Adaptability

A Producer/Director must be adaptable and understand how it relates to being a leader. As an example, I was commissioned to produce a brand profile for a large organization in Colorado; it was one of my largest clients, so I wanted to do a really good job. The budget was reasonable; since the client requested high production value – dramatic lighting, jib shots, dollies, etc.

Prior to shooting, it’s important for me to have a phone interview to get to know the organization I was commissioned to capture and tell their story. Plus, it makes everyone comfortable getting to know me – I use this time to share my vision and to assure them they would be proud of the piece we are producing.

The conversation often leads to the culture and calming the nerves of some of the people I plan on interviewing. The night prior to the shoot, I had the pleasure of having dinner with the leaders. Dinner discussion revealed a unique story - one that was very different from the original phone conversation. After dinner, to revealed a brand new approach I thought would deliver their brand voice in the most engaging manner.

One of the key functions of a Producer, I believe is to discover not only the voice of your customer but the voice of who They are as individuals. The real people – the people whom are passionate and driven. This is critical information in shaping the piece to be as engaging and provocative as possible.

After dinner, I immediately called my DP and cancelled all of the peripherals – the jib, the steadicam, slider, dollies and their operators – and ordered a Canon 7D still camera along with their Alexa camera package. I knew that our client wanted to engage the viewer with Hollywood sizzle and I, as a Producer, wanted to engage in the most basic sense: human emotion. No peripheral equipment can replace fundamental, basic emotions.

The next day, we chose to shoot each interview with a basic black sharp background, no music, with no video b-roll – just stills that I took with the Canon. My gut feeling was to capture the emotion without any “toys” that may distract from the story.

Usually, I never go against the client, but too often as production leaders we are hesitant to adapt and build on the emotional connection. The video profiled turned out not only well branded, it was filled with genuine and authentic emotion.

The piece continues to be my favorite, and to my relief, the brand continues to showcase the video in their large gatherings as an example of brand stewardship. As a leader, you must trust your gut and have the leadership skills to apply great sensibilities. Feel free to contact me if you like to see the piece.