– A SERIES
Producers. A traditionally (camera) shy folk. The people working behind the scenes to create our films.
We thought, why not force our wonderful CZAR producers to share a bit about themselves…
EPISODE II: with Carolien Eversdijk
Hi Caro! First up… We are curious. What kind of producer do you aspire to be?
I take my work very seriously and want to get the most out of it, but at the same time I also think it is very important to laugh a lot with each other. I try to assemble the best team for every production. I consider it a privilege to be able to work with the best talent who are also lovely to be on set with. And I like to make the whole process as smooth as possible so that the director can focus on the creative process.
Which jobs have stood out for you during your career so far?
What is so great about this job, is that every shoot is different. Sometimes its’s very intimate and I am working with blind people (for example), and sometimes its very large-scale and we are shooting top shots of container ships out at sea with drones. That contrast makes it interesting. In recent years I have also had some documentary (Genderbende by Sophie Dros) and feature film experience (Netflix Original – Forever Rich by Shady El-Hamus) and that was really fantastic. But I keep coming back to commercials. I like the speed of the process. One of the most special commercials I got to do was a Staatsloterij commercial – Freckle with Martin Werner. That was really a special shoot: a different way of working. I learned a lot and enjoyed it immensely.
What is your favourite part of the production process?
I think the best part is getting the puzzle right on a multi-day shoot with a lot of different locations and lots of cast and crew members. There is often a point in every production that makes you think: how on earth am I going to solve this?? But by consulting with the heads, putting all the cards on the table and being creative with what you’ve got, we will always come to a working solution.
What is the most challenging part of a production?
Budgets that are getting tighter and ridiculously short lead time sometimes make things complicated. Especially in combination with Covid.
And any advice for aspiring producers?
Indicate that you are eager to learn, what you want to learn and really get into it. Do lots of different kinds of jobs so that you can find out what you like best. Gaining experience takes time. So don’t expect that you will immediately be producing the biggest jobs on your own.