{"id":26729,"date":"2024-02-09T11:21:21","date_gmt":"2024-02-09T19:21:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/presskitchen.com\/?p=26729"},"modified":"2026-01-28T09:50:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-28T09:50:14","slug":"how-the-roles-of-mother-and-producer-collide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/demo.techsystintel.com\/press_kitchen_dev\/how-the-roles-of-mother-and-producer-collide\/","title":{"rendered":"Smartypants’ Anna Rowe on How the Roles of ‘Mother’ and ‘Producer’ Collide via Shots"},"content":{"rendered":"

After having had a baby, Anna Rowe has been back in her job as EP at Smartypants for a year. Here, she reflects on the mantras that hold true across both of her roles, and reveals how executive producing prepared her for parenthood.<\/h2>\n

INSIGHT Little snapshots; how the roles of ‘mother’ and ‘producer’ collide After having had a baby, Anna Rowe has been back in her job as EP at Smartypants for a year. Here, she reflects on the mantras that hold true across both of her roles, and reveals how executive producing prepared her for parenthood. by ANNA ROWEon 9TH FEBRUARY 2024 SHARE PREV the INSIGHT NEXT I\u2019ve been called the \u2018soccer mom of production\u2019 since I first joined this industry as a 22-year-old associate producer.<\/p>\n

Ten years later, in 2022, I became an actual mother \u2013 not yet a soccer mom, although my toddler is very good with a soccer ball, not to brag.<\/p>\n

In my line of work, in the documentary and commercial film space, my favourite part of the job is the challenge of distilling someone\u2019s persona into a film. How can you get an audience to feel that they have come to intimately know someone in something that\u2019s only an hour long? Or two minutes long? Maybe only 30-seconds long? (Six seconds is a new challenge, lately!)<\/p>\n

We start by finding little snapshots that give a glimpse into who they are. What motivates their choices? What are their daily habits? Their hopes? Their struggles?\u00a0When we talked about me writing an article comparing film production and motherhood, I didn\u2019t really know where to start.\u00a0So, let\u2019s start with some of those little snapshots \u2013 mine, this time.<\/p>\n

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Above: Anna Rowe on a production ahead of giving birth.\u00a0<\/em><\/h6>\n

It\u2019s December 2021.<\/strong>\u00a0I\u2019m in Costa Rica for a week-long production. Despite the fact that we are hiking to all of our filming locations, and I am enjoying some of the freshest fish and vegetables I\u2019ve ever had in my life, all of the clothes I brought with me are becoming a little bit tight. The sandals on my feet are doing their best impression of a fishing net caught on a balloon. Seeing a sloth almost makes me cry.\u00a0A week after returning home, I find out that I am pregnant.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s April 2022.<\/strong>\u00a0I\u2019m five months pregnant. We\u2019re filming in an airport, about to go through TSA with 35 cast and crew, and my production team and I are calling out everyone\u2019s names into groups of five to go through with our airport escorts.\u00a0It\u2019s loud. Half of them aren\u2019t paying attention. I\u2019m using my gentle voice. I look like a bowling ball in a down coat \u2013 the soccer mom analogy isn\u2019t lost on anyone. Our stylist remarks, \u201cYou\u2019re so ready for motherhood.\u201d The baby kicks. I feel like I\u2019m going to be sick again, but I love feeling her move. I hope our stylist is right.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s August 2022.<\/strong>\u00a0I close my laptop after one final staff meeting with the team before maternity leave. My eyes are wet. Our apartment feels eerily quiet. Am I ready for this?\u00a0The day has come – our baby girl is born. Before we leave the hospital, I rewrite our hospital packing list so that I can share it with others in the future. Did I remember to turn my out of office message on?<\/p>\n