Head of integrated production
adam&eveDDB, London
1) Shoot as much as you can. Whether it’s working on short films, promos or test commercials, you need to feel confident in your storytelling abilities. From what I’ve seen (some friends that were London runners 10 years ago are now LA directors), the best way to get a showreel together & get representation to make work, is to hone your craft. Only when you’ve already got great creative projects under your belt are you able to get selective about your next job – so make sure your own creative integrity is present in everything you do.
2) Similarly, it’s about throwing yourself at as many different jobs as you can & gaining experience. It’s all about experience because no one job is the same as the next, and you learn something new on every project. The best producers are chameleons who are also part creatives, part client handlers, who have plenty of practical knowledge & on the job learning. So always be open to new opportunities, in fact throw yourself at them! The role of the producer is to pull together the best team you can, so never be afraid to seek help from others.
3) Learning is an ongoing process, and some lessons are harder to swallow than others. When it comes to evolutions in tech, you just have to be on the front foot & embrace everything you gleam from the experts. Proactively push yourself towards learning, but know that you’ll never know everything. Sometimes, despite your best efforts to secure that contract or clear that legal land mine, things don’t go your way. But don’t run away from it, as the producer you need to highlight the issues and try to find solutions, not bury your head in the sand.
4) I’m always proud of the work that our team hone and create, especially those projects that breakthrough into the public conscious. Because ultimately it’s all about making great work and communicating with the biggest audience possible. And it’s great to make work which is truly original. So being a part of last years H&M Holidays project, directed by Wes Anderson, was a particular highlight.
Eleanor Adds Director Candice Vernon To Its Roster For Spots and Branded Content
Director Candice Vernon has joined production house Eleanor for U.S. representation spanning commercials and branded content. She has already wrapped several jobs at Eleanor, which waited to announce her until they had a body of work together.
Via Eleanor, Vernon made history as the first Black director on a Febreze commercial. The “Small Spaces” campaign marks a major departure from Febreze’s typical blue-and-white world. The home of the “Revolving Door” commercial is a beautiful array of bold sunset hues, African prints, and African art.
Vernon said, “I asked myself, what feels right to me? What feels new? I wanted to bring an essence of not just Black Americans but the full diaspora. I wanted to make a statement that we’re not a monolith.”
Following the success of the “Small Spaces” campaign, Febreze brought Vernon back for a comedy-infused trifecta exploring the hilarious situations that call for an air freshening hero.
Febreze Brand VP Angelica Matthews said, “About two years ago, we realized the consumers that were the most loyal to Febreze were the African American consumers. And the more we learned, the more we realized the richness that we were really missing. So we said we have to go beyond just Black casting, we need to get Black directors that truly understand the culture that truly understand how to bring authentic performances out on screen. We really looked around the industry and noticed there’s actually a shortage of African American directors who have experience doing commercials. When we all saw Candice’s reel, we could all tell the passion for the craft, passion for really trying to help us from where we are to where we’re trying to go.”
Vernon brings a unique lens to... Read More