Producing Tomorrow's Producers: Marcos Cline-Márquez on Surrounding Yourself With The Best People
As the founder of Altered.LA, Marcos Cline-Márquez is at the forefront of creativity in a data driven production industry, developing a wide range of content from original series for major streamers and networks to commercials and feature films.
His innovative work, including high-profile projects with brands like Coca-Cola and IWC Schaffhausen and celebrities such as Gisele Bündchen and Marisa Tomei, has established him as a leader in the U.S. Multicultural Market. Beyond his professional achievements, Marcos is a dedicated family man, recognised speaker, and thought leader. He actively contributes to promoting positive narratives for those with Mexican heritage through his involvement with various organisations.
Living in Los Angeles with his family and pets, Marcos continues to inspire with his passion for storytelling and innovation.
LBB> What advice would you give to any aspiring producers or content creators hoping to make the jump into production?
Marcos> There are a couple things that come to mind. First and foremost, you have to remember that the natural state of a film, TV show, and even a commercial is for it not to happen. The amount of hurdles that must be overcome to reach that moment when you’re on set producing are abundant, so know that the only way you’re going to achieve that goal is if you don’t stop pushing. Constantly take a step forward, do something that creates momentum daily. And know when to cut your losses and move on to the next one.
Second, surround yourself with people you enjoy working with. There’s a ton of stress involved in producing and it doesn’t help if you surround yourself with people you don’t respect and admire and enjoy spending lots and lots of time with.
You have the added benefit that in this industry people hire who they know, so if you’re in a bubble doing your own thing it’s going to be tough to get a gig, but if you help build a team of collaborators and you all push each other's projects forward, eventually those projects get better and better.
LBB> What skills or emerging areas would you advise aspiring producers to learn about and educate themselves about?
Marcos> As an EP, my job is to assemble the best team for the job and then let them do their thing. Letting go of one’s ego is probably one of the toughest yet most important things to learn to do. Few things are as collaborative as filmmaking is, lean into that, and surround yourself with the best.
Also, as an aspiring producer don’t hesitate to make the call. You want an Academy Award winning cinematographer for your project? Call their agent. There’s a casting director you think would help elevate your project? Call them. The worst thing that will happen is they’ll say they can’t.
LBB> What was the biggest lesson you learned when you were starting out in production - and why has that stayed with you?
Marcos> At some point in my career I learned that this was a business. That repeating it was essential and that scaling it would be important. The importance of fiscal responsibility eventually surpassed my desire to sacrifice everything for the art.
I wish they’d teach us that in film school because while most of us got into this business out of a desire to tell stories, eventually you have to eat, later a mortgage, maybe tuition for a kid or two, so understanding that strong financial fundamentals allow you to weather the storms that undoubtedly come are what allow you to continue to tell stories year after year.
LBB> When it comes to broadening access to production and improving diversity and inclusion what are your team doing to address this?
Marcos> As a Hispanic first, but not Hispanic only, production company, we pride ourselves in the role we fill not only in improving diversity in front and behind the camera, but also promoting authentic storytelling for each of the underrepresented markets.
We do everything from having a shadow program, to quantifying our diversity rates aiming for representation that mirrors that of the general population. We’ve also taken a leadership role in communicating to the brands we work with why it’s important to take DEI&B into account as we feel the data shows that it’s better for their economic growth.
LBB> And why is it an important issue for the production community to address?
Marcos> We speak often about this particular issue especially as it pertains to the representation of the Hispanic community. The importance is one of survival for many brands.
The demographic changes in America continue to point towards a growth in the Hispanic population, leading the way in media consumption, small business creation, etc. If the stories we tell or the commercials we produce don’t resonate with that audience, the client has a lot to lose.
Our role as leaders in this arena means we take ownership in communicating the needs in order for content to resonate effectively within this large demographic, among those needs is for authenticity in the storytelling and this is done by having greater representation behind the camera.
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?
Marcos> I take offense at people saying that the creator economy is not professional production. LOL! If someone is making money doing something, then they are a professional. Social driven content creators have utilised the platforms to generate tremendous revenue and, like in every other industry, the best rise to the top.
Serious answer . . . the tension that existed within the traditional production community and the creators dissipated over a decade ago. The new creators did not impact traditional production but created a new market. All I have to do is look at my 15 year old son. Spent some time on Tik-Tok today, watched an episode of 'Ripley', and then went to the movies to watch 'Godzilla vs. Kong 2'. One medium did not eclipse the other.
The same may not be true with the advent of LLM’s, text to video, text to audio, and all of the other AI driven tools that are emerging. I would encourage every single aspiring producer to dive deep into this, TODAY. The consequences may be grave as many predict, or they may simply turn into a tool like digital cameras replacing film ones as the go-to image capture tool, either way you best be prepared and know the capabilities of the technology.
LBB> If you compare your role to the role of Exec 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?)
Marcos> Perhaps my role has been a little more unique in the sense that I’ve always had my own company. I didn’t have the luxury of moving up in an established production company, so truth be told I had NO idea what an EP did, and 25 years later I still don’t. But I know how I’ve done it and it’s worked for me.
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?
Marcos> I often remind production teams that the lifespan of a Tik-Tok video is between zero to two minutes. As filmmakers sometimes get caught up in our craft and forget that one simple thing. My takeaway is that a brand needs TONS of content and that it is ridiculous to expect them to pay thousands of dollars for each video asset. But that doesn’t mean that the traditional well crafted content is no longer relevant, I actually argue the opposite.
So my recommendation to young producers is to find or, better yet, create those opportunities to work on various formats and genres. I like to say that I’m platform agnostic as a consumer, so why would I not be the same as a producer? In the last 24 months I’ve EP’d a feature, a stand-up comedy special, commercials, social media library asset acquisition campaigns, interactive content, and more. Some have suggested I should specialise in one, but that sounds gravely boring to me.
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?
Marcos> By and large the skills are the same, particularly in a role where your responsibility is to hire and lead the experts. While the distribution of content has added windows, the workflow for creating the content remains the same (Again, AI is already impacting some of that). As such, it’s important to understand why we’re doing what we’re doing and how the client measures success. That gives us the information we need to determine the best production approach to successfully complete the task.
LBB> Clearly there is so much change, but what are the personality traits and skills that will always be in demand from producers?
Marcos>
1 - a keen interest in things and people.
2 - curiosity
3 - an ability to see both the macro and micro.
4 - problem solving
I took the liberty of asking three members of my team how they felt I (or Altered.LA) helped develop their own skills. Here are their replies:
Denise Nuqui: As a member of the Altered.LA team, I have been so blessed and fortunate to work alongside Marcos, who I consider my mentor. Through his guidance and mentorship, I’ve developed valuable skills in refining and navigating the complexities of this industry. His guidance has not only sharpened my abilities but also equipped me with the insights and strategies essential for thriving in this ever-evolving field.
Through Altered LA's collaborative environment and Marcos's leadership, I have confidence and expertise needed to excel in the future of our lives and industry.
Marisol Sahagún: As part of a company that fosters personal and professional growth, I've been supported by leadership that values trust and team development. A people first culture and strong ethical values have been crucial to my development as a producer. Additionally, the focus on collective growth and adaptation to industry changes has been key. The leadership and mentorship provided by Marcos have been invaluable in enhancing my skills, providing me with the necessary tools to achieve our collective goals.
Jose Ignacio Morales: We live in a world where change is constant. Being proactive in adopting new technologies makes us more adaptable to changes and helps us face the challenges that may arise in the future. Altered.LA fosters an environment that promotes early adoption of new technologies, allowing us to push the boundaries of what’s possible and understand our own capabilities (as well as our limitations).
