Episode 107 - Mike Bilbrey, Producer at Leo Burnett

How did a Burlesque show lead to Monica Zaffaron becoming a producer? In this episode we hear how the woman responsible for Trybe Production Collective started off as a dancer, model and actor and made a living at it for four years in Europe as well as some time in America. She talks about what it was like being on German TV, touring Germany as a singer in a band, and the time she faked played bongos for a tv appearance where a very popular American actress sang on a German TV show. We also discuss a shoot she had with Elton John and Dua Lipa, her favorite thing about this business and her advice for new producers, or literally anyone in this industry. There are a lot of great stories in this episode and great information for anyone who wants to be a producer. So go take a listen and let me know what you think. Be sure to Like it, Share, Subscribe and Comment!  

Until very recently Julie was the Managing Art Producer at Havas in NYC, so she has a lot of wonderful stories! We talk about her time in Italy where she was taken to a room with no windows and questioned as she was trying to fly out of the country, her favorite shoot which was for Jaguar, producing her first big shoot for Volvo with basically no help or experience. We chat about how she grew up knowing she wanted to be in advertising and what she did to make that happen. Julie also discusses how she finds photographers for shoots and what needs to happen for her to put a photographer in the mix for a shoot and we discuss a few of the celebs she has met along the way. There are a lot of great stories in this episode and great information for anyone who wants to be an art producer and for photographers So go take a listen and let me know what you think. Be sure to Like it, Share, Subscribe and Comment!  

Courtney tells us how she created the successful production studio Salt Paper Studio and the meaning behind the name. We discuss one of the coolest things to happen to her, which involves Adobe, what unusual thing would be in the rider of her contract (I stole this question from my friend who does the Rocker Dog Podcast – Go listen to it). We also talk about how she finds new clients, what new service they are going to start offering next year and how she got from Delaware down to the Carolinas. I had a lot of fun talking with Courtney and I think you will really enjoy this episode. So go take a listen and let me know what you think. Be sure to Like it, Share, Subscribe and Comment!  

Nina started out in her early teens as a booker for punk rock bands, so she always had the spirit of a producer and entrepreneur. In this episode we talk about the model with no shoes, none at all! We also discuss how she started as a photo studio manager which led to her eventually starting her own production business. There are stories of difficult shoots, one involves large fires in the Pacific Northwest, favorite shoots, shoots with kids and babies, dream clients and much more!  I know you will love hearing these stories and can probably relate to more than one situation! So go take a listen and let me know what you think. Be sure to Like it, Share, Subscribe and Comment!  

There are so many good things on this podcast, I don’t know if I can list them all here. Mike talks about the time he was in Italy and a 10-foot wall of dirt magically appeared overnight in front of the photo-shoot location and what they had to do to have it removed so they could shoot. We discuss how his career path went from going to Seminary school to almost becoming a history teacher to ending up as an art producer at Leo Burnett, working on many of the Iconic Marlboro Country ads, including one in Paris, the famous photographers he has worked with including Herb Ritts, Annie Leibowitz and many more. There is also the story of the famous actor that hung up on Mike as soon as they heard his name and how he handled that, his advice to new photographers and art producers and so, so much more. I know you’re going to love this one. So go take a listen and let me know what you think. Be sure to Like it, Share, Subscribe and Comment!  

Alessandra and I talk about the time she thought a famous musician was going to blackball her for something she did. We also talk a lot about travel and cool places to travel, including the country that really surprised her and made her almost move there. We chat about her love of photography and how that has really served her well at Travel and Leisure. So go take a listen and let me know what you think. Be sure to Like it, Share, Subscribe and Comment!  

Liz and I talk a lot about AI on this episode and the positive and negatives of this new technology. She knows a lot about it and I was very interested in what she had to say. We also talk about a class she is starting for photographers, which I would love to take, what it’s like being self employed, are printed promos worth the time and money, and her great advice for any artist! So go take a listen and let me know what you think. Be sure to Like it, Share, Subscribe and Comment!  

Sarah has some great stories, everything from a multi-day shoot for a schizophrenia drug that took place in the abandoned wing of a working, possibly haunted, mental hospital, to her dream project (listen to find out what that is), her favorite project so far, which involved Ebola, and the story of the dancing toe mascot that was for a nail fungus drug! I know you are going to enjoy this episode and these great stories! So go take a listen and let me know what you think. Be sure to Like it, Share, Subscribe and Comment!  

Ashley is a classically trained artist and a world traveler! In this episode we talk about the time she found herself on her own in Italy and ended up having a meeting at a café with two Advertising legends. We talk about her time at the Clio Awards and what were some of her favorite ads and projects including the Clio’s 60th anniversary video where advertising people became the subjects and were in front of the camera instead of behind it. We also discuss her current job as Art Supervisor at The Bloc and her time as a figure skating coach for the Special Olympics. This was a very fun chat and I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did.  So go take a listen and let me know what you think. Be sure to Like it, Share, Subscribe and Comment!  

Dwight left Virginia after college and drove to NYC with $20 in his pocket and by the time he got to Manhattan, he owed New York $17! He then went on to assist some of the top photographers in the world like Mary Ellen Mark, Bert Stern, David LaChapelle and more before doing his own thing as a photographer and shooting for Seventeen, Marie Claire, etc. He even talks about one photographer who dressed in drag for a shoot and then went all over the East Village taking pictures and having Iggy Pop on set for a shoot ended with Dwight being fired! Dwight talks about why he left NYC and how he became a producer who had Walmart as his first client, hired a seven year old musician to compose a song for a commercial, the best advice he was ever given as a producer, and so much more. Dwight has some really great stories and I know you will be entertained! So go take a listen and let me know what you think. Be sure to Like it, Share, Subscribe and Comment!