Six Pillars of Producer

I’ve been asked a lot about what I look for when interviewing producers. It’s actually pretty simple really, I look for what I call the six pillars of a producer. Those six Pillars are: are they intelligent, do they have the ability to effectively communicate, can take responsibility, the lateral thought process, an indomitable attitude, and a need for organization. Other things like process, and methodology can be taught. Some weaker pillars can be shored up with coaching and mentoring.

 

1. Intelligence – Are they intelligent? You have to be intelligent to be successful as a producer. Situations need to be understood, implications ascertained and, decisions need to be made. If a producer isn’t intelligent they may not read situations correctly, fully comprehend the implications and ultimately not make the best decision. It’s hard for people to get behind someone they don’t feel is intelligent, as they won’t have confidence in the decisions that producer might make.

 

2. Communications – Can they effectively communicate? A producer needs to be able to get his point across in a clear manner. The other half of communications is the ability to listen and understand what he’s being told. They need to be able to use those communications skills to help maintain momentum and motivate the team to achieve it’s goal.

 

3. Takes Responsibility – Can they step up and take responsibility when things go pear shaped? Every project needs to have someone who can take ownership or responsibility for it. When things do go wrong they need to step up and be accountable. That ability to take responsibility is the

 

4. Lateral Thought Process – Do they have the ability to improvise, adapt, modify, and overcome? They need to be able to think their way around a situation when all the traditional solutions have been exhausted. The best plan never survives the first contact with the enemy, or so they say. I know that no plan ever survives the first day of production.

 

5. Behavior – Are they going to maintain a positive attitude when things are at their worst? They need to be a positive force within the team and the company. They need to have an unshakable faith in the project’s success that all others on the team

 

6. Organization in the DNA – Do they feel driven to organize? A producer must have a driving need to bring the light of organization to the darkness of chaos?

 

While these don’t necessarily encompass the whole of the perfect producer, but they do represent the fundamental foundation necessary for someone to excel as a producer in today’s fast paced and agile production environments.

 

(Note: I’ve incorporated feedback from one of my comments into my text. Thanks, Matt)