DOI: doi.org/10.62204/2336-498X-2023-3-11

PRODUCER IN SOCIO-CULTURAL ACTIVITIES:

CREATIVITY, EFFICIENCY, MOBILITY

Оleksandr Tadlia,

Head of international projects.

Science and Research Institute of Social and Economic Development, Ukraine,

tadlya@ukr.net; ORCID: 0000-0002-2576-8599

Annotation. The article provides an overview of publications in which conceptual approaches to the activity of a producer in the socio-cultural sphere are explored, which, with the help of organizational, creative, and innovative approaches, embody creative ideas in today’s realities. The essence of the concept of “producer” has been added, a profession that still needs careful study and implementation in the creative life of concert performers. The final result of the creative product depends on the knowledge and professional skills of the producer. In this regard, objective reality is presented in the organizational aspects carried out by producers in the sociocultural activities of their creativity, efficiency, and mobility. The stages of the process of forming the model of a producer in show business and the expediency of further scientific investigations in the direction of socio-cultural activity are considered, namely the theoretical justification of practical recommendations accompanying the activity of a producer, his formation, professional qualities, creative tasks. Production work is defined as an activity related to the management of the process of development, preparation, creation and practical implementation of projects as the final product of show business.

Keywords: producer, show business, subject organization, socio-cultural sphere, creative industry, art management technologies, creative projects.

Formulation of the problem. The development of the show business sphere, the implementation of various socio-cultural projects require a special category of specialists who, with the help of organizational, creative, and innovative approaches, embody creative ideas in today’s realities. Modern sociocultural activity not only presents its requirements for the creative process, but also affects the consumers of the cultural product (Martinaitytė, E., & Kregždaitė, R. (2015) [1]. The industry is structured, a number of private organizations appear, which determine an authentic approach to management, entrepreneurship and everything that happens in the field of artistic creativity and cultural innovation (Lewis, J. (2013) [2]. This leads to the fact that the modern world declares certain conditions both to the subjects of the organization and to the created products of culture .

Thus, it is these components that reflect the essence of the rapidly developing sphere of show business, as a genre characteristic primarily of performing arts. In this regard, the objective reality can be represented in the organizational aspects carried out by producers in the socio-cultural activities of their creativity, efficiency, and mobility.

The analysis of existing publications does not fully explore the concept of production in socio-cultural activity due to its novelty. Although Martinaitytė, E., & Kregždaitė, R. (2015), the factors of creative industries development in nowadays stage; Lewis, J. (2013), art, culture and enterprise (Routledge Revivals); Kiresci, A. (2023), the impact of innovative technologies on small players in the recorded music sector: a chronological overview; Proskurina, M., & Nikitina, V. (2023), Production Activity Essence and Producer’s Role in the Field of Project Management in the Creative Industries; Taylor, T. D. (2023), Working Musicians: Labor and Creativity in Film and Television Production; Eikhof, D. R., & Haunschild, A. (2007), for art’s sake! Artistic and economic logics in creative production; Deichmann, D., & Baer, M. (2023), a recipe for success? Sustaining creativity among first-time creative producers; Hurd, A. R., Barcelona, R. J., & Zimmerman, J. A. M. (2023), leisure services management; Walzer, D. A. (2017), independent music production: how individuality, technology and creative entrepreneurship influence contemporary music industry practices; Zager, M. (2021), music production: A manual for producers, composers, arrangers, and students; Rae, P. W., & Irving, D. K. (2015), producing and directing the short film and video; Kelley, L. D., Sheehan, K. B., Dobias, L., Koranda, D. E., & Jugenheimer, D. W. (2022), advertising media planning: a brand management approach; Reynolds, A. (2021), the live music business: management and production of concerts and festivals, etc.

The purpose of the article is to concentrate the most important things so that it is possible to understand all the components that accompany the activity of a producer in the socio-cultural sphere, his formation, professional qualities, creative tasks: creativity, efficiency, mobility.

Research results. The difference of modern technologies of socio-cultural management (a holistic system that includes organization, control, coordination, regulation, prediction, activation, research in the field of show business and its basis – art) in relation to the generation of a product (and the most relevant of them is a brand that must be reproduced for mass consumer) explains the emergence of a certain socially significant profession related to entrepreneurship, because between the artistic culture and the audience, the need for the presence of an intermediary is increasingly felt. And this intermediary is a producer.

The necessity of the emergence of the profession of a producer existed earlier, and not only at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, when the world underwent revolutionary and at the same time evolutionary changes associated with the processes of industrialization, urbanization, demographic explosions, and the development of technical means.

Against the background of the emergence and flowering of the production of mass consumer goods, the invention of the cinematograph (1895), as the second important milestone in the history of mass culture, and other progressive events in the world community, the ways that naturally led to global changes in society and determined the deformation, restructuring of the socio-cultural situation in general.

Thus, there was a need and necessity to obtain certain socio-cultural products that the author of the work could not directly present to them. Therefore, let’s say, in the performing arts, an entrepreneur appeared as a mediator between their creators and the audience, which in translation from French, entrepreneur is an entrepreneur, as a tenant, owner of parts of a spectacular enterprise… Abroad today he is called a manager (in England), an impresario (in Italy), a producer (in America).

The genesis of the socio-cultural situation, creative and entrepreneurial activity led to the appearance of the actual producer (Kiresci, A. (2023) [3]. At the same time, we emphasize that this happened in different ways in different types of cultural innovation. Production gradually became an independent professional activity, which left developing the idea, providing financing, hiring a project team and renting technical support for the activity process.

Similar metamorphoses occurred with other types of artistic culture and cultural innovation. The key figure in the synthetic process of creation of a socio-cultural product is the producer (English producer, from Latin produco – I make, create). (Proskurina, M., & Nikitina, V. (2023) [4].

Returning to the concept itself, we recall that in one of the dictionaries that displays terms related to mass media, “producer” is translated as a person which carries out organizational, financial and ideological and artistic management of the production of films and television programs; as a rule, he exercises general control over the creation of a block of television programs consisting of individual series, documentaries with a general theme, regular news programs or entertainment programs (Taylor, T. D. (2023) [5].

The profession of a producer is closely intertwined with the profession of a manager, as evidenced by some competencies in accordance with educational programs 028 “Management of socio-cultural activities” of higher education institutions of Ukraine. But as the reality shows, as well as the analysis of the specifics of the functioning of the producer is more meaningful than the manager [6].

Thus, this is explained by the fact that the producer should consider culture as a holistic and strategic resource for the development of society, be aware of the need to increase content, idealism, and spirituality. In today’s world, the creation, use and broadcasting of works – information resources of various types of socio-cultural sphere – can and should bring effective profit, which is the key moment of existence of today’s producers.

Emphasizing the importance of this phenomenon of objective reality, we believe that by its very nature the producer is a businessman who is able to assess the needs of the market, understand its prospects and, taking upon himself and the company he created, responsibility for the financing, production, promotion of a socio-cultural product, obtain as a result corresponding profit [7].

It is for this purpose that he forms a team of specialists from various blocks (legal, financial, managerial, creative, technical) of activity, carries out idea generation, development and implementation of a socio-cultural project (Eikhof, D. R., & Haunschild, A. (2007) [8].

A producer must have the widest range of knowledge related to the history and theory of artistic culture and its various types and genres, understand economic and legal issues, management, marketing, their technologies, be a creative person capable of generating various ideas, be an ideologue projects, have an artistic taste, understand the intricacies of the innovative process of creating an artistic work.

Before considering the complex of roles of a producer, which he performs in his professional activity, let’s find out what the model of the producer is built on.

Let’s highlight its four necessary components: 1) personal qualities; 2) goals and objectives; 3) tactics (behavior); 4) strategy (philosophy).

Functions are created depending on them producer as project manager. When the real characteristics of the producer coincide with the necessary managerial qualities, as well as with the rational use of a complex of roles in professional activity, the model of a modern producer takes on an ideal form.

A producer must possess creativity, a breadth of views, based both on general erudition and on good knowledge not only of his own field of activity, but also of those related to it. A producer, manager, as a professional, should have a creative approach, a constant desire to generate ideas.

An important business characteristic of a producer can be identified as dominance, which is based on the desire for personal independence, leadership, purposefulness, determination, and demandingness. As well as organizational skills, which imply the ability to create a team, provide its activities with everything necessary, set tasks, distribute responsibilities, coordinate, control and stimulate their optimal solution.

Another of the most important qualities of a producer is sociability and mobility. And finally, the quality without which it is simply impossible to present is the desire for originality, innovation, the willingness to take a certain risk associated with their implementation.

Strategy and tactics are formed on the basis of the qualities of the producer, his experience and set goals and objectives. The producer’s tactics are the forms of behavior by which he achieves his goals. Strategy or “producer’s philosophy” is a set of his guidelines, beliefs, moral attitudes and principles, based on the interaction of personal qualities (ambition, determination) with the environment and determined by available experience.

Creativity, efficiency and mobility are the benchmarks of an ideal producer. According to modern ideas, the producer is a person who personifies management functions. Depending on the position level of the producer, his duty includes a certain number of functional tasks (See Table 1).

Effective management of a music project is determined by various aspects of the producer’s personality [9]. Of great importance are not only his mind, character, skills and knowledge, but also the ability to adhere to ethical standards, which are an integral part of the producer’s professionalism and play an important role in business practice.

Creative aspects are the main components of a production project, from idea creation to concert activity. At the same time, the creative process assumes the emergence of the subconscious mind, because to think creatively is to think associatively.

A musical project cannot be based only on a financial and economic calculation, it must have a personal attitude and individual characters. Creativity and business are incompatible concepts, but practice shows that a producer is, first of all, a creative person who generates an idea, thinks with psychological mechanisms and at the same time takes into account the material aspect of business.

Table 1

Functional tasks of the producer

№	Producer functions	Characteristics of producer functions
1	Strategic	carrying out a situation analysis, on the basis of which the goals of the production organization are set, coordination of the process of strategy development and drawing up a business plan is organized.
2	Administrative	control, evaluation of results, implementation of corrective activities, encouragement and punishment.
3	Expert and innovative	constant focus on market novelties, their qualified assessment and creation of conditions for immediate implementation into practice.
4	Social and psychological	creation of a favorable moral and psychological climate in the team, support of traditions, resolution of emerging conflicts, formation of standards of behavior.
5	Leading	here, the producer-manager is an integrator, a kind of controller, who makes sure that the specific actions of his team members do not contradict the common interests, do not undermine the internal unity of the group.

The whole process of promoting a musical project can be conditionally divided into several consecutive, and often parallel stages (see Figure 1).

Principle 1. A music producer is the generation of ideas and a bright vision [10]. Already at this stage, the producer should take into account that the development of any project is based on the following components:

• prediction;
• intuition;
• originality;
• novelties;• calculation.

When searching for an idea, a producer needs to immediately solve several priority tasks:

1) which target audience is the project intended for; 2) what style will the musical material be; 3) what new will the musical group bring.

The concept of the project involves the development of not only the image and style of the group, but also the creation of an intrigue that would attract the viewer at the stage of obscurity, at the stage of launching the project [11].

An artist is a music brand. At the heart of each brand:

• an idea;
• vision;
• vision;
• objectives;

The PR campaign will promote the project around the personality of the artist, who has a certain creative thinking and aesthetic taste.

Principle 2. Correct priorities. Creating and developing only personal brands. When choosing artists, first of all, the idea and format of the group is taken into account. Focus. Angle of view. The stronger we focus, the more successful the project.

Principle 3. The right environment. Only a motivational environment. A team of like-minded people. Collective energy. Synergistic effect. Conducting casting, choosing a composer, choreographer, organizing a promotional campaign and other processes of production activity is of great importance to the artist’s image, which he must create for the public. The producer does most of the work in the pre-stage rehearsal period, where all the creative and commercial potential of the future star is laid.

Thus, at this stage of project creation, all the necessary actions and techniques for recording and concert performances are worked out, and material for the promotional campaign is prepared.

Principle 4. Continuous development. Get out of the comfort zone. Move to new territories. Learn from your mistakes.

The next stage is obtaining the final product, which will be presented to the public.

This stage is one of the most difficult for both the producer and the artists, as the final result of this work must be a spectacular performance.

From the very beginning, the producer works with the composer on the style, rhythm, tempo and other details of the musical creation.

At the same time, the producer must perfectly understand that a talented composer who writes beautiful music and a composer-psychologist who takes into account the interests and taste preferences of the masses are completely different professions.

The latter option is ideal for the producer, which cannot be said about the first, where music is composed only for a certain audience, which narrows the commercial potential of the project.

We must not forget that a person goes to a concert or turns on music in order to immerse himself in an unreal world, to spend some time in a state of relaxation.

One of the difficult stages of work is studio recording. The work of artists in the studio requires a lot of stress from both themselves and the producer, who controls the recording process at all stages.

The first recording in the studio is a certain psychological barrier for any artist, regardless of the experience of performing on stage, singing in a choir, ensemble, etc. The fact is that when a person records in a studio, he hears his voice in headphones as it is heard by those around him, and not as he is used to hearing himself.

So, the most difficult stage of creating the project is behind us, the producer has put enough energy into the final product.

Principle 5. Belief in oneself in one’s own uniqueness. Miracles begin when you believe in yourself. Work with positive affirmations. Don’t let external influences drown out your inner voice.

 However, the factors of social life require the project organizer to continue active activities. Now it should be aimed at promoting and popularizing the show product.

In this regard, the next, no less important period will be the period of project implementation, in which it will appear before the public. This process includes the following stages: project promotion, distribution, concert and tour activities.

One of the important moments of organizing a promotional campaign in the press is writing a press release or compiling a press package [12]. It is an integral element of an advertising campaign, which is designed to arouse interest and attract the attention of the public. The promotional campaign on the radio includes several directions.

Posting news about the group, the group’s participation in some music radio programs and, most importantly, the introduction of song material to the radio airwaves. In order to ensure the necessary rotation, the producer needs to know the mechanism of the formation of the broadcast stream of the radio station.

Promoting a production project on television has its nuances and pitfalls. At this stage, the producer already has a master tape with a video clip for a hit song, in his opinion.

Distribution is one of the most important stages of the project launch period. The concert and touring activities of the artist are handled by a tour manager, a person who organizes concerts, tours, other performances of artists and is responsible for fulfilling the conditions of a concert of the contract between the producer and the company organizing the concerts [13].

Fig. 1. The process of promoting a musical project

Thus, production work is an activity related to the management of the development process, the preparation of the project concept, the attraction of finances, the organization of a promotional campaign, the creation and practical implementation of projects as the final product of show business.

Conclusions. Having considered some problems related to the activities of the producer, certain conclusions can be drawn:

1. The development of the show business sphere, the implementation of various socio-cultural projects require a special category of specialists who, with the help of organizational, creative, innovative approaches, embody creative ideas in today’s realities.
2. Production is a new profession that still needs careful study and implementation in the creative life of concert performers. The final result of the creative product depends on the knowledge and professional skills of the producer.
3. In this regard, objective reality can be represented in organizational aspects carried out by producers in the socio-cultural activities of their creativity, efficiency, and mobility.
4. The producer himself should consider culture as a holistic and strategic resource for the development of society, be aware of the need to increase content, idealism, and spirituality – they can and should bring effective profit, which is a key moment in the existence of today’s producers.
5. Production work is an activity related to the management of the process of development, preparation, creation and practical implementation of projects as the final product of show business.

Thus, a certain lack of study of the phenomenon of production gives reason to believe that the study of this problem is still far from being completed.

References:

1. Martinaitytė, E., & Kregždaitė, R. (2015). The factors of creative industries development in nowadays stage. Economics and Sociology, 56-71.
2. Lewis, J. (2013). Art, Culture and Enterprise (Routledge Revivals): The Politics of Art and the Cultural Industries. Routledge.
3. Kiresci, A. (2023). The impact of innovative technologies on small players in the recorded music sector: a chronological overview. Creative Industries Journal, 16(1), 96-111.
4. Proskurina, M., & Nikitina, V. (2023). Production Activity Essence and Producer’s Role in the Field of Project Management in the Creative Industries. SocioCultural Management Journal, 6(2), 31-51.
5. Taylor, T. D. (2023). Working Musicians: Labor and Creativity in Film and Television Production. Duke University Press.
6. Eikhof, D. R., & Haunschild, A. (2007). For art’s sake! Artistic and economic logics in creative production. Journal of Organizational Behavior: The International Journal of Industrial, Occupational and Organizational Psychology and Behavior, 28(5), 523-538.
7. Deichmann, D., & Baer, M. (2023). A recipe for success? Sustaining creativity among first-time creative producers. Journal of Applied Psychology, 108(1), 100.
8. Hurd, A. R., Barcelona, R. J., & Zimmerman, J. A. M. (2023). Leisure services management. Human Kinetics.
9. Walzer, D. A. (2017). Independent music production: how individuality, technology and creative entrepreneurship influence contemporary music industry practices. Creative Industries Journal, 10(1), 21-39.
10. Zager, M. (2021). Music production: A manual for producers, composers, arrangers, and students. Rowman & Littlefield.
11. Rae, P. W., & Irving, D. K. (2015). Producing and directing the short film and video. Routledge.
12. Kelley, L. D., Sheehan, K. B., Dobias, L., Koranda, D. E., & Jugenheimer, D. W. (2022). Advertising media planning: a brand management approach. Taylor & Francis.

Reynolds, A. (2021). The live music business: management and production of concerts and festivals. Routledge.