Related Posts
How is career and technical growth in Cognizant?
More Posts
Rising Star
Enthusiast
How do you for sure if big 4 is not for you?
For my fellow cyber friends
Additional Posts in Production
What’s the best resource to find female DP’s?
Community Builder
New to Fishbowl?
Download the Fishbowl app to
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
unlock all discussions on Fishbowl.
I totally support this. Producers spend years vetting ideas and making the impossible become reality. This gives them a grounded toolkit for creating ideas that are executable and perhaps inspiration for what hasn’t yet been done with the skills of a crew. They’ll be more focused on making things that work for everyone (including the client) than passing through sassy ideas expecting them to become someone else’s problem.
Just because you haven’t seen it, doesn’t mean they won’t kick ass in the role! Try them out on a contract/freelance basis and go from there?
Give ‘em a shot. Producers come at the work with different strengths. There’s no standard - production is the art of the experienced, the determined, and the broad-minded.
People have surprising backgrounds that might support this role shift. And in the end, taking the long view, recognizing and nurturing talent and ideas, mentoring, getting the best out of complex groups of people and fighting for the best when it’s given - those are all things great producers do every day. And some pretty good CD’s have a knack for suchlike also. 😉
No, but I know one that really should.
Biggest challenge I could imagine for someone in that role is learning to turn off the production part of their brain early in the concepting phases.
But I’m not a CD, and imagine that’s a challenge for anyone with that much experience regardless. And concepting may be less relevant in that role, depending on the agency/accounts.
Anyway, good producers know more about good creative and how to make it than MANY creatives. Their people skills are also on another level. I trust their creative POVs more often than not and would love to see them in creative leadership roles.
I could see it happen. I know a Director that used to be a Producer.
Have seen it several times. An ECD at Carrot is a former Producer. Have seen Creatives become Producers as well.
Sure. It happened to me once. And good producers should have creative director instincts regardless.
This has been my goal so interested in hearing more on thread. Haven’t always felt ECDs would support this although I do agree skill set is transferable for the right person.
I know of a good Account Director for your role.
Producers are pretty adaptable... I would let them shadow you on the job or another CD. There’s a lot of BTS work that producers don’t get to see. I’m guessing some of the politics there would be complicated.
I went from Executive Producer, to Director for 25 years, now Executive Creative Director for a worldwide company. Titles are bullshit. So are creatives and creative directors who judge you based on your title, that someone else gave you. If the person has the talent, let them soar. You’ll be the hero for recognizing it.
Have seen a strategy director move into an ECD but not a producer
BBH London: Anthony Austin ran opened and ran Black Sheep Studios then got promoted to Deputy ECD under Nick Gill, then co ECD with Ian Heartfield....then Heartfield became CCO and Austin left. Not sure where he is now
Thanks everyone.
@Havas1 good suggestion but in my case it's a producer that has been with us for 2 years.
Depends on the type of work you guys do, with heavier video / content it makes sense but drastically depends on their background.
@Content Strategist 1 - yes we are heavy in video & content
I hate saying it, but it’s probably more of a digital centric producer into a digital focused CD role, right? That’s probably the easier transition. Can’t see a traditional producer moving over and writing scripts or print ads.
No, never
Nope
Nope