Ever wondered about the career path of an Exec VFX Producer, or what’s involved in a typical day? Then this is for you! As part of International Women’s Day, we hosted a talk with Executive VFX Producers, Maria Giron, Clare Norman and Dionne Archibald.
Here are some highlights from that talk, but you can watch the entire talk below too. Enjoy!
Are there more women in Executive Producer roles than men? (Compared with <3% of women who represent VFX Supervisors)
Clare: From my experience, I’ve always found that there are more women in production and more men in technical roles. You don’t want to stereotype but it seems to be the common thing. But as the years have gone by I have seen more men in production. When it comes to senior meetings though I do tend to be the only woman in the room.
How did you overcome any lack of confidence or imposter syndrome?
Clare: You don’t want to come off as not good enough for the job but you can’t know everything! I suffer from that all the time, even with years of experience. In our industry with technology changing all the time, it’s hard to keep up with it all, not just ways to use excel but AI and new software coming through all the time. It’s a natural feeling, there’s nothing wrong with admitting it either.
Any advice for those wanting to step up to an exec role?
Dionne: Just put yourself forwards as some people just won’t know. Just get involved and do as much as you can and hopefully your employer will see that, if not, someone else will see your potential. Don’t be afraid to speak out.
Clare: It’s not something you can get a certificate in, but through experience gained over several years or so.
Can the roles of an Exec Producer differ in any way?
Maria: There are so many hats an exec producer has to wear, depending on who you are working with. Typically business development and networking to bring work in, on the vendor side speaking with clients, especially if things aren’t going well. Mentoring the team to make sure they feel supported. You can take the role of a producer until you can hand it over to someone else. On the client side, it’s making sure financials and reports are correct, tax incentives, it just depends on what’s required.
What do you look for in a company culture when you’re looking for a new role?
Maria: For me it’s the idea that creativity comes first. Of course revenue is important but allowing the creative teams to perform at the highest level, it’s a wonderful place to work.
Clare: You need to ask yourself, “how does this feel?”. I really liked where I recently interviewed, we all seemed to get on and typically this is an instinctive thing. We talk to everybody [as exec producers] so getting on with who you work with is important. Also are they open to accommodate hybrid and flexible working.
Dionne: Coffee & TV are a BCorp and it’s a way of life and true belief for us. One of the most important things is looking after the people is a big thing, as well as the planet!