From Post to Prime Time: Guillaume Denecker on Producing Ideas That Scale

Guillaume Denecker is an executive creative producer at BETC Paris and Prose On Pixels (POP). He joined the agency in 2018 after a career in various production companies, such as Pixies Films, Mikors or Beam.tv. At BETC, Guillaume is in charge of TV production and post-production for retail clients, like E.Leclerc, Norauto or Leroy Merlin.

Q> What’s your own pathway to production? When you started out, what sort of work were you producing and what lessons have stayed with you in that time?

Guillaume> I started working in post-production, mainly at MIKROS Image. I had always been fascinated by commercials and music videos. Joining that industry felt like a childhood dream come true. Discovering the talents working there convinced me that this was the environment I wished to flourish in.

My curiosity for new technologies then led me to support the rollout in France of the first tapeless services between players in the advertising industry, such as BEAM.TV in partnership with THE MILL, and later IMD for broadcasters and the ARPP (french clearance). These technical innovations were exciting to implement, especially since they were connected to an international community of actors.

Once these new technologies became part of everyday workflows, the interest became less stimulating for me, and I chose to return to production at PIXIES Films, where I started to produce TV commercials.

This cross-disciplinary experience in both production and post-production allowed me to join BETC when the agency developed the concept of the creative producer.

We are attached to accounts throughout the year, which allows production to be integrated into the agency’s strategy from the very beginning of a project.

We share the day-to-day life of the account, making exchanges with creative and account teams easier, as well as with clients. This common understanding becomes the foundation of the trust needed to ensure optimal functioning.

Q> A good producer should be able to produce for any medium, from film to events to digital. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why/why not?

Guillaume> I mainly work with Olivier Apers, executive creative director at BETC.

My role is to provide him with the production resources required for creation, while respecting the budget and timeline agreed with the sales team and the client.

I therefore act as a single production point of contact for the ECD, who cannot divide his time across multiple production contacts.

I need to be able to find the production solutions required by the creative idea, and call upon specialists as needed for specific projects, across all the assets involved in increasingly 360° campaigns.

I’m not meant to be a specialist in every domain, but I must be curious about everything that’s emerging — new work, new talent, new trends. It’s a kind of permanent casting process so that I can respond to any creative need as soon as it arises.

Q> If you compare your role to the role of the heads of TV/heads of production when you first joined the industry, what do you think are the most striking or interesting changes (and what surprising things have stayed the same?)

Guillaume> One of the biggest changes is the rising amount of talent available on the market — directors, DOPs, graphic artists — along with a growing number of media and platforms.

It’s exciting because the possibilities are almost limitless, even though this globalisation has fragmented the structure of production workflows.

Talent is now everywhere and accessible to everyone. The volume of productions has multiplied, accompanied by the rise of integrated production companies.

But ultimately, this has reinforced the role of producers: poorly supported talents will never be able to fully express themselves.

Q> There are so many models for the way production is organised in the advertising industry - what set-ups have you found to be the most successful and why?

Guillaume> We used to say that there are as many agency models as there are accounts. Each agency is an ecosystem that must find its own balance based on its history, nature, culture, and the people involved.
There is no single formula, but the most effective models are always those based on complete trust between creative, sales, and production — all aligned toward delivering the best campaign, while respecting and listening to everyone involved.
It may sound naive, but we all know this level of harmony is rare and always fragile.
In any case, organisational models always depend on the philosophy set by leadership; “The fish always rots from the head.”

Q> When working with a new partner or collaborator, how do you go about establishing trust?

Guillaume> Our role as producers is to assemble teams — both internally and with external partners — who will work together to deliver the best campaign.

I am extremely careful when selecting the directors and producers we teamed up on a project. I must guarantee to my agency that external teams will bring quality while maintaining a positive, professional atmosphere.

Q> What conversations are you having with clients about issues such as diversity and sustainability? Is it something that clients are invested in or more that agencies need to take the lead on?

Guillaume> We are all citizens concerned with ensuring balanced representation of diversity within our campaigns.

We work continuously with clients to raise awareness on these topics, though decisions ultimately remain in their hands.

In France, progress on diversity came late but happened naturally, so that advertising now almost reflects our society — all the more since every audience is just as equally a consumer.

Relocating shoots to reduce environmental impact generally requires a budget that matches local production costs. In most cases, we don’t shoot abroad for pleasure but to absorb budget constraints. Shooting an entire night in a supermarket in Belgrade isn’t exactly thrilling.

The CSRD requirements in France will help clients better understand their emissions. They might set clearer objectives, which will be embedded in the initial briefs given to agencies. In return, this experience will help them to understand the production choices we have to make.

Q> What are your thoughts on the involvement of procurement in production?

Guillaume> Given our industry’s history and the sums involved, it’s normal for clients to be supported in ensuring their budget is used wisely and rationally.

I consider the client’s procurement team as a partner who can help achieve the best quality-to-cost ratio. They are an ally when it comes to explaining to a client why a certain choice makes sense, and we must also listen to them when they express some brand’s constraints.

However, an approach focused solely on cutting costs without genuinely considering the ambition of the campaign will always seem counterproductive to me. An euro well spent will always be more effective than a euro saved at the expense of the final result.

Q> When it comes to educating producers how does your agency like to approach this?

Guillaume> None of us even knew that this job existed before joining the industry. It’s a profession built primarily on experience, even though our academic backgrounds always come in handy. My economics studies probably helped me understand the budgetary environments…

But for me, it’s the diversity of backgrounds within production that creates its richness — bringing together people with different experiences and cultures. It sparks exciting and innovative energy. Insularity never brings out talent.

At BETC, we attach great importance to mentorship and supporting new producers. Experienced producers help newcomers understand their new environment and express the qualities for which they were hired. In return, they bring their own cultural, artistic, and technical backgrounds. Altogether, this maintains a high level of energy and motivation. We are not here to prevent talent from growing, but to celebrate having contributed to their emergence.

Finally, ongoing internal training, curiosity about new technologies and trends, allows us to keep up with industry (r)evolutions — such as AI today.

Q> Should production have a seat in the c-suite - and why?

Guillaume> Today, advertisers design campaigns across multiple platforms and multiple countries. Campaign creation can no longer take place without understanding how it will be deployed. “Scale” is now a major concern for advertisers, which justifies having production represented at the board level. It has become essential to completing the agency’s strategy for the benefit of clients.