How I Work, Part 3: If you're just a Producer, you're not a Producer
"A Shark has to keep swimming or it dies..."
I had no idea if that was true or not (turns out, it is), but I believed it like it was the word of God. I was fresh into Los Angeles all of 4 months, and I was working as an assistant on a low-budget web series for a large television network that was dipping it's feet into the, back then, new world of internet original programming.
I was being scolded by a Network Executive for the unforgivable crime of not knowing something for too long. I don't even remember what he had asked me, but I didn't know the answer and he wasn't happy about that. "Jesus Christ, I asked you about this an hour ago. Why the fuck haven't you figured that out yet?". I was devastated. He hadn't asked me to figure it out the first time he asked. He simply asked me a question, I said I wasn't sure, and he walked away. I thought that was the end of it. It wasn't. He expected me to "figure that shit out".
Was I out of my depth. Yes I was. I was just an assistant. Up to that point, I thought my job was to do what I was told. He didn't tell me to figure anything out, so I didn't. That was the wrong way to think and he let me know that.
"If you're gonna stick around here, you need to keep swimming!" he yelled as he stormed to his office. I struggled to keep up, pondering if I should interrupt him to note the things that I did complete that day, as if that would some how save some face. He continued. "Sharks have to keep swimming or they'll die. They don't have to be told to swim. They do it to survive. You need to keep swimming. Figure the shit out!"
I'll admit, my feelings were hurt for a bit, but that's because I cared. I wanted to get better.
If You're Just A Producer, You're Not A Producer
You must learn new skills all the time. You've constantly got to take on challenges that are outside of your comfort zone. Most people are blessed with a job where they are hired to do a set, pre-determined job role, and they do just that job and nothing else. But for Producers, you can't be a good producer if you're "just" a producer.
Why? Because you're running the show. How can you run a hospital if you don't know at least a little about Surgery and Medicine? You can't run a sports team if you don't know how Players and coaches think or the rules of the sport. Same with production. When you're estimating a design project, how do you know a designer's estimate is accurate? When you're estimating a development project, how do you know the developer's hourly estimate is accurate? You might say "Well they're the expert, I should depend on them to give me an accurate estimate". NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
The estimate is coming from you. It has your name on it. Your company's name is on it. The client doesn't know Ted the developer. They don't know Kate the designer. If you give a bogus estimate, that's on you. That's on your company. You need to be familiar with the work so you can help vet those costs (or know someone who can).
Do you need to be a seasoned designer? No. Do you need to learn how to be a full-stack development rockstar? No. But be familiar enough with the work and tools that you can ask "Why would it take X hours to complete?" and understand the explanation. You owe it to the client. They're paying you to look out for their brand or product.
Get yourself a Lynda account and learn a little photoshop and HTML. If you're in the films industry, learn a bit of editing and VFX. At the end of the day, Producing is about getting shit done on time and under budget, and learning about the tools of the trade will only help you get there.
How I Keep Swimming
I've always wanted to thank that Network Exec for yelling at me that day. From then on out, I took more initiative. If he asked me a question, I'd say "I don't know, but I will find out" and off I went. That philosophy has served me very well. I made more industry and vendor contacts. I was allowed to help make decisions that were way out of my pay grade. I was producing!
From a creative agency level, I've taught myself a bit of photoshop and a bit of Javascript. Can I design a website? Nope. Can I build a mobile app? Not even close, but through learning photoshop and code, I've gained two unique qualities: A) I've gained an appreciation and understanding for what designers and coders do and how complex the production can be. B). I can follow conversations when designers and developers use "technical jargon" with each other during meetings. Bonus: You've increased your earning potential and job security because you know more stuff.
Epilogue (For those that care)
Once production on that web series started, I was moved out of the office and became an on-set production assistant. I never saw that Network Exec again. Even 10 years later, I would gladly use my accrued vacation time to intern for that guy for a few weeks.
He seems to be doing well. He works for another major network now (according to Variety) and I'm sure he doesn't remember who I am. And if he did, I'd love to buy him dinner.