Production

I also decided to read the production chapter because that is a field that I have never really thought of simply because I have barely recognized it as an option within the advertising world. When we talked about production in class, it was presented as a much more entry-level job and did not really seem like an option as a career. Well, I have learned that it is definitely an option, and I have learned a lot about what producers do. Production seems to be a lot more about logistical challenges. Producers have to solve problems about how to do something; especially in the early career stages, it seems to be much more about getting things done rather than thinking about how things should be done. I learned that producers are responsible for choosing the talent that will be used to produce an ad including directors, photographers, models, and editors. They must keep up with artists' work, and constantly be looking at reels and photographs and meeting with people so that they will know who they want to use when a project comes around. This is interesting, but to me it would be much more interesting to be learning about the clients rather than directors or photographers. The job of the producer is much more a part of the art world than I would be comfortable being as a career. I definitely should be on the business side of things. I also learned about the importance of a producer's understanding of the art director or copywriter's vision for the advertisement. If a producer gets the vision wrong, the entire ad could go wrong. The producer also has a big role as a mediator, at first between the account management and the creatives, and later on between everyone present on the shoot. Running a shoot seems like a very stressful job because the producer must make sure that everyone is running on schedule and that everyone is working well together. They must have a back up plan for anything and everything that may go wrong. Producers must also be able to step back on a shoot to allow everyone to do their jobs, while still remaining in control. This is something that would be hard for me to handle since I am very much a perfectionist who likes to have as much control as possible. I really have learned nothing about production before reading this chapter, and while I enjoyed learning about the process, I cannot say that I am passionate about becoming a producer someday.