Work, Respect, and Excellence with Sophie Brooks
Producer Sophie Brooks has a simple solution to make the impossible possible; treat everyone like family. Of course there are the nonnegotiable elements of talent, expertise, and hard work, but the mental state of creatives is too often overlooked. The positive mindset of those in a production team can be the secret ingredient in excellence. Brooks has worked all across the planet on a variety of formats: commercials, music videos, films, etc. She confirms that no matter where you are working and who you are working with, the simple act of making everyone feel included cultivates tenacity. Concerning her work on an acclaimed Lexus commercial this year she states, “We had a family mentality. We ate all meals together as a team even when not filming. We had a ‘friends’ WhatsApp group so we could all text each other with stupid photos, etc. throughout the shoot. We made sure that although we were working really hard, we always enjoyed our time together as a group.”
It seems counterintuitive that her work on this Lexus commercial started with a call from Kate Taylor (head of SKUNK UK) asking Sophie to cancel her holiday and begin work immediately with director Ben Strebel. She conceded and began this daunting task with the understanding that the logistics would be incredibly stressful. Brooks has achieved a reputation in the industry for handling such scenarios well. Accolades such as her selection by Pitch Magazine as one of the Top 100 Superwomen in the Industry and her work on the Outstanding Commercial Emmy winning Squarespace Superbowl Commercial (2017) has made Sophie the “go to” choice for many productions.
The team decided upon the Villapresente in Northern Spain. The Villapresente is the biggest maze in Europe and loops along a slant on a hill. The production’s goal was to make this maze appear flat. To exacerbate the challenge, filming would take place in the bitter January winter. Weather conditions were challenging but Sophie’s ethos of humor was well utilized as she recalls, “We found out the maze was totally lopsided and we couldn’t really run in it due to the wet mud. We discovered this because both Ben [director] and I fell over and were covered head to toe in mud. I was also the stand in for the actress while we worked out the shots. I had so much fun running through hedges and falling over all day.” No doubt, it’s hard to be a curmudgeon on a cold set when your producer is caked in mud and laughing.
Producers are often the backbone of any production. They take on the responsibility, problems, and stress of a project while often foregoing the recognition. The fair and goodwill attitude that Brooks offers is also a requirement from those she works with. She states, “I have a three strike rule with directors in that I don’t allow them to be rude or disrespectful to me. If I’m pulling out all of the stops to help them make their shoot work; they need to value that. If someone I am working with is unprofessionally rude in an extreme manor, they are issued a strike. Three strikes means I leave the project and don’t work with them again. I’ve never gotten as far as issuing two strikes.
I love working with Ben Strebel. He’s like a brother to me. To this day Ben and I have such a caring and lovely working relationship. He’s always super enthusiastic throughout the project and always pushes for perfection. I think it’s important to let others know how you’re willing to be treated. It’s important for everyone on the team to understand that we need each other. This cultivates the environment which produces greatness.”
It’s notable that the Lexus Maze commercial features the automobile but also focuses on a woman seen persisting through the maze as she makes her way to the car. It’s this human connection which enables viewers to connect with the story. It’s a subliminal facet that likely originates with producer Sophie Brooks who insists that the human element is vital.
