Assignment1A-Robertson

Merry Dunning

(Producer)

1. Can you briefly define your job to me?

The question is simple but hard to answer because every project has its own needs. I am basically the facilitator of everyone involved in a project. I often do conference calls with the advertising agency and the clients in order to hear what they want out of the project. I hire the Director of Photography and a local Production Manager and along with the Director we scout possible locations that meet the clients needs. One of my main jobs is to “babysit” the Director. I arrange their flights, car rental, take them to lunches and dinners and try to keep them happy. I hire a local production assistant to help scout locations and do castings and I feed all of the information I gather to the Production Manager. I often have to manipulate people and use them for their resources as much as I can before I have to put them on the clock. At the shoot, I monitor everything. I continue to babysit the Director, ad agency and the client. If we need to expand the budget, I am in charge of getting the overage form agreed upon and signed. I stay on the job, keeping all lines of communication open and flowing until the film transfers to the ad agency.

2. How did you get started in this business?

I’ve been doing this for over 20 years. I started as a Location Manager on a movie in Florida and worked my way up from there. I went from being a Celebrity Assistant straight to a Production Manager and then to Producer. I have been back and forth between Production Manager and Producer ever since.

3. How do you tell someone over you that you couldn’t accomplish an assigned task?

That language doesn’t really apply in this industry. You can sometimes give alternatives and try to re-bid things , but it’s all about back and forth communication and knowing what you can and cannot do depending on budget, time, etc.

4. Do you have any advice for a media student who is just starting out?

Have a Plan B that has nothing to do with this industry because you never know when the industry is going to be bad. “It’s feast or famine.” You have to know how to save your money. Only use what you need to live and always keep enough money in your bank account to cover at least six months worth of expenses.