Producing Tomorrow’s Producers: Krysia Johnstone on Problem Solving Together

Growing up in New York and Los Angeles, Krysia fell in love with the industry after spending a summer working on-set with her father, a commercial first AD. Throughout her career, Krysia has worked with Radical Media, Anonymous Content, a White Label production, Roger, Bunker, Caviar, Pulse, Park Pictures, Honor Society, Imperial Woodpecker, Alldayeveryday, Sibling Rivalry, Identity, Arts & Sciences, and Epoch Films.

In May 2018, she joined the team at Boomshot. As head of production, she oversees all production aspects. She has worked for renowned sports and media brands, including NASCAR, FOX (Gieco, Google, Turbo Tax) FanDuel, 2K, ESPN, Resy, Apple, Nike, Geico, Coach, Target, and many more.

LBB> What advice would you give to any aspiring producers or content creators hoping to make the jump into production?

Krysia> Immerse yourself in as many different experiences as possible. Understanding what the folks below and around you do improves teamwork and makes you better at your job, so get in at the ground level: do the PA work, do the AC work, know what a grip does, and work your way up. Plus, being on set allows you to get a smattering of tastes for what everyone does, and I think that can help one find a good direction as to which department they may want to be in. 

LBB> What skills or emerging areas would you advise aspiring producers to learn about and educate themselves about?

Krysia> Whether we like it or not, AI is increasingly becoming part of our world. Learning how to integrate AI into our daily lives to help write decks or search images is incredibly important. I don’t believe it can replace actual thinking or creativity, but rather assist in our craft. 

LBB> What was the biggest lesson you learned when you were starting out in production - and why has that stayed with you?

Krysia> I had a special experience with being brought up under several amazing female producers who always allowed me to ask questions. So my advice is: ask the question. I can’t say this works in every situation, but most of the time, especially when starting out, someone can help and hopefully teach you. To this day, I always ask the question and admit when I can’t figure something out. I think it has not only helped me learn, but also helped those around me learn. We can problem-solve together. 

LBB> When it comes to broadening access to production and improving diversity and inclusion what are your teams doing to address this?

Krysia> There are so many amazing programs in the film industry to support diversity and inclusion, but here at Boomshot, we try to do a few things. We advocate for BIPOC and women directors as often as possible when recommending talent, ensure that our crews are diverse and inclusive, and make sure that folks feel comfortable being themselves. 

LBB> And why is it an important issue for the production community to address?

Krysia> Historically, the production community has not always been the most inclusive space. It has taken years for female directors to be on anyone's radar and even longer for diversity to be a priority. We live in a time where inclusivity and opportunity are of the utmost importance; no matter where you are from or your experience level, there should always be room on set. We cannot fall behind on this issue, as I believe it will ruin our industry if we do.

Creativity and job ability do not come from your skin colour, your gender, or your sexual orientation—they come from a human, so let’s make sure we are treating everyone as such. 

LBB> There are young people getting into production who maybe don’t see the line between professional production and the creator economy, and that may well also be the shape of things to come. What are your thoughts about that? Is there a tension between more formalised production and the ‘creator economy,’ or do the two feed into each other?

Krysia> Anyone can call themselves anything nowadays. This has its pros and cons. While the creator economy has opened doors for many people, it has also taken away some of the art and craft of cinema. What you can do with a phone versus what you can do with an ALEXA mini and a good set of vintage lenses will never be equal. It doesn’t make what one shoots on the phone bad, but these are two wildly different outputs that should be viewed differently.

I see these two components working together more and more these days; whether the creative is being fuelled by a social trend or the commercial has a social output that we need to account for, they seem to be much more intertwined. 

LBB> If you compare your role to the role of the heads of production when you first joined the industry, what do you think are the most striking or interesting changes (and what surprising things have stayed the same?)

Krysia> I don’t think there have been striking changes. I would say that maybe, just maybe, there is a larger female presence in these roles, however men still tend to be the creatives, directors, and executives. I think there is always more room for improvement and change. 

LBB> When it comes to educating producers how does your agency like to approach this? (I know we’re always hearing about how much easier it is to educate or train oneself on tech etc, but what areas do you think producers can benefit from more directed or structured training?)

Krysia> I think the whole film industry could benefit from HR training in general. Since most film production is done through freelance work, there is rarely an opportunity to have meetings about what is considered sexual harassment or what is overtime and when you are owed it. Unions do better at this than non-union folks, but an overhaul needs to happen so that everyone can arm themselves with a much better understanding of HR issues and how to handle them. 

LBB> It seems that there’s an emphasis on speed and volume when it comes to content - but to where is the space for up and coming producers to learn about (and learn to appreciate) craft?

Krysia> I think there are many outlets, newsletters, and columns that one can follow to learn more about recent trends. A good place to start is to follow a couple of rep companies and see what work they are promoting. Another would be to go to local screenings, especially when they have a Q&A session and sit in on that. My friend just applied to work at Cannes and got accepted. There are so many free resources out there about the film industry!

LBB> On the other side of the equation, what’s the key to retaining expertise and helping people who have been working in production for decades to develop new skills?

Krysia> I would say just stay on top of the latest software. For instance, PPB used to be made in PowerPoint; then they were made in KeyNote, then Google Docs, and the latest seems to be Canva. But who knows - maybe I am behind the times and there is already a newer app. By paying attention to how you receive documents and in what format, you will know where the latest trends are.

Everything has been digitised since I started in the film industry, and we have more bidding apps than we used to. If you don’t know how to work in one of the latest applications, the person below you most likely does! So everyone can be both a teacher and a student. 

LBB> Clearly there is so much change, but what are the personality traits and skills that will always be in demand from producers?

Krysia> I look for a handful of qualities, but one of the main ones is a sense of calm. A manic or nervous producer brings that energy to set. Being calm, cool, and collected is key to running a set. I also look for someone who treats people with respect and kindness. If there’s a problem on set, you’ll solve it a lot faster with understanding than anger.

Generally speaking - someone who is level-headed.