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I used to LOVE what i do. I thought i was one of the few people who really get to wake up to do a job they are passionate about.
I’ve been depressed the last two years over work and I’m considered lucky enough to be employed. I think this is my last producer job in a good while once i figure out what my exit plan is in 2026
scope is small, creative is ambitious, timeline is ambitious. i didn’t create them but somehow i’m the enforcer and bad new messenger? I’m expected to be client manager and product manager at once on top of being agency and line producer bc we can only afford to do production in house while the agency cash flow is not set up for it?
Yeah OP , i feel you heavy here. hang in there, or leave gloriously
100% relate on just pushing work. Often it feels like the clients and creatives don't care, then I look like an idiot for pulling in award-winning talent to produce mediocre slop.
The rest of my time is spent chasing finance to actually get people paid. That seems to be the hardest part anymore.
I hear you. It stopped being fun about a decade ago. Now it’s fine, it’s just a job & I keep doing it very well, I just don’t love it anymore.
there are so many. just Google R/advertising Reddit. It’s a lot of venting but also pretty informative.
Mograph here just stopping by to send my love out to you producers. I so appreciate all you do ❤️
so appreciated!
It’s lost its luster, but it’s better than a LOT of jobs out there. We’re still lucky to do what we do.
Agree
I am good at producing and I can produce anything. But I've been doing it so long that weird upset CDs are like children to me, and I'm as good with the clients as the account directors. I grind when I need to and I take off when I need to. I maintain a huge account and pull in great margins so everyone leaves me alone. I feel like the ceo of my own division.
Coach
I still enjoy putting a production together and being on set to see it come to life. It is harder now with budget’s and scheduling. Been at it for 20 years now.
i do agree tho, i dislike 90% of my job these days. but that 10% when things goes well on set and seeing everyone together does make everything less painful. I’m holding onto that as my source of light during dark days , haha
What sucks about being a producer is you don’t own any of the client relationships. If you’re an entrepreneur, which many producers are, there’s no opportunity to jump and do your own thing. Rarely do startup Indy shops say let’s go start an agency with a producer. So after a while of producing and you’ve won all the awards and done all the things, you’re kinda left with a lot to be desired. Lots of creatives will say, go start your own production studio. That is an entirely different job than an agency producer.
Agree 💯
Being a creative doesn’t feel fun anymore
The more senior I get the easier it is because I can tell creatives to go shit in a hat when they act like entitled pricks. The fun work has really disappeared all that’s left are cool projects that you have walk the tightrope to make happen. At some point it just isn’t worth it.
I’ve started just saying no more. Bending over backwards to make something happen - only for creatives to act like the compromises you agreed upon never happened is infuriating. Not fair to production companies or producers