Being a television or agency producer is not about what you do, but how you do it. This presentation walks through the five key principles to producing a successful project.

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NOT WHAT YOU DO, BUT HOW: PRINCIPLES OF PRODUCING GREAT CREATIVE

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NOT WHAT YOU DO, BUT HOW: PRINCIPLES OF PRODUCING GREAT CREATIVE
This presentation is built to outline the keys to successfully leading teams from
project launch to final delivery.
OVERVIEW

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NOT WHAT YOU DO, BUT HOW: PRINCIPLES OF PRODUCING GREAT CREATIVE
From its initial brief, through the creative process, to final delivery, any creative
project can be a challenge. Creatives and designers aim to push the limits,
bosses and clients set restrictions, schedules are a moving target, and budgets,
deliverables, deadlines, and air dates are constantly looming.
OVERVIEW

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Whit Friese
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
•18-year Agency Background
•Domestic and International
•Show Production
Connor Swegle
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR
•Entertainment Branding & Design
Background
•Global Trend Perspective
•Client Focused
SPEAKER BIOS

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Have you worked with a creative that doesn’t seem to
care about the process?
OVERVIEW

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Have you worked with a producer that doesn’t seem to
care about the creative?
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OVERVIEW

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Tension is good.
OVERVIEW

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PRODUCER
pro·duce
(pr-ds, -dys, pr-)
To bring forth; yield
PRODUCE
BEING A PRODUCER

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BEING A PRODUCER
Producers manage tension, move projects forward,
and foster an environment for great creative potential.

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HOW DO YOU
GET FROM...
A B
BEING A PRODUCER

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DON’TYOU
Q
A
BEING A PRODUCER

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WHAT
YOU DO •Budgets
•Schedules
•Assignments
•Delivery
This is experience you can
generate over time.
BEING A PRODUCER

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YOU DO
HOW
YOU DO IT •Attitude
•Energy
•Communication
•Forethought
These are skills you can
contribute immediately.
BEING A PRODUCER

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A lot of people can produce a project.
How you do it dictates the team’s collective effort, their
attitude, and the overall quality of the project.
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BEING A PRODUCER

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5 PRINCIPLES OF GREAT PRODUCING

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FOCUS ON
PLAN for
CHANGE
BE THE YES
THE MOTIVATION
MAKE IT FUN
GET IT DONE
B
A
1
2
3
4
5
UNDERSTAND
THE NEXT
FIVE PRINCIPLES

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1 PLAN FOR CHANGE

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B
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PLAN FOR CHANGE1
Director is booked.
Must be 3D.
Talent
Changed
Management re-direct.

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1
MAP IT OUT
HOW DO YOU PLAN FOR CHANGE?
PLAN FOR CHANGE

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1 PLAN FOR CHANGE
A clear plan of attack sets expectations, informs
stakeholders, and reflects how each change can
shift other pieces of a project’s puzzle.

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CREATIVE CONCEPT
DEVELOPMENT
MULTI-PLATFORM PROJECT
WEEK 1 WEEK 2
CREATIVE
BRIEF
17
ON-AIR DESIGN &
COMPOSITING
PRINT DESIGN
PROJECT
DELIVERY
5
DETAILED DESIGN & PRODUCTION - PRINT, OFF-AIR &
DIGITAL
TALENT
APPROVA
4 DESIGN
APPROVA
24
DESIGN
DEVELOPMENT
VERSIONING & DELIVERY
MECHANICALS &
DELIVERY
DIGITAL VERSIONING
FINAL
DESIGN
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PLAN FOR CHANGE

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FOCUS ON THE NEXT2

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FOCUS ON THE NEXT2
Nothing is more intimidating than a large project.
Except if the only thing you and your team have to
work from is a blank page.

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2 FOCUS ON THE NEXT
MAKE BIG PROBLEMS SMALL
HOW DO YOU FOCUS ON THE NEXT?

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2 FOCUS ON THE NEXT
Don’t constantly worry about the final delivery.
Instead, break the process into steps. Start with
the first step and work your way through.

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2 FOCUS ON THE NEXT
EXAMPLE: DISCOVERY CHANNEL’S FROZEN PLANET
Frozen Planet is a Discovery Channel blue-chip documentary
series. The launch was highly anticipated and required a
multi-platform delivery.

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2 FOCUS ON THE NEXT
EXAMPLE: DISCOVERY CHANNEL’S FROZEN PLANET
It was a massive project to produce, but by breaking each
segment into its own smaller project, the producer was able
to seamlessly develop a fully-integrated multi-platform
campaign.

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2 FOCUS ON THE NEXT
SUNDAYS 8PM
PREMIERES MARCH 18
FACEBOOK.COM /FROZENPLANETUS
DISCOVERY.COM /FROZENPLANET
FROM THE MAKERS OF PLANET EARTH

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BE THE YES3

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3 PLAN FOR CHANGE
PRESENT SOLUTIONS
HOW DO YOU BE THE YES?

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3 BE THE YES
When a challenge presents itself, you have two options.
You can create a solutions-driven environment, or you
can let obstacles stop you and create an environment
fearful of change.

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3 BE THE YES
EXAMPLE: CANAL+ GROUP’S D17
In the middle of developing France’s D17 brand launch,
twenty :10 IDs were added to the deliverables list. The team
was concerned and overwhelmed.

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3 BE THE YES
EXAMPLE: CANAL+ GROUP’S D17
Rather than creating an environment of stress, the producer
created an environment of solutions by bringing the team
together for brainstorms.

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3 BE THE YES
EXAMPLE: CANAL+ GROUP’S D17
The solution was to create an original library of 5,000+ still
images, giving the client unlimited stories to tell, and visual
motifs to play off of.

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3 BE THE YES

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UNDERSTAND THE
MOTIVATION
4

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4 UNDERSTAND THE MOTIVATION
YOU CREATE A
COMMON GOAL
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU
UNDERSTAND MOTIVATION?

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UNDERSTAND THE MOTIVATION
Listen to your team and understand the why
behind the what.
Through this, you can define how each team
member creates the most impact, and can bring
their collective motivations together for a larger
net impact.
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UNDERSTAND THE MOTIVATION
EXAMPLE: TIME WARNER CABLE SPORTSNET
Time Warner Cable’s launch campaign for their new
network, SportsNet, stirred up quite a few opinions at the
office. Some thought the campaign should be heavily
Lakers centric, while others thought the new SportsNet
brand should lead the campaign.
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UNDERSTAND THE MOTIVATION
EXAMPLE: TIME WARNER CABLE SPORTSNET
This difference of opinion slowed the project, but the
producer was able to sit with the team, clearly articulate the
client’s goals, and use that as a stepping stone to refocus each
team members’ individual motivations.
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UNDERSTAND THE MOTIVATION4

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MAKE IT FUN, GET IT DONE5

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5 MAKE IT FUN, GET IT DONE
We work in a creative industry, and we’re here
because we love creativity and storytelling. Enjoy it!

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FOCUS ON
PLAN for
CHANGE
BE THE YES
THE MOTIVATION
MAKE IT FUN
GET IT DONE
B
A
1
2
3
4
5
UNDERSTAND
THE NEXT
FIVE PRINCIPLES

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THANK YOU
Whit Friese
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
whit@troika.tv
Connor Swegle
ACCOUNT DIRECTOR
connor@troika.tv