1) When writing treatments, less is better. Make sure your references clearly depict what your vision is. Every reference matters. Ask yourself: Does the treatment address the challenge? Does it meet the main objective of what we are trying to communicate? Don’t use references that are all over the place just because you like them and hope they stick, or simply to get the job. The agency has gone through rounds of revisions already and the team has put a lot of effort, churning the concept until is approved for production. Give the agency a good reason to choose you.
2) The producer has to be a problem solver, so surround yourself with the best talent your budget can afford and never take shortcuts. You’re also the glue that helps enable communication between team members and keeps them on the same page. Be organized, communicate clearly and in a timely manner. Don’t bring a problem to your team without at least two solutions, and keep in mind that money should never be the only solution. Stay up-to-date on technology, equipment and trends. Be a champion and be fair, and most importantly, never compromise the creative.
3) I’m currently involved in OrcÃ’s website redesign, and we’ve designed an AI-backed section which shows how Hispanics are feeling and analyzes their collective mood based on trending topics in a particular area. Basically, it’s a social media sentiment analyzer and I’m excited about the possibilities. Producers don’t typically get involved in these types of projects, but we have a lot of insight to share and collectively, can broaden a team’s tool kit. My experience with the redesign efforts helped me identify best practices and better understand how to best approach a production, knowing that one component may have to fit in with something with several other moving parts.
4) We recently produced a commercial for Honda’s CR-V, casting children with special needs. It was a fantastic, humbling experience to see all of these talented kids come in, grateful to be considered for an acting role in a commercial. I wanted to hire all of them. The shoot ended up becoming a bit challenging due to bad weather as it rained throughout the day, but we managed to shoot everything without incurring added costs.
