The Best Gifts Production Specialists Have Ever Received

In the lead up to Christmas, LBB AUNZ is asking strategists, creatives, CEOs, marketers, production specialists, and music and sound practitioners to share the best gift they’ve ever received - an object, piece of advice or training, or person they’ve worked with. Here’s what producers shared with LBB’s Casey Martin

Sarah Coates, a senior creative producer at production company Eric Tom and Bruce had an all time favourite book growing up. The only thing is, she can’t remember any identifying details beyond fairies, and a journey on a ship. 

Despite these “fuzzy and generic” details and it being a time before “the Reddit community could help you with this kind of question in minutes,” someone secretly tracked the book down and gifted it to her. 

“To this day, the most thoughtful gift I've ever received. And as a producer, a total lesson in the value of attention to detail, surprise, and delight,” she said. 

Similar to Sarah, Film Production’s executive producer and partner Belinda Bradley recalls a memorable pop-up book that wasn’t something anyone could buy. Handcrafted by a “young, talented artist who was starting his career as a TVC director” at the time Belinda was a producer at McCann Erickson, she remembers being shocked that he didn’t land the job. 

“I never forgot the effort he put in or the vision he showed. That director went on to have a hugely successful career, demonstrating the power of making a bespoke impression. I share this story with the photographers and directors at Film Construction: put in the effort, stand out, and you’ll always be remembered.”

James Dive, the owner of Studio Dive, received his most memorable gift while driving on the highway on a “scorching hot day.” It was fast approaching the festive season in Sydney, and he was on his way to see a metal fabricator when ahead he could see a “motionless little white ball of fluff” that he narrowly avoided. 

“Now I should mention that I have a prolific track record of unwise wildlife rescues (even an albatross, but that’s a whole other story),” he says. “So, while loudly questioning the safety of my unfolding decision, I pull over and run back.”

That’s when he met a tiny white kitten with a feisty attitude. 

 

“Which promptly teared me to fucking shreds,” he says. “I was literally standing in the middle of an Australian highway fighting a kitten. In the end I got a good hold, and put the little bastard in a quickly vacated cardboard box.

“We drove around together for the rest of the day. Would you like some water? Whack. How about some food? Full teeth attack.”

James took the kitten to a vet, who “confirmed pretty much what I already knew”: James was now the proud owner of a kitten named Tassie (after the Tasmanian Devil). It was on Christmas Day that Tassie decided to let his guard down with James, and began the journey of becoming one of his very best friends. 

 

“Tough as nails, an absolute liability, but the biggest best boy. It was a great Christmas present, my best gift, even if it came with a highway battle.”