034: Jamie Zimmermann, Art Producer, FCB Chicago

Jamie Zimmermann is new to art producing; she joins the show to give a fresh perspective. Having been a rep, she shares how having seen both sides of the fence impacts how she tackles the job.

Key Takeaways

[:55] Heather introduces Jamie Zimmerman and asks her to share the path that took her from studying photography in college, production, and repping, to where she is today.

[4:45] Having been a rep, Jamie shares how she chooses to handle letting people know when they haven’t made the cut. Heather and Jamie also discuss what to do with large bid discrepancies.

[8:13] Jamie touches on the budget differences she sees working with younger photographers as well as how social shoots manage to work with scrappier budgets.

[11:44] Finding photographers for Jamie primarily goes through reps, because of the support system.

[12:29] What advice does Jamie have for unrepped photographers looking to get hired?

[14:27] Jamie will check a photographer’s Instagram to get a feel for their personality, but the creative calls are the biggest opportunity for photographers to shine: do make sure you talk!

[18:55] Treatments are one way for photographers to show images they might not otherwise have had the opportunity to share, but they should always keep the client in mind: their vision needs to be readable by non-creatives as well (read almost literal).

[23:06] Once the creative calls and treatments are in, Jamie finds that most of the time a clear front-runner will have appeared.

[25:46] On sharing who bid, Jamie and Heather share their points of view and some interesting personal experiences.

[32:35] Motion is an increasing ask — especially cinemagraphs — if motion doesn’t appear on a photographer’s website, she will move on to the next.

[36:24] What does her team say about her? Jamie’s answer leads to a discussion on building strong relationships, transparency, and trust.

[40:54] If not art production, what would Jamie do?

[41:30] Heather thanks Jamie for coming on the podcast, and invites listeners to tune in for the next episode.

Thanks for listening.

In an industry where the rules are always changing, it’s helpful to hear from those on the front line. Heather Elder is the visionary behind NotesFromARep’sJournal.com; visit her website for industry updates, stunning photography and video, and the artists behind the work.

Mentioned in this episode

FCB Chicago

Sandra Ann Sanchez

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More about today’s guest

Jamie Zimmermann on LinkedIn