Production Line: Today The Brave's Alistair Pratten on Production in the Agency
Alistair Pratten is the head of production at Today The Brave, one of the most exciting new agencies in the Asia-Pacific, having previously had the same role at Wunderman Thompson Australia.
Having worked in the TV and advertising production landscapes, Alistair's experience across multiple campaigns has enabled him to lead creative teams with varying parameters.
Talking to LBB, Alistair discusses the role of production in agencies, the industry's evolution, and his biggest lessons for producers.
LBB> Aside from Covid-19, what have been the most disruptive forces to hit agency production in the past few years?
Alistair> As more and more brands see the benefits of internal capabilities, agencies are having to work harder than ever to show real value to clients. It’s a shake-up that means we need to work closely with brands to identify real business problems, and then facilitate how we work together. This has changed how agencies operate: from the scale of the business to the types of people working on that business.
LBB> A good producer should be able to produce for any medium, from film to events to digital. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why/why not?
Alistair> I agree to disagree. On one hand, producers should be and are inquisitive people by nature, who want to continuously evolve their skill sets to tackle most mediums. However, there are, and should always be, specialists in each field. My incredibly varied background makes me a bit of a ‘jack of all trades’, which has held me in good stead when working in various businesses – but, I know when I need advice on a specific medium or problem it’s time to bring in the specialised experts.
LBB> And leading on from that, when it comes to building up your team at the agency, what’s your view on the balance of specialist’s vs generalists?
Alistair> From experience it is a balance of recruiting a variety of skill sets: from producers, to editors, to content makers. I tend to review what is already existing and then how I can complement it, while considering what’s right for the business and its clients’ needs. It goes back to my above comment, if you require a specialist for a project you should fight for that role to complement the project or the business.
I’m currently enjoying spending some time working with Today the Brave, which is an exciting opportunity as they are a team with infectious ambition. I aim to use my experience to expand the agency’s production offering as they continue an exciting period of growth.
LBB> What’s your own pathway to production? When you started out, what sort of work were you producing and what lessons have stayed with you in that time?
Alistair> I got my first gig working in live TV. It was fast paced, a bit rough and dirty around the edges, a lot of fun, and an amazing place to learn how to problem solve; how to make a decision on the spot and go with it. Sometimes it didn’t work out, but you appreciated the mistakes even more than the wins.
Though my real learning ground was in the incredibly busy production department at Red Bee Media in London. It was here I learnt what it was like to train under seasoned producers handling multiple big promos for the BBC. I will always remember those early mornings and late nights as a proper grounding experience.
LBB> If you compare your role to the role of the heads of TV/heads of production 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?)
Alistair> The most striking changes to me are in technology. The growth of AI, advances in post-production like volume stages, access to data and insights, and of course, the ballooning time required to produce campaigns with ever- growing numbers of outputs & executions.
However, at the core, I believe our industry has remained the same. We still want to work with the best in class, execute a production plan, manage expectations (internally and externally), craft budgets, create workflows, structure timelines, and think on our feet to adapt at any given moment.
LBB> When working with a new partner or collaborator, how do you go about establishing trust?
Alistair> Communication, transparency, and common decency. You cannot shortcut these in any way. Trust is built over time, so being transparent throughout goes a long way to building that trust. Don’t be afraid to talk about a problem: these can often be resolved quickly when raised early. But just as importantly, have some fun and learn to laugh – we aren’t saving lives as the maxim goes.
LBB> How important is it to you that there is diversity across all partners on a production? Do you have any measures to promote diversity when it comes to production?
Alistair> I believe the industry locally as well as globally should continuously be striving for a diverse workforce, whether for roles in front of the camera or for the team behind it. We live in a very diverse country made up of people from all over the globe and we should celebrate this and look to give opportunities to all no matter the background.
LBB> Sustainable production is also, understandably, a big talking point and will continue to be so moving forward. How are you navigating this as an agency?
Alistair> Production is getting much better at being sustainable, especially on set with a lot of production houses working consciously on better practices around waste. It’s also nice to see more and more agencies pushing for CSR certification, for example TTB have set a goal for BCorp approval within the next 12 months.
LBB> Has the pandemic accelerated this conversation at all, in your opinion? (ie, the number of people on set, less people flying around the world, etc.)
Alistair> Yes, it’s definitely a topic of conversation. In particular, the number of people attending a shoot and whether travel domestically or internationally is needed. Remote viewing capabilities have shown the way in that respect, but there is still a balance to be met between reducing excess travel, and allowing juniors to learn from being on set which requires a sensible approach to give our people the right opportunities.
LBB> What are your thoughts on the involvement of procurement in production?
Alistair> I think it can certainly be an advantage at the right time. They can guide and inform a client to help navigate what can be a challenging process if not tackled correctly from the start.
LBB> Should production have a seat in the C-suite, and why?
Alistair> Yes, I believe so. Production is afforded a unique viewpoint being positioned so close to the client’s outcome. Even with all the best strategies or creative ideas available a client’s satisfaction will ultimately come down to the delivery, so if you’re not including that opinion in the room you’re missing foresight on a vital piece of the journey ahead.
LBB> Clients’ thirst for content seems to be unquenchable - and they need content that’s fast and responsive! What’s the key to creating LOTS of stuff at SPEED - without sacrificing production values? Is it even possible?
Alistair> Agile content and social campaigns inevitably require a reactionary approach to ensure they are in the market when relevant to that moment. To do this right requires a skilled and enabled team of content specialists and social media managers/ strategists who understand acutely the nimble offering, allowing agencies to hit platform- specific best practices without sacrificing production values.
I believe there is real value to showing clients you can work nimbly and promptly to smaller scale content briefs while still maintaining quality of output, and it’s the team that makes it possible.
LBB> To what extent is production strategic - traditionally it’s the part that comes at the ‘end’ of the agency process, but it seems in many cases production is a valuable voice to have right up top - what are your thoughts/experiences of this?
Alistair> Production will always have a strategic element to it as we are planners and thinkers by nature. I will always fight to have a voice upfront and early on in the process, like by collaborating with creatives on their thinking, to help shape a better outcome for everyone.
LBB> What’s the most exciting thing about working in production right now?
Alistair> For me personally, there are two things. Firstly, there will always be advances in the industry, like the opportunities created by virtual production studios becoming more accessible for all scales of production and not bjust the big movies. Secondly, it’s never not exciting to work with new people and new talent on a daily basis.
LBB> And what advice would you give to an aspiring agency producer?
Alistair> Have an open mind about everything you do and every task. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and to learn from the knowledge around you - from my experience, seasoned producers are willing to lean in, support, and guide, so take advantage.
