HoPs on AI: “Master it Before it Masters You”

With production leaders from agencies such as AREA 23, Hudson Rouge, Deutsch, Momentum and Rain, the Growth Agency, as well as senior HoPs from media companies like ESPN and AMC Networks, the latest Simian Heads of Production roundtable ranged from the impact of AI in all its forms to the consolidation of production departments across holding company structures and the challenge of mentoring and training the next generation of producers. 

Co-sponsored and hosted by 1Park9, the gathering zeroed in on some key talking points, most of which circled back to this main point: the role of the producer in making ad content of any form is immeasurable, and often under-appreciated. 

“It’s really important for the producer to be embedded with the creative team, and to be part of their efforts from the very start,” one HoP stated. Several decried the shift towards consolidation of production units, creating what someone said was a ‘bullpen mentality’ in which producers were assigned to various jobs almost willy-nilly: “They’re being placed with different agencies and brought in late, and they lack any institutional knowledge of the brand, no prior expertise in terms of how it likes to run its business. 

A panel discussion at AICP’s Base Camp the day before introduced a new concept, which was tossed around: the producer as an ‘intermediary.’ “It’s really about being an omni-solution resource,” said one HoP. “There are lots of foundational skills that producers have that cross over between media formats, whether we’re talking commercials or long form content or experiential. In the process, we’ve all had to add these ‘extracurriculars’ to our day jobs of producing spots. And that’s one area where I think AI may help in helping solve these additional problems. It’s a form of supplemental learning.”

Recognizing talent in younger staffers – and helping set them up to succeed – was also discussed at length. With the lack of formal training programs, younger producers often need to learn on the fly, not always easy when schedules are jammed and every dollar scrutinized. “A lot of what we talk about is how they present themselves,” said one HoP about dealing with junior producers. “How do they deal with vendors, how they compose emails, even how they conduct themselves on phone calls.” It was noted that, in today’s screen-focused era, “Zoom is often a better fit for them. It’s just how they talk about things.” 

As for spotting talent, one HoP noted, “you can tell a lot about the questions they ask, that will show you if they’ve got it or not.” The importance of building relationships was noted, too. “I tell them, go to every meeting, answer every email, and be one hundred percent transparent with everyone, from clients to vendors,” said one participant. 

Regarding AI, the mantra is simple: learn everything. And don’t be afraid. “Every evolution of technology removes some jobs but creates others. I tell my people they need to learn all the different technologies and what they’re capable of. You have to master it, before it masters you.”

If anything, the assembled producers felt that, as a group, their contributions are not sufficiently promoted nor acknowledged. Indeed, their consistent level of proficiency often feels taken for granted by clients and agency management. “It’s almost like we’re too good at what we do,” said one HoP. “We need to have a louder voice when it comes to the discussion of how work gets done,” said one HoP. 

“Trust is truly important, and there are situations where that’s starting to erode,” voiced another. For producers, there needs to be ongoing education of what production entails, and what producers can do. For example, I’ve encountered senior creative and senior account people, for example, who’ve never been on set. What we do feels more important now than ever.