Creatives Aren’t Learning Production the Way They Used To

A writer with six years’ experience once joined Rachel Frederick’s team having never set foot on a shoot.

“We made it happen, but it took far more effort than it should have,” recalls Rachel, now a freelance creative.

It’s a situation that feels increasingly common. While more content is being produced than ever, tighter budgets, smaller crews, and a generation of creatives who came up during the covid pandemic have combined to limit access to the very part of the process where ideas are actually brought to life.

“Production has always had a bit of mystique to it,” adds Patrick Burke, a fellow freelance creative. “Being on set was the thing every young creative wanted to experience. [But it has become] the classic supply and demand issue: more opportunities in theory, but fewer chances for younger creatives to actually be there and learn from it.”

That’s the gap The PrePros is aiming to close.

The PrePros is a new cross-agency event series designed to give creatives a clearer understanding of what happens once an idea moves into production, and how to better collaborate with the people who bring it to life.

Launched by Rachel and Patrick alongside a small group of collaborators – including Tori Mortenson, Danica Rosen, and Daniel ‘Dickey’ Abedon – the series brings together voices from across the production chain, from directors and editors to producers and production partners, to break down how work actually gets made, and how creatives can set themselves and partners up for success.

The intention is for the series to move between different agencies and spaces over time, keeping it rooted in the wider community rather than tied to a single shop.

“When creatives don't understand how everything works together once an idea moves into production, it often shows,” says Rachel. “They struggle to see the big picture of what they're making and how to set it up to be great.”

“So much of what I know about making great work I learned by watching it get made,” adds Tori, a creative director at DAVID NY. “That opportunity is disappearing for young creatives today. I got involved with The PrePros because I don’t think craft survives if we don’t deliberately fight for it.”

​The first session, hosted by Mischief @ No Fixed Address on March 31st, takes a broad ‘Production 101’ approach, focusing less on technical detail, and more on demystifying the process (what works, what doesn’t, and what those on the craft side wish agency teams understood earlier). Speakers include Park Pictures’ Christopher Grove and Jackie Kelman Bisbee, directing duo Terri Timely, Work Editorial’s Annie Perri, and Mischief’s Bianca Guimaraes and Will Dempster.

In Rachel’s view, the most important thing that determines the trajectory of an advertising career is the community and connections a person makes. This thinking also shaped who the events are designed for, with attendance focused on creatives at associate creative director level and below, giving younger talent the space to learn.

“Most jobs and opportunities come from your network,” she says. “Nowadays, it's more essential than ever to give younger creatives the space to build those relationships – not just to learn more about production, but to learn how to collaborate better with the people who bring ideas to life. That's what The PrePros is built around. The learning and the community happen at the same time, by design.”

Lack of exposure is also being felt in how agencies operate day-to-day. Timelines are getting shorter, while more and more agencies are requiring in-person attendance, which arguably provides even less space to work.

“Office cultures aren't facilitating the kind of organic, drive-by learning that used to happen naturally,” Rachel continues. “Some agencies will pay to send an extra creative on set, and that's great, but a majority are still missing out.”

For Patrick, it’s not just about access to shoots, but what’s been lost more broadly.
“You lose the electricity of being in a room with people who think differently than you,” he says. “That kind of collaboration is intoxicating, and hard to replicate remotely.”

Danica, a senior producer in her day job, believes the value of that goes far beyond understanding processes.

“Strength lies in wearing many different hats,” she says. “And the more you know about any stage or role in production further enhances one's ability. Understanding and respecting every aspect of production increases one's knowledge and inherently makes a person a better collaborator. There is no 'you do this' and 'I do this'. The best result comes when we figure out how to reach that finish line together.”

She also sees The PrePros as less filling a gap agencies should be addressing themselves, and more so a different kind of learning environment all together.

“Hopefully, this series allows everyone to feel comfortable asking questions without feeling judged,” Danica adds. “Additionally, while learning on the job and in the moment is great, gaining knowledge without the pressure of a deadline is also valuable.”

Dickey, partner at repping firm Uncle Lefty, got involved with The PrePros initiative after meeting Rachel and Patrick at a Work Editorial event in New York.

“I was drawn to the idea of giving up-and-coming creatives direct access to world-class director, editor, VFX artist, composer, sound designer talent in the interest of advancing everyone's understanding of the production process,” he says. “I could see the events as a place to learn, get inspired, have some laughs, and build and strengthen one's network.”

The appetite is already clear. Places at the first event were sold out the first day tickets were made available to the public, and over 200 people are on an ever-growing waitlist.

“It shows people are still really excited to make things, to collaborate, to learn from the best, and to be part of something,” says Patrick. “And honestly, it feels like people are just hungry for some good news right now. I just hope younger creatives get more swings at production,” he adds.

Rachel agrees. “I'd love to see more agencies focus on how they can help train the next generation of creatives and get them on set,” she says, stressing thanks to the Mischief team for their energy and generosity getting the inaugural event off the ground.

“[And] like Patrick, I hope it results in more creatives getting the opportunities they deserve.”

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Each The PrePros event focuses on helping creatives deepen their understanding of production and how to collaborate better with the people who help bring ideas to life. The tools will continue to change, but collaboration with talented people is what takes an idea from good to great.

The first event will focus on Production 101. In the months that follow, they'll start to dig into individual parts of production: the director's process, working with an editor, the role music plays and how to write a solid music brief, and more.

Event number one - The PrePros at Mischief @ No Fixed Address – is a broad overview of what happens once an idea is sold and moves into production. It is sponsored by Mischief @ No Fixed Address, Park Pictures, Work Editorial, ARC Creative, Sonic Union, Uncle Lefty, Monte Isom Photo and Molson Coors beverage company.

Speakers won't be getting into too many specifics, but attendees will be hearing from different parts of production – what works, what doesn't, and what they wish agency creatives and producers understood better.

After a short happy hour, Bianca Guimaraes, Founding Partner & Executive Creative Director at Mischief, and Jackie Kelman Bisbee, Co-Founder of Park Pictures, will give the introduction to the evening.

From there, Will Dempster, Head of Production & Partner at Mischief, Christopher Grove, Executive Producer at Park Pictures, directing duo Terri Timely, and editor Annie Perri of Work Editorial will deliver a three-act talk on what happens once an idea moves into production and the advice they'd give to younger creatives and producers.
Danielle Balanov and Tatiana Lanier, Sr. Producers at Mischief, will then join Christopher, Terri Timely, and Annie for a panel discussion going deeper on the overall production experience.

The evening will round out with another happy hour, giving creatives the chance to ask questions, meet one another, and connect directly with the speakers.