The Fundamental Truth of Production with Zoë Waller

Zoë Waller is a London-based producer who’s spent years making creative projects actually happen. With a background in commercials, content and film, she brings experience, calm and a sense of humour to the process. Zoë believes the best work comes from trust, teamwork and keeping things human.

Zoë sat down with LBB to discuss her unique route into the world of production, her experience agency side, and latest work for Argos.

LBB> What first attracted you to production – and has it been an industry you’ve always worked in or did you come to it from another area?

Zoë> I fell into it by accident as school didn’t work for me. I am dyslexic and rolled through four different schools in my education. I initially wanted to be a hairdresser but that wasn’t academic enough for my mum.

My dad worked in corporate communications and I went along with him to work one day. He was working at Liverpool Victoria and he took me on a shoot as a runner in 1999. That showed me that this was something I liked and wanted to explore.

LBB> How did you learn to be a producer?

Zoë> I was a co-ordinator at Channel 4 – in the operations department – but that wasn’t for me. Around the time of 2008 during the financial crash – I went to Australia for a year (I’m half Australian) and worked as a co-ordinator in a design role.

Then I got a telephone call from a good friend Fran in 2010 – saying ‘we need someone organised, are you free?’. That was at ChelloZone, now AMC Networks, where I became a promo producer. I did that for brands like the Food Network – I love food – and that was where it all started.

After that I went to a company called Media Arc – where I gained more longform experience, including documentaries – they were the first company I met that were in the digital space. I worked across three longform docs there, for the travel channel on TV, some branded content and TV adverts. And it grew from there.

LBB> Looking back to the beginning of your career, can you tell us about a production you were involved in where you really had to dig deep and that really helped you to grow as a producer?

Zoë> Moving from Media Art to Adjust Your Set in 2011. It was my first ‘agency’ experience. Having worked at Channel 4 and Media Arc. The whole vibe at an agency was totally different. It was the first time that I had worked with an account management team in house.

I remember my first five-day production for a financial brand. I didn’t feel in my comfort zone. I wasn’t used to clients on set as I came from, predominantly, a TV background. I had to let go of my ego and listen to the coaching of my HOD, who sat me down, and just explained how to look after clients. It sounded obvious, you know, the basics, seating, tea/coffee etc, but I just didn’t understand that part of advertising yet. I still laugh remembering that conversation but it was so helpful as I am very literal.

I think as a team, the client got well serviced over the five days and the team got flowers and booze as a thank you.

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

Zoë> I agree. In my time I've produced TVCs, social, corp, radio ads, live events, I’ve also produced a few cooking events in my time as well along with wellness retreats abroad.

Producing has one fundamental truth, which is that you create something out of nothing. You create a physical or digital project out of one idea and once you understand that you can learn the physical skills that go against each discipline. The skills are totally transferable.

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

Zoë> Within the right team, I can be myself and really get creative – just in a different way to ‘the creatives’. It's about being creative with time and money and management – a brilliant feeling.

LBB> How has production changed since you started your career? What’s stayed the same?

Zoë> Some things haven’t changed – budgets have been in decline, inflation and costs have been rising along with client expectations. And tech has always been shaking things up. But people now really don’t want rigid structures, they want collaboration. People want to be able to say ‘we’re creative partners’.

It works too. As a company, we have been collaborating a lot more on scriptwriting lately – something that used to just be the agency’s role. We are getting more involved in rewrites etc. The outcomes are much better when we work more closely.

There are still some systemic issues around the industry which have stalled as well. There are small shining lights around routes into the industry for DE&I, new starters, and for wellbeing, but we are slow to really get impactful change.

However, there are people out there doing their best to try and change things from the inside out which is heartening.

LBB> What do you think is the key to being an effective producer – and is it something that’s innate or something that can be learned?

Zoë> Communication. Organisation. Structure. Throwing the rule book out the window when needed. The ability to manage up the food chain as well as down. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses and filling your gaps with a team who complements each other.

Every producer will have innate gifts. Mine is resilience and tenaciousness. But I look at Sam, our co-founder and he’s amazing at strategy. I will see 10 steps ahead through anxiety and he will see it through strategy. You can’t change your innate processes, but you can understand where you might have a weakness, and how you can build a team around strengths and weaknesses.

LBB> Which production project from across your career are you most proud of and why?

Zoë> It’s a low key one but being involved in OLIO ‘What a wonderful waste’ for Sky NetZero was special. It’s not my favourite film ever but it’s impactful, and we won a quarter of a million in media for that so the film could be put out there – a big achievement.

LBB> And in terms of recent work, which projects have you found to be particularly exciting or have presented particularly interesting production challenges?

Zoë> ‘Arghaus’ for Argos was exciting – a vertical comedy series. It was a big creative leap, a proper project of collaboration between three companies coming together to use their skills to make the best creative they can.

LBB> What are your personal ambitions or aspirations as a producer?

Zoë> To create healthy, functional teams in the workplace that can create good work.

LBB> As a producer your brain must have a neverending "to do" list. How do you switch off? What do you do to relax?

Zoë> I try to get into nature as much as possible and I practice meditation.

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

Zoë> People and people’s perspectives, understanding where they are coming from and what their mission is.

LBB> What advice would you give to people who are interested in becoming a producer?

Zoë> Think long and hard about how you manage stress levels. At its best this job can be brilliant and at its worst it can be awful. You are responsible for everything, good or bad. You need to know you can stand up to that.

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

Zoë> Communication. Openness. And a willingness to know that you don’t know everything but you can find it out and learn.

Even if you think you’ve done something before, you have to be open to the fact that every time is completely different.

LBB> What’s the key to a successful production-client relationship?

Zoë> Honesty and communication. Because at various points, things will always go south – but it’s about how south it goes, and being honest and open is how you stop it getting bad. And when things do get bad, the ability to call the space out as you see it to have a constructive dialogue and get the ship back on course.

LBB> Producers are naturally hands on – they have to be. How do you balance that in the more managerial role of an EP?

Zoë> A classic executive producer in my mind will find the work, oversee the work and deliver the world – they will also guard the work.

I do find it tough to be more hands off on some projects. But part of the job I love is the entrepreneurial aspects of the EP role – which is what drew me to it in the beginning. It's fun to be a bit more hands off line producing and looking at the bigger picture and work pipeline.

I’ve had some previous sales and retail experience in my life, and so I've always had that muscle memory for sales – and so marrying producing with sales, that’s when EPing fell into place for me. It’s easy for me to let go on some productions because once we’re in the day to day I'm looking out for what’s next. But also if you have a producer you know and trust, it can be nice to let go.