This weeks theme was presented by Amy Simmons who is a London based integrated project manger currently at A&E DDB who Ive worked with in the past when she was AMV so it was great to see her pop up here.
Her role requires her to work across the number of disciplines an integrated campaign requires, so a print element which could be press ads, posters, point of sale, Direct Mail alongside digital media which could mean social media and also moving image TV , you tube and again social media where video is now consumed alongside stills.
Having worked for leading agencies Amy is very well placed to provide the advice and guidance she provides in this presentation which I found very informative with the information was conveyed really effectively. Having worked in advertising for almost 30 years and already understood the process she described I still found it informative.
Her role involves co-ordinating the entire process from when the conceptual stage of the campaign starts and once approved becomes a live project. From there will be involved with liasing with the creative department, securing talent, formulating budgets, overseeing production as well as often being the on shoot producer.
After the shoot she is also involved in post production of the media and artworking processes co-ordinating between departments and suppliers through to final project delivery.
Amongst all this she will run pre production (PPM) and pre-pre production (PPPM) meetings where all parties convene to discuss the production, agree processes, understand departmental requirements, a great deal hangs on the information obtained at these meetings so chairing them requires diligence and diplomacy as each department will have very definite requirements that will impact other parts of the production.
She also explained how to write a treatment, a document a photographer is often asked to provide when being considered for a shoot. The treatment should contain a short bio, examples of work but most importantly how the photographer intends to approach this particular project. What they intend to bring to the party, how their vision and skills will compliment the shoot better than the many other equally skilled practitioners out there.
The treatment is the photographers opportunity to connect directly with the creative decision makers, the client may also see it too so enthusiasm for the project along with presenting your vision and credentials is important.
An important and informative presentation for those interested in pursuing advertising commissions and indeed those that already do.