MAGENTA: Teamwork On Set

Towards the end of my professional placement at Magenta I was given the opportunity to work on a photo shoot for one of Magenta’s key national clients.  I was extremely excited to get some hands–on experience outside of the office environment and to witness the interaction with the client directly.

The photo shoot was for the client’s Christmas gift guide and took place in a beautiful display home in one of Perth’s most prestigious suburbs.  The team on set consisted of two client representatives, an account co-ordinator from the Magenta PR team, a professional Photographer and myself.  I was able to assist in preparing merchandise for each shot as well as learning effective ways to display products for promotion.  I found it extremely interesting to see the ways in which the Magenta team member interacted with the client representatives in order to achieve the desired end result. 

The function of a PR agency is to deliver effective communications solutions for a client.  Magenta collaborates with clients to deliver creative solutions that meet business objectives. It is always interesting to see how people with artistic temperaments interact with one another.  A Magenta creative, a photographer, and two client representatives working together on set can have contrasting ideas about how they perceive the best way to meet the project objectives.

As a PR agency, the Magenta team is in a position where they must exercise quality control of ideas put forward against their knowledge of Public Relations and the industry. In this way, they can give the client the benefit of the wealth of their experience in the PR Marketing industry. It is a delicate balancing act to guide the client towards a collaboration of not only their ideas but those of the agency’s as well.

For example, half way through the day an additional client representative joined the shoot and presented an idea that unfortunately clashed with the overall design aesthetic of the current shot.  The client representative was a relatively senior member of their company and was determined to proceed with the idea.  The Magenta creative strategically negotiated with the client representative and was able to come to a creative compromise by incorporating the idea into another part of the shoot. 

I was very impressed to see how harmoniously the people on set worked together as a cohesive team.  I also saw the importance of collaborating ideas on set to showcase the objectives of the both the client and the PR agency.

Working on the photo shoot was a wonderful experience where I was able to learn a great deal about teamwork and cooperation in a real world situation.

Jacinta McDonald.

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