The Power of Being Proactive
Most of my clients are communications professionals. Whether they’re coming from business, the non-profit world or a government agency, they’re busy people balancing many competing projects and priorities at any given time. When working with communicators, being a good video producer means being a good project manager. To be a good project manager, one of the most valuable skills you can develop is proactivity. What does it mean to be proactive as a video producer?
Think The Whole Project Through
One of my favorite editors always says: “Determine what you need to deliver and work backward.” This is particularly helpful advice when discussing projects that will need to meet complex delivery specifications, but it’s great advice for all video projects. Thinking through a project from start to finish as completely as you can allows you to create a detailed scope of work that can serve as a road map for the project. This is a crucial part of developing a budget and a schedule, but many times this process uncovers important questions too. By asking those questions early, you give yourself and your client time to find answers even if the information won’t be needed until much later in the production.
Push vs. Pull
Let’s say the English version of a video is due on the first of the month and the Spanish version is due two weeks later. As the English due date approaches, I’m already thinking about what I’ll need for the Spanish version. Is the client providing a translation, or do I need to send the script to a translator? Has a Spanish narration talent been chosen? I try to always think one-to-two milestones ahead. This gives you maximum flexibility in meeting deadlines.
For most of my projects, I create the budget, plan the delivery milestones, develop the proposal, write the script, oversee production and supervise all the way through post production. Because I’m involved from start to finish, I don’t experience a lot of “hidden surprises” in my projects. But no matter how detailed my project planning, I still need to read between the lines to make sure I’m on top of all the little things that will propel me from step to step. Producers often inherit projects that have been planned or started by someone else. In those cases, reading between the lines is even more important. I never want my client to have to push me for an update or ask me what the next step is. In a perfect world, my client receives an email or call from me outlining that next step just before they’ve started thinking about it.
Never Discuss a Challenge Without a Solution in Mind
Unexpected challenges are a part of the creative process that no amount of planning can completely mitigate. I never want to deliver bad news without already having an idea of how I might solve the issue. I always try to imagine the first question that would come to mind if the tables were turned and I was the client instead of the producer. If I have to tell someone that the shoot day they wanted isn’t available for instance, it’s likely that the next question will be about what days are available and I’ll try to delivery that information at the same time. I try hard to make sure my clients never have to ask obvious questions and never hear “I don’t know” without it being followed by “but…” and a description of how I’m already working to find a solution.
Adopting a “proactivity mindset” can make you a better project manager, and that will make you a better video producer. If your clients are busy people managing a lot of different priorities, your ability to think a few steps ahead on their behalf can help you develop a stronger, more trusting relationship.
