This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy talks to President of The Mill, Mark Benson. Before the brands merged Mark was CEO of MPC Advertising – the Moving Picture Company - under whose leadership the organisation was transformed into a multi-award-winning global creative studio.

Mark and Pat reminisce on their early days as runners, and how that shaped them for their future careers. Mark reflects on how client service was something that always fascinated him, and MPC’s commitment to clients and relationships was something that kept him at the business for 25 years! Mark also explains how MPC transitioned from working exclusively on ads, to later providing post-production services for big screen movie projects such as The Harry Potter franchise.

When discussing MPC’s merger with The Mill Mark says ‘the fundamentals haven't changed. We are all excited about how we go forwards into new markets and new areas of opportunity, predicated on talent, and a real understanding of what a narrative, what a story can be and how it's told’. Parent company Technicolour has the ambition to become the ‘world's largest creative visual arts company’ and Mark explains how that aspiration is being achieved, branching recently into new areas like The Sphere, 3D Billboards, live theatre and more. Mark reveals how projects like the upcoming Elvis immersive experience are setting new standards in storytelling by engaging audiences in unique and interactive ways.

Watch Mark’s favourite ad: Ryan Giggs - Reebok

Hosted by Pat Murphy

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This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy talks to Lisa Lavender, MD of British Arrows which is the UK’s longest running and most prestigious moving image advertising awards. Prior to this Lisa was founder of The Traffic Bureau and CEO of Adstream UK.

Lisa originally dreamt of being a choreographer but found her way into advertising, starting out as a production assistant. She talks us through how her career began, her temporary move to Canada, and how she launched The Traffic Bureau which was the first outsourced TV admin company in the UK. Hear how what began with a casual conversation later evolved into the sale of The Traffic Bureau to Adstream, with Lisa becoming CEO of Adstream's UK operations. From there, Lisa’s skill in nurturing exceptional talent and creating a happy, dynamic company culture left a lasting impact on her career.

Lisa talks us through the complexities of broadcast and business affairs. With so many channels and outlets, how can organisations stay on top of the various requirements in terms of clearance and rights management? Lisa explains that tech is helping hugely in this field and she suspects AI will also have a role to play.

Throughout her journey, Lisa emphasises the importance of mentorship and fostering diverse environments in advertising. She’s a powerful advocate for supporting new talent and has always strived to create opportunities and welcome new people into the industry, something that she is now especially proud to do in her role organising the Young Arrows awards. She considers how attitudes to work have changed through the generations and how ‘Gen-Z’ now demand a more healthy work-life balance – something we can all probably learn from!

Lisa and Pat discuss why creative awards like the British Arrows remain so vital in today’s advertising landscape and how the Young Arrows can celebrate the next generation of great storytellers and creatives. The awards are celebrating their 50th Anniversary next year and would love to hear from any organisation interested in sponsoring the events.

Watch Lisa’s favourite ad: Hamlet Cigars – Photo Booth

Hosted by Pat Murphy

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This week on The MCA Prodcast Pat Murphy talks to Global Managing Director at RSA (Ridley Scott Associates) Films Kai-Lu Hsiung. From reception to Production Assistant, Producer, and then Managing Director, Kai is a shining example of production meritocracy so is the perfect person to talk to about nurturing talent and developing creative careers. Now as Global Managing Director, Kai ensures that RSA maintains its place as one of the world’s leading production houses, and continues to create some of the most culturally transformative and influential creative across every medium.

In a world now dominated by AI and modern technology, what role do storytelling and human creativity still play? Kai shares her thoughts on this evolving landscape, using iconic advertisements like the Hovis Boy on the Bike campaign and the Samsung S23 film ‘Behold’ to illustrate how traditional storytelling meets cutting-edge technology. She recalls how the Samsung ad was shot entirely on a phone, but the production still required skilled craftspeople to ensure the lighting, sets, costumes etc were exactly optimal in order to get the perfect shot. She also recalls a wonderful story of how the Boy on a Bike ad came to be; a story that starts with Ridley Scott simply wanting to borrow a camera!

Kai explains how the Ridley Scott Creative Group distinguishes between it’s brands, with Black Dog Films being the younger, culturally relevant offering, RSA has a more over-reaching remit and Scott Free focuses on feature film work and commercials. Whilst distinct brands Kai emphasises the importance of being ‘stronger together’ and how sharing resources leads to better results of all the brands’ clients. “You'll get a better production if you can all work together to solve problems”, Kai says.

Kai and Pat discuss branded entertainment and content; how these ideas are forged and how they are developed. Kai describes branded content as being a ‘really interesting, fluid journey’ that you go on with your client, but it always starts with a need to fully understand the client’s needs and desired platforms.

As Chairwoman of the Young Director Award, Kai shares her views on how we can nurture young talent in the industry, spotlighting initiatives like the Aesthetica Film Festival and Nowness. Whether you're an aspiring filmmaker or an industry veteran, Kai's experiences and advice provide valuable lessons on balancing financial constraints with creative passions.

Watch Kai’s favourite ad: BMW – Beat the Devil

Hosted by Pat Murphy

Connect with Murphy Cobb and The Prodcast:

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