Producing Tomorrow's Producers: The Importance of Professionalism with Nadia Knight

Nadia (Dunn) Knight started her career in production back in the UK and has since spent the last decade working agency side in Canada. She brings a hybrid sensibility to all corners of the business having previously lead in-house production teams at shops like Bolt (Juniper Park/TBWA) and most recently Mint. Nadia is now an executive producer leading the East Coast side of the business for Kiddo. Previous and current client base include CIBC, Pinterest, Nissan, Bell, TD Bank, IKEA, Kellogg’s, Labbatt Breweries, Nike, Hershey.

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

Nadia> Network like crazy if you can. Take people for coffees, offer to intern, go to industry events, make people remember you! Take an interest in the people around you that you aspire to be and find out how they got to where they are now. Even if you’re starting out in the industry with no contacts whatsoever, if you’re a nice, hard working person, people will remember you and want to call you when the time comes. 

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

Nadia> Even though I always knew I wanted to be a producer, I took camera courses, lighting workshops etc. Getting to know different aspects of the production process that you might not always be directly involved in, can really boost your understanding of how everything fits together. You don’t need to be an expert with a camera per se, but having a basic understanding will go a long way on set. Embrace technology and really try to stay up to date with new trends and learn everything you can about them  - AI, virtual studios, AR etc. Research directors, prod co’s, agencies, great ads. Find the work that resonates with you and learn from it to help grow your own craft.

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

Nadia> You will make mistakes and sometimes those mistakes might feel really silly to you at the time. Learn from them! Ask the ‘stupid’ questions and try not to pretend you know what you’re doing if you don’t. No one is going to be upset with someone who is making the effort to learn, even if that means messing up from time to time. A good mentor will always help you work through those small mess ups and help you grow from them. 

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

Nadia> Kiddo recently launched a talent incubator ‘sister company’ ODDKID, to help find opportunities for underrepresented directors and crew. This works twofold for us, it allows us to get to know up and coming talent in real-work situations, and also allows us to offer an alternative production approaches to agencies and brands (which we know there’s a real need for) 

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? 

Nadia> It's definitely interesting to see how the line between professional production and the creator scene is getting more and more blurred. It's like this mix of challenge and opportunity. On one hand, content creation has allowed for a surge of diverse voices and perspectives, which can breathe new life into the industry. On the other hand, it's paramount for emerging producers to still understand the importance of professionalism and quality when it comes to this other side of more traditional production. 

The creator economy offers accessibility and independence but professional production often requires a higher level of expertise and resources. It's super important for young producers to recognise the distinctions between the two areas and ensure they uphold professional standards no matter which side of the line they fall on. 

LBB> Is there a tension between more formalised production and the ‘creator economy’ or do the two feed into each other?

Nadia> I think there can be a bit of tension but I personally find it to be unwarranted. It feels like it just comes from a lack of understanding or appreciation of what it can bring to our industry.

It’s just a different way of getting a message out for a brand, and for certain brands and clients it totally makes sense to advertise in that way. They definitely can go hand in hand and I think the industry is getting better at bringing those two things together. 

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?)

Nadia> Production budgets are a big one. We’ve had to get used to working in a much more nimble way and be a lot more flexible as EPs and HOPs. Things are not as traditional as they were just a few years ago and technology and social media is a huge part of that. Our EPs back then were definitely not quoting jobs in five different aspect ratios, where shooting on an actual phone instead of a camera was a possibility. While the larger broadcast projects remain a staple and hold a special place for us, it's clear that more social-heavy campaigns are very quickly catching up.

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? 

Nadia> The truth is, the landscape of our craft has evolved. Regardless of the pace or quantity of production, maintaining a polished quality remains essential. You can still produce great work rapidly when needed, it’s just a case of learning which parts of the work require more control. There are still huge learning opportunities within this type of content, you just may need to pick and choose what’s important to you, and to the project, to focus your efforts on

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?

Nadia> Make sure you’re always learning. Adapt to the never ending change that happens in our industry and embrace it. You might be an EP with 20 years of experience but there is always something new or different that you can learn! 

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

Nadia> Accountability, flexibility, kindness, being a great problem solver, GREAT communicator, and someone with good taste. These things will never go out of style!