What is a creative producer? And 3 things you must do before a photoshoot

Being a creative producer and working on editorial photoshoots is an incredibly satisfying job. In this role you bring to life an inexistent concept through various steps, and if you’ve been thinking about becoming one, this post is for you.

Let’s start with the basics, what is a creative producer? A creative producer develops & executes editorial projects. As one, you get to work on the concept ideation, explore the locations that will be the right fit for your concept and gather the right team (photographer, stylist, models, videographer, hair & makeup, and assistants).

These steps are just the basic of your project, you must do research and get referrals on who you’re working with, and their style, to ensure that the idea that you have in mind goes through a seamless process and result in inspiring images / videos.

Having a creative mind & eye is important, but your communication skills are essential. As a producer, you need to clearly communicate the intention and vision behind the project, so that all the creative team syncs into one.

You must also have negotiating abilities since you will be bartering for locations, food or other services. 

When you produce, you assume what I like to call a "people’s job” which is equally as important as the creative aspect. The team will rely on you for 24/7 of the duration of the shoot. Why? Well, you got the idea and individuals together, now it's a matter of making it work and bringing the concept to life.

If this sounds like a thrilling role, you definitely have a creative producer in you! And now, I'll dive in a some key things you should have before embarking on any project. You can also check out a cool rundown on TikTok.

Before starting any project, you must have:

✔️A clear and revised mood board with your team. A mood board is a visual representation of everything that inspired you for the editorial. This should include: images of poses, colours, locations and outfits. 

✔️Double check the status of accommodation and transportation arrangements for your team, make sure the payments are in order (and hold on to the invoices), and ALWAYS make sure all permits are cleared (if you are shooting on a public location you may need these).

✔️Map a tentative schedule for the shoot from start to finish: time between looks, breaks, sunrise/sunset timing if shooting on location, and try to include time for a run-through with the stylist the day before if possible. A run-through is a small rehearsal with the model and stylist to ensure the fit of the looks, and that these tell the proper story.

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