Executive Producer
Derby
1) Get production company representation or an agent. Most importantly: make really great work–find your voice, your look, the stories you are passionate about telling. Push yourself to create work you are proud of and admire–constantly be raising the bar. Build your community of collaborators; support those building around you and they will support you too–this is vital to your early years and even more so as you grow.
- Once you have work that you are proud of, start your research. Make a list of production companies whose work you admire, follow their work, and check out the directors on the roster.
- You are your own hype-person: stack your social media with your work, follow people you admire, always update your website and make sure people can clearly contact you
- Craft a friendly, casual and non-templated email to say hello to production company EPs to let them know you admire their work and would love to meet soon. Don’t be afraid to follow up a few times. EPs get outreach emails all day, why does yours warrant a response? Great work and a friendly demeanor.
- Once you start taking meetings, make sure you and your production company are a right fit – don’t be afraid to ask questions! If you feel you are a right fit for the EP and the company culture, go for it!
2) Find the right work/life balance. Realize that this is a myth, and don’t be too hard on yourself when one takes precedence over the other. Life is short, but it’s also long. 6 months of keeping your head down to grind and missing social engagements can most definitely pay off. On the reverse, skipping out on a work opportunity to catch an important life event is also something you’ll need to be prepared to do. Ask some of your closest friends to keep you accountable, but do realize that your lifestyle may not be pleasing to everyone in your life–and that’s okay. Make friends in the community, as well, and blend your groups together. Go easy on yourself.
3) Derby has been working on so much that I am proud of lately, but what I am most proud of is making the firm decision of what I want our culture, vibe and talent to be, and to not stray from that–it can be scary to draw a line in the sand about who you are and who you are not, and tough decisions have to follow, but I firmly stand behind the fact that once you are fully true to yourself, the opportunities pour in.
Sinners and Saints Adds Apple Pie To Its Branded Menu
Bicoastal Sinners and Saints--the multidisciplinary studio overseen by managing director/executive producer Heather Heller, and partners/EPs Yann Henric and Thomas Carroll--has added Apple Pie Tabletop to its roster for branded content. Known for its food and beverage content creation, Apple Pie comprises the husband-and-wife team of director/DP Gene Dubin and director/art director Alisa Volodina. In addition to representation, the move expands Apple Pie’s production capabilities through the combination of its centrally located full-service studio in New York and a newly established mobile studio in Los Angeles. Apple Pie recently teamed with Sinners and Saints on a Wienerschnitzel project created by Innocean.
“We believe that our dual studio strategy positions us uniquely in the competitive landscape of food and beverage storytelling,” said Heller. “By blending the artistry of the New York studio with the flexibility of our Los Angeles location, we can tailor our productions to meet the unique demands of each project, regardless of geography.”
“Working with Sinners and Saints in the demanding field of tabletop was an absolute pleasure,” shared Apple Pie Tabletop in a joint statement. “Warm welcome, unwavering support and dedication--everything a director can ask for. The entire experience was both enjoyable and rewarding. We will not miss an opportunity to collaborate with them again.”
“The first thing you notice is that Apple Pie has beautiful work,” Heller observed. “Having worked with them, I can say that Gene and Alisa are extremely meticulous and detail-oriented; their combination of talent and agility appeals to agencies and clients.” Also appealing to Heller is Apple Pie Tabletop’s brisk international... Read More