Confessions of an Executive Producer

a chicken in every pot

In a meeting a couple weeks back someone mentioned they were a reader. They made my rib recipe and went to Peter Luger all based on my blog postings. They wanted to know why I didn't write more about food. It was their favorite topic of mine. I don't know what that says about my industry posts but I thought it was time to take a break from my usual fare.  

Last week, we had another family over for an early Sunday dinner. It was the day after the clocks changed back. Despite living in LA, this feels like the time of the year for some slow cooked comfort food. I decided to serve a family favorite, Chicken in a Pot. 

Here's what you need. Start with a dutch oven or just a large pot. Anything you'd use for a stew or braising. The ingredients are:

1 Whole Chicken seasoned with salt, peppers, paprika

2 Onions Diced

1 Bag of Small Carrots

2 Cups Dry White Wine

1 1/2 Cups Chicken Broth

Herbs Wrapped and Tied in a cheese cloth - 2 bay leaves, thyme, peppercorn

2 cups Rice

Canola Oil

Turn the stove on high heat. Place a small amount of oil in the pot. Brown the chicken. Only a few minutes on each side. Take the chicken out of a pot. Throw in the onions and the carrots. Saute until carrots are soft and onions translucent. Put the chicken back in the pot and add wine, broth and the herbs. Bring liquid to a boil. Once boiling turn down heat to a simmer and put on the lid. Let chicken simmer for about an hour. 

After the hour add the rice in the liquid areas. Put lid back on and let simmer for another 20 to 30 minutes or until the rice is soft. Only word of caution, if the rice isn't soft and the liquid is dried up just add a little more broth or water. Other than that it's a no brainer. The chicken is good but the rice is great. 

 

To offset the heavy dish I made a light seasonal salad. Very simple. Frisee, Mixed greens, sliced red onions, dried cranberries and pine nuts. For the dressing, I made 3 parts olive oil, 1 part red wine vinegar, a pinch of salt, a little bit of sugar and some fresh lemon juice. 

 

I hope you like this little snack break in the action. Next week I'll to return to my regular scheduled programming unless this weekend I make something worth writing about.

our destroyer, our savior

No less than five people sent me an article from the NY Times that was published in the Business Media Section on Monday. They all thought it would make a good blog topic. And, they were right.

The article states that to everyones surprise people are still into passive viewing even on DVR. When given the options to fast forward through the commercials they don't, or at least not as frequently as we'd thought. 

The survey claims 46% of viewers watch the commercials. There is no one happier to hear that news than me. Well, I guess there are other happier people like...

Andrew Donchin, director of media investment for ad agency Carat. He declares in the article the DVR isn't killing TV it's helping it. 

Or, Brad Adgate, Senior VP at Horizon Media, a media buying company. Brad believes the TV viewing social contract of ad supported programming remains effective despite DVR.

Another big believer in this study is Alan Wurtzel, president of research for NBC. He knows the results seem counterintuitive but the facts speak for themselves. 

Let's talk about the facts. The facts are based on a study by Nielsen. Are you sensing a common theme of self interest? Media buyers. Networks. Nielsen. All shockingly big endorsers and sponsors of the study. I hate to be a cynic especially on something that is advantageous to my business but this does feel as if someone could be cooking the books. 

Do I believe everyone fast forwards through commercials?  

Certainly not. Many of my generation or older watch. But the younger ones, let's say 18 and below, I believe the vast majority don't . Even still commercials won't die. They just need to be better. 

Commercials are content. They are part of the viewing experience. If you ask any kid that has a DVR if they watch TV commercials, there is answer is always NO. When you ask them again by referencing specific spots, they say, "Well, I guess sometimes". Then you follow up and say which ones, they almost invariably answer "The good ones."

I'm glad media companies and Nielsen are protecting their turf to protect my turf but it's a rationalization to maintain relevancy today for the model of yesterday. We still need to come up with the solutions and innovations for a model of tomorrow. 

don't hold back

GUEST BLOGGER - Virginia Scripps, President/Founder of Press Kitchen shares her insights on social media. Press Kitchen was Epoch's first PR company. They did a great job for us but we changed our approach to PR so we parted ways a couple years back. 

I'm thankful for Virginia's contribution not only because PR is the original earned media industry providing a new perspective for this blog but also to show the importance of maintaining past working relationships. You never know when you need  a guest blogger in the midst of a very hectic week. 

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Are you a brand? Should you be?

Long before blogging, Tweeting, Facebooking, Digg-ing or any of the other new ‘ings’ that keep us from doing our work were invented, commercial directors were brands in and of themselves.

Producers have been the brand builders behind the scenes. These often-colorful personalities appeared at a public level only on conference panels, on the AICP board, in the occasional trade article quote or – if they had good publicists –profile story. Influential producers have long been Google-able, but the rise of blogs such as this one have cast a much wider net for their personal brands. The daily hits Jerry gets on this blog are in the hundreds. But if you look at the industry clout of the typical producerposts.com reader, Jerry’s role as a thought leader is substantial – whether he admits it or not!

People in the business who have much-trafficked blogs, Twitter feeds or Facebook pages have become brands. And that extends to the ad agency Twitter-ers whose feeds I follow because they made me spit soup onto my keyboard with a hideously tasteless joke or had the cojones to say something no one else dared. For instance, I started following grokstar when he pronounced, on the Boards09 Twitter feed, “advertising isn't broken, agencies are. Stop doing the same old shit in all the new places!” The more unfiltered the message, the more people will wonder what you’re going to do for an encore.

Not everyone is comfortable with the public nature of social media. Many of my clients vehemently refuse to “join the conversation” on Twitter and shy away from blogging. Some brands’ feel their cachet depends on remaining stealth. I understand, because my brand is that way. On my company blog, I post “fresh” client news, along with cool photos (currently, a pumpkin carved into an exceptional likeness of Yoda). I stopped making personal blog entries for two reasons: my company is about my clients’ visibility, not my own; and as much as I’d love to display a devil-may-care attitude, my honest insights are likely to piss off either clients or press. Blog entries that gloss over the truth are not an option. That type of whitewashing is counter to the very soul of social media.

What about you? Would a blog or feisty Twitter feed fortify your brand? Examples of the magnetism of unadorned honesty are everywhere – like Jon Favreau’s obedience to Vince Vaughn’s blunt tutelage in Swingers, or, our nation tuning in to see Obama shooting the s&*t on late night TV. If you are willing to get real, social media may help your brand inspire this kind of devotion.

Although I failed to practice what I preach and become a blogger (for my business, anyway), I’d be glad to share my uncensored opinions with you at a party some time. I trust you’ll be too tipsy to quote me…

Virginia Scripps is the founder & President of Press Kitchen PR, www.presskitchen.com, where she represents production companies and others in entertainment. A former copywriter, she has a masters in film from Columbia University. She is also a mom, an author, a skier and a Mad Men-aholic.

good enough

My very first job in production was as a PA at a company called Broadcast Arts. It was an animation shop in the pre-digital age. It was housed in a big loft space on lower Broadway. It was buzzing with energy. To this day it may be the most creative environment I ever worked in. Eventually they went bust but that's another story.

I rarely run into people from those days with the exception of Steve Shore. Steve was the Sales Rep at Broadcast Arts when I was there and went on to run his own production companies. He is also a frequent commenter on this blog. When I saw him last week at 'Boards, he told me he just found a mix tape I made for him 20 years ago. By the way, that was also pre-digital. No dragging and dropping. Making those things were a real labor of love. 

Steve recently wrote a piece for Ad Week. He posted about it in the comments section on my review of the 'Boards summit. In the article he makes a compelling analysis of in house agency production. It differs somewhat from Bob Greenberg's reasoning but they both believe the time is coming for agencies to successfully bring production in house. We carried on a lively debate about it online.

The Ad Week piece along with our correspondence tempered my views. Unlike Steve I don't think the agencies are fertile grounds for nurturing talent. Although, I do see where it could occur organically through necessity. I'm still skeptical. Steve did however make me see that it's technology that's the game changer. 

Agencies are acquiring executional capabilities to create new models and revenue streams. This is happening in both production and post. On the other side, production and post companies are acquiring ideation skills for the exact same reasons. It is technology that makes this all possible. Keynote. Final Cut. Getty Images. HD Cameras. These are all affordable, accessible and easy to learn. 

I argued with Steve that just because I bought Microsoft Word it doesn't make me Shakespeare. He countered with, you don't really have to be a master of prose to be an effective communicator. He used my blog as an example. I walked right into that punch. Even still, it was a great point and something that touched upon something Greenberg also raised. 

We are living in a generation of good enough. MP3 sound isn't as good as CD but it's good enough. The quality of the popular films on Youtube don't even come close to measuring up to studio films or network TV but it's good enough. 

In the end it comes down to the quality of the idea and the ability to execute it appropriately. The idea can come from anywhere. In today's world there are many ways to realize ideas and countless platforms to distribute them. This means opportunities can be created no matter what sector of the industry you work in. All that is required is initiative, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit. The tools are there for the taking. The lines are officially dulled for everyone. 

As a side note, I've preached reverse mentorship many times to help us grasp the future. Despite the emphasis our industry places on youth culture, there is no substitute for experienced insight. Thanks, Steve for the reminder.  

race to the bottom

I made a proclamation last week that the production company model isn't dead but that doesn't mean we aren't killing ourselves. 

I've previously mentioned the P&G preferred vendor list. P&G has told the production community that they will not use any company that does not provide a list of rates they perceive to be below market value. They recently began to enforce that policy. 

Being the largest advertiser in the world, P&G felt entitled to a volume discount. For decades, they have been spending wholesale but paying retail. I totally get it. So, guarantee me 10 million in annual revenue I'll give you a discount. As a matter of fact, I'll go to my crew and vendors to ask for the same. I'm confident they'd sign up. We'd all have better management of our annual cash flow knowing there is a guaranteed annual revenue stream.

Unfortunately, P&G cannot guarantee that revenue, they rely upon the agencies to make the recommendations. In other words, I can be on the P&G list by committing in writing to lesser rates yet bid on 20 jobs but land none. This is the flaw in their logic while lowering our value. Apparently at least 40 known companies, including AICP board members, don't see it that way.

I understand why a few of my fellow AICP members agreed to the preferred vendor terms. It was easy for me to be critical and decline the offer. In the last 3 years, we have done less than 5% of our jobs with P&G brands. Deciding against being a preferred vendor was a no brainer. But, what if you are a company that does a meaningful percentage of your billings with P&G brands? Depending on the percentage, losing those clients can be the difference between making a profit or even staying in business. Also, saying NO places your company in peril of losing directors who service those brands. They may go to a company that is a preferred vendor. I'd also be fearful of alienating P&G. Fear is a very powerful emotion. This is exactly what P&G is counting on. And its working.

For those of you that signed, think about this. Whatever percentage of the business you perceived as saving has now jeopardized all the rest. Do you think that Unilever or Imbev or J&J or Coke or any other major advertisers is going to sit idly by while P&G gets discounted production? I doubt it. Then what? The free market is destroyed. The profits we reap are no longer equal to the risk we take. Also, we have left the next generation with an industry decimated by fixed pricing. It destroys incentive and neuters entrepreneurial spirit. 

If we are not going to fight back our only savior is the ECD's and top clients who understand the creative value of production companies therefore don't want to potentially exclude top talent from the process. I can't speak for you but that doesn't give me a lot of confidence. There is less emphasis on creative effectiveness and more on cost savings. From my perch, I see procurement driving the industry these days not creative. 

As Matt Miller has been saying it's a race to the bottom. What is most upsetting is some of our leaders are in front of the pack. Deciding as an organization how we are going to deal with this issue is critical not only to the future livelihood of our industry but also to the very existence of the AICP. 

There has been a lot of talk of how we should address P&G and other divisive issues. It is not as simple as getting everyone to say NO or applying peer pressure. We must see the P&G policy as a symptom of a bigger illness. There must be a comprehensive strategy on how to move forward together. An agenda and industry stance we all can agree upon. What do we want the future of the AICP to look like? How do we hold our leaders accountable? What responsibility does membership entail?

It is said, vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare. It's time for all of us to wake up and start defining our future. If not someone else will gladly do it for us.  

becoming art

I love newspapers. Always have. In many ways I mourn their demise although I realized news isn't dead just the platform it's delivered on. I still receive all the information I love. The weekly food section. The movie reviews. The exposes. The crossword, especially the crossword. But most of all I love the op-ed section. 

As a kid growing up in Maryland right outside of Washington, DC. I read the Washington Post. In the aftermath of Watergate, The Post became one of the leading papers in the country trailing only the NY Times in influence. For decades, their top columnist was Art Buchwald. 

Buchwald was a renowned humorist. He wrote books, plays and won the Pulitzer price. He even sued Paramount for stealing his idea to make "Coming to America" starring Eddie Murphy. And, he won. 

Being a memorable figure from my childhood, when he died a few years back I read his obituaries and came across a few personal remembrances. One stood out. The eulogizer talked how Buchwald was an extreme extrovert. He loved going to functions talking, listening, asking question. It soon became apparent that he used this forum for material. His friends started to catch on as many of their discussions and personal anecdotes began to appear in his columns. He use his world as a breeding ground for his writings. His friends often found it annoying but accepted that was just Art. 

I was in NY this week talking to people at the 'Boards Summit, going to meetings in the office, grabbing drinks after work. Unlike Buchwald, I'm hardly an extrovert but in my older years I've become slightly more sociable. After a wonderful dinner hosted by Diane McArter, I went back to my hotel room and wrote down a few notes from the evening. There were a couple conversations that may make a good blog topic. I paused, oh my God, I'm becoming as annoying as Art Buchwald.  

I'm putting everyone on public notice that when talking to me, you are potential blog fodder. I know it's annoying. But, please don't worry. Like Buchwald, I'll honor privacy, be fair in my assessments, attempt to do so humorously, and never be unjustly negative. Unless of course its completely deserving.  

labor pains

GUEST BLOGGER - Mark Androw shares his experience in AICP labor negotiations. He uses it not only as an example of the associations effectiveness and commitment but also as a way to define the role of a trade organization. 

There are points I agree with whole heartedly and others that I don't. Regardless, I relish posting dissenting opinions from my own. Creates much needed debate. I'm even more thankful for the day off from writing.

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At 2:00 am on a drizzly morning 2 weeks ago, I stood on West 57^th Street in New York with eight other EP’s, Matt Miller, Jane Nuñez, and AICP attorney Bob Sacks. We weren’t leaving a club or parting after a late-night dinner.  Instead, we had just concluded a marathon 17-hour negotiating session at the DGA offices. It was the third such meeting in 90 days; a total of 75 hours spent bargaining in New York and probably another 10 hours spent strategizing on conference calls. The result was a new commercial contract to service the production community and designed specifically for the bumpy terrain of today’s advertising production landscape. 

Many people quickly rearranged schedules and put their lives on hold to make this last ditch effort to make a deal prior to the contract expiring on October 31rst.   Jane, AICP’s VP, Labor Relations, had returned five days early from a vacation in Italy to attend the sessions. Matt and Bob had taken the red-eye from L.A. the day before, returning from an AICP Executive Committee meeting to be there.  Maddi Carlton from HSI had a flight back to Vancouver in less than five hours. I was hosting a large party in Chicago that night for the premiere of a documentary film directed by one of my directors. Frank Scherma from @radical.media, Marjie Abrahams from RSA, Peter Steinzeig from Backyard, and Alex Blum from FrankMedia had left their families and their businesses in L.A. on three separate previous occasions (and now this one) to negotiate this contract in New York. Robby Fernandez from Moxie, Gregg Carlesimo from @radical.media, and Bob Fisher from Celsius each had an hour (+) commute ahead of them on slick and deserted roads.

But those efforts paid off as the mission was to get the best deal possible for our members – and the deal was done. Negotiating a labor contract in the worst economic climate since the Great Depression was neither easy nor enjoyable.  Both sides had compelling stories of financial hardship – union members teetering on the brink of losing their homes, and not qualifying for healthcare and company owners struggling to meet payroll and making painful staff cutbacks—not to mention that daily feat of making the dollars work within ever-tightening budgets.  Even the most enlightened and dynamic contract would not solve these problems, but we had to try to reach an agreement to give relief to our members.

The DGA contract already has a very unique feature not found in any other labor agreement I have seen.   Pension and health contributions for directors are based on a “presumed salary,” not the actual and usually considerably higher fees that directors receive.  This clause is contained in a sideletter offered exclusively to AICP companies.  The cost savings to AICP companies (and their clients) on just this item alone is enormous.  This was negotiated by many of the same people around this table about a decade ago to try and meet specific financial issues of that time.

       In the end, we negotiated a 0% increase in wages for the first year, new permissive rules on travel, and special breaks for low budget jobs for traditional and non-traditional productions. No increase in wages is practically unheard of in a labor contract—even in these economic times.   But no one on either side of the table was feeling that good about the deal.  But we did what we had to do.

Such disheartening, persistent, and selfless work on behalf of executive producers is not an isolated undertaking. This same group, in conjunction with other company owners and EPs nationwide, has spent considerable time in windowless offices negotiating labor contracts with IA nationals and locals, teamsters, and other relevant unions.  And for each labor contract negotiated this process is repeated every three or four years when the contract expires.

Many of these same individuals also spent hundreds of hours in the past ten years creating a health plan for non-union crew. It was the first of its kind in any industry, charting new territory in multi-employer health insurance, and provided benefits for those of our employees not affiliated with a union.

It required petitioning and negotiating with the IRS, Department of Labor and convincing insurance carriers to insure a pool of freelance workers that it had no quantifiable insurance history to rely on.  It is a health plan that is the envy of other industry reliant on freelance labor—not to mention similar, in many ways, to the plan that the current Administration is fervently perusing for all Americans.  This was done with the tenacity and creative legal approaches of long time AICP Counsel Bob Sacks, the drive of Matt Miller and the full support and countless meetings of the AICP elected volunteer leadership, the AICP Board.

Yet despite these impressive efforts and the benefits that arose from them, I have read many comments on this blog that are very critical of the AICP, its effectiveness and its abilities to represent this industry, going so far as to blame the AICP for (amongst other things) some of the practices that large multinational holding companies and corporations have tried to impose on AICP member companies, the effect of the economy on the business and growing pains of a maturing business. 

There are many problems in our industry that are beyond the reach of what a trade organization can do—ones that rely more on the common sense and the business sensibilities of company owners rather than monopolistic dictates from the trade organization.  A trade organization can advise and recommend but they can’t control decisions made by company owners.  When, however, the AICP can intervene and speak on behalf of the production community, it does so. Unfailingly, methodically, and effectively and is recognized as a strong and force by all who encounter its well-articulated positions and arguments.  The new DGA contract is an excellent example.

I, for one, am grateful to the eight EP’s and the AICP leadership, staff, and counsel for the generosity of their commitment and the tenacity of their resolve.  Without such people working aggressively on our behalf we would be working under decidedly different and less favorable labor agreements—and be out there fending for ourselves.        

 Mark Androw is an Executive Producer and partner in the production company, STORY, former National Chairman of the AICP and an attorney at law. EMAIL -  mark@storyco.tv