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The Producer-Engineer Interface

by Jerry Summers

There's a bit of conventional wisdom that defines producer as artist and engineer as technician, and holds that those who make art mustn't debase themselves with things technical and those who do tech can't possibly comprehend art. There are probably lots of bad experiences contributing to this attitude (and it's a two-way street), but I prefer to think of it as effect and not cause; as a foregone conclusion it does disservice to both the artistic and the technical. The producer and the engineer do different things, sure, but it shouldn't be as though one is at the North Pole and the other is at the South Pole and the finished product somehow, painfully, in spite of everything, emerges at the equator. Rather, it should be a symbiotic relationship between the technique of art and the art of technique.

But you have a piece to deliver or project to finish (by yesterday, of course) and you don't wanta know from 'should'. You have that familiar sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach; you're stuck with *that geek* again. Bite the bullet, slog it through, and as soon as you have the time, start shopping for someone else to work with. If shopping isn't an option, consider the following as the outline of an educational program to be undertaken when the meter isn't running.

WHAT THE PRODUCER HAS EVERY RIGHT TO EXPECT OF THE ENGINEER...

Technical competence (command of the tools).
Preproduction.
A mutually agreed-upon vernacular.
Good attitude.
Good ears.
The ability, or at least attempt, to understand the *meaning* of the work, and translate that into technique.
Willingness to try the unusual.
A modicum of rhythmic sense and musicality.
A studio set up and ready to roll.
Music and effects cues selected/prepared.
Focused attention.
Quickness.
Note-taking.
Helpful suggestions presented non-confrontationally.
Gracious acceptance of the producer's final decisions.
The difficult.

...AND SOME RIGHT TO HOPE FOR...

Technical wizardry (stretching the tools beyond their ostensible limits).
A lot of preproduction, if warranted.
Enthusiasm.
Eagerness to try the unusual.
Great ears.
A musician whose instrument is the studio.
Speed.
Brilliant suggestions presented non-confrontationally.
The nearly impossible.
An ARTIST (one who makes his/her art serve the moment).

...AND EVERY RIGHT NOT TO EXPECT...

A barrage of techie vernacular.
An attitude.
Abuse.
Slowness.
Deafness.
Inattention.
Intractibility.
Lack of preparation.
The mediocre or substandard.
An ARTISTE (one who makes the moment serve his/her art).

...AND NO RIGHT TO EXPECT...

Worship.
Telepathy.
Acceptance of blame for producer's lack of preparation, misdirection, or inadequate communication, or talent's faulty delivery, technique, or refusal to cooperate.
The truly impossible.
An indefatiguable machine that only *looks* human.

WHAT THE ENGINEER HAS EVERY RIGHT TO EXPECT OF THE PRODUCER...

A copy of the script, preferably in advance.
Preproduction.
A mutually agreed-upon vernacular.
Adequate information for studio setup.
A modicum of patience.
Willingness to listen to suggestions.
Silence at critical moments.
Acceptance of the limitations of technology.
An awareness of the difference between the written word and the spoken word, the stage and the studio, a visual medium and an aural medium.
Understanding that just like "real" artists, technicians need to eat, sleep, eliminate, and take an occasional break.

...AND SOME RIGHT TO HOPE FOR...

A lot of preproduction, if warranted.
A basic understanding of the tools/techniques of audio.
A working knowledge of the difference between the written word and the spoken word, the stage and the studio, a visual medium and an aural medium. The ability to shift gears from a visual bias to an auditory bias.

...AND EVERY RIGHT NOT TO EXPECT...

A barrage of artist vernacular.
An attitude.
Abuse.
Slowness.
Deafness.
Inattention.
Intractibility.
Lack of preparation.
Settling for the mediocre or substandard.

...AND NO RIGHT TO EXPECT...

Worship.
Telepathy.
Acceptance of blame for engineer's lack of preparation or inadequate communication.

This is sort of the Reader's Digest condensed version, coming from a couple of decades in both pairs of shoes. I can't recommend strongly enough learning as much as you can about both. And the best way is by doing both. Get someone you trust to guide you, slip on their shoes, do it, and get them to critique the finished product. Read, listen, observe, learn each other's language. Botching it, once you get over the truly minor annoyance of humiliation, is a valuable lesson. In the long run, you'll end up with more tools for working together effectively.

The Producer-Engineer Interface

WHAT THE PRODUCER HAS EVERY RIGHT TO EXPECT OF THE ENGINEER...

...AND SOME RIGHT TO HOPE FOR...

...AND EVERY RIGHT *NOT* TO EXPECT...

...AND NO RIGHT *TO* EXPECT...

WHAT THE ENGINEER HAS EVERY RIGHT TO EXPECT OF THE PRODUCER...

...AND SOME RIGHT TO HOPE FOR...

...AND EVERY RIGHT *NOT* TO EXPECT...

...AND NO RIGHT *TO* EXPECT...

...AND EVERY RIGHT NOT TO EXPECT...

...AND NO RIGHT TO EXPECT...

...AND EVERY RIGHT NOT TO EXPECT...

...AND NO RIGHT TO EXPECT...