Producing Tomorrow's Producers: Why You Are Never to Old to Learn New Skills with Matt D'Arcy
As executive producer and head of production at Banjoman, Matt D'Arcy leads their production team in creating films for Irish and global brands. Since starting in Banjoman over 10 years ago he has formed great relationships with brands & creative agencies in Ireland and abroad while also picking up some awards along the way - most notably being named Production Company of the year for two years running in 2021 & 2022 at the Kinsale Shark Awards.
In 2023 he produced my first feature film 'King Frankie' with Banjoman Films which premiered at DIFF 2024 and is set for a theatrical release in Ireland/UK after finishing a festival run.
The culture in Banjoman is to make great work, be nice people and work with nice people, build relationships and ultimately deliver the highest quality films.
LBB>What advice would you give to any aspiring producers or content creators hoping to make the jump into production?
Matt> Surround yourself with the right people who are experienced but also willing to help you. LISTEN as much as you can and ask the ‘stupid’ questions early. I learned by taking myself out of my comfort zone and learning on the job - picking up tips and also making mistakes along the way!
LBB> What skills or emerging areas would you advise aspiring producers to learn about and educate themselves about?
Matt> I think communication and people skills are top of the list, young producers should really focus on building relationships with everyone; crew, HODS, post producers etc. By building these relationships you can learn from experienced people and have a network of mentors in different areas - making a well rounded producer.
LBB> What was the biggest lesson you learned when you were starting out in production - and why has that stayed with you?
Matt> Creating a nice work environment leads to the best work! At Banjoman one of our main goals is to be nice people and work with nice people. Creating an enjoyable set allows everyone to express themselves in the best possible way - clients/agencies get more from the director/ production company if they are happy and enjoying what they are working on. Enjoyable can also mean challenging - our best work has always come from jobs that have a great atmosphere and that challenge us.
LBB> When it comes to broadening access to production and improving diversity and inclusion what are your team doing to address this?
Matt> We are acutely aware of the need for inclusion in today’s world, especially in the film industry. Having been founded 10 years ago, Banjoman is a modern company and that is reflected in our approach. We aim where possible to have at least 50% of our teams identifying as being from an under-represented group, we are also striving to hire more under-represented groups in key HOD roles. A number of Irish creative agencies are leading the way in improving inclusion which has really helped create opportunity and experience for the under-represented. On a day to day level we ensure that every member of our team on every production is valued and respected - a small but important point.
LBB>And why is it an important issue for the production community to address?
Matt> Diversity is so important in both everyday and working life. Despite the obvious moral reasons, being diverse and inclusive has huge benefits for our work. People are different and have a unique voice and set of skills - the more different types of people we can work with the more well rounded and informed we can be when making decisions. Going back to my earlier point, it is so important to create an enjoyable and welcoming workplace for everyone! This leads to the best work.
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?
I think there is a very small tension and probably a healthy one between the two. The creator economy has shown that great content can be made using alternative and flexible approaches. Having said that, in my eyes there will always be a need for experienced ‘traditional’ productions led by a director and producer. The creator economy can feed into formalised production, the introduction of various aspects ratios and multi format work has led to some interesting films in the commercial industry.
LBB> If you compare your role to the role of the heads of TV/heads of production/ 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?)
Matt> Budgets would probably be the biggest change. I started out as Ireland and most of the world were in financial recovery after the crash so I had to find creative and unique ways to get things done. It was amazing to see how these creative approaches actually led to better work in the end so I have taken that with me in recent years as bigger budgets have returned. Technology is the other one, remote working and working on the go has certainly changed the game in recent times.
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?)
At Banjoman we love to help educate our producers in house, we want to work with the right type of person first and help them develop the skills on top of the right personality! There are also great courses/events with Screen Ireland for more specific training. We do things in our own unique way so it is important to us that we help nurture producers from an early stage if we can - learning on the job is a big one. That said, sometimes we’ll meet a producer that just clicks with the Banjoman family :)
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?
Matt> There is no denying the industry is a fast paced one - I think speed is one of the areas that the creator economy has fed into more formal productions. We have to be adaptive when deadlines are more challenging than usual, on these jobs prioritising the key tasks is vital.
Clients also need to be adaptive and have an understanding that speed sometimes means we need to take an alternative approach. These types of jobs are great for learning the value of interpreting the script and focusing on what is most important. In my opinion, a balance of fast paced jobs and ones with more lead time is the perfect way for up and coming producers to learn their craft.
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?
Treat every job as a learning opportunity, you are never too old to learn some new skills. There are so many amazing young creatives, producers and crew working in our industry - they can bring fresh ideas that experienced producers can add to their own skillset. Keeping things fresh and embracing these new ideas also keeps our work fun!
LBB> Clearly there is so much change, but what are the personality traits and skills that will always be in demand from producers?
Matt> Being personable and trustworthy are big ones for me - be the person that people love chatting to and working with. Relationships will always be hugely important so building those over the years is key. Add to those being super organised and a calming presence and you will do well.
