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Spotlight on Unit Publicists

4 of the best reveal the differences between a Unit and Network Publicist.

Over the years I’ve dealt with numerous Publicists, who have to smile and be artful people-wranglers …..sometimes without ever leaving their fingerprints on their best work.

But what’s the difference between a Network Publicist and a Unit Publicist?

In the latest of an ongoing focus on craft, TV Tonight speaks to 4 of the best of them:

1. Annette Smith (pictured top right)
2. David Brown
3. Tracy Mair
4. Cathy Gallagher

BTS = Behind the Scenes
EPK = Electronic Press Kit

How did you get your start in Publicity and how does a Unit Publicist differ from a Network Publicist?

AS: I was fortunate, through persistence and luck, to land a job with Roadshow Film Distribution as a junior publicist many years back and to conquer my fear of Unit Publicity (as it sounded quite formidable), I volunteered for it on a local Roadshow film. Essentially a Unit Publicist works on a production during the shoot to ensure that all essential publicity tools (long-lead interviews, stills, EPK, press notes, etc.) are in place to assist with the eventual on-air release publicity campaign.

DB: The short version: I worked as a showbiz journalist from cadetship for News Ltd and Southdown Press (TV Week) for many years. After a two year stint in London, I came back in 2000 expecting to resume my journo career, but Southern Star knocked on the door as they had just secured the TV phenomena Big Brother. I signed on as Unit Publicist, as they knew this was a beast where all the publicity will be in the upfront news pages and not in TV guides. Bottom line: they needed a tabloid journo to jump the fence to publicity.

“Brian Walsh was the head of the publicity department at the time…they taught me everything I know.”

TM: I was a magazine journalist in my early 20s. After a couple of years travelling around the world, I returned to Sydney and was offered a job handling publicity for the flashy new Channel 10 current affairs show Page One. When Page One ended spectacularly about a year later, I moved across to the main publicity department working on both news and dramas. Brian Walsh was the head of the publicity department at the time and I worked with a number of other publicity legends in Brian’s team – they taught me everything I know. Network Publicists are responsible for coverage when a show goes to air; the Unit Publicist manages media requests during production, the stills photography and creation of digital assets and is the contact point between the network and the production for all things publicity and marketing,

CG: I started in film distribution publicity, which gave me a great understanding of the end use of the materials created by a Unit Publicist and I had the opportunity to work with the Unit Publicists on films we had in production. Unit Publicity is all about creating the campaign tools for the campaign, and banking media for later roll out.

What are the key duties of the role, and which shows have you worked on?

AS: With a Network production, you’re the liaison between the production and the Network Publicity Department. It’s your role (in order to fulfil local and international delivery requirements) to oversee and deliver production stills, ‘special shoot’ photography, behind-the-scenes and social media content requirements, writing of the series production notes and to organise media set visits. Have worked on too many shows to mention but some highlights include the entire Underbelly franchise (excluding season 2) seasons 3,4, & 5 of House Husbands, the ABC TV3 adaptation of Tomorrow When the War Began and the first TV series of Wolf Creek.

DB: Big Brother on TEN for eight years and Secret Daughter Series 2. A network publicist deals with the media, and the Unit Publicist supplies the network publicist. In theory, a Unit Publicist should not speak to the media, but to the chagrin of some network publicists who are controlling, on big reality shows the lines get blurred. It is all hands on deck to get the best results. When a network publicist and Unit Publicist are on the same page, sharing the load, it is great for everyone.

TM: Too many shows to list here but more some more recent credits include Harrow, Cleverman, Newton’s Law, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Fighting Season, Top of the Lake China Girl, The Legend of Monkey, Grace Beside Me….

CG: I have worked on series like Satisfaction, Tangle, Conspiracy 365, Dance Academy and recently of Hunters for the Syfy Network. Plus a lot of feature film unit publicity – which has a slightly different approach. Duties of the role is a great question because, despite the name, it can involve almost no visible publicity (ie stories in the paper at the time) but delivering the kit the TX / release publicist needs… and the brief depends on the production and the budget – but it can include announcements, stills management, press kit, creation of BTS assets, media training, press conferences, ministerial set visits, competition winner, and of course pitching and managing media on set.

Which have been the best and worst jobs you’ve had and why?

AS: By its very nature Unit Publicity is stressful, as film crews are geared to deliver a challenging schedule every day and dread overtime (for budgetary reasons), so the last thing they want is a publicist potentially disrupting proceedings. And rarely does planned on-set publicity go smoothly, as unforseen events frequently cause delays / changes, all of which play havoc with publicity, as the production must come first. The best jobs I’ve had are those where I’ve worked with crews who are sympathetic to Unit Publicity, and for this to happen, you need a producer and line-producer who will ‘stand up’ for you when required, along with an understanding 1st Assistant Director and 2nd and 3rd ADs who realise that you’re there to do a job, so treat you like part of the crew and not an annoying outsider. It’s also vital to have a Production Coordinator who tries to incorporate your requirements into the Daily Call Sheet and wonderful to work with a Network publicity team who have an understanding of on-set protocol and the restrictions that a Unit Publicist has to work with. The worst jobs I’ve had (fortunately, not many) are those where the aforementioned factors haven’t come into play.

DB: Good: Big Brother in its hey day. OMG. Bad: None. It’s TV! (Unless you want to talk about dropping a frozen chook on my foot at KFC when I was 17.)

TM: The best jobs have engaged producers who understand the value of publicity, who plan for success and who support the Unit Publicist to get the access they need. Just as important is an experienced and co-operative 2nd AD. Nice actors help too! The worst jobs are those where these conditions don’t apply. And winter night shoots aren’t much fun either!

CG: Hunters was an amazing gig – the scripts were a hoot, the cast were a lot of fun, the crew were great, the prosthetics workshop was just a cave of magic the producers were inspirational and I got to pitch a lot of ideas and make stuff happen. Being absorbed and embraced by the marketing dept of a US-based channel and have budgets to pitch big ideas with was creatively stimulating and a real learning opportunity. Worst jobs… most of the really challenging shit has been on feature films rather than TV

What kinds of demands are made from networks, production companies and agents? How do you negotiate them all?

AS: Networks try and organise as many publicity requests as they can during filming for reasons of budget and access – (there’s no guarantee that an actor will be available once a shoot has concluded). Therefore, they generally need many on-set interviews to be completed. They will also want a large number of stills – which might sound easy, but when you factor in budget limitations, size of cast, restricted on-set access and cast contractual approvals, it can be challenging. A good stills photographer is worth their weight in gold. A production company will want to keep their partner network happy by ensuring that the publicist delivers everything that he or she has been hired to, but also expect said publicist not to disrupt filming or upset cast or crew in the process! As for agents, a publicist has to seek their permission before organising any on or off-set publicity with their client, and ensure that specific contractual publicity requirements / restrictions are honoured.

DB: As a unit publicist, you obviously are beholden to your production company as they are paying your wage, but many production companies do not understand you must deliver to the network, who are paying the bigger bill. Agents are a Unit Publicist’s best friend to make everything work for the network deliverables. The measure of a great Unit Publicist is treading this fine line between all the stakeholders.

TM: A publicist – whether network or unit – has to be a diplomat and a juggler. Multi-tasking and managing various stakeholder demands is the name of the game. Networks want to know that they can get media onto set and that those journalists will be welcomed and looked after. They are also very keen to make sure the photography and digital assets are of the best possible quality. Production companies want to know that the Unit Publicist can meet the needs of the network, without impacting the shooting schedule – which is always tight. Agents want to be kept informed about the demands on their clients and to know their clients are being looked after, whether that be for media interviews, photo shoots or filmed interviews.

CG: This is one of the most challenging parts of Unit Publicity – in fact all publicity. Negotiating the needs / wants / expectations and restrictions of a lot of conflicting interests. It is a juggling act.

“Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong”

Recall your day from hell. What went wrong?

AS: I can’t go into too many specifics, but it involved trying to satisfy the demands of an inexperienced network publicist who had requested an on-set visit for a journalist from a key outlet on a less than ideal shooting day. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong – I still shudder to think about it.

DB: When exec producers (network and production) scream at you, it can be challenging. But you take a deep breath and calmly speak to them. ie. when housemate Peter Timbs kicked a chook on Big Brother. I explained over a very heated Network conference call, apologies in the media and positive headlines were better than the RSCPA shutting down the production. I won. Not enough room here to talk about “The Turkey Slap”. That will be in the book.

TM: That would be telling. Let’s just say that a shoot with a combination of actors who didn’t love publicity, indifferent producers, a first-time director and major schedule changes made for a day that I never wish to be repeated.

CG: There are many days I can think of and most of them relate to budget limitations and waiting. You start with a limited budget for a photo shoot or an EPK interview, or even just to have a crew shoot some BTS material. You know the pressure the production is under, and how meeting publicity’s needs can’t hold up the crew for even 10mins… that could mean 100 people on overtime…so you wait. There is great pressure from outside the production to deliver that shot, interview or footage – but compared to the reality of getting the day shot, it can seem insignificant. I’ve stood outside location for 5 hours with a BTS crew who never got permission to step inside.

Most bizarre request made of you?

AS: Nothing specific as it’s not uncommon to receive difficult or challenging requests, but they’ve always been within the realms of Unit Publicity, which in itself, can seem like a bizarre way to make a living.

“Pamela Anderson asked me where the closest KFC outlet was…..Houston, we have a BIG problem!”

DB: Pamela Anderson flying in for a guest visit on Big Brother. After a successful press conference, Pamela asked me in her hotel suite where the closest KFC outlet was. Why, I ask? Room service at Palazzo Versace is great! No, not hungry, she was organising an instant PETA doorstop demonstration -the trouble being, we spent a fortune flying her out to BB, and KFC were one of the top tier sponsors of BB. As she got ready to head to KFC Southport, I was ringing all the EPs (Network and production), saying, ‘Houston, we have a BIG problem!’

TM: The extraordinary becomes ordinary in publicity world. Perhaps it was a bit odd when I had to communicate with a leading lady for an entire shoot only via her PA and always through the door of her trailer….

CG: Rather than requests I more remember the bizarre situations you end up in trying to do your job – squatting behind a low wall during takes so you don’t end up in a reflection, running a prosthetic leg to help out, chasing a milky eye all over set for a photo, holding teeth…

“A publicist also needs to know ‘their place’ on-set.”

What is your secret weapon?

AS: I move ‘my office’ into the production office for the duration of the series shoot, as I personally find that if you’re not working amongst the production crew on a daily basis, you just miss out on too much vital information – last minute schedule changes – etc. If you’re ‘on the ground’ you form a much better relationship with everyone involved and are accepted as a genuine crew member, rather than an ‘annoying’ visitor to set! It’s also vital to keep all pertinent cast and crew posted on upcoming publicity – nothing should ever be a last-minute surprise. And a publicist also needs to know ‘their place’ on-set. You have to do your utmost to get the interviews / shots etc, that you need, but must be careful never to disrupt filming or antagonise crew whilst doing so.

DB: My background as a journo with many friends in the industry, as we were all copy kids or cadets together. More important, being able to write more than a tweet. I know how to deliver a story or headline and pump out a news release in minutes. Plus, I make people laugh!

TM: Never stop smiling. And remembering that we’re not saving the world.

CG: Never letting my caffeine level drop.

Editor’s note: Thanks to all those I deal with year in / year out for your talent, temperament, dealing with my pesky questions and shared passion for Australian storytelling. You know who you are!

Photo: Greg Noakes.

One Response

  1. Great read David. Publicity is such an essential element on set. Its easy to forget when your behind schedule but without it no one is going to watch your show and everyone there is wasting their time. Can’t wait to read the book on the turkey slap incident 🙂

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