The Foundations of Production with Thomas Amoedo

Thomas Amoedo is an Argentine executive producer and a leading voice in the production industry from Mexico and Latin America.

Raised at Landia, the top Spanish-speaking production company of the past two decades, Thomas has built his career producing award-winning projects for brands like Apple, Nike, Corona, Coca-Cola, Scrabble, and Nissan, to name a few.

Since relocating to Mexico City in 2016, he has been part of Landia’s growth in the market and founded Landia Content, a division focused on original content development and production. Working with platforms like Amazon+, Paramount+ and Netflix.

He has produced internationally celebrated campaigns including ‘Young & Mature’ for Axe, ‘Miraculous Hen’ for Andes, ‘Man Boobs’ for MACMA, ‘Anagram Lovers’ for Scrabble, ‘Volkswagen Trucks’, and ‘Save the Children’, which earned Mexico’s first Cannes Lion in Craft.

Recently, he has been behind award-winning campaigns such as ‘This is Not a Game’ for Movistar, ‘Periodistas’ for Propuesta Cívica, and ‘¡Suerte!’ for Apple.

In 2025 co-founded Entropy, now the leading Latin American AI company focused on content production powered by artificial intelligence. He has served as a juror for top global industry awards including Ciclope, UKMVA, 1.4, and Cannes Lions 2025.

Thomas sat down with LBB to discuss breaking into the industry, how the Landia mindset embedded into his DNA and pursuing the work/life balance

LBB> What first attracted you to production – and have you always worked in the industry, or did you come from another area?

Thomas> I come from sports. I played tennis competitively and spent my teens on the courts. When I stopped pursuing that path, I started as a PA – and from day one, I was hooked by the level of detail and creative thinking in production. You always have to be three steps ahead, with a strategy and the ability to adapt and switch quickly when the problem arises. In this way, I could say I translated much of the tennis mindset into production.

What first grabbed me was the mix of strategic planning with the adrenaline of making time actually work. Add a pinch of competitiveness from my sports background, and it became this very stimulating space for me.

LBB> What was your first role in production and how did it shape the way you think and grow your career?

Thomas> I started as a PA and was lucky to grow up inside a production house that is obsessive about detail and service. From re-thinking how we present treatments to crafting the on-set experience, I learned early that precision and innovation aren’t extras – they’re the job. That mindset at LANDIA got into my DNA, and it’s still how I approach everything.

LBB> How did you learn to be a producer?

Thomas> By making mistakes, and learning fast from them. I had mentors at LANDIA (both producers and directors) and great agency producers who helped with my first jobs. I’ve always believed you can learn from everyone: your line producer, your gaffer, your DP who shows you how to pull off a tricky shot. A producer is the sum of those conversations and relationships, plus your own mistakes. The key is to never make the same mistake twice.

LBB> Early in your career, tell us about a production where you really had to dig deep and it helped you grow.

Thomas> A global campaign I produced early on for Smirnoff with 72andSunny was a real breakthrough. We told different stories across one night – shot over five days and nights – with a budget under 100k. The only way it worked was with the dream combo: a tight, committed crew and total trust from agency and client.

We were ten people, all in. We shot in real locations pulled through favours: the bar where I played pool with friends, a tattoo studio a friend lent us, even a butcher shop where my family used to buy every week. Everything happened on that shoot. But when a small crew knows exactly what’s happening and what’s next – and the agency and client are truly collaborating – the project gets its soul. That’s when great results show up.

LBB> “A good producer should be able to produce for any medium.” Do you agree?

Thomas> A good producer needs to be honest about their limits and knowledge. No one is great at everything. But great producers know how to translate their experience to any medium and bring in the right people at the right time. So yes, a good producer should be able to deliver in any medium – either directly or through their network – and know when to lean on specialists.

LBB> What’s your favourite thing about production, and why?

Thomas> It changes by project, but two things stand out. First, working with the director in the creative phase, during that small window where you can bring something new to the table. Second, finding that ‘one special thing’ for the job: the choreographer nobody had on their radar, a surprising location, or a production plan that protects the director’s vision from the usual constraints.

LBB> How has production changed since you started?

Thomas> The workload to win a job is much higher. Treatments look like mini-PPMs now. And we’re constantly doing more with less – less time, fewer resources. That can sharpen us, but it can also reduce space to explore creative paths. Directors’ creative approaches can feel like a silver bullet; you either land it or you don’t, because the runway is shorter.

LBB> And what’s stayed the same?

Thomas> The same holds true for why the right people keep getting called back, even in a tough market for clients, agencies, and production companies. The foundations still work.

• Respect the people and the craft, and do your best to elevate what you’re given.
• Build trust so agencies and clients know you’ll add value, not just execute. Protect the process – communicate well and make the experience great.
• The industry is constantly shifting, sometimes to places none of us love. But if you keep those three principles, you find the right collaborators, and good things follow.

LBB> What’s the key to being an effective producer – innate or learned?

Thomas> Everything is learnable. Some producers lead with creativity, some with team-building, some with negotiation and relationships. Know your natural advantages, and get good enough at the rest. Then hire people who are great where you’re not.

If I had to name, it would be clear communication. So many problems come from not listening, misreading, or being vague about what the project truly needs.

LBB> Which production project are you most proud of, and why?

Thomas> It’s hard to say. The big ten-day, multi-unit shoots require huge focus and orchestration. Tiny passion projects rely on a small, committed crew and would never exist without love. My top three for different reasons:

• Scrabble, ‘Anagram Lovers’
• Smirnoff, ‘#WhatANight’
• Shot on iPhone commercials

LBB> Recently, which projects were especially exciting or challenging?

Thomas> We just delivered a big job on a remote island with a real helicopter. We shut down a beach for days and ran multiple stunt and pilot rehearsals. It’s the kind of production you see less often now – where every detail matters and things can go south fast. It was great to be stretched again by real-world logistics and see the plan land exactly as designed.

LBB> What are your personal ambitions as a producer?

Thomas> I’ve been in advertising for 16 years now, and I’m getting more involved in narrative features and series. It feels like a natural evolution as we continue to build LANDIA’s advertising arm. The wilder ambition is live events. The space exploded over the last decade, and brands get real value from it. There’s still a lot to invent when the output is a lived experience.

LBB> Producers have a never-ending to-do list. How do you switch off?

Thomas> I think pursuing balance matters more than ‘having’ balance. It’s not a perfect calendar. Some weeks legitimately need 110%, especially when you’re pushing something new.

The trick is bouncing back. Sometimes Wednesday is your Sunday, and that’s fine.

We’re all reachable 24/7, which forces flexibility for work time – apply the same logic to recovery. Personally, I need full days off from my phone and laptop (ideally on Saturdays). Sports and being outdoors reset me.

LBB> Producers are problem solvers. What fuels your curiosity and drive?

Thomas> Competition – in the healthy sense. Competition pushes innovation. A little ego is useful: believe that you and your team can bring something new, in an industry that moves fast from pitch to delivery.

LBB> What advice would you give to people who want to become producers?

Thomas> Absorb knowledge from everyone. Ask questions. People are generous when you’re genuinely curious. Almost everything you learn becomes useful on set at some point – even the most random detail.

I always say production is ‘applied common sense’. Learn a bit of everything: meteorology, what’s culturally relevant and what isn’t, how sound works, and how light actually behaves. It all compounds.

LBB> From your experience, what are the ingredients of a successful production?

Thomas> Vehemence for detail. Triple-checking. Working with people you trust. And communicating clearly: internally, with the agency, and with the client.

LBB> What’s the key to a strong production–client relationship?

Thomas> Honesty, empathy, and a shared obsession with making great work.

LBB> Producers are naturally hands-on. How do you balance that in the more managerial role of an EP?

Thomas> You have to earn the right to be hands-off. I stay close enough to the work to spot risks early, but my job is to build the conditions – from the right team and plan to the right communication loops and guardrails on time and money. I jump in when it protects the vision or the schedule; otherwise, I let great people do what they’re great at.