This talk was so unbelievable inspirational and amazing and it really helped me to realize how many jobs there actually are out there. Emily McBean is a creative producer which she explained can come under various names such as ‘Photo editor’.
Her main roles within her job include -
Art Buying, which is not actually buying of physical art but more finding talents and commissioning work and matching them to clients, talents may include - Photographers, Stylists, Set Designers, Illustrators, Animators and many more.
Sorting out travel for the talents to and from locations
Negotiating pricing and anything that may need to be tweaked.
Sourcing studios and locations for any job.
Anything admin, paperwork, etc..
Retouching of images to make sure they are of a good standard.
Creative producers are in charge of pre-production which involves the preparation and planning of the jobs, the production which is the actual day of the job, making sure everything goes to plan as well as any post production which includes retouching of images, delivery of any artwork, etc..
Shockingly, Emily stated that Vogue will only pay £100 a day for an editorial which I thought was extremely low considering how big of a company and name they are. Although, remember that even if the pay is low, a big name can always be very good for your portfolio.
Some sound advice which she gave us was the be very aware and careful of ‘Sharks in the Water’, make sure to not get ripped off or underestimated by anyone, make sure to take time when it comes to planning and pricing, make sure to aim for a fair price. It is always worth discussing with clients how much they are willing to pay and then telling them what you can offer for that price.
Some things to consider when doing this job are
Not all shoots will go smoothly, some talents/ celebrities can be very awkward, so make sure to be prepared for anything, this may be where the negotiating part of the job will come into play.
Ethics can become a big part of any shoot, some vulnerable people, such as minors may not be able to show their faces or significant aspects of their character to the cameras. Most of the time, if the organisation you are commissioned by is a big name, they will have ethics already considered in their contracts.
Remember to have a permit to shoot on location.
Always research the Brands you are working for so that you are aware of the kind of aesthetic they use. It is is important to be consistent with your work, make sure to research what you are applying for.
This image was part of Emily’s lecture slide and I found it to be very helpful as I feel this are really good skills to have for any job, especially the Positive Attitude! As life can become very challenging!
She also gave us some portfolio advice and how to show it to potential commissioners/ employers
Don’t more than one image of the same people, this can make them think you cannot make up your mind.
Show only very strong work as this will really put across your capability.
Try to meet in a cafe to show your portfolio as this is more personal and can be beneficial
Try not to waste their time as it can be very valuable in an office.
Sometimes there is no reassurance as shoots are expected to be amazing, so be confident in your work and don’t expect any good comments.
I really found this lecture to be so helpful and it has really made me consider looking for jobs in this role as I feel I would really enjoy it.
After the lecture, I had a tutorial with Emily to show her a brief portfolio, and she was so lovely and made me feel very confident about my work. I mainly asked for a tutorial as I feel very shy and unconfident about my work so I wanted to practice speaking to a professional to see how I felt, and she made me feel very at ease.