Eliza Burrows-McGill’s Commitment to Sustainability

Eliza Burrows-McGill brings nearly a decade of creative industry experience, beginning her career at the Independent Talent Group with foundational insights into film and TV. She went on to Toast TV, where she produced over 70 commercials and campaigns as a broadcast line producer.

Over the past three years at Oliver, Eliza has progressed from senior producer to executive producer, earning company-wide recognition through the Newcomer of the Year award and a shortlist for the prestigious Insider of the Year. She has managed projects for more than 30 brands worldwide, leading shoots in over seven countries across the UK/EMEA, APAC, NA, and LATAM regions.

Always ahead of the curve, Eliza pioneered her department’s first AI-integrated shoot, underscoring her commitment to innovation and adaptability.

Eliza sat down with LBB to discuss the team building aspects of being a producer, early lessons in production, and evolving industry hierarchies.

LBB> What lasting impact has the pandemic had on how you and your agency think about and approach production?

Eliza> The pandemic really forced us to rethink our production processes. We had to question what could happen online and what absolutely needed to be in person. Pre-production meetings, for example, shifted to virtual pretty seamlessly and actually gave us much more flexibility.

But for things like location scouting and filming, it quickly became obvious that being there in person was still essential.

We also found ourselves communicating more, thanks to all those virtual meetings. I actually think this was a real positive – it meant quicker feedback and more room for deeper discussion and detail.

Remote work also brought a more sustainable mindset into the mix. With travel and shoot attendance under the microscope, it pushed us to look for alternatives – like remote setups/equipment – especially when it came to having big client or agency groups on set.

Now, whenever I’m planning a shoot, I really think about whether a task needs to be done in person, and I closely review the attendance list to make sure everyone there is truly needed. It not only makes things run more efficiently, but it also helps lower our carbon footprint.

LBB> 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?

Eliza> I agree with this up to a point – a good producer should be able to work across different formats like digital to TVCs or radio, since there’s a lot of overlap in the core skills needed.

But films and events are a different niche and really require their own specialist experience, along with your own different set of suppliers and teams. Focusing on a specific area means you can stay current with industry trends and build strong relationships with the right people, which helps you deliver the best approaches and results.

LBB> And leading on from that, when it comes to building up your team at the agency, what’s your view on the balance of specialists vs generalists?

Eliza> I think it’s really important to have access to a team that has a mix of different specialist skills and the ability to handle the everyday stuff. For me, producing is all about putting together the right team for each project – and that often means bringing in experts that match that specific brief.

For example, if I’m working on a project that blends live action and CGI, my strength is definitely on the live action shoot side, so I’d make sure to bring a CGI expert on board. I’d work closely with them so they can bring their knowledge of CGI workflows into the mix, and therefore I have the confidence that the production approach I am proposing is reliable.

LBB> 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?

Eliza> I started out in production as an assistant at a talent agency, representing key heads of department for big films and TV shows. It mostly involved answering the phones, crew suggestion emails and script readings, but it gave me a real insight into the teams and networks that make productions happen. From there, I moved into production assistant roles and eventually became a producer.

One lesson that’s really stuck with me is the importance of listening and asking questions – never being afraid to admit what you don’t know. I also learned early on the value of just picking up the phone, even when it feels easier to hide behind emails. Making those personal connections has always helped build stronger relationships.

Above all, I try to keep pushing myself to learn new things – being open and curious is essential in production, especially as the industry is constantly changing.

LBB> If you compare your role to the role 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?

Eliza> When I first started in the industry, senior management felt really unapproachable and distant. Coming in as an assistant, I definitely felt inferior, and there weren’t many opportunities to learn from or shadow those in higher roles. It was easy to get stuck doing menial tasks, with very little chance for growth or real education. It actually took me a long time to grow in confidence, simply because I wasn’t getting the exposure I needed to develop and prove myself.

Now, though, I notice a real shift – there’s much less of a rigid hierarchy, and a lot more interaction between junior and senior staff. Mentorship and access to senior leadership are encouraged, which means it’s easier to learn, build relationships, and gain confidence early in your career.

What’s interesting is that, even though the nature of the work and the pressures haven’t changed that much, the culture has become much more supportive and open – which I think makes a huge difference for anyone coming into the industry now.

LBB> 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?

Eliza> At Oliver, we’re embedded inside the brands, which really strengthens collaboration and gives us a much deeper understanding of the client from the start. From a production perspective, having this intel makes it more likely that the production approach I propose is going to be more successfully received.

I generally like working with our in-house production team since there’s already good chemistry and ways of working in place, so we can move quickly. But sometimes, bigger briefs or specialist needs mean it’s best to go external to get the right skills involved.

I really enjoy briefs that call for bringing in external directors who align more to the brief or who can bring something unexpected. I like to get to know their ways of working early on – including what kind of team they want around them, for example, if they want to bring their own editor, I think it’s important to lean into their preferences, because that openness often leads to greater creativity.

Being embedded into brands has its advantages at Oliver, but the overall agency–client structure can sometimes slow things down, especially compared to my experience at a production company working direct-to-brand, where I found decisions were faster and admin was lighter. The flip side, though, was needing to be very agile and wear a lot of hats since the teams were leaner and there was less support.

Overall, while the embedded agency model means I get better brand insight and collaboration, I do sometimes miss the speed and agility of working direct-to-client. Both models have their trade-offs, so I try to carry the best lessons from each into my current work.

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

Eliza> For me, trust starts with open communication. If a partner is happy to make time for even the smallest questions, then you start to see them as a colleague rather than a supplier. Especially when someone’s motivated, like me, to sit down together, chat through the approach and budget, and figure out solutions as a team. When everyone’s invested in solving problems and sharing both accountability and risk, that’s when real trust is built for me. It creates a sense that you’re in it together, which is key for any great collaboration.

LBB> How important is it to you that there is diversity across all partners on a production? Do you have any measures to promote diversity when it comes to production?

Eliza> Diversity is really important to me – I think having a team with different backgrounds and perspectives is key to delivering a great piece of work. I always try to look at each brief and see where I can push to work with underrepresented groups in the industry.

For example, on a recent job for a food brand, I crewed an all-female team, which brought a brilliant energy and excitement – perfect for a project all about summer, fashion, and social vibes. Experiences like that really reinforce for me how valuable diversity is, both on and off set, and it’s something I always try to keep front of my mind when building teams.

LBB> Speaking of casting, what is your approach to this side of a production? How do you work with directors to ensure a fair and fruitful process?

Eliza> I actually do a lot of my own casting, so I always start by getting everyone – client, creative directors, and director – on the same page about what we’re looking for, so we’ve got a really clear brief before we begin.

I feel like it’s crucial to have as much detail as possible in that brief, not just about the character profiles, but also the production details – things like location, dates, and rates. I’d really hate to waste anyone’s time, whether that’s the client, agency, director, or especially the talent. Unless it’s a callback, the casting process itself isn’t paid for the talent – they’ve probably taken time out from other paid jobs just to attend – so I want to make sure I have all the details up front and can pass them along to the talent or their agent so they can be confident it aligns with their needs too.

I also think it’s important to dig a bit deeper if there are specifics listed, like ethnicity – I’ll always ask why that’s needed and see if we can open things up a bit more. I like to encourage everyone to focus more on the performance and personality of the talent rather than ticking boxes around gender or ethnicity.

In the end, I find having this open mindset leads to a much more authentic and interesting casting process.

LBB> Sustainable production is also, understandably, a big talking point and will continue to be so moving forward. How are you navigating this as an agency?

Eliza> Sustainability is something that’s really important to me personally, and to Oliver, as an agency.

We’ve embedded it into our production processes, and we have solid sustainability ways of working documents that we’re always updating, and we include this in each core PPM meeting, so it really stays top of mind for every project.

Right from the initial brief, we question things like whether travel or being in-person is actually needed, push for LED lighting in our kit lists, work with carbon-neutral partners, choose vegan catering where possible, and use second-hand props or wardrobe.

I will say, pitching vegan catering on a big job can be tricky – crews can sometimes push back, and it’s important to keep a happy crew, especially on a busy, intense job. That’s why I make sure to be really clear about our sustainability plans in pre-production and get all the heads of department on board early, so there are no surprises or frustrations once we’re on set!

We also record all our carbon data through AdGreen for every project, which helps us keep questioning what we’re doing and finding ways to improve. Proudly, we were AdGreen’s number one superuser in 2023 and made the top five again in 2024.

I also attended AdGreen’s superuser breakfast this year, and it was honestly so refreshing and motivating to meet other agencies and production partners who share the same motivations, and are genuinely passionate about making production greener.

It was also great to hear how others, like us, are just as dedicated to recording everything in AdGreen so you can really understand the data and make meaningful progress.

LBB> 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?

Eliza> Diversity and sustainability are super important to how I work as an individual and to the company. At Oliver, we have great access to regular online training courses, which keeps us up to date. As a production team, we’re always looking at briefs to see if there’s an eco-friendlier way to approach things – like using virtual production – and we make a real effort to bring together teams with a mix of backgrounds and experience.

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

Eliza> We spend a lot of time creating clear guidelines and documentation for producers, and there’s always strong oversight from the team, which is key. When a producer is new or working on something unfamiliar, we make sure a senior team member is there to mentor them and review their approach and budgets together.

I think this kind of one-on-one support is crucial because every project’s needs are different– it’s not something you can just learn online. There are helpful industry courses, like the APA masterclass and workshops on budgets, but in my experience, it’s vital to have that hands-on oversight to really learn, listen and build up your knowledge.

LBB> How have you approached integrating data with production workflows and processes? And, generally, how has data and the fact that we have constant live feedback on content performance changed production?

Eliza> Although it can sometimes feel a bit daunting knowing your work is under a live microscope, I’ve actually enjoyed working with live data and feedback in production.

For example, on a recent shoot with Charli XCX at Cannes, we were on the ground for a week creating and posting content in real time. Each morning, we’d sit down as a team and look at how the audience were reacting on different platforms. That daily check-in actually shaped what we made next – sometimes we’d pivot and create more reactive content based on what was performing well or what people were talking about. It definitely makes production more dynamic and collaborative, and keeps you on your toes!

LBB> Clients’ thirst for content seems to be unquenchable – and they need content that’s fast and responsive! What’s the key to creating LOTS of stuff at SPEED – without sacrificing production values? Is it even possible?

Eliza> To create lots of content quickly without losing quality, it needs to start with a strong, detailed brief. If you’ve got clear creative direction and style references locked in, shoots can move fast but still stay on track.

It’s also crucial to have the right team in place and a budget that matches the ambition – speed shouldn’t mean cutting corners on quality, so you need proper support, even if that makes upscaling the team to say multiple editors instead of one, to keep standards high even when timelines are tight.

LBB> To what extent is production strategic – traditionally it’s the part that comes at the ‘end’ of the agency process, but it seems in many cases production is a valuable voice to have right up top – what are your thoughts/experiences of this?

Eliza> I completely agree – production is a valuable voice to have from the very beginning. On more and more projects, I’m brought in at the early stages to ensure ideas are on the right track in terms of feasibility and within the constraints of the brief.

I also really enjoy workshopping ideas with creatives, as sometimes a production perspective can actually lead to a more creatively ambitious result that’s also more budget-friendly – a win-win.

Plus, when production is involved from the outset, there’s confidence that the idea has already been vetted and is realistic before execution begins.

LBB> What’s the most exciting thing about working in production right now?

Eliza> The rise of AI is definitely the hot topic in production right now!

While it’s both exciting and a bit unpredictable, I’ve really enjoyed figuring out how to mix AI with live action, rather than just diving into all-AI solutions.

For example, using AI to build unique backdrops for virtual production or green screen studios has opened up so many creative options – way less restrictive than just relying on stock imagery. Or, using AI to pull off ambitious establishing or action scenes that would be totally out of reach budget- or logistics-wise. It means we can put more of the budget into the story and the key set pieces, and ensure high production value on these.

For me, it’s all about using AI as a tool to push things forward and bring more cost-efficient creativity to the table, without losing that grounded, crafted feel that comes from a genuine live shoot.

LBB> And what advice would you give to an aspiring agency producer?

Eliza> I’d say nothing is ever as scary as it first seems! Sometimes a brief can look intimidating or impossible on the surface, but once you break it down into smaller parts and tackle each bit one step at a time, it always starts to make more sense.

And honestly, don’t be afraid to just pick up the phone and talk to people – no question is too big or too small. So many worries can be cleared up with a quick call.