The past year-plus has seen an inordinate number of layoffs at numerous ad agencies—a purge from which production departments were not immune. Frequently, higher-paid senior production staffers were the first to be let go, in a scenario that many observers regard as being penny-wise and pound-foolish.
Indeed seasoned, savvy professional agency production heads, executive producers and producers are incredibly valuable. This becomes clearly evident in terms of their collaborating meaningfully and productively with creative colleagues, clients, production companies, post houses, visual effects studios, music/sound design shops and assorted other support services. Experienced professionals also play a vital role in helping to train the next generation of agency producing talent.
In this week’s Special Report, two longstanding agency pros discuss their roles, and specify the intricacies of overseeing production for arguably the biggest ad event of the year: the Super Bowl.
John Van Osdol, who is senior VP/director of broadcast production at D’Arcy Detroit, Troy, Mich.—he assumed the post in June 2001—worked on a re-launch of Cadillac, a division of General Motors. The Cadillac spots breaking during the Big Game were "Highway," "Crossing," "Glow" and "Parking Space." Scott Hicks, a noted feature film helmer (Shine, Hearts in Atlantis) who directs select spot assignments via Independent Media, Santa Monica, helmed "Highway" and "Crossing." "Glow" and "Parking Space" were directed by Bruce Dowad of Bruce Dowad Associates, Los Angeles. In addition to these high-profile directors, the campaign features a track from Led Zeppelin—one that has never before been used in advertising. In "Drive On," Van Osdol discusses the new Cadillac work, as well as a new product launch for GM that he oversaw last fall.
Van Osdol likens agency producing to "a firestorm," noting, "it’s basically putting out the blazes that flare brightest. I’m keeping a keen eye on the work, trying to put processes in place, and I’m trying to acclimate myself to the agency." He also notes that producers are frequently a part of the creative process—often from the conception of the idea. Van Osdol cites his long-time working relationship with Gary Topolewski, D’Arcy’s executive VP/chief creative officer, as an example of how great creative gets produced.
Lynn Roer, senior partner/co-head of broadcast production at Ogilvy & Mather (O&M), New York, also oversaw the production of a series of Super Bowl spots: the campaign for AT&T Wireless that introduces the new tag mLife—a.k.a. Mobile Life. The package of ads included several teasers, as well as a couple of pay-off spots. Roer and her production team worked with two directors on the ads: Lenard Dorfman of bicoastal/international @radical.media and Laurence Dunmore of bicoastal RSA USA. In "Launching Mobility," Roer discusses the hectic schedule of the shoots for mLife, as well as how she operates a production department. Like Van Osdol, she believes collaboration is key to the creative process. "We all face the challenges of tighter budgets and shorter schedules, and the only way we’ve conquered that is to work as a team," she says. "We figure out what promises have to be made, what promises don’t have to be made; and together we figure out a solution, because the fourteen-week production schedule doesn’t exist anymore."
Roer also works closely with those people she oversees, and believes strongly in passing along knowledge to new producers. "My real pride and pleasure at this point is I have great kids that I mentor," states Roer. "Internally in the department that is my focus—mentoring the next wave of producers we’re going to put out on the planet."
We hope you enjoy this look at two agency heads of production, and, as always, we welcome your feedback.
