Producing Tomorrow's Producers: Why There Are No Shortcuts for Luke Morris
Luke Morris is the global head of production at Three Deers and is an award winning integrated production specialist, who has headed up agencies and production houses with over 18 years of experience.
LBB> What advice would you give to any aspiring producers or content creators hoping to make the jump into production?
Luke> My advice has always been that for anyone who wants to become a producer, there are no shortcuts, even in this ever-changing world of fast-paced content and working styles. The experience you gain on your journey allows you to handle moments when you are producing with a calm head and find solutions to problems. This ability is only gained through experience and putting in the time and allowing yourself to grow through each step up into a producers shoes.
Also, find a mentor or someone you look up to, either in your work place or the industry, and have an open mind to learn. Be able to handle constructive feedback - you will make mistakes, but it’s how you recover from them that will set you apart with quick thinking and a practical approach to situations.
LBB> What skills or emerging areas would you advise aspiring producers to learn about and educate themselves about?
Luke> The industry is always changing, the type of content shifts and swings and it’s important to constantly see what others are doing out there. In the world of VFX and CGI it can be very technical, so it’s always good to try and take time to understand the steps involved and also learn what each person does and what issues they face so you have a better understanding of how to solve the issues when they arrive.
There are always new tools on the market, but simply you need to understand spreadsheets - and if you get to control budgets, educate yourself on these and always keep checking the workings to ensure that you are running on budget.
LBB> What was the biggest lesson you learned when you were starting out in production - and why has that stayed with you?
Luke> One of the biggest lessons I have learnt is to keep as calm as possible, approach each situation with a diplomatic approach, try and resolve issues as prompt as possible, and try to have fun – as a producer you are the glue that combines many elements and its essential to keep that glue holding. People on set feed off energy, so it’s vital that you have that calmness about you.
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?
Luke> I feel that there is a place in the production environment for both, a brand creating a blue ribbon TVC isn’t going to hire someone who does not have the experience and a lot of companies are not set up to handle the smaller content needs. The only tension that can arise is if they cross over into each other’s territory and the ambitions of creator content styles start to take on jobs that they are not equipped to handle - then the clients start to lose an element of trust especially in the VFX and CGI sector, where it’s a lot more complex and needs a very organised structure and equipment to pull off a certain size job.
LBB> If you compare your role to the role of executive producers when you first joined the industry, what do you think are the most striking or interesting changes?
Luke> I think the basis has stayed the same, however I feel like in today’s fast paced production arena, senior staff all have to be a bit more hands-on in projects, clients are more expecting of the senior management teams to be more involved in the process.
LBB> When it comes to educating producers how does your agency like to approach this?
Luke> At Three Deers, we train and build most of our staff through retaining them, with a low turnover they become more structured and feel happier, and happier people produce better work. We like to do constant reviews after each project and look at areas of work that went well and where issues arose, we learn from those and implement practices for the future.
The education doesn’t only have to be a technical one, its one on people skills, client management and how communication plays a vital role in the creating a smooth project.
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?
Luke> This is an age old issue – which is having the good, fast and cheap scenario. We live in a time now where all three seem to be a requirement, when it used to be just one of them. I always believe that content needs to be engaging and have a purpose. I think through the rapidly changing landscape and how we consume media, there will always be a need for certain media created around events and being reactive, but planning is key to ensure that even if it’s a quick turnaround there has been a thought process before.
LBB> Clearly there is so much change, but what are the personality traits and skills that will always be in demand from producers?
Luke> I think being dynamic and learning as much as you can about all parts of production is becoming a norm, with an integrated approach to the media channels we all create content for an essential skill. But mostly it’s about dealing with people and having the ability to get the best out of your teams, learning to read situations and deal with clients in a way that forms meaningful relationships and the ability to build trust in the process.
