Was there a particular moment in your life when you realized that producing is your true passion?
For me, it started when I was a creative producer at Hulu when it first started. It was the first time I was trusted to lead projects and oversee whole productions.
What are some of the attributes that make a good producer?
Communication and organization are the key attributes, for me, that make a good producer. There are so many moving parts in any production and so many people involved. Being able to communicate to everyone while stay organized as things changed (and they always do) will make your job as a producer that much easier.
What was one of the most important lessons that has had a positive effect on your career?
Over-communicating is the most important lesson I learned that has had a positive effect on your career. It’s better to over-communicate and make sure everyone received the pertinent information rather than under-communicating and not have all the details.
What makes a great film?
Execution is what makes a great film. There are a lot of films out there that were great ideas but were so poorly executed that the final product was garbage.
In your opinion, what are some of the best product placement practices that you’ve ever seen in movies?
The best product placement practices are the ones that are organic and live naturally in whatever medium it exists in. For example, some of the best ones that I’ve seen were Reese’s in E.T. and Wilson in Castaway. A bad example would be American Idol where it’s so blatantly in your face.
What’s your advice to filmmakers that are trying to break into advertising industry?
Getting the experience on the agency side before making the leap on to the publisher side would help filmmakers who are trying to get into the advertising industry. You have to understand what agencies and their clients are looking for and how their processes work.