Meet Your Makers: Why You Shouldn’t Sweat the Small Stuff with Lily Delphine

Lily Delphine is a London based post producer with a wealth of experience under her belt. Her industry journey has been diverse, beginning in commercials where she ascended through the ranks, catering to a broad clientele including Direct Line, McDonald's, Fairy, Nescafe, Visa, and EE. Fast forward to today, Lily has seamlessly transitioned into the dynamic world of VFX and long-form, where she remains fuelled by a genuine passion for the art of creative storytelling and the meticulous craft of visuals, which, in turn, makes her a valuable contributor to any project.

LBB> What first attracted you to production - and has it been an industry you’ve always worked in or did you come to it from another area?

Lily> I’ve always had a love of film and TV, as well as a curiosity of knowing how it all comes together. Since I was in college, I knew it was the industry I wanted to work in. Although I hoped I’d work in production, I ended up falling into post and have never looked back!

LBB> What was your first role in the production world and how did this experience influence how you think about production and how you grew your career?

Lily> I applied to be a runner at an in-house post production agency in London, but ended up being offered production assistant instead – I couldn’t believe my luck (and that I got to miss that step when starting out in the industry?!). I’ve always felt really grateful for that opportunity; it made me realise just how valuable having good people skills and a positive attitude were above anything else. 

LBB> How did you learn to be a producer?

Lily> I don’t think you ever really stop learning as a producer but when I first started out as a PA, I would shadow the senior producers and constantly asked lots of questions. They would all have different ways of doing things, which was great because it helped me to work out my own style. They’d give me smaller jobs to produce on my own until I was given my own account to run.

They were always patient with me and would pick me up and dust me off if I made mistakes, which helped me to grow. Having a supportive team like that really meant the world whilst I was trying to learn the ropes and find my way in the industry.

LBB> Looking back to the beginning of your career, can you tell us about a production you were involved in where you really had to dig deep and that really helped you to grow as a producer?

Lily> The first account I was given was Morrisons Trade – it was full on with a lot of deliverables and a very quick turnaround. I would often be given a brief in the morning and tasked with building multiple animated TVCs from scratch, that would need to be delivered the same day. I definitely felt out of my depth and the workload was stressful at points, but I think the best way to learn is throwing yourself in the deep end and getting stuck in. That production taught me to be reactive, resilient, and how to cope in high-pressure environments where problems can arise at any given moment. 

LBB> Was there something that you wish you had known before you started?

Lily> Don’t sweat the small stuff. In the early stages, I used to beat myself up over tiny mistakes when the reality is everyone's going to get things wrong from time to time. It's about owning them and learning from the experience, so you can avoid those mistakes next time. We’re all out here just trying to do our best!

LBB> What’s your favourite thing about production and why?

Lily> I love that I’m always learning new things and that every job is different. From a technical perspective, post-production has so much to offer that you never quite get a complete handle on it. But, for me, that’s what makes it so satisfying. I feel like you never want to have the mountain behind you, you always want to have it in front of you.

LBB> What do you think is the key to being an effective producer - and is it something that’s innate or something that can be learned?

Lily> Producers come in all different shapes and sizes, so I think it can be learnt to an extent as most pickup their own style along the way. However, I think that having good people skills and being organised is innate and those two things go hand in hand with being a good producer (especially one that people enjoy working with). 

LBB> What are your personal ambitions or aspirations as a producer?

Lily> I really love character animation so I have a personal ambition to work on an animated series one day – something fun like Adventure Time would be a dream!

Besides from that, I want to keep pushing myself and soak up all the knowledge I can from the talented artists I get to collaborate with on each project.

LBB> As a producer your brain must have a never-ending "to do" list. How do you switch off? What do you do to relax?

Lily> A nice glass of wine and Anthony Bourdain usually does the trick. I also love being by the sea, so I like to get down to the coast whenever I can to have a little breather from London.

LBB> Producers are problem solvers. What personally fuels your curiosity and drive?

Lily> For me it’s the endless possibilities of post, so when I get a new brief to do something I haven’t done before or the collaborative process of 2D and 3D artists working together creatively, testing out different techniques and watching it all come together. I genuinely find the whole process very inspiring and love bringing our clients’ visions to life.

LBB> What advice would you give to people who are interested in becoming a producer?

Lily> Your relationship with your artist should be just as important as your relationship with your client – having a good team around you will make you feel unstoppable and that you can take on any challenge.

LBB> From your experience what are the ingredients for a successful production?

Lily> Good prep, a solid team, open communication, and the ability to stay calm under pressure.

LBB> What’s the key to a successful production-client relationship?

Lily> For me, it’s having an understanding of and respect for each other. Ultimately, we both have a job to do but it should always feel like we are part of the same team working towards a common goal. I want my client to know that I have their back and I’m going to get the most out of their budget for them whilst delivering the highest standard of work possible. 

LBB> How long have you worked for JAMVFX?

Lily> Just over 11 months. 

LBB> What’s your position at the company?

Lily> VFX producer.

LBB> How does JAMVFX support your career progression?

Lily> The management at JAMVFX are great at ensuring I have a good mix of projects on my plate to keep me challenged and they're always ready to offer advice when I need it.

My team really are lovely, and it feels good going to work knowing I have a supportive crew around me who are reliable, open, and all about collaboration.