A Good EP Is Half Strategist, Half Therapist: Charlie Berrizbeitia Shares Advice for up and Coming Producers

Charlie Berrizbeitia is an accomplished creative producer and executive producer with a track record of delivering high-impact commercial and branded work across the US and international markets.

Over the past decade, he has produced campaigns for major global brands across automotive, finance, insurance, sports, lifestyle, and entertainment – building a reputation for elevating creative concepts while running impeccably tight productions.

His experience spans tabletop, comedy, sports, performance-driven spots, Hispanic-market advertising, and multi-spot broadcast campaigns. He has collaborated with top directors and agencies, overseeing productions from early creative development through final delivery.

Known for his precision, problem-solving, and creative fluency, Charlie is often tapped for complex, multi-day shoots, VFX-heavy work, and campaigns requiring strong cross-team coordination.

As a creative producer and EP, Charlie is often involved from the earliest stages of development, building visual languages, and assembling the right directing and department-head partners to elevate the work. He excels at translating strategic or conceptual briefs into clear production pathways, ensuring that creative integrity is protected while staying grounded in practical feasibility. The ads he has produced have also won numerous awards across the industry.

LBB> What advice would you give to any aspiring producers or content creators hoping to make the jump into production?

Charlie> Start by saying yes more than you say no. Get on set, observe everything, and learn where you can add value. Production is built on people who anticipate problems before they happen — so train your eye for detail, your ear for tone, and your gut for solutions. The rest you can pick up with experience, but curiosity and stamina are non-negotiable.

LBB> What skills or emerging areas would you advise aspiring producers to learn about and educate themselves about?

Charlie> Creative problem-solving while also using AI and automation tools, understanding multiplatform workflows, and having basic literacy in post-production, VFX, and data-driven marketing. You don’t need to be an expert in everything — but you do need to understand enough to build the right team and make informed decisions.

LBB> What was the biggest lesson you learned when you were starting out in production – and why has that stayed with you?

Charlie> That producing isn’t about control – it’s about coordination and communication. The moment I understood that great productions come from empowering the right people, everything became easier. That mindset has stayed with me because the complexity of today’s shoots demands true collaboration, not ego.

LBB> When it comes to broadening access to production and improving diversity and inclusion, what are your team doing to address this?

Charlie> At Not Normal, diversity isn’t a programme — it’s literally our DNA. The name Not Normal came from embracing everything that sits outside the predictable, the expected, the ‘industry standard.’ Most of us grew up feeling like outliers in one way or another, and that perspective is exactly what shaped the company.

We don’t run from DE&I initiatives or partner with NGOs — we build a culture where being different is the norm and where every voice has weight, regardless of background, identity, or seniority.

For us, diversity isn’t a moral checkbox. It’s a creative engine. The more perspectives we have in the room, the sharper the thinking, the better the ideas, and the stronger the work. Inclusion isn’t something we ‘address’; it’s something we practice every day by making sure our teams, our sets, and our collaborations reflect the world we’re talking to.

LBB> And why is it an important issue for the production community to address?

Charlie> Because creativity stagnates when everyone in the room looks the same, thinks the same, and comes from the same world. Diverse teams challenge assumptions. They see different stories. And that leads to better, richer, more relevant work. It’s not just a moral responsibility – it’s smart producing.

LBB> Young people entering production often don’t see a line between “professional production” and the creator economy. What are your thoughts? Is there tension or do they feed each other?

Charlie> They absolutely feed each other. The creator economy rewired the industry — for the better. It forced traditional production to rethink speed, authenticity, and experimentation.

But the reverse is true too: creators are now learning the value of structure, craft, and discipline from the production world. The smartest producers today are the ones who can move comfortably between both ecosystems.

LBB> Compared to the heads of production/EPs when you first joined the industry, what’s the most striking change – and what has surprisingly stayed the same?

Charlie> The biggest change is pace. Timelines that used to be weeks are now days. Budgets that used to be robust need to stretch further. And the technical landscape evolves monthly.

What’s stayed the same? The human side. Leadership, diplomacy, and the ability to keep a team calm under pressure haven’t changed at all. A good EP is still half strategist, half therapist.

LBB> When it comes to educating producers, how does your company approach this? What areas benefit from more structured training?

Charlie> In production, nobody ever “knows it all” – the job itself prevents that. The landscape shifts too fast. What we try to build at Not Normal isn’t a system where people rotate through departments; it’s a mindset where everyone stays hungry, curious and open.

For me, retaining expertise isn’t about holding on to old methods – it’s about understanding that what we’ve learned so far is the foundation, not the finish line. And the only way to keep that expertise alive is to let it evolve. New talent, new tools, new workflows, new cultural codes… they all push us to rethink how we produce, how we collaborate, and how we show up creatively.

So the key is humility and appetite. The humility to admit that experience doesn’t make you untouchable – and the appetite to keep expanding. When senior producers stay plugged into the energy and instincts of younger creators, and younger talent learns from the craft and discipline of people who’ve been in the trenches for decades, everybody levels up. That’s how we keep growing, and that’s how we protect the craft while still moving with the industry – not behind it.

LBB> There’s an emphasis on speed and volume in content. Where is the space for new producers to learn about – and appreciate – craft?

Charlie> Craft happens in the moments between the rush. We push younger producers to sit with editors, directors, and spend time in color or sound whenever possible. Even fast content deserves intention, and the only way to appreciate that is to be exposed to it. Volume shouldn’t kill taste.

LBB> On the other side, how do you retain expertise and help seasoned producers develop new skills?

Charlie> We give them ownership. Senior producers want challenges, not comfort. we let them run bigger teams, integrate tech-forward solutions, or take on unconventional projects. When they’re engaged, they evolve naturally. When they’re sidelined, they stagnate.

LBB> What personality traits and skills will always be in demand from producers?

Charlie> Calm under pressure. Clear communication. Taste. Adaptability. But above all: the ability to make people feel safe enough to do their best work. Technology changes — those traits don’t.