How To... Navigate the Era of Collaboration

In thinking about how any industry has changed, there is always a temptation to lament the passing of “The Good Old Days”. Every industry seems to have had one golden era, and it’s never now. Furthermore, whenever you join that industry you always seem to have just missed the great times. Why is that? Is it merely because 20 years ago we were all 20 years younger? Fewer personal commitments, fewer pains getting out of a chair, bathroom scales were more pleasant viewing? 

In my business – post production for the marketing and advertising industry – the common complaint is always that budgets were bigger “back in the day”, we had more fun, more lunches etc. Really? Perhaps if the freebies are what motivate you, then there is a case for that stance. However, in terms of what the industry is like to work in there are huge positives in, the way things are now. 

“Back in the day” we in the post world, you'd get a call from a production company that invariably began something like “we’ve shot 30,000ft of 35mm and we’d like to….” Inevitably things would not be shot correctly for the desired VFX, but that was ok as the client would stump up the cash for us to “fix it in post." Happy days... Or were they?

How many of us want to go back to the days when pulling an all-nighter was the norm, not the exception? And is it really fair for the client to pay for all this? It didn’t take long for people to realise that consulting your post house pre PPM stage would be massively beneficial not only in budgetary terms but also in the end quality of the output. Now it would be unheard of not to bring a post house in before the shoot no matter how simple the execution. Thus began the era of creative collaboration for post houses. 

For me, this is when the fun actually began. Yes, it was great before, feeling you were at the start of a new industry, not knowing if things were achievable as the kit had never been tested in that way but these days, great creative work requires true collaboration, and I’m personally honoured to be a part of that. Now we’ll get a call from a creative that begins, “I’ve got this idea…." Nothing gets people in post more motivated than being brought in at the point of inception. People feel ownership and through that, you get commitment.  

Another noticeable change how regularly got asked to recommend directors. It’s gratifying for any director to be recommended for any job but a by-product of this step is that the bond between post crew and director is strengthened. A director knowing the post house has got their back can really help when it comes to taking risks. Trying something adventurous on set is not for the faint-hearted but knowing you have the post crew on your side means a director can have total confidence. If it’s a true collaboration you are not going to find yourself in an edit suite with a Flame op turning round and saying “If you’d shot it properly in the first place…” or receiving a massive bill for overages.

The fact that we sometimes recommend directors has lead most post houses to set up production companies. Now don’t get me wrong, Smoke & Mirrors was one of the first post houses to do this but let me issue a word of caution; the project doesn’t need “A” director it needs the right director. You have to be prepared to offer that up if you are not to betray the position of trust you have earned from your creative clients. For me the importance of this transparency cannot be underestimated. It’s an easy mistake to become too “grabby” when it comes to your slice of the budget, but you have to be as committed to creative excellence as you are to making a profit. It’s a very dangerous and short-term way of thinking if you get that balance wrong. 

So if the era of true collaboration is now upon us, what is the latest development? Earlier this year we were asked to be part of a Creative Agency’s pitch team – we were part of their offering! And together we won the account. On another recent occasion, I was asked by a client to recommend a Creative Agency. Now, this is quite a significant moment I feel in the development of our industry and the way marketing teams perceive us (the client eventually went with my recommendation, by the way). We are now entering a phase when the industry supply chain is no longer linear. We can all generate work for each other by collaborating as much as possible. Now, how great is that?