Career Spotlight: Video Producer

Interviewee

Meg McHutchison
Job Title: Video Producer-Director, Self-Employed
Years in Field: 15 years

How did you get started in video production?

I came in through feature films and television commercials, doing script supervision and then location managing and production managing. My interest came from a desire to write in that medium.

My first job was as a script supervisor on an independent feature. I was making a transition from working in print media to working in theater and film, and I wanted to see what happened when text went from 2D to 3D. The process of working with a group of people was similar to theater, and I loved it. I found that I was really good at organizing things and people, which led me to producing.

How did you transition to video?

As I got more experience, I started doing larger jobs, production managing and line producing on smaller projects and that inevitably led to working in video as the medium changed. I moved into producing features and television, then into more corporate work. For a while, I spent some time back in theater, producing large events. When I returned to video, everything was digital.

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What’s a typical project for you?

My projects lately have been in the nonprofit sector. I sometimes work with a collaborator, and we go in and pitch a concept, or the company will have an idea they want to communicate. We pitch the concept, the schedule, the budget, and proceed from there. I prefer pieces that are a little bit longer, 7-10 minutes, and have an actual story to tell.

What are the main stages of production?

The main stages are: pre-production, production, post-production. Pre-production involves scripting or development. There must be an agreement on the script, the budget and the schedule. Generally there’s a hard deadline, which gives you a good indication of both the budget and the schedule. Once there’s approval on the creative direction and the budget, then you set about wrangling the logistics of the crew, securing equipment, locations – whatever you might need.

In production, you go out and film based on your breakdown of what you want to accomplish that day. You film the pieces, then put them together in a rough cut. Post-production includes editing, graphics, audio sweetening and sound design. It’s a complex process that results in the finished product, the actual video.

What do you most enjoy about producing?

What's most satisfying at this point is the development process and the editing process. I shoot occasionally, but the creative direction all the way through is the most satisfying: writing, figuring out the shots, editing.

I love the collaborative nature of the medium as well. Video production requires more than one person to pull it off, and I work well in creative collaboration. The process of idea generation and creative wrestling is really satisfying.

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What is the most challenging aspect of production?

Usually the most difficult part is working with clients who don't understand the medium or how much money, time and effort it requires to complete a product. We need to educate our clients to understand that if you choose to include certain elements, it affects the budget. People don't see that relationship, or don't understand that after certain review points it's difficult to make changes. Changes can always be made, but they have an impact in terms of budget and time.

Avoiding those pitfalls has to do with my ability to articulate the plan in the first place. The client needs to agree to the script, storyboards, budget and schedule, those key components. In post-production there's a lot of detail involved in editing and graphics generation that's hard for people to understand. What they see is a 30-second segment, but it's taken 25 hours for someone to do it.

What skills do people need to have?

You need to have a passion for moving images and what those images communicate. From the production side, you need good communication skills, the ability to work well with people, and good management instincts. You need to let people do their jobs; trust the team you've put together to do the work.

Also, if you're the person who's managing the budget you need the ability to say both yes and no which can be a very challenging situation on a large set.

What advice do you have for people interested in the field?

Look at groups that work with media or film, and check out their classes. A lot of colleges have certificate programs for both production and production management. In most cities there are small independent projects being shot on video that you could get involved with, because they're always looking for help.

Any closing thoughts?

These days everyone has a digital camera, everyone thinks they can make a movie; but it's a very complex industry behind making images, from movies, to commercials, to small nonprofit documentaries. It's an interesting and exciting field, but it's not as easy as it looks.

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