Producing Tomorrow's Producers: Why We Need Diverse Voices in Advertising with Tanja Harney

After finding her start in 2012 at an award-winning film and commercial production company in Dublin, Ireland, Tanja Harney made the big move across the pond to Toronto in 2016. She quickly found a love for post-production and built commercial editorial company, The Assembly, from the ground up. In two years, she expanded The Assembly’s editor roster from two to twelve and led post on several award-winning campaigns including SickKids VS which won widespread recognition including Cannes gold. 

With stops at technicolor and editorial house Married to Giants, Tanja joined HUG in early 2023 becoming executive producer at Recess Post. Tapping into her extensive network of top-tier post houses and freelancers, she builds custom teams for every type of post project. She, and her hand-picked production team, foster a collaborative spirit on every project and ensure each one gets to the finish line with the best possible creative result. 

Tanja has made Canada her permanent home, though she gets back to Dublin whenever she can for the real Cadbury’s chocolate!

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

Tanja> One of the most difficult parts of the journey to producing can be getting your foot in the door. Once you’re in, whatever capacity that is, soak it all in. Listen to everything. Whether you’re answering the phones, making coffee, have to take five steps back in your career to get in the door, take it all in and pay attention to everything around you. 

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

Tanja> A director said to me, you don’t have to have the answer to everything. That has been a key piece of advice for me as both a producer and a leader. It’s OK to ask questions, especially if you’re in a leadership role. It’s just as important to be transparent when you don’t have the answer. A great producer knows when to lean on their team and crew for their expertise. 

LBB> If you compare your role to the role of the heads of TV/heads of production/executive producers when you first joined the industry, what do you think are the most striking or interesting changes (and what surprising things have stayed the same?)

Tanja> It feels like EPs are required to think outside of the box more now than in the past. Our workflow, process, budgets and teams are evolving. Diversity is bringing new perspectives and social media has completely changed the landscape in a way I don’t know that television advertising has had to adapt since it began. We are all exposed to so much more information, on everything. How we run our businesses, how we lead and manage teams, gen Z’s perspective on work/life balance, and what is the truth and what is the bullshit we’re being told. I think as an EP in 2024, you need to stay on your toes. You can’t lean back and let the machine run. 

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?

Tanja> It’s an interesting juxtaposition. The two are very different worlds but have a lot to learn from each other. Having spent my career on the “formalised” side of production, I can see the benefit of our process bringing to life high level creative - beautiful imagery and big ideas. However, I think our side of the industry is looking more and more to creator-generated content and realising we need to watch and learn. Creator content is now becoming the inspiration for advertising content. We just delivered a campaign where our “hero” aspect ratio was 9x16/portrait. It’s a very effective campaign with stunning imagery and high level of execution in post. I think more clients and agencies need to be looking at what’s happening on TikTok and Instagram and how we can translate that into traditional advertising without compromising on quality. For me the line exists, but it’s getting more blurred every day. 

LBB> When it comes to educating producers how does your facility/company 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?)

Tanja> Producing is such a “learn on the job” career. When I first started, coming from art school rather than film school (where everyone else seemed to have graduated from) my EP told me not to read the book on “How to Produce” that I had sitting on my desk. I still haven’t read that book! There is nothing more valuable in producer training than hands on, in situ, learning on the job. At Recess, I’m trying to strike a balance between letting our team learn from doing on their own and allowing space for mistakes, with being closely involved sharing expertise or having them shadow me on a project. 

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

Tanja> There are so many skills that are not to do with filmmaking that make a producer a great one. It’s just as valuable to know about business, accounting, and technology.

Right now, and I count myself in this, I feel it’s important to educate ourselves in AI and emerging technology. We need to understand what new tools we will need to implement in our workflow, and what aspect of our current process we need to protect to ensure our level of creative and execution doesn’t diminish. 

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?

Tanja> This I think comes down to the vibe an EP sets within their team. Yes, advertising moves fast, and we need to be able to handle a lot. But I think if the leader of the group doesn’t allow for a panic fueled atmosphere, that’s a game changer. I wholeheartedly believe it’s possible to execute a lot of content quickly while giving up-and-coming producers the space to learn. For me, a lot of it comes down to how I assign projects across the team, playing into each person’s strengths and watching out for learning opportunities. 

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

Tanja> With our model at Recess Post, we work with a large network of post talent across Canada and the U.S., from freelancers to in-facility. We do our best to champion and support diverse talent, always seeking out new connections to up and coming artists. We take the opportunity to mentor and match great talent with great clients.

We also speak to students at local colleges to educate them on the opportunities in our industry. Like many others, I stumbled into commercial production via film and television. I wish it was taught in more schools that there are fantastic career opportunities not only on the production and post side but also on the agency and client side of advertising. On a personal level, it’s the coffee and zoom intro meetings that I think make the most impact. I try to give time to those who reach out or to those I get introduced to. 

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

Tanja> We need diverse voices and perspectives in advertising. It significantly changes the working environment for the better and we end up with much better creative outcomes that speak to a wider audience. It’s important to make a conscious effort to change things from the ground up, it’s not a quick solve and we need to put the work in. As an EP in a hiring position, I feel an ongoing responsibility to educate myself and make a difference.

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

Tanja> Empathy. And, to borrow from Simon Sinek, “how to have difficult conversations, how to have an effective confrontation, and how to give and receive feedback”. As much as there is a technical aspect to what we do, I think it’s the “human skills” that are key and will always be in demand from producers.