Name
Annabel Henderson
Role
| Production Coordinator at BEN |
What 5 skills are essential to your job?
1. Clear and concise communication is key to be able to work with productions and brands.
2. Organization is one I use all the time to make sure all orders are out on time and to prioritise certain productions if there are multiple ones going out.
3. Time management links in with all of this, especially if there are tight deadlines to work to!
4. Creative problem solving is needed to get productions what they need and pick out and assess brand opportunities from scripts.
5. Networking is essential too, as production teams move onto new projects, they know who we are, how we can help them, and they can also introduce us to any new team members.
How did you get into the industry?
I have always been fascinated with filming and acting from a young age, but it was my work experience at Disney, when I was 15, which confirmed that I wanted to be in this content related field. My placement at university opened the door to product placement as I got to interact and work with great brands and productions, which I loved. Then after working with Microsoft during the pandemic, I saw this opportunity to jump back into more content-based work and I have never looked back!
What relevant qualifications do you have?
I did a degree in marketing, with my placement at a product placement company, which applies very well to my current role. In addition, my experience at Microsoft has helped me understand brands and working with clients.
What does a typical working day look like?
A normal day starts with pulling stock from our stockroom for orders, whether this is tech, alcohol, or other brand products. After that I ensure all products are in working order. This means tech needs to be updated and imaged (i.e., formatting the screen with the correct Microsoft layout), all alcohol is unopened, and the labels are intact and there is no wear and tear on any other products. Then I can start wrapping and packaging them up to be sent.
Preparation time for orders depends on the product type and quantities needed. The quickest orders will be things like alcohol, anything tech related will take longer due to imaging and updates. Tech orders can take up to a week to pull together, along with any special requests such as period labels for alcohol or gaming graphics, as these require additional input and support for our client services teams.
This is all interspersed with correspondence, updating clients and the internal team on what content and projects we are working on, preparing loan documents and contracts, sorting out future orders, and any last-minute requests that come in. All in all, it can be a busy day!
What are the most and least enjoyable aspects of your job?
The bit I enjoy the most is being able to work on these amazing productions and help them with whatever they need. Particularly if we are able to solve any issues for them, find creative solutions and meet their tight deadlines. Everyone is always super appreciative and grateful of the work we do and it is really rewarding for me.
There are times when it is stressful trying to send out multiple orders in time for shoots. Not to mention having to navigate the world of overseas shipping, which can take longer now, due to new customs arrangements and paperwork. But it makes it so worth it when we get to see the great results later on the big screen!
What has been the most challenging project of your career so far?
I think that would have to be a big action film for next year, this was quite a large order, so it took a long time to prepare and then there were a few last-minute additions they wanted to make. But I felt like I was part of the production team working so closely with them, helping them to find the best solutions.
What did you want to be growing up?
It ranged from actor to astronaut to doctor (although I gave that one up pretty quickly!), I think there was definitely a point where I would be Peter Pan and never grow up as well!
What is your favourite film and why?
Tangled, this movie has been unbeaten for 12 years and counting! This was part of Disney’s start to retelling classic fairy tales and I found it so original compared to the traditional story as well as modernising the story enough to be relevant to me at that age. The music and the graphics were so stunning, and the characters were so brilliantly written, I honestly could go on for hours about it!
If you could work with any Production Designer or Director, who would it be?
I would love the chance to work with either Deborah Riley, I’ve admired her work when she started on Game of Thrones as she created such a beautiful world for all the characters to live in and the attention to detail was incredible, or Chris Trujillo, who worked on Stranger Things. The work that must have gone into sourcing and placing all the 80s vehicles, technology to be in-keeping the style and aesthetic of the show.
What is the most unusual location you have worked on?
I haven’t had the opportunity to visit any locations yet, due to Covid restrictions but instead I had an unusual request. I had to work with our graphics department to design a custom section of game play for Forza Horizon that could be used in a scene. The game has some really cool locations and was great fun to put together, the result on screen was great!
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Be patient, not everything happens at once and when things don’t always go right it isn’t the end of everything. You can learn from it, pick yourself up and carry on, other things will come.
Who would you want to play you in a film of your life?
Emma Mackey – considering how many times I’ve been told I look like her and her badassery in Sex Ed has me inspired!
