Production Notes: Introduction

Office Hours, Travel Gigs, Quotes, Profit, Team-Building, Menu Planning and What's Next for Spilt Milk.

It’s interesting doing what I do because so much of it is for an end experience, a photo, a bite, and outcome. But 99% of the work happens behind closed doors - weeks, months, sometimes even years before the experience occurs. I’m using this (paid) series to shed some light on what the unseen looks like. Many of you know, are in similar fields, or maybe you’re in a totally different world; regardless I have a feeling there will be some parallels.

This table is where 90% of the work happens.

Below is what I plan on touching on, in this order, unless I get inspired or encouraged to veer off course. This space will hold the musings on numbers, client interactions, notes on managing a team - what went right, what went wrong and sometimes where I’m stumped. I’m hoping the comment section can be a bit of a gathering space, please feel free to ask questions or share your experiences. I’m going to speak freely (unless an NDA is involved), and hope you feel you can too. Below is a loose framework, don’t hold me to it.

Part 1: Building a Business (and maintaining it)

Betting on yourself and going freelance or owning/building a small business. What to expect and what to shed a blind eye on. The insurance, legal, and financial that I never knew I’d be accountable for. Resources for when you don’t know where to start.

5% of the work

Part 2: Pre-pre-Production (the work before the work)

How we get clients, conversations around scopes and quotes (emails, moodboards, early conversations). Outreach and marketing. How we structure quotes, budgets. Contracts and boundaries.

Testing is my favorite part.

Part 3: Finances (internal and external)

Non-quote expenses like part-time staff, lawyers, accountant, bookkeeper, insurance, storage spaces, prep days, testing, subscriptions. Demystifying things clients don’t always realize - food costs, production costs, our fees, staff costs. Getting paid, invoicing.

Finances felt like this at the beginning (chicken is fine, just like I am).

Part 4: Pre-Production (the plan before the plan)

Pre-Production: By the time you walk into an event, 80% of the work is already done. Organization: Budget Sheets, ROS, Sourcing Sheets, Staff Trackers, Etc.

A really good event we did in collaboration with Zaynab Issa’s cookbook launch.

Part 5: On-Site (the choreography of the day)

Don’t cry over Spilt Milk. Call sheets, Rentals, Who does what. Hour by Hour day inside look. How timing and sequencing is EVERYTHING. Bending and moving onsite.

Grazing table onsite set up

Part 6: Aftermath (cleanup, debriefs, lessons, and money talk)

Post-Production. Graciousness, leaving a venue and a spreadsheet better than you started. Budgeting, Taxes, Sales Tax. Contrast perception vs reality: that $25k wedding dinner doesn’t mean I pocketed $25k..

Part 7: What’s Next for Spilt Milk

Team Building and Consulting. Production collaborations. Travel work, this November and February in LA, December in MIA and onwards. Marketing plans. Taking breaks and taking care.

A travel gig break.

That’s all for now! This will ebb and flow as I go, please feel free to leave in the comments what you’d like to hear about.

x

Z