Alex Aalto

“The most important feature of a creative producer is to understand every aspect of the creative process and to adapt quickly to constantly changing situations and demands.”

Intercru: Where are you from? Where do you live and work now?

Alex: I’m originally from Finland, but I’ve lived in several countries for the past eight years, including Australia, Hong Kong, and now the UK.

For the past five years, I’ve been based in London, and I absolutely love it here. I think London is the best city in the world, with its diversity and incomparable cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Anyhow, I’m quite a restless soul, and I still need to get out of town once in a while. When the world is back to a new normal, I will undoubtedly be spending a lot of time in mainland Europe and Asia. Under normal conditions, I usually spend at least 180 days of the year living out of my suitcase.

How did you get started as a creative producer?

I started as a photographer ten years ago, and I’ve held several creative roles during my career. When working as a studio manager at Big Sky Studios in London, I gained so many valuable production skills.

When I left the safety of my full-time job three years ago, I had to re-evaluate my skill set and personality, which led me to launch my own business. After working as a creative all-arounder for a while, I learned that creative production is the area where I feel most solidly in my element. I’ve always enjoyed organizing, managing, taking care of people, and being the “leader” type of guy. These features just naturally fell in with my skill set, and I started producing shoots. I loved it straight away and still do.

Creative production is a high-demand field where I can really challenge myself. It is also utterly rewarding while also being able to impact areas such as social responsibility and environment in the production side, which are my ultimate core values.

Can you tell us what a typical day is like for you? What kind of tasks are you working on?

Every shoot is undoubtedly different, but the one thing is for sure: there is no such thing as late mornings. Instead I usually start somewhere between between 4:30 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. Days before the shoot even takes place, I’m part of the casting, location scouting, the legal side of production, budgeting, catering, and plenty of other moving tasks to ensure everything is working smoothly and exceeds client expectations. My team is my priority, so I never compromise their well-being. Catering, both for the client and the set, needs to be spot on, along with the good-vibes environment. Yep, I’m a foodie.

While the shoot takes place, I oversee everything that was previously mentioned, along with the crew, lighting, set, digital department, styling, deliveries, etc., to ensure everything works promptly.

At the moment, Covid-19 safety is obviously a big part of my work. Therefore, all the up-to-date certificates and training happen outside of the set.

The day includes plenty of meetings between the creative team, photographers, and stylists. Naturally, as I take care of the schedules and make sure everyone knows what they’re doing, the studio space is safe and comfortable for everyone. I manage call sheets and all sorts of logistics. In addition, I can’t forget to lift people up and to keep spirits high. I usually request uplifting music, good vibes, barista coffee, and ginger shots. These certainly help to freshen up the crew, particularly after lunch.

Days usually finish between 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. The production crew is the last one to leave, checking that the studio/location was left in tidy condition and that backups of the shoot have been appropriately stored.

The typical day also includes, more or less, so-called hidden admin and management work, e.g., taking care of the finances, maintaining the budget, calls, emails, consulting the set, sales, all sorts of management, etc. There’s not a dull day in the shoot, and all crew members’ support is priceless.

What is the hardest part about being a creative producer?

The most challenging part is probably the last-minute nature of the industry. When working with multiple creative teams and projects in the ever-evolving fashion world, things change rapidly, and I need to be on top of everything, despite the weekday or the clock’s time.

I’m also working in multiple time zones, which makes things even a bit more hectic. But at the same time, a fast-paced environment keeps you going, and once I nail the creative production with a big set, it feels like I can deal with anything. It’s enriching and is the name of the game.

What is the most important job of a good creative producer?

I think the most important feature of a creative producer is to understand every aspect of the creative process and to adapt quickly to new situations and demands. Things never go exactly as planned so being able to think on your feet and not get stuck is so important too.

I always bring my own creative input to the project by pairing the most suitable team together, working on finding the perfect locations and talents. This is the part I truly enjoy.

What kinds of projects and campaigns are you working on now?

Unfortunately, I need to keep my mouth shut regarding the details until the shoots are happening, or even afterwards (NDA). But I have been lucky enough to continue working with the super exciting project, despite the challenging current climate.

I am tremendously grateful to have ongoing projects with a big global tech brand, fashion magazines, look books, editorials, and diverse corporate projects, just to mention a few. I’m quite convinced 2021 has a lot to offer in the creative field. The current mindset in my industry is very forward-looking and hopeful. Last year was what it was, but life needs to continue, and I’m delighted that my work schedule also talks on behalf of it.