Producing Tomorrow's Producers: Encouraging Others to Be Curious with Sarah James

Finding her beginnings at Energy BBDO in Chicago, Sarah produced campaigns for global brands such as SC Johnson and Bayer. After moving to Los Angeles, she pursued both live action and post producing while freelancing for brands such as Google, Lululemon, Sprite, and Spotify. Throughout her career, she has helmed several award-winning TV commercials and campaigns from pre production through to post and delivery. Now Sarah is an executive producer at Impossible Objects, a virtual production company helping to define the future of filmmaking by embracing innovative technologies and techniques. Sarah specialises in creative problem solving using next-generation real time processes such as game engines and LED volume stages to streamline content production.

LBB> What advice would you give to any aspiring producers or content creators hoping to make the jump into production? 

Sarah> I would recommend interning first, if at all possible. Since there are so many areas of expertise in production, making sure that you are pursuing what you’re most passionate about will help you in the long run. Many of the most successful folks in our industry have ‘done it all,’ starting as runners and PAs, production supervising and managing, even the art department, and as ACs and ADs. Learning all of these roles gives you excellent insight and perspective, regardless of the path you ultimately choose. 

LBB> What skills or emerging areas would you advise aspiring producers to learn about and educate themselves about? 

Sarah> As the constraints on traditional commercial shoots increase, from budgets to timelines to creative, virtual production is one solution that is offering more economical and environmentally friendly options to producers and production companies. Additionally, how we’re able to use AI in our productions is evolving rapidly. I believe being open to and learning how these technological advancements can facilitate ease and creativity in our projects is the key to growth moving forward. 

LBB> What was the biggest lesson you learned when you were starting out in production - and why has that stayed with you? 

Sarah> It may not come as a surprise, but being a team player and knowing how to communicate effectively will take you a LONG way in this business. Learning how to ask questions to better understand all the aspects of production and the various roles is also going to serve you well. For me, asking questions has never been a bad thing – it will help you come up with the creative solutions necessary to get the job done. 

As producers, we are also tasked with being effective problem solvers. I have a personal ethos as a producer that I will never bring a problem to a client without at least two or more creative solutions. It feels obvious to say, but it doesn’t help anyone to raise a concern without also having a plan (or two!) to fix it. I believe that this is the key to what sets a really good producer apart from the rest. 

LBB> When it comes to broadening access to production and improving diversity and inclusion what are your team doing to address this? 

Sarah> I’m proud to say that we have a diverse team of directors and staff working with us currently. Also, on our recent John Deere commercial all about female empowerment, we collaborated with Free the Work to bring in a mentee. She partnered with our amazing female director Jay Walker and shadowed the entire production, gaining valuable first-hand knowledge about what it takes to direct a major ad campaign on an LED volume. 

LBB> And why is it an important issue for the production community to address? 

Sarah> Inclusivity is always beneficial to everyone, and our community is no exception. Many of our directors have a wide range of perspectives and life experiences, which invites creativity and encourages innovation. Changing the barriers of entry for underrepresented filmmakers should be a goal for the entire filmmaking community. Not only does it foster a healthier and happier workplace environment, it always allows untold stories to be shared and highlighted by authentic voices. 

LBB> There are young people getting into production who maybe don’t see the line between professional production and the creator economy, and that may well also be the shape of things to come. What are your thoughts about that? Is there a tension between more formalised production and the ‘creator economy’ or do the two feed into each other? 

Sarah> This is such a great question. I believe the two feed into each other. Creator economy content isn’t the same as what’s being created by more traditional ‘professional’ studios; however, we’re seeing more and more examples of the two being combined to achieve more personalised targeting within advertising. TikTok creators are doing a fantastic job at the specific thing they do, and I think we’ll see an increase in our two worlds merging - more overlap and collaborations - and all of it being done in tandem. 

LBB> When it comes to educating producers how does your agency like to approach this? (I know we’re always hearing about how much easier it is to educate or train oneself on tech etc, but what areas do you think producers can benefit from more directed or structured training?) 

Sarah> Our model is to start our new producers out on smaller projects to gauge their current skill level and range of capability. Our teams are usually available to have new members work with them closely so they better understand the technology we use on any given production. 

LBB> It seems that there’s an emphasis on speed and volume when it comes to content - but to where is the space for up and coming producers to learn about (and learn to appreciate) craft? 

Sarah> I’m going to go back to my previous answer about asking questions, it is vital. At IO, we work very closely with our filmmakers and directors to get to the heart of the story. Including junior producers in the creative conversations from the beginning of a project, helps them understand the “why,” and we’re not just showing them the “how.” As producers, we want to always be thinking 10 steps ahead and focusing on the best way to accomplish the tasks at hand. However, at the end of the day, it's all about filmmaking and keeping the creative intent at the forefront of the production which I believe lends itself to our best work.

LBB> On the other side of the equation, what’s the key to retaining expertise and helping people who have been working in production for decades to develop new skills? 

Sarah> We are always encouraging our team to be curious and work together to learn from each other. We’ve hosted team happy hours to discuss new tech and brainstorm ideas. We have internal projects that we work on as a team to enhance our shared knowledge. We host small screenings with our team to foster creativity within the company. Conferences and events help us engage with other talented individuals in our community and continue to be essential for creativity and inspiration. 

LBB> Clearly there is so much change, but what are the personality traits and skills that will always be in demand from producers? 

Sarah> This is perhaps the easiest answer of all of them! Being detail-oriented, adaptable, flexible, open to change, and the ability to work well under pressure. Understanding criticism and the ability to accept it, as well as using your initiative. Prioritising and managing time well, not only your own but the project's time too. At the end of the day, a producer's job is to essentially foster and deliver a seamless experience. I believe that some of the best producers to work with are the ones who have a clear creative perspective.