Donnybrook Production Services

Closing on a highly productive stretch, I’ve been contemplating the perennial adage ‘no man is an island’ of late.  And while Donne’s sentiments at the time were likely far more rooted in the metaphysical, the statement nevertheless translates as effective business advice.  Cliché?  Well OK, perhaps a tad trite. Ill-founded?  Not by a long shot…and as a freelance professional, it’s stout wisdom worthy of adherence.

That said, when I first set out on my own back in 2011, after a long staff producing stint, the notion of avoiding ‘the island’  seemed daunting.  But over the course of my varied Donnybrook adventures, I’ve learned to adopt the cooperative spirit and embrace networking as a necessity.  I’m certainly better off, and thankfully busier, for it…maybe even a smidge less lonely in the process.

In recent months, I’ve been fortunate enough to kindle newfound CoOp’s with the likes of Philly pharma-force Evoke Health and respected ratings maven Nielsen.  I’ve also just wrapped another effective effort with Schott Productions, on behalf of Novo Nordisk, co-producing an inventive campaign for the Danish drug-makers.  So as I reflect on the first few years worth of freelance achievements, I’m grateful for the strategic partnerships forged along the way.  Collusion takes company, so here’s to many more creative undertakings as I continue to build Donnybrook’s diverse ‘setwork’.  Onwards…

I was recently brought on board to help production manage a global IPO Roadshow campaign for IMS Health, working in tandem with Exton, PA based production house Paksima Productions.  Executive Producer Jamila Paksima and I have known (of) one another for quite a while, but we’d never actually collaborated directly on a project to point.  It turns out that Jamila is every bit the force of production nature I’d heard about, and the project was a perfect fit for her challenge oriented and thrill-seeking approach to producing.

The assignment called for ENG style field shoots in no less than 5-countries, spread across multiple continents, time zones, and cultures…at times, in simultaneous fashion.  I had a few key production allies in the mix to lean on, with DP Steve Buckwalter and Producer phenom Tracy Schott along for the ride.  I’m better off for knowing Alexa Danner now as well, a seasoned NY production head that I met for the first time on this project.  I was also able to re-enlist the key aesthetic sensibilities of Israeli Cinematographer Alon Grego, whom I’m once again indebted to for his consummate professionalism and versatility.  And it was nice to have an excuse to collaborate with the resourceful fella’s at Prime TV in the UK again, a vendor I was first introduced to while filming on location in London a few years back.

A key takeaway for me in all of this is just how small the planet can feel with technology and ingenuity in the mix.  Partial reliance on integrated communication tools like Skype were vital, as was the ability to think outside of the box with regards to ambitious expectations and timelines.  It’s safe to say that nothing is terribly unorthodox when it comes to 11th hour production travel needs, and it remains true what they say…where there’s a will, there’s a way.  Many lessons learned, and mission accomplished.

A few other critical production peeps that came to my foreign and domestic rescue – Mark Gambol @ MG Pictures, India Film Services,  Sabrina Vogel @ Kameramann in Basel, and freelance Producer Linda Epstein in Jerusalem.