Is it me or is everyone a producer nowadays?
I was chatting to my good friend, director Charlotte Bennett this week when the subject of producers came up. I have quite regular dealings with producers who, broadly speaking fit into three niche types.
1) The Megamaniac – Believe that success is achieved by shouting and demanding things. There are constantly busy and never have enough time for anything, at all, ever, apart from more shouting and demanding things. Your point of view is the wrong point of view. The only opinion in the room is theirs, and it’s not an opinion, it’s a FACT.
2) The Latte Drinker – Spend most of their time in meetings, drinking posh coffee, agreeing things are a good idea. They might have a selection of different coloured pens, or perhaps a badge saying producer. They like the name. They’re not a fan of doing, well anything really… But it’s good to be a producer.
3) Super Organised – This type is an incredible rarity. The type of person who you never have to e-mail because they’ve already sent you an e-mail with the information you would have asked for in your e-mail, and the e-mail after that, the e-mail you didn’t even know you needed to write yet. They’ve done that. Already.
It’s a very vague and non-descript job title, it can be as simple as in charge of press releases to as all encompassing as general administrator/dogsbody. But generally, what the consensus has been is there are lots of types 1 & 2, and far too few of type 3.
I was thinking about this and decided that surely it wasn’t that hard, was it? I mean I know I’m sat here on my bed writing this with a milky drink criticising, but really, how hard can it be?
So here goes.
I will be a producer for a company on request for 3 months, how the role works, how it develops and the company are up for debate. It could include all the things in my freelance work section or not. The conditions are that I’m not out of pocket at the end (so expenses only) and I’m listened to, you’re professional or very close to becoming, and, crucially, that I believe in the work of the company.
So, make your pitch.