What an Associate Production Manager at Dreamworks Animation Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Animation Industry
Priyaa, an Associate Production Manager at Dreamworks Animation, initially believed a production assistant's role focused on "following up with artists on a day-to-day basis," but learned the most crucial aspect is "understanding where they're coming from" and fostering positive relationships. This involves motivating artists and ensuring a positive experience for everyone, prioritizing "getting the best out of them" over strict adherence to schedules to achieve a beautiful end product.
Project Management, Teamwork, Communication, Motivation, Problem-Solving
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Priyaa Kalkura
Associate Production Manager
Dreamworks Animation
MOP Vaishnav College for Women, Chennai
University of Sydney, Film Studies
Film, Media Arts, Visual Arts
Arts, Entertainment & Media
Operations and Project Management
Immigrant
Video Highlights
1. The most important aspect of a production role is not just tracking artists' progress, but understanding their challenges and motivations. Building positive relationships is key to successfully managing creative individuals and deadlines.
2. Production work often involves managing the personal and professional lives of artists, requiring strong interpersonal skills and an understanding of the creative process. The role is more akin to a therapist than simply a task manager.
3. Motivating artists and fostering a positive work environment is crucial for achieving project goals. Focusing on a supportive and collaborative atmosphere is more important than rigidly adhering to schedules, as this approach helps maintain team morale and ensures better quality work.
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would have told you before you entered the industry?
When I joined as a production assistant at Dreamworks Animation India, I initially thought my role was primarily about following up with artists daily. This involved checking on their progress in finishing their work and how they were doing against their schedule.
However, I later learned that this wasn't the most important aspect of the job. The crucial part is taking the time to understand where artists are coming from when they get stuck on deliverables. Working with people and understanding their individual functioning is vital because everyone works differently.
As a production person, you manage a lot of this. You can almost feel like a therapist in production, as people often have many things going on in their personal lives. Artists, in particular, face this.
Production managers support artists who juggle personal challenges with work demands. Artists are also working against deadlines, which can be difficult because it places a time limit on their creative thinking.
While the schedule is a significant part of the business, I discovered that motivating artists is what truly leads to a beautiful end product. This is something I've learned and would advise anyone interested in production management.
Fostering relationships is crucial and more important than anything else. It's more important than the schedule because you're making a movie. Everyone should have a good experience, and that's the ultimate goal. No one should feel burnt out at the end of the process.
This was my biggest learning lesson when I entered the industry. I focused on ensuring production supervisors were happy and that all artists finished their work on time. But I realized that you can only meet deadlines if you motivate them and build relationships to bring out their best.
This was my biggest takeaway when I started in the industry, and it's advice I'd give to anyone interested in joining the production field.