Learning from observation: the importance of industry experience.
Even when not producing, there is always much to be learnt from the people around you. I’ll be covering two projects I worked on – the ‘TO’ film pitch and a design studio internship – and delving into the lessons I took from these experiences that influence my producing style today.
Please note: names have not been included for the sake of anonymity.
‘TO’ Film Pitch
Throughout 2025, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to work on the trailer for a feature film pitch from two incredibly successful directors: holding an Oscar nomination, Annie award, and BAFTA nomination between them. The producer, too, is BAFTA-nominated, with over 17 years of experience. All in all, a very humbling group of people to work alongside! And lots of lessons to be learnt, especially in observing the development process.
As this project was still in pitch state and unpaid, the timeline seemed to be more flexible to account for people’s time. Of course, with a pitch of this nature there is no external client – and so, deadlines don’t have to be as harsh. As sole compositor on this project, I had to provide a deadline for when I thought the work would be completed. The producer’s main request for this was that I consider my other commitments, think carefully, and ensure that the deadline I gave would be realistic.
The priority was not speed: it was reliability.
When I produced my first film a few years ago, it was easy to fall into the trap that speed triumphs all. The faster we got things done, the greater the guarantee of finishing ahead of the deadline. However, whilst that film did get finished on time without any major rush (see Client Projects), there were certain tasks that were delayed and required the schedule to be re-shuffled that I believe could have been avoided. This was largely due to my lack of consideration for the strengths and weaknesses of my artists when assigning work. With certain people more reliable than others, and holding motivation in differing areas, I believe a smarter approach would have centred around a guaranteed reliability through giving out work suited to the individual. In university, with students of different levels of commitment and interest, this is even more important.
On the films I’ve produced since, I’ve taken the time to get to know the artists and understand what motivates them, what conditions they work best under, and what type of work they’re most comfortable with. This has noticeably boosted not only production, but also team spirit – something I consider to be absolutely vital to a great end result!
Another thing I picked up whilst working on the pitch was the importance of clarity and honesty when communicating. Both the producer and directors would provide straight-forward explanations for every decision or query made, and would insist on letting them know if anything was unclear (which I did make sure to do, although it was rarely necessary!). This, in a way, placed the ‘blame’ on them if any of the artists didn’t understand something, rather than on the artist. By doing this, the worry of the ‘stupid question’ is dispelled – thus boosting morale. Again, the effect of this in a university setting is, I would assume, even greater. I’ve worked with many great artists who have not yet built confidence in themselves, and alleviating the pressure and anxiety of disappointment from them has greatly improved overall communication.
Graphic Design Studio Internship
A stark contrast to the previous example, this fast-paced studio saw me faced with new deadlines every day! Although not directly linked to the animation pipeline, I found the constant back-and-forth with the client to be reminiscent of working on client films – and particularly, animation in advertising.
I completed this internship prior to producing my first client film, and it certainly developed my skills in dealing with clients who don’t understand the industry. Why should they know that one character can’t simply be swapped with another at the last minute! The creative director helped me with this, and validated my occasional feelings of frustration whilst also teaching me the most appropriate way to respond. Ultimately, the client needs to be kept happy in order for your company to receive the money. If that means doing a little bit of sugar coating and providing some gentle explanations, then so be it!
Recently, I’ve found that using the communication style I observed on the ‘TO’ film pitch with clients tends to lead to successful conversations, namely the pre-supplied indication that if the client becomes confused, then that is your blame for an improper explanation (regardless of how thorough the explanation actually was).
Something else I encountered for the first time here but have since taken notice of when working with clients is that sometimes, you have to take the project a direction which you may ultimately reverse on. Most clients will want to see their own ideas visualised, even if you advise them otherwise – however, allowing them the opportunity to see some visuals for one thing can often lead to them preferring another. As the person or company paying, it’s important that they feel their opinion is respected and that they hold control over the final outcome.
I also got into the spirit of picking up the odd unexpected task whilst interning here – something true to production! You can never know when the next urgent client request will come on, and I learnt to quickly re-prioritise my to-do list in order to keep everything running smoothly.
I had an absolute blast during both of these experiences, and feel incredibly grateful that I was given the opportunity to learn alongside these industry veterans. With the end of university on the horizon, I find myself getting more and more eager to get into the industry permanently and continue learning!