Victoria Aldred, 4 April, 2023
As the CEO of Hoodlum, an Emmy and BAFTA award-winning production company, Tracey Robertson is passionate about telling stories that ring true on screen and are genuinely authentic at the core.
Having worked in the industry for over 25 years, Tracey sat down with the QUT Alumni Team and generously shared her perspective on trends in the industry, unique opportunities for Australian production companies, tips for pitching stories, and how to land a gig overseas as a producer.
You’ve been working as a producer for over 25 years now, what trends are you seeing come through that will change filmmaking into the future?
In terms of trends, it’s difficult to predict the future of film. In a way, the only certainty in the film/TV industry is that it is always changing and evolving – it always has, and it always will. This is especially prevalent as we see technology continue to advance in leaps and bounds and society progressing. We have already seen a substantial advancement in the use of visual effects (VFX), which is not only impacting how we tell stories but also enabling us to tell stories that we haven’t been able to before.
Something I have noticed already is a shift in work/life culture in the film industry. In the coming years, I can see a shift in flexibility in how people work. Not so much working less but rather working smarter.
What unique opportunities do you think Australian production companies will have in the next 5 years?
Here in Australia, we have fantastic support from government agencies, both on a state and national level. Queensland is an incredibly biodiverse location, from rainforests to beaches, deserts to cities. There is so much versatility within such a small radius, which makes it the ideal backdrop to so many stories. Not to mention, Queensland truly has world class crews which will undoubtably continue to power and bring to life the projects facilitated in this region in the coming years.
How do you ensure that the stories that are told by Hoodlum are representative of global perspectives, and the diverse world that we live in?
This is a great question. For starters, we always try to ensure our creative teams are representative of the communities that we are exploring. The core has to be authentic, for the story to ring true on screen. In a way, we have passed the time of ‘cultural consultancy’ – stories need to come from the voices and experiences of those who have lived it. We want stories to come from a place of truth, not presumed knowledge.
As a storyteller are there any specific stories or genres that you still want to tackle?
Hoodlum has covered a lot of ground over the past 25 years and we definitely still want to grow and explore new stories. We have loved making rom coms and we just produced our first action movie, I can definitely see us doing more of those!
In the early years of your career, what spurred you on so that you never gave up when you were pitching projects?
Finding like-minded people is pivotal in this industry. For me, having a creative partner was my business partner, Nathan Mayfield (also a QUT Alumnus). It’s a tough gig establishing yourself in the early days, so it’s essential to have a network who recognise your value, and can champion you. Great mentors are also key.
Where do you draw inspiration from as a producer?
I’m always inspired by great stories and the creatives who want to tell them.
How do you know when you’ve got a story that’s worth pitching? What does your decision process look like?
Ultimately, it’s when I get goosebumps when I read a script, either that or laugh so hard. Responding emotionally to a script is everything. We’re in an industry where we see tonnes of scripts each week. So initially, it needs to be a story that grabs my attention. It needs to have depth, pace and developed characters. Can I visualise the TV/series as I’m reading it? Can this be brought to life? Does this have an audience? Where would this story fit?
Given the industry you work in, how do you ensure that you’ve always got work coming through the pipeline?
We aim to have a robust development slate which means we have many spinning plates at any one time, so we work to have a wide range of projects constantly in the works that are ready to go into production.
What advice would you give others keen to pursue career opportunities internationally as a producer?
Develop your skills in pitching. Read script after script, after script, after script … you get the idea.
Make friends, genuine friends. And in all seriousness, take time to watch content! The best way to be up to date with the current market is to be well versed in content. It’s a small world in the land of film/TV so stay connected, be kind to one another and don’t burn bridges.
What is one skill you couldn’t live without and why?
How to read a cost report!
Do you have a question for Tracey? Connect with her on LinkedIn.