Our Industry Profile takes a look at some of the professionals working across the advertising, adtech, marketing and media sector in Australia. It aims to shed light on the varying roles and companies across the buzzing industry.
This week we speak to Kate Merrin, EP, Palomina ltd
Time in current role/time at the company:
Since launch in early 2020.
How would you describe what the company does?
Palomina is a flexible production partner, working direct to client to produce world-class, cost effective above-the-line campaigns
What do you do day-to-day?
In production I work alongside the director managing their expectations and realising their requests. I have a fantastic production team I work with. The great thing about my job is that everyday can be different. One day I can be stuck at the office pouring over quotes and budgets trying to make figures work and jumping on and off (nowadays zoom!) calls with clients and the next I can be out in a field of wind turbines figuring out a way to get a shot from the top of one.
Define your job in one word:
Fire-fighter
I got into production because:
When I was younger I thought I wanted to be a film director not really knowing what they did. When I left school I was luckily enough to get a job as a production runner in a busy TVC production company in London. I loved seeing everything come together from an initial idea / script to the final product on screen. I realised then that I fell more into the organisation and budget side of the game – I am a bit of a nerd. To this day I still love figuring out new excel formulas.
What’s the biggest challenge you face in your role?
Balance. Balancing keeping the creative alive whilst holding the budget and other requests in check. Balancing fun alongside hard work with my great crew. Balancing work and time with my family – there are no set hours / days in production.
What’s the biggest industry-wide challenge you’d like to see tackled?
The meteoric rise of advertising on online and social platforms and the imbalance of budget put towards the production of these assets.
Notable campaigns you have worked on:
I have worked on 100s of big brand TVCs but one of my most favourite campaigns to work on was the AFL Season Launch ‘You Make the Game’ in 2016.
Who has been a great mentor to you and why?
I have been lucky to work with some amazing people over the years and have collected great gems of advice, words of wisdom and gleaned from their experiences so I wouldn’t say I have one mentor. However, currently my business partner Rachel is someone I tend to call on when I need a bit of a reality check from time to time – she is an excellent calming force!
Words of advice for someone wanting a job like yours?
Really do try and gain experience first on set and learn about each department and how they work and what they need to operate. Producing really requires a solid overall knowledge of production – doing it half blind just doesn’t work.
If I wasn't doing this for a living, I'd be:
Running bootcamps on a sunny tropical beach somewhere.
My mantra is:
If it doesn’t feel right it probably isn’t.
My favourite advert is:
Blackcurrant Tango ‘St George’ – smart, funny, well shot and produced. I also can’t miss out the 3 min version of the UK Sainsbury Christmas TVC of 2013 – gets me every time.
Music and TV streaming habits: what do you subscribe to?
Spotify and more recently Netflix and Binge.. Covid has really upped my viewing habits!
Tell us one thing people at work don’t know about you?
In my teens I was a Judo champion.
In five years' time I'll be:
Hopefully still doing what I love but having more holidays!
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