A Zambian producer on managing multiple film projects

At 6:30 in the morning, a Lusaka-based producer may be answering messages from a documentary crew, checking a camera test for a short film, and waiting for a finance update on a feature. Each request feels urgent, yet a rushed decision can create delays across locations, crews and budgets. The producer’s task involves identifying the decision that unlocks the next step, rather than merely keeping every task moving.

This interview with a Zambian producer working across development, pre-production, production and post-production focuses on that balancing act. The conversation covers scheduling, delegation, cash flow, rights and the cultural care needed when stories travel between Zambia and Australia. It also reflects the environment in which Vilole Images Productions operates, linking ambitious filmmaking with practical systems and collaboration.

A producer's working day

Interviewer: With several projects at different stages, where does your attention go first?
Producer: I start with consequences, not the loudest request. A missing location permit can stop a whole unit, while an unresolved script note can affect a month of shooting. I review the next seven days, identify dependencies and give each department one clear decision. That habit keeps a busy production pipeline from becoming a collection of emergencies.

A producer might move from a development meeting to a casting session, then check the edit, sound mix and delivery schedule for another project. The calendar therefore holds more than appointments. It records approval points, payment dates, equipment lead times, travel windows and the people who can actually unblock a task. Simple status labels—ready, waiting and at risk—help the team see where a delay will travel.

This mix of development, pre-production, production and post-production is visible in Vilole Images Productions, where the organisation presents a complete creative and technical offering. For a multi-project producer, that breadth is useful: the same production manager who shapes a treatment may later coordinate a location, crew, editor and distributor. The challenge is maintaining one standard of communication as the work changes shape.

Systems that protect the creative work

Good systems protect the idea without slowing it down. Before a shoot, the producer connects the script, storyboard, shot list, call sheets, risk notes, music permissions and release forms in one production folder. During shooting, daily reports and footage logs create a shared record. After the wrap, the team marks which takes are complete, which are provisional and which still need a decision. This prevents a rough edit from becoming an accidental final version.

Communication is equally important. A short morning check-in can cover cast, weather, access, equipment and safety, while an end-of-day report records progress against the plan. Emails should answer one question and name one owner; a message such as “we are looking into it” is not enough when a unit is waiting. Shared folders, disciplined file names and regular backups give departments a reliable source of truth.

Delegation is a form of risk control. A line producer may own expenditure, a production coordinator may chase locations, and an editor may manage an approved cut, but the producer still needs a clear approval route. When people know their limits, the producer can focus on relationships and judgment rather than becoming a bottleneck. Regular handover notes also protect the work if a key crew member leaves.

Money, rights and Australian partnerships

Cash flow can shape a project as much as talent or scenery. The producer prepares a budget for each phase, separates committed costs from estimates, and checks payment schedules against the production calendar. Currency exposure between the Zambian kwacha and the Australian dollar belongs in the weekly view. A documentary awaiting archival clearance needs a different reserve from a short waiting on a location. Contingency funds should cover realistic variables such as weather, travel, additional shooting days, repairs or a late delivery.

For an Australian partner in Sydney or Melbourne, an eight- or nine-hour time difference from Lusaka can make a quick decision expensive. Early-morning meetings in one city may be evening work in the other, so teams should agree on response times and use a shared production tracker rather than relying on constant availability. Many Australian teams use cloud-based production tools and mobile daily reports, making agreed deadlines especially important. Australian collaborators may also explore Screen Australia, state film agencies or production tax offsets, although eligibility and conditions must be checked for each project.

Before work travels across borders, the producer asks lawyers, accountants and insurers to review contracts, copyright ownership under the Copyright Act 1968, music licences, privacy permissions and payment terms. An Australian release may require classification planning under the Classification Act 2013 and applicable state or territory rules. Public-liability cover, location agreements and workplace health and safety procedures should be confirmed before principal photography. VIP’s production services can provide a practical partner for turning those requirements into schedules and deliverables.

Local stories and wider audiences

A producer juggling several films must also protect the specificity of each story. A documentary from the Copperbelt, a short set in Lusaka and a feature that travels through Livingstone should not be treated as interchangeable “African” projects. Local researchers, crew and communities can identify the details that a broad treatment misses. Early consultation also supports informed consent, safe filming and accurate context when the work is shown abroad.

The relationship between local storytelling and regional influences is worth examining. A discussion of Zambian film aesthetics can help teams see how Nollywood shapes genre, pacing and visual language, while still asking what Zambian stories bring of their own. The producer uses references as a starting point rather than a template: a borrowed trend may attract an audience, but the emotional and cultural decisions remain specific to the characters and place.

Australian audiences encounter African films through festivals, cinemas, streaming services and subtitled screenings. A clear synopsis, accurate credits, accessible subtitles and thoughtful publicity can help a film travel without reducing its meaning to a surprise or hardship. In cities such as Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth, programmers and audiences may bring different expectations, so marketing should invite curiosity rather than promise a single “African experience.” That approach respects viewers and gives producers a better chance of finding the right festival or distribution partner.

A practical operating checklist

The producer’s method can become a practical operating rhythm for any small or growing team. It does not demand expensive software or a large hierarchy; it demands visible priorities, named responsibility and a record of decisions. The following practices are especially useful when a documentary, short film and feature are moving through the same organisation at once.

Maintain one master tracker showing stage, owner, next deadline, budget status and approval dependency for every active production. Hold brief, regular check-ins at hours that work for Lusaka and Australian collaborators, then publish the decisions afterwards. Separate creative approval from legal, finance, procurement and distribution approval so no one assumes permission has been granted.

Protect a realistic contingency and a change-control window for weather, access, cast schedules, repairs and late footage. Confirm rights, releases, music licences, insurance, privacy permissions and classification requirements before principal photography or public release. Archive scripts, footage, sound, edit files, contracts and subtitles in backed-up locations with consistent names and access controls.

Start with the tracker and a weekly review, then add only the fields that your team will actually maintain. A production assistant can own the data, but the producer must make the priority rules clear. If a task has no owner or date, it remains a risk; if a change is approved, every affected department should see the same new deadline.

A clear path from idea to screen

Managing multiple projects is sustainable when the producer treats the portfolio as a system rather than a test of personal stamina. Clear milestones, honest status reports and respectful delegation reduce the need for heroics. They also create a better creative atmosphere: crews know what matters, collaborators know what has been agreed, and editors receive material that is ready for the next stage. The same discipline can support a first feature, a festival campaign or a long-running documentary series.

For filmmakers seeking a production partner, Vilole Images Productions offers a route through development, pre-production, production and post-production, while its completed works show the stories it supports. Filmmakers can also explore SHUNAFFoZ, the Shungu Namutitima International Film Festival of Zambia, and prepare a documentary, short film or feature-length submission. Contact the VIP team to discuss a collaboration or submit a project to the festival.