Debashis Mazumder is a producer of content and digital media at Hook, a creative production agency with an emphasis on inhouse and hands-on production, creating campaigns, content and experiences for brands such as Google, YouTube, Nike and NASA. They have offices in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Los Angeles and a team who works out of New York.
Let’s find out more about Mazumder, his role and how he likes to work…
What does your role as a senior producer entail?
A producer at Hook is one-half client accounts manager and one-half creative production manager. We’re responsible for collaborating with the client and our entire creative team, which includes creative and art directors, as well as designers, copywriters and animators, to produce quality videos and ads that hit all the right notes in terms of the brand’s goals.
It’s very similar to how producers operate in the film industry — which is my background — and that’s why I prefer to distribute the responsibilities that way. It makes me feel at home given that I’m a results-focused social butterfly.
What would surprise people the most about what falls under that title?
I’ve found that people expect a producer to spend a fair amount of time working with clients, budgets, timelines and contracts, but they are rarely aware of just how much of a collaboration there actually is.
I’ve been to many places where there is a natural inclination to say “yes” to everything, whether it’s to an existing client or new business. This potentially leads to burnout and over-commitment. I’ve got a hustle mentality, but it never serves anyone to over-promise and under-deliver, so there is a balance to be found, which can be approached with a “no, but…”
Here’s an example of what I mean: “No, this request is not feasible given the time constraints and our desire to maintain quality, but here is an adjustment to the plan and a few other ideas that could do the trick equally well.”
In any partnership, and within your teams you should be listening to each other to get to the best possible outcome and encourage each other to share their expertise and points-of-view.
What’s your favorite part of the job?
I’m a creative at heart, so I enjoy whatever time I can spend brainstorming with our clients and our creative team and ultimately figuring out how to translate the brand’s needs to something creative while still engaging with their target audience. It’s like a fun puzzle.
What is your least favorite?
Time is often a luxury due to fast-changing needs and environments, so we have to figure out what we can feasibly accomplish with the resources we have by the deadline we’ve been given — all while maintaining quality and a healthy work/life balance. It can turn into a juggling act, but as long as there are set achievable goals, it’s one where we’re always able to get the job done well.
What is your most productive time of the day?
While “younger me” might find this surprising, the mornings/early afternoons, between 10am and 1pm, are often my most productive. I have a ritual where I wake up, have a leisurely coffee break and walk around the neighborhood for 30 or 60 minutes for fresh air and meditation. Then I sit at my desk and get to work.
As a rule, I try to hit all of my proactive work and goals first thing in the morning. That way, I can use my “reactive” brain for the meetings and problem-solving for the rest of the day.
How has your section of the industry changed since COVID? The good and the bad?
Although we’re missing out on daily in-person social interactions with co-workers and clients, and physical productions must now accommodate more safety logistics, I find the changes to the industry to be more good than bad.
For the majority of us, we’re able to work from anywhere with a computer, disrupting the idea that you have to be in an office or constantly flying between major cities to get movement on projects, client agreements and face-to-face meetings, which are all no longer expected. So we typically get straight to the point with 30-minute video chats, and I have found a way to be consistently collaborative, which is honestly more convenient, efficient and productive than it was before.
Do you see some of these workflow changes remaining with us going forward?
I find that video meetings, chats and cloud-based apps lend themselves to more organization and less interruptions and will remain in workflow moving forward. I do enjoy getting to see co-workers and clients a little bit more often these days, but I’m glad it’s on our own time. It’s also fun to see how different companies communicate with emojis — It’s a corporate language unto itself.
If you didn’t have this job, what would you be doing instead?
I have had a long career in the film and entertainment industries and still enjoy creating narrative work, so I would still be making content and stories. I’m lucky because this job allows me to stretch muscles that I’ve cultivated my whole career without having to feel that I should give up what I like doing, whether it’s projects within the company or ones I do for fun.
How early on did you know this would be your path?
My journey was eclectic, to say the least. The closest I came to knowing I wanted to do something like this as a career happened toward the end of college. Despite studying economics at first, I always had creative hobbies and took a film class my junior year that inspired me to double as a film major.
A film I produced with my friends made major film festivals that led to indie-feature films distributed by Netflix, which led to directing, writing or producing international commercials for brands such as Mountain Dew and Skechers.
That in turn, led to having consistent ad agency clients, which led to working within digital advertising and media companies and snowballed into the career I have now. When I look back at my childhood of always doing creative things in art and storytelling, this makes complete sense despite it all feeling random sometimes.
Can you name some recent projects you have worked on?
Most recently Hook released a series of videos for Google Workspace, including a feature announcement on Custom Chat Emojis and The Evolution of Gmail, a nostalgic animated video that showcases the 19-year journey of Gmail layouts until its current iteration.
We’ve also had the pleasure of creating multiple animated social ads for Stripe promoting their initiatives to founders and tech leaders. I firmly believe that content should be both enjoyable and engaging, eliciting emotions and inspiring action in the audience.
Name three pieces of technology you can’t live without.
- Laptop for creative work
- Phone for communication — or for getting trapped in YouTube rabbit holes
- A good pair of headphones to support my love of music
Speaking of music, do you listen while you work? Care to share your favorites?
When I’m in deep concentration, I’m a fan of the “Lo-Fi Beats” playlist on Spotify. Otherwise, I’m listening to new music I discovered via the algorithms and playlists or going back to albums I enjoy.
Currently, I’m usually reaching for Tobe Nwigwe, Big Sean, Lil Yachty, Joe P or old-school Weezer.
What do you do to de-stress from it all?
I throw on some headphones and walk aimlessly around New York or along the river for hours as my calming ritual, but I also try to find time to see friends and get into good international cuisines around the city. You’re always a stone’s throw away from good eats, and food might be one of my main driving factors for enjoyment.
Would you have done anything different along your path?
I’m pretty happy with where I’m at — all events led here, and each experience, both good and bad, contributed to my skills and who I am today.
Finally, any tips for others who are just starting out?
What I’d tell the past version of myself and others just starting out is to not worry so much about the future and embrace life’s zig zag. What you think is your path might change as you gain more experiences, and you’ll discover what actually brings you joy along the way as you venture toward your evolving dream and goals.
If you’re trying to start in producing or directing in advertising, I believe in portfolio building, working hard and being social. Even if you don’t have past work to point to, you can create your own experiences by trying to find small businesses and friends to work with or make some specific work to show.
Finding like-minded groups, alumni associations and social meetups online can help build your network. Keeping in touch with friends, co-worker and vendors along the way helps make it easier to continue producing as time goes by. Most of my favorite contacts for projects or getting jobs are people I’ve come up with and worked with earlier in my career.