In this post, our own Victoria Pezzella shares what it means to live the life of a Producer in the no-day-is-ever-the-same world of Dunn Studios.
“Organization is key. One must be organized to be a multi-media producer. One must also be a good communicator. Oh, and one must be creative and open-minded. One should be able to take direction, but also lead the way. One must be able to see all sides of a project, from accounts to creative to the Studio Director’s perspective. Basically, one must wear many hats in order to successfully produce.
Taking an idea on paper – or from Microsoft Word – and bringing it to life is my job. And boy, is that end result satisfying (that is, if everything goes well, of course!). From photo to video shoots and other random, off-the-wall productions, the producer’s role is prominent in this phase we call pre-production, or the time period from approved concept to shoot day. My day is never routine or mundane because every project is so different. I can be scouting locations in the morning, running a casting call in the afternoon and browsing the interwebs for interesting props at the end of that same workday. I hire crew. I request insurance. I rent equipment. I coordinate travel arrangements for those out-of-town productions (did I mention we get to travel?!). I make sure we have food and beverages on set. Coffee is important! As is Five Hour Energy… Melcher, I’m talking to you!
Not every task is exciting, but they are all equally important to running a successful production. Our main goal is to create great work and make our clients happy. Yes, give them a home-run, A1 end product, but also make sure that they are getting what they need in the pre-production phase. We aim to be as open as possible with questions and concerns, so that everyone is on the same page. On shoot day, if the client is present on set, make them feel comfortable. Even though the work is important, it should be fun. After all, we’re making cool things here, people! And, in the end, when someone says, “That’s a wrap!” you can look around and smile a secret smile, knowing that you had a large part in making this creative idea come to life.”
-Victoria