Career Path Of A Producer At Major Media Company
Danielle's career trajectory began with early internships, revealing a less-than-ideal fit for creative roles, but a strong foundation in production assisting, leading to a Lucasfilm PA position. The interviewee's career advancement stemmed from seizing opportunities—"taking opportunities that were given...and also creating some opportunities"—and leveraging relationships and networking, ultimately resulting in a Producer role at a major media company.
Networking, Career Development, Overcoming Challenges, Project Management, Hard Truths
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Danielle Witz
Producer
Major Media Company
Occidental College
History, Art History
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Operations and Project Management
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Danielle started with internships in college, realizing that the creative path wasn't what she expected. She transitioned to PA roles on film sets, highlighting the importance of networking and taking on opportunities.
2. She emphasizes the value of leveraging personal networks to find jobs and not being afraid to take on new challenges, even if it means stepping outside one's comfort zone.
3. Danielle's career progression demonstrates the value of proactive learning and seizing opportunities, even if it requires taking on additional responsibilities and learning on the job. Her willingness to take risks and to move to a new location significantly enhanced her career progression.
Transcript
Could you walk me through your career path, starting with your experiences in college? Did you have any internships or jobs before your current role?
I started in college with a couple of internships at different production companies. One was at a film studio called Plan B Entertainment, and the other was at a place whose name I'm blanking on. It involved a lot of picking up coffees and reading scripts.
At the time, I thought I wanted to work in a creative role. However, looking around me, I realized it was a longer, more undefined path, and I didn't enjoy the work as much as I expected. So, I started working as a PA on different film sets.
While in college, I organized my classes so that I only had school two days a week. This allowed me to work on other days and pick up various odd jobs. By the time I graduated, I had some professional experience on my resume.
All those internships and jobs were found through friends. I believe relationships are super important in my industry, and it's crucial not to be afraid to ask for opportunities or leverage your network. That's how most people get these jobs.
When I graduated, I applied to be a PA at Lucasfilm. After a couple of interviews, I got the job and started working my way up the production chain. I began in shop production, doing animation and lighting as a PA.
A script coordinator quit unexpectedly, and because I had experience with script coverage from my internships, they thought I'd be a great fit for the role. Even though I hadn't done the job before, I said I could do it. That was my first big step, moving from a PA to a coordinator role.
My best advice is to take opportunities that come your way and don't let self-doubt be an obstacle. Don't tell yourself you're not ready or can't do it; just do it, and you'll figure it out as you go. Of course, be smart and don't take on too much you genuinely don't know how to do.
From there, it was about constantly observing, asking others about their daily tasks, volunteering for extra work, and helping other departments. I tried to learn as much as I could about the shows around me. Gradually, it was a combination of taking opportunities given to me and creating some for myself.
I moved up to managing bigger shows and departments, working my way up from script coordinating to associate production management on smaller shows at Lucasfilm. From there, I was able to step into production managing one of their larger shows.
Then, a woman I had worked with at Lucasfilm, who first hired me, moved to LA to work at Warner Brothers Animation. She needed someone with my specific animation production experience. She called and asked if I wanted to move to LA to production manage a show there, and I agreed.
When I arrived, I ended up working with a producer who didn't know what he was doing. This worked out well for me because I had to step up and do a lot of his job, which the studio recognized. That was my first show.
From there, I started producing more shows at the studio. I also spent some time producing at Lucasfilm again, and now I'm producing at [unclear]. So, I've just worked my way up the ladder through different productions to where I am now.