To provide support for production through accessible tools, relevant resources, continued learning, and community. To empower a production team through their skills, knowledge, and heart.

To grow a team of leaders one shot a time.

The Mission:

I'm here for you.

[ SOY ]

So You Wanna Be Prod is an educational & support hub for Production Departments in film, TV, VFX, and animation. An online learning platform where you’ll find…

▫ resume review
▫ job search tips
▫ job board

▫ How To: ShotGrid / Flow
▫ video tutorials
▫ department & pipeline tips

▫ newsletter
▫ a production glossary
▫ books, courses, and more

Your Prod support outside of work.

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Frances Padua

Founder, So You Wanna Be Prod
Production Manager in VFX & animation - Vancouver, Canada

“Production is first and foremost, a supporting role, and the more we understand what we do and why we do it, the better we can be at helping others.”

—

Hey, Prod Team! It’s Frances, and this is my story…

I started as a Coordinator and fell in love with Production and the role we get to play in helping creative minds breathe life into their art and bring storytelling into the big screens.

“Even on my first day, I knew: this is what I want to do for the rest of my life!”

But the industry did not love me back…

After over 10 years in the field, from film to episodics, from live action VFX to CG animations, I’ve learned the hard truth: the screen industry is unkind to the Production Department.

I’ve seen newbies struggle to keep up due to lack of sufficient training. I’ve seen pressure break PAs and PCs into tears while on the job. I’ve seen PMs and Producers so overworked that they’ve become numb and unable to care for their team let alone their own well-being, nevermind training PAs and PCs, and thus, a cycle of an underserved department continued. This has to change.

It’s time to break the cycle.

Production in all levels need to be set up for success —and it starts here.

—

I created So You Wanna Be Prod as a resource tailored for Production no matter their experience.
[ SOY ] for short, is a hub for structured learning in hopes that:

  1. Aspiring Production Crew can access resources that are current & relevant.

  2. Production Assistants & Production Coordinators can find tools, tips, and tutorials
    as they learn their respective roles.

  3. Production Managers & Producers can find support in [ SOY ] to help lift the weight of training.

  4. For all Prod to find community from fellow Production.

    After all, your greatest resource is each other.
    —
    A new standard for the industry is long overdue and together,
    we will pave the way for a new generation of Production.

    So, despite my own share of heartbreaks in film, TV, VFX, & animation,
    this is still ‘what I want to do for the rest of my life.’
    Maybe you feel the same! If so, let’s keep the conversation going!

If this sounds good to you, let’s chat! :)

Our Values

We believe in preparing the people, not just the pipeline.

We believe that a supported team makes for smoother productions.

We believe that the industry can change and that
storytelling shouldn’t cost anyone to give up on their dreams.

I would like to acknowledge that we live and work on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples–Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.