Meet Your Makers: Why Ideas Are the Key Ingredient with Amelida Celepija

Photo credit: Brenna Duncan

Amelida is the production coordinator at talent-led production company Not Just Any – a multi-talented manager whose passion for the arts helps further elevate creative teams, allowing them to collaborate to deliver world-class content. 

LBB> What first attracted you to production - and has it been an industry you’ve always worked in or did you come to it from another area?

Amelida> Film helped me feel safer in the world. It helped me relate to people, have adventures and often it served as the background to a lot of the memories that I created as a kid. But I’d never considered working in production growing up and it wasn’t something I saw as a possibility as I didn’t have a ton of experience or know of anyone in the industry. Despite that, I knew what great films, music videos and ads were. 

In fact, that’s what makes working at NJA now so gratifying. Previously, our managing director Emily Rudge was involved in some of the work that helped build my film vocabulary early on – stuff like director Jenn Nkiru’s “Rebirth Is Necessary”. When that project came out it was everywhere. It was so important to us here in London and unlike anything we’d had before. And that was just one of a long list of incredible people and projects Emily had worked on: videos for Love$ick by Mura Masa (dir. by Yoni Lappin), Jonas Lindstroem, Kamasi Washington and more. These were all musicians and directors whose work I admired and she’d been there, behind it all.

LBB> What was your first role in the production world and how did this experience influence how you think about production and how you grew your career?

Amelida> I’d assisted (through friends) on smaller projects here and there that had meant some exposure to the world of production. Since joining the NJA team, I’ve had the opportunity to learn so much more from some of the best and most experienced people in the industry. The projects they have worked on are so motivating and inspiring for me – a mix of work that is equal parts entertaining, considered, effective and cinematic. I try not to fangirl too much. 

LBB> Looking back to the beginning of your career, can you tell us about a production you were involved in where you really had to dig deep and that really helped you to grow as a producer?

Amelida> Something amazing and scary happened early on. The Straight 8 independent film competition was coming up and we were talking to an exciting director Kalina Pulit, asking if she’d be interested in applying with our support. Her idea was great and involved some production challenges – one roll of 8mm film as well as no opportunity to edit or retake a shot. Not stressful at all! I’ll say this, ignorance can be your best friend when trying something new. 

We knew the idea was exciting and Emily asked if I was interested in producing it. I practically screamed “YES”. I saw this as a great opportunity to work on something important and challenge myself. Although I loved the project, at the time I was so green! Everything was new and whether it was a RA or budget question, it all challenged and pushed me in ways I hadn’t dealt with before. I ended up learning so much – from crew to kit to even framerate (I know!). I ended that shoot with a lot more knowledge and it continued on as we moved to post.

LBB> A good producer should be able to produce for any medium, from film to events to digital experience. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why/why not?

Amelida> I’d say mainly disagree. Each medium has its specific “asks” so although a lot of your skills can be transferred over, there is still a learning curve that’s required to understand what is expected of you and how best to meet your client’s needs. 

LBB> What’s your favourite thing about production and why?

Amelida> The people. The ideas are the key ingredient – they’re the reason why you’re there – but the people make it possible. It's easy for me to say this because at NJA we’ve made it a priority to work with the best, and I don’t just mean in terms of talent. We pay extra attention to the people at all levels. We say that we’re a family and that our goal is to make stunning work with great people. 

I think the importance of working with the right people has come from the very top with us - our founder, Nate Robinson, is incredible at welcoming people in. Emily and executive creative director Aidan Gibbons also made me feel at home really early on. I was asked for my opinion and felt like I mattered. This is huge – being new and figuring it out is frightening, so to have people of authority make you feel seen does a lot of great things for a person. 

LBB> What do you think is the key to being an effective producer - and is it something that’s innate or something that can be learned?

Amelida> Being a problem solver and helping to see the vision through. I think much of it is learnt because each project is so different. Although there are fundamentals that are the same across the board, you learn that everybody has their own style and seeing that can be so helpful and encouraging. The only innate requirement is being someone who is caring and determined. Producing is a challenging job and your determination (some probably call it stubbornness) to see the work through is so important. But you’re also often dealing with people and there’s a degree of care that needs to be shown, which I think is a quality shared by some of the best producers out there.

LBB> Which production project from across your career are you most proud of and why?

Amelida> It actually hasn’t come out yet and we’re not in a position where we can talk about it in detail. It’s for a well known client and came about really quickly. Ayla Spaans, one of our exciting talents, was the director on it – her attitude and approach to her work is incredible. She gets really invested in a project and makes everyone else want to jump in with her. 

For my part, I worked both with the production team at NJA and as the project coordinator, so it meant my role was split in two. Because I was in the background but also client facing, I had to be alert and focused on two very different sets of needs. It was a challenge but I felt better for it.

LBB> And in terms of recent work, which projects have you found to be particularly exciting or have presented particularly interesting production challenges?

Amelida> There’s an upcoming project in the works at the moment which is a stunning idea. It fuses music and art within one space and it’s the kind of story that makes me pay attention because I don’t want to miss anything. The director, Sean Frank, is incredible and has a poetic pace to his work. The opportunity to work with him and bring something like this together is what I look forward to. 

LBB> What are your personal ambitions or aspirations as a producer?

Amelida> My personal ambition is to continue to be part of an ecosystem that cares to move the needle in regards to creativity. In Emily, I have an example of someone who is fearless in her pursuit of making great work. It’s exciting and encouraging and  since I’ve worked with NJA, Emily has worked to expose me to different areas of production, empowering me each time and offering advice and knowledge. Another key driver for me is the desire to be a part of diversifying the stories we tell, opening up the doors and having more people with different voices and backgrounds in the room and on set. There’s work to be done and I’m eager to be a part of that. 

LBB> As a producer your brain must have a neverending "to do" list. How do you switch off? What do you do to relax?

Amelida> In all honesty, it is hard. The industry is a beast and it’s not your “typical” job so prioritising yourself so you can reset is crucial. For me, spending time with friends and family is the best thing I can do for myself. Going for walks and choosing a small adventure is the way I relax and give time to myself. 

LBB> Producers are problem solvers. What personally fuels your curiosity and drive?

Amelida> I love to help people! I love being part of the reason why a question got answered. Bringing the right people together and seeing something take off is thrilling.

LBB> What advice would you give to people who are interested in becoming a producer?

Amelida> Talk to people, ask questions, keep learning. The industry is ever evolving and it requires a huge commitment, so keep having conversations, watching things, asking yourself why you like what you like and how you would do things. My main advice is, do it. Do the thing, make the idea. Create with what and who you have around you. It breaks the ice and from there you can build and continue to create. 

LBB> From your experience what are the ingredients for a successful production?

Amelida> Calmness. Something will always go wrong somewhere. It’s inevitable. The best producers I've worked with have assessed and accepted the situation, then found a solution or outsourced. You have a team for a reason. You’re not meant to do it alone and knowing that you have good, solid people next to you helps.

LBB> What’s the key to a successful production-client relationship?

Amelida> The realisation that you’re on the same team. We’re all there for the same reason, so acknowledging this is the best way to get going. This year we did a job for Naked Smoothies (dir: Ayla Spaans) with the agency Brave and it was a great experience throughout because we all quickly jumped in together. We used AI technology for the treatment and that took open discussions, both about the realities of AI and how closely we’d be able to match it once we had lift off. It also meant the agency really had to trust us and lean in. When it came to the shoot, we ended up working with Unreal Engine to create the world we’d envisioned with the help of Midjourney (AI). Again, this was new for the client and so it was great we’d earned their trust and confidence early on by being transparent and open.