ENDA Episode 12→ The time when the Endless Apprentice met the Artist, the Technician, and the Producer (Part 3)

We’ve seen how the three profiles are separated, but today we’ll see how the three interact with each other and how flexible are these profiles.

The Artists are the most flexible of the three, even if they have a more difficult learning curve with technical programs or equipment, they quickly overcome it thanks to their artistic bases.

I’ve met graphic designers who turn into video editors, FX artists, and compositing artists. I’ve seen a storyboard artist excel as a director of photography and setting up lights as a professional while directing a team of lighters on set.

The same with production abilities, even if it is a bit rare, I’ve had the opportunity to see an art director turn into a field producer and do a fine job with the organization and scouting of locations, while also maintaining her eye for art.

The Technician usually has more flexibility toward the Production profile due to their more organized nature. However, turning to the artistic profile will or sharing it equally with the technician part, will be hard to reconcile.

This is because interiorizing the artistic fundamentals is harder to do the more you advance and it takes lots of practice, most artists start from an early age to practice. As a result, someone with a different mindset and a few years of practice will take longer to get used to.

I’ve seen cases of sound engineers who turned into traveling cinematographers, 3D generalists who became experts in photorealism and Compositing artists.

The Producer will have the possibility to become either one of the two aspects, but hardly will be able to master both, because the moment you try to be everything, you’ll lose sight of what is your forte.

Regarding the relationships between these profiles in a group, the most common pairs will be of an artist and a technician who would try to come up with a project and carry it out, then they will realize that they need a bigger team.

So they’ll search for someone who is up to producing their passion project: usually, a friend who they know is good at it. Once they find it they would need to convince him/her with a great sales speech, where usually the Artist will speak 70% of the time, selling how this is the greatest idea he/she would ever see. And then 1 of 2 things would happen:

→The sales speech is a success, because of the passion and potential shown and the producer agrees to be part of the ship.

→The sales speech was a success, but for different reasons: the project has great potential, but the producer knows that no one would accept due to their high risk. So he/she decides to step in to make it real.

And that’s how many groups are formed: by an Artist with a dream, a Technician with a wish to turn it real, and a Producer with the will to make it happen.

What are your thoughts about these profiles?