By Alex Matu
A production manager will always have to walk a tight rope between organizing resources, locations and equipment while monitoring cost budgets, and striving for the characteristic production aesthetics Spielworks Media content is known for. At the time of this interview, Spielworks’ production manager Victor Nyacharo is handling three crews at a go and has to ensure all is running smoothly. Part of his everyday lexicon is schedules and call sheets. He stresses that deadlines are a serious thing for any production manager because time for them is money. Literally.
In this Q&A Victor highlights the tensions that exist with running a production house as well as the satisfaction that comes with watching his productions on screen.
What does a production manager do?
Being an assistant to the head of production who currently is Ndanu Kilonzo, I ensure that cast and crew are assigned to their various duties on time. I also act as a link between the production and the crew and cast. If there’s any information that needs to go down to any person on set it passes through my office. It’s my job to ensure that everyone is comfortable despite the challenges that they come across.
What are the qualities of a good production manager?
A good production manager is one who works hard when they come to the office. If there are production targets which are supposed to be met for the day, it is the production managers job to ensure they’re met. At the end of the day you’re supposed to report to the production head and give feedback on how the production is fairing. Giving a progress report on the targets met and those not met. Confidence is key. People sometimes don’t agree with what you tell them but you need to make them understand the company’s position. So always have room for dialogue.
What has been your experience working at Spielworks?
Great! I’ve worked with a lot of people, met a lot of characters, people who I never thought I would meet. Special thanks to Dorothy Ghettuba who’s a visionary and great lady. She gives you room to be able to make progress in whatever you’re pursuing in your life. Spielworks Media is a place where talent is natured. People are encouraged to try a hand on other roles in production. We have crew members who’ve gone on to discover the actor in them.
Any projects that particularly stand out for you?
All the projects I’ve worked on are important to me because at the end of the day it’s what you do that counts. They’re awesome projects. Each and every one of them.
How does it feel seeing your productions on television?
I find myself always rushing home to catch our programs. We’ve just wrapped the first season of Sumu La Penzi and when I watch it on Africa Magic Swahili I feel quite impressed. A lot goes into preparing this content and it takes much effort and hard work behind the scenes. I appreciate the actors, crew and production team for their dedication and spirit towards attaining the good work. As a company we’ve really come from far and there’s no looking back as we forge forward. From Lies that Bind, Block D, Sumu la Penzi, M-net Movies and soon to premier shows like Jane & Abel all have set the bar high for content in Africa and we will continue to do so until we achieve our executive producers Vision and beyond.
What inspired you to pursue this line of work?
I was born a leader. That I know. I’ve been able to lead several groups of people since high school. I was a student leader in college so I can say being a manager started early. When I joined Spielworks Media I came in as a producer of Christian content which we’re still developing. Dorothy saw it wise to give me the opportunity to become production manager.
I met Dorothy in a church set up where I was producing local spiritual content and being a manager has taught me a lot at Spielworks. The training under our production head Ndanu Kilonzo has been awesome. When I was starting out I was put in charge of a project I thought would be overwhelming. If I approached Ndanu Kilonzo, she would sometimes tell me to handle it to see how I would deliver. If I did it wrong she would let me know where I went wrong and show me the correct procedures.
What are the requirements for one to pursue this career?
Hands on experience is a good place to start for one to be a good production manager. I’ve done radio, video editing, camera operation, and sound. I’ve even gone to a point of hanging like a monkey on a grip just to ensure that lighting was done well. Passion is important.
What are the opportunities for young people looking to get into the content production industry?
The digital migration is well on track hence opening the content market and providing numerous opportunities for people in the industry. People want content; sports, films, news, business etc. Don’t wait for anything though, go out and do your thing.
One of Victor’s favorite hobbies is watching news. He’s always informed and has an in-depth outlook on national affairs that are on the people’s psyche. He’s referred to as the “news guy” around the Spielworks offices. He’s an Arsenal fan which he blames on peer pressure and a fan of comedy classics like Baby’s Day Out, Home Alone, The Three Idiots, and Mad Buddies.
Being the first born in a family of four brothers Victor hopes his first child will be a girl. He’s getting married December of 2014 and the Spielwork’s family looks forward to the occasion.