Producing Tomorrow’s Producers: Heath George on All That’s New and Old in the World of Production

Heath is the founder of Clockwork Films, and a producer with over 20 years’ experience in the industry. He’s long been a leader and innovator in the realm, with Clockwork having been one of the first production companies to go digital, and dispatch via FTP. He’s maintained a serious commitment, across his career, to issues of sustainability and diversity, and is proud to run a production company where these causes are championed. 

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

Heath> An aspiring director once asked me, “How do I become a director?” My answer is the same for producers and content creators, start doing it! Make stuff. Tell stories any way you can and share them widely. There’s a million people out there who talk about making stuff, the ones that succeed do it.

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

Heath> There will always be hot topics, ‘content integration’ (incorporating digital producing) is fast becoming an expected fundamental. But content is content. Unless you’re a strategist, filmmaking principles are agnostic of the channel / budget.

The biggest asset for any producer, and one that’s the most future-proof, are creative / soft skills. People and transformational leadership skills. The type of things that are least likely to be automated by an algorithm or platform. The way to build those skills is to help others and create like-minded communities.

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

Heath> It can often feel like we need to know everything these days and it can be overwhelming. There’re job posts that expect you to be a master of a half dozen highly skilled roles. I’d advise any aspiring producer to know your strengths and play to them. Build trusted networks of people you genuinely enjoy spending time with; and help each other. Don’t try to emulate any skill set or someone else’s career, just be the best possible you. You can teach skills; you can’t teach attitude. 

A healthy dose of naivety and just going for it can be a good thing. If I knew then what I know now, there’d be a million good reasons not to try. Yet, you just overcome one challenge at a time and eventually things start falling into place.

Having a clear goal in mind is very important. Be deliberate in how you spend your energy.

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

Heath> We like to think diversity is being invited to the party, inclusion is being asked to dance. To address this important issue, we’re investing in developing and training people – with D&I front-of-mind during recruitment and being mindful to rely on referrals to build homogenous teams.

But there’s no denying there are significant structural barriers to diversity and inclusion in the film industry, and it’s a big challenge for SMEs (which most production companies are). Barriers to entry are high (film schools / production is an expensive collaborative activity). The freelance nature of most of the industry makes breaking-in very difficult – people tend to build networks of very similar people and rely on referrals. 

We’ve also observed some crew roles are being inherited. Australia has an unusual structure where crew often own equipment, and this increases the barriers to entry for non-incumbent demographics. But expectations are changing up and down the supply change. Diversity is also widening from gender and ethnicity to other types of diversity as well such as class, ability and neurodiversity. There’s no silver bullet unfortunately. Progress is being made, but we have a long way to go.

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

Heath> Besides the moral imperative, Environmental Social Governance (ESG) has matured in the corporate sector and is no longer just a warm-fuzzy nice-to-have – it’s a business imperative. More-and-more firms are requiring their tier 2 and 3 suppliers to be accountable for their impact, and reporting that impact in annual reports to stakeholders. Demand will ultimately drive change. 

To maintain a social license to operate, all aspects of an organisation’s impact need to be considered – including social impact. There is also a lot of great research supporting the benefits of diverse teams. The shared universal consumer / entertainment experience is also virtually a thing of the past, technology serves increasingly niche consumption of content. So strategically, the film industry can’t possibly service diverse demand if it remains largely homogenous.

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?

Heath> I can certainly understand the appeal of being paid full time to play video games on Twitch when faced with the prospect of another late night completing a competitive pitch on a creative that isn’t particularly inspiring. But the odds of becoming the next mega-star creator are probably on par with breaking-in Hollywood as an actor. That said, why not do both? Take the career in production and make content on the side. Worst case scenario, you build invaluable skills.

New technology, new communication channels and lower barriers to entry for content creators are disruptive, and disruption creates commercial tension. That’s a given. But the spheres aren’t as clearly demarcated as a first glance may imply. There are YouTube channels for example that would be the envy of many production companies in size, scope & revenue. 

TikTok celebrities with slick marketing and production teams behind them, the lo-fi aesthetic being more an artifact of the medium than a commercial tension. Likewise, there are integrated, commercial and content companies that are as agile and self-taught who see themselves as content creators but operate in a more traditional commercial space. We’re starting to see talent emerging from creator companies that we’d traditionally expect to come from TV networks, production, or ad agencies – many are run like startups – so they bring innovation, drive and diverse experiences.

The main distinction, in my view, is the perception of audiences and the types of commercial messaging audiences will tolerate from their different channels. For celebrities or creators endorsing a product for a low brand, high retail impact – digital channels might be the way to go. If you want targeted low-wastage brand content, formalised production is still the best option. It’s horses for courses, but the lines are blurred these days. The important thing is the strategy and story, not so much the channel. 

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?)

Heath> Not that much has changed to be honest from when I joined the industry, including the regular watering holes, which is perhaps indicative of the diversity of postcodes represented. Advertising is still very much a relationships industry. That said, creatives and producers are constantly being replaced by younger counterparts, and creator / in-house production creates non-traditional pathways. So that will drive change.

LBB> When it comes to educating producers, how does your agency 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?)

Heath> Producers often work in silos and the rise of freelancers also shifts the power dynamic within creative / accounts teams. The best way to educate yourself as a producer is to talk to other producers early and often, especially in your supply network. Most will be happy to help you break down scripts & ballpark estimates with no commercial obligation attached. This is a great way to gain a sense of the process and average costs, to help you also manage expectations internally. There’s nothing worse than your team being excited about a creative, selling it to the client, and then being told by your suppliers it’s not possible. 

Eventually you’ll be able to skim and script and be able to provide a fairly accurate estimate of what’s required and a ballpark cost. But unfortunately, there’s no substitute for experience. It just takes time, but keep in mind you’ll learn more from the mistakes. The main thing is ‘fessing up to them with integrity and what you do to fix them. If you build trust with your suppliers and are honest, they will help you when you screw up as well.

LBB> It seems that there’s an emphasis on speed and volume when it comes to content – but  where is the space for up and coming producers to learn about (and learn to appreciate) craft?

Heath> The increase in the amount and speed of content means there are more opportunities for up-and-coming producers to break into the industry. Content creators are also content consumers; and are therefore exposed to and aspire to produce a diversity of work. The combination of the two means there are more pathways to creating ‘crafted’ work (if that’s your aspiration) than ever. Craft is perhaps just a euphemism for time and resources. Like anything, trends and tastes change. I don’t see content as a craft killer, if anything making content creates an appreciation of how challenging it is to really craft great work.

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?

Heath> We often get scripts with a comment like, “A good opportunity for an up-and-comer”. That’s usually a euphemism for low budget (or perhaps wanting something atypical). Reality is we have an aging population, not only that, but people are also staying younger and working longer. Fun fact, over 50% of kids born today in Australia have a life expectancy over 105. Combined with decreased fertility rates, we’re facing what’s known as the ‘demographic drought’. Advertising has for a long time been an industry that worships youth, but that mentality needs to change to address the demographic and marketing challenges of the future. 

While older producers may not be digital natives and some freely admit they struggle with the technology, their depth of experience, relationships and resilience in the face of tribulations is often a surprising antidote to low-budget / fast-paced content demands. In the first part of our careers, we experiment, we have something to prove, etc. But in the second part, we synthesise our knowledge and experience, and we know what is and isn’t important. I’d urge people to reconsider their assumptions around age.

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

Heath> Producing will always be about relationships, managing people, collaborating and facilitating constructive conflict. I don’t believe there is any one ideal personality profile for a producer. It’s more important to understand your strengths, the strengths of others, and utilise them with a sense of awareness and purpose.