benefit from it. Let’s look at each of these in turn.
1. Providing Feedback: Help them Correct Course
A good teacher knows that feedback is essential for students to learn and master whatever it is they are teaching. Notably, it’s crucial for deliberate practice. Deliberate practice is practice targeted toward the achievement of a goal. Practice, in this sense, is not rote repetition; it’s intentional. Rather than blithely doing the same thing over and over in hopes of having a different outcome, with deliberate practice, the learner focuses on specific aspects of the skill or the to-be-learned material in order to improve and move closer toward a goal. Very frequently, when students encounter new or challenging material, it’s difficult for them to recognize why or where they’ve gone wrong. It’s even harder for them to identify what they should practice in order to improve if they lack external guidance. That’s why feedback is crucial, and the instructor’s role is to provide it to help nudge them in the right direction.
Producers, like teachers, must evaluate the team’s work with an eye toward the overarching goals. These goals pertain both to the client (e.g., the client’s vision, creative alignment with brand standards, meeting agreed-upon milestones) and to studio expectations (e.g., completing WIPs in a timely manner, communicating effectively and through appropriate channels and adhering to standards for quality work). Much like teaching, effective producing isn’t just about following a formula; it’s intentional. It requires guiding team members to take deliberate steps to help them improve in real-time. Feedback from producers keeps the team from simply repeating mistakes because when it is done well it clearly pinpoints what, when, and where adjustments need to happen. This not only improves the immediate project but also sharpens the skills of each team member, preparing them for future challenges and increasing the likelihood of success.
2. Structuring Feedback: Pad it and Provide them Grace
While feedback is crucial, great teachers know they need to do more than offer critical commentary to help their students correct the course. Great teachers know they need to deliver that critical commentary just so, or students will not receive it well. It won’t help them get closer to the goal. Padding feedback isn’t about bs-ing learners into thinking they are fantastic students. It’s about identifying strengths and also giving them the grace to make necessary changes. It’s important for students to know what they are doing well, so they can keep doing it. It’s also important for them to know how to get better, but they need to feel motivated and empowered in order to do it. Fortunately, by stating strengths upfront, teachers can protect students from the sting of criticism a bit and make them more receptive to the information they need to make the improvement. That’s why teachers will often review a student's work by using the classic sandwich: praise, critique, and a path forward.
Just like great teachers, great producers know that giving feedback is an art form. During a meeting, it’s not enough to simply pass on critiques. Before that meeting even happens a producer needs to take the client’s comments, interpret the intent behind them, discuss their thoughts with the CD, and then communicate the upshot to the team in a way that’s both constructive and motivating. This requires a balancing act: feedback must be clear and specific enough to guide action without overwhelming or discouraging the team. Just like the sandwich method used by teachers, seasoned producers often start by highlighting what's working—e.g., calling out those creative decisions that nail the vision and spotlighting efforts toward great communication—before shifting to areas that need attention. This helps empower the team, often driving them to elevate their work which can lead to creative outcomes that exceed client expectations.
3. Placing Feedback: Make it Visible
Lastly, when it comes to giving feedback, great teachers know that it has to be front and center for the person who needs it. Feedback doesn’t do much good if it’s hidden in passing comments or buried in a lengthy email that might get skimmed over. Instead, it needs to be visible, so that it captures the learner’s attention and they can make use of it in future practice. For teachers, this might mean meeting with a student one-on-one, going through their work line by line, or it might mean checking the Learning Management System to verify that written feedback isn’t hidden from viewers and notifying students of where they can find the feedback.
Likewise, seasoned producers know that feedback that gets buried in a Slack threat is equivalent to feedback that has never been given. Artists need to know when to expect feedback, where to find it, and when it will be given. It needs to be visible to them, accessible to them, so they can locate it and make use of it. This can mean discussing feedback during bi-weekly meetings, daily meetings, and one-on-ones. It can mean subtle check-ins and reminders. Importantly it can mean pinning the information to known channels and furnishing it in emails to ensure that it simply cannot get lost.
So there you have it, installment two of production parallels. Stay tuned for more production discussions next month!
