Adaptive by default: The ever-expanding role of a producer

The word 'producer' has become a one-size-fits-all term, especially in advertising. There are sound producers, post producers, agency producers, line producers, executive producers...

Different scopes, different pressures. Yet one thing remains constant: when something goes wrong, it lands on us.

Versatility is no longer just a desirable trait. Quite honestly, it is the job description.

When I started in this role 20 years ago, the job felt simpler. You received a script. You found a director who responded to it. You made the film. Of course, there were compromises – usually involving the size of the logo – but the structure was clear. The director focused on their vision and what would look best on their reel. The agency protected the idea, the client approved the work, and the producer delivered. 

Above: The role of producer has changed a lot, but one thing that has stayed the same is that, when something goes wrong, it lands on the producer. 

Today, that clarity is gone. Production is now shaped by technology, sustainability targets, global perspective, tighter budgets and tighter timelines. Films are shorter, and their lifespans are shorter. Campaign ecosystems are complex. Content must travel across platforms, cultures and algorithms. And the producer sits at the centre of it all. We are no longer executors, we are anticipators, translators, mediators, and problem-solvers. The myth of the 'fixed' producer role no longer holds. Versatility is no longer just a desirable trait. Quite honestly, it is the job description.

We are no longer executors, we are anticipators, translators, mediators, and problem-solvers.

Budgets are shrinking while expectations rise. Sustainability requirements are non-negotiable. Data and performance metrics influence creative decisions. Clients expect not only delivery, but strategic understanding. Producers increasingly need to speak the client’s language, understand business objectives and translate them into production decisions that solve problems rather than just fulfil briefs. 

Naturally, this broader scope brings tension as the workload grows, the emotional labour increases, power dynamics shift and burnout becomes more common than ever. But this doesn’t mean that the role is broken. It’s just changed, so we need to define more clearly what strong production leadership should look like within that change.

Above: One of a producer's core roles is to support talent, both established and up-and-coming.

At its best, producers today operates as translators between worlds. We navigate between directors, clients, agencies and crews – often across multiple countries and working cultures. Recently, we delivered a campaign for a global automotive brand with clients from Turkey, Belgium and Mexico; a British director; German photographers; a Dutch DOP; producers from the UK, Spain, Portugal and Poland; and creatives from Australia and the UK. 

All across three sets working in parallel. A beautiful mix, but even though everyone spoke English, not everyone spoke the same language. A significant part of our role was making sure expectations were aligned, nuances were understood and momentum was maintained. That requires more than logistical control, it requires cultural awareness, emotional intelligence and the ability to manage complexity without escalating it.

One of the most important responsibilities of a producer is the development and protection of directors.

Success doesn’t mean just delivering the job without major mistakes. It means a variety of different things: juggling the expectations, the tighter budgets, being able to respond to the clients’ needs, using creative capabilities and problem solving.

Redefining success also means redefining how we support talent. One of the most important responsibilities of a producer is the development and protection of directors. Identifying talent is only the starting point – what truly defines the work is the consistency, guidance and protection that follows. With so many distractions we, as producers, have to focus even more on the core of our job; delivering good work. 

Through Papaya New Directors, we have spent over a decade supporting emerging filmmakers. We’ve seen all the struggles and difficulties in making that first step. How it is even more difficult to make a second (like that infamous 'difficult second album'). Producers need to help shape treatments, build confidence, manage client expectations and ensure that creative energy is not gradually lost.