What’s the most relevant business and/or creative lesson you learned in 2020 and how will you apply it to 2021?
Hyper Interconnectivity. Working in a state of constant change you realize just how interconnected people and systems are with one another. One decision sets off a domino effect of events. It’s a challenging space to be in and there is an immense amount of critical thinking, gut instinct, and future forecasting that has to happen in real-time. Fast and smart decisions can make or break the creative execution of an idea. It’s interesting to watch how our decisions play out and how they help shape the execution of an idea. 2021 means going even faster and most likely making critical decisions with even less information. We have to get really good at anticipating the future and be ok with taking risks.
Gazing into your crystal ball, what do you envision for the industry–creatively speaking or from a business standpoint–in 2021?
The slasher generation has redefined their identities to allow themselves to be and to do multiple things. We’re seeing the same play out in production especially when crew sizes can sometimes be limited, and people are forced to play multiple roles. We’re getting really comfortable wearing multiple hats and have the permission to do so. It wasn’t always that way but as the lines blur and new lines are drawn there is a massive amount of opportunity for us to try out things we might have always wanted to experiment with. I believe it will diversify our thinking and there will be more innovation and creative problem-solving. It’s about time we questioned traditional roles.
What are your goals, creatively speaking and/or from a business standpoint, for your company, division, studio or network in 2021?
We are committed to fighting invisibility through the work we create, who we hire, and how we can help accelerate change in the representation of BIPOC talent in the production community. We’re creating programs that have real tangible actions that will help us achieve some of these goals.
How did your company, agency, network, service or studio adjust/adapt to the marketplace in 2020 (new strategies, resources, technology, health/safety expertise) and what of all that bodes well for 2021?
We played offense. We had to pool our collective creative and production knowledge and hit problems head-on as they emerged. We had to have the nerve. And honestly, it took some bravery to point a spotlight on our internal processes and quickly decide what was working and what had to change. We re=engineered ourselves for growth and adaptability by growing different collectives. We then connected them all in different combinations. It’s wild to see how fast culture relevant ideas can be created once the right people have been connected.
What’s your New Year’s resolution, creatively speaking or from a business standpoint, for your agency, department or company?
Creatively speaking it is to continue to make work that impacts culture. We ensure that we make only the best work for our clients despite the situation. The situation is constantly evolving and it’s not always easy to navigate but with some creative thinking, we can still execute amazing things.
