Getting your foot in the door, then opening the door and crossing the threshold are figuratively speaking the first steps to embarking on a career. As for how to best accomplish this--or at least make the process a little easier--for the aspiring producer or director, SHOOT sought advice from professionals on the production house and ad agency sides of the business.

To help those looking to gain a meaningful foothold in the industry--and in the spirit of SHOOT’s 17th New Directors Showcase event held on Thursday evening, May 30, at the DGA Theatre in NYC--we invited a mix of production company founders, partners and producers as well as ad agency EPs to offer counsel regarding the art of gaining an opportunity and making the most of it.

To spark prudent career-building advice, SHOOT posed the following four questions to a cross-section of the industry:

1. What advice do you have for new directors? 
2. What advice can you offer to up-and-coming producers? 
3. Learning is an ongoing process even for the most seasoned producer. Would you share a recent lesson learned on the job, perhaps related to a project involving new technology (i.e., VR, AR, AI, etc.) or another experience? 
4. What recent project are you particularly proud of--and why? You can include a direct link to it.

Here’s some of the feedback we received. 

CLICK HERE to page through the survey responses, or click on the NAME or HEADSHOT below.