In Production: Matt Fone

Matt Fone, founder and president of Riff Raff Films, ended up in production because a friend of his was “going out” with an accountant at Propaganda Films (the company that repped Spike Jonze, Mark Romanek and Stephane Sednaoui back in the day). He’s now running his own business, with a little bit of help from a few bats and carrots).

Tell us about an ad campaign you’ve seen recently that stands out for its production quality and standard.

I just saw a car ad with a butterfly coming in through a window and flying across three cars equally spaced out in a white space. I think the APR was 3.5 per cent but I couldn’t really read it as the typography was too small. Saying that I don’t know what APR is. The cars though were white, red and another colour. I think it was Renault, errrr hold on maybe it was Toyota…hey…look I don’t know.

Do you feel the role of the producer has/is becoming more prominent and crucial today than in the past?

I was going to say not really but maybe it has in one specific aspect. The way you deal with clients, account teams and creatives. With the immediacy of email in your hand it is easy to just pass on notes and thoughts which seem to inherit a mandatory nature. The need for producers who help make things and question the rationale is more crucial now. There is a proportional relationship to the number of emails to the more average the commercial is. Use the phone, speak to people. Putting a green chair or a red pillow in a commercial changes nothing, and it does not communicate brand values.

What’s your most valued production tool (tech or otherwise) and why?

Sunseeker, Excel, a bat and a carrot.

Tell us about a risk/investment you’ve made in your career or for your business?

A four day £10k Music video for Dougal Wilson evolved into seven years !

How has the industry changed since you started working in it?

Fax now is email. Good producers and good creatives are still the same, except they need more time to do their work.

How do you relieve stress during a shoot?

By planning – think of a problem before it happens. If that doesn’t work there is always someone more stressed on a shoot than you. I usually find them and ask them “how’s it going”. Seems to do the trick.

What’s your favourite thing to do away from work?

Not answer my phone / hide.

What would you like to see change in the world of production?

Not allow people to say in the same sentence two out of the following three: “We have this amazing script”, “Timescales are tight”, “Not a lot of money”. The time taken for creative in agencies and for directors to be increased. Also, when we agree things at a PPM, if the client chooses to change their mind then so can we.

Tell us one way your skills at work transfer to your everyday life…

It’s probably the other way around. My calm, friendly manner at home suits just fine this calm friendly industry.

If you weren’t a producer what would you be doing instead?

Cleaning out toilets in Glacier National Park, it’s a great view…not the toilets, the scenery.