Member in Focus:
Seb Brown

We recently caught up with PGGB Member Seb Brown, a Production Manager who has worked on Willow, Sexy Beast and The Famous Five. Seb’s route into the industry was unconventional – after starting out working in Canary Wharf, a chance encounter led to him taking on his first role as a Line Producer despite having no prior experience, before later resetting his career as a runner on studio features and HETV to build his knowledge from the ground up.

Most recently, Seb has worked on Amazon Prime Video's Young Sherlock, directed by Guy Ritchie and telling the origin story of the world’s greatest detective. Seb told us about his experiences working on the mystery series and his role in helping bring it from concept to screen.

Hello Seb, congratulations on the release of Young Sherlock! You worked on it as a Production Manager. What can you tell us about the Series?

Young Sherlock is an 8-part HETV project following the exploits of Sherlock Holmes as a young man, before becoming the iconic character of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle books. A Guy Ritchie production, we began shooting with Guy in Oxford for a couple of weeks, before relocating to Wales and the Southwest of England for most of the shoot. We finished off by shooting for around four weeks in Southern Spain, across Seville, Cadiz and the surrounding areas.

Sounds like quite a shoot! Can you tell us a little more about those amazing locations?

Filmmaking invariably throws up days when you walk on set, look around and wonder how you could be so lucky to be doing this job. You also have that sense of progression, which can be very satisfying – reading something in the script, discussing it with the departments as the idea develops and then materialises from the concept, booking the required elements ahead of a shoot day, to then walk on set and see the camels and market traders at the bazaar, for instance. These days are the highlights for me, and I have many such memories from Young Sherlock. Shooting in Oxford, particularly in the Bodleian Library, was such a privilege. Wales provided some absolutely beautiful and spectacular locations throughout. Aside from being unbelievably welcoming, Spain threw up some really interesting and surprising moments for me: from shooting at a location we shared with Lawrence of Arabia, to being invited by Real Betis to attend a football match as their guest. Seeing the dawn sunrise over the multicoloured sands/stones of the Riotinto mines near Seville, the copper browns, yellows, reds and purples all accompanied by a deep orange / red sun – that was magical. But my most memorable moment revolved around a big stunt we were shooting on the last day. The stunt was dangerous and tricky, and as we all met up to recce and discuss it, I saw a familiar (but completely out of place) face. A friend from school – a guy from the year below me and the brother of an old friend of mine, neither of whom I’d seen in about 15 years. It turns out David Collom was our stuntman. We’d gone our separate ways but had ended up reconnecting on a recce in Southern Spain. The stunt team had been heroic throughout, and being a Guy Ritchie project, the stunts play a very big part of the show, but I have to say, watching David perform the stunt as the final action of the final day was, in its way, one of the most challenging things I’ve ever experienced as a PM.

And what was it like working behind the scenes across these incredible scenes and locations with the wider production team?

Absolutely brilliant. The overarching production company, Motive Pictures, oversaw the production of the show and Exec Producers Simon Maxwell and Harriet Creelman, alongside Showrunner Matthew Parkhill, were ever-present and incredibly supportive. This is vital on a show of this size that carries with it such shooting complexities and such a dynamic storytelling process. Beyond that, we had Hollywood royalty in the figure of Colin Wilson as our Show-Producer. Colin’s credits are outrageous (Jurassic Park, Troy, Avatar, The Mandalorian), and he lived up to the billing; working with him day-to-day was definitely a highlight of the job. Beyond the abundance of experience and insight that the headline producing team brought, they also established the working ethos within the production; one of professionalism, mutual respect, availability, support and responsibility. A production’s culture inevitably stems from how those at the top conduct themselves, which then flows down through the rest of the crew. I’d argue that the strongest element of our production was the culture instilled by the top producing team.

From Willow to Sexy Beast to Famous Five, you’ve packed a lot in to a few years in the industry. Could you share how you started off?

My road into and through the industry has been in some ways unconventional. I started off in the city, working for a time in Canary Wharf. A chance encounter introduced me to a team looking for ‘someone good with numbers’, and I took up the job of Line Producer on my first project…  Needless to say, I was woefully inexperienced and was very fortunate to be surrounded by incredible people on that job. We survived and the project was completed, but after a few lower-budget films (and realising I just didn’t know enough), I decided to start again as a runner on studio features and HETV shows, and work my way back up. I have been incredibly fortunate along the way, both in terms of the calibre of people I’ve worked with and in terms of the opportunities that presented themselves. 

Could you tell us a bit more about the role of a Production Manager and what you do on a daily or weekly basis?

The role of a Production Manager varies depending on the working style of the Line Producer they work with. I was very fortunate to work with one of the best LPs in the business on this production: Edward Rastelli-Lewis, who is incredibly collaborative and supportive. In my opinion, the day-to-day job of the PM is primarily to be a problem solver; however, the overarching role is to be the bridge between the machine that is the production and the people who make everything happen. We find, hire, and contract the crew and then oversee payroll, equipment hire, etc., all whilst navigating budgetary constraints - basically, we collect the people, send them to the right place and try to give them everything they need to do their job to the best of their abilities. When issues arise, we then try to be the first port of call so that we can work together to line up solutions. We are also typically given the less enjoyable jobs that relate to the running of a production, for instance: asking the crew for OT or to stay late to cover particularly tricky de-rigs etc; this has led to numerous nicknames being voiced when I am on the floor towards the end of the day – “harbinger or doom” & “angel of death” being two of the more memorable ones.

With the benefit of this experience, what skills or qualities would you now say are essential for succeeding as a Production Manager?

Everybody works slightly differently and holds different skills, but there are six key ideals or practices that I try to bring to each production, with varying levels of success.

Collaboration: Surround yourself with people smarter than you – I was blessed with a brilliant production team (and frankly an elite crew) on Young Sherlock, but I’d like to give a quick mention to my Coordinator Amy Gilles and Supervisor Rob Allot, with whom I had the most symbiotic working relationships and whose hard work and individual genius had all things production, locked.

Pragmatism: try to know a little bit about a lot, and don’t be afraid when you don’t know something; ask and listen to those who inevitably know more. The crew are experts in their field, who are passionate about what they do and take pride in the excellent job they perform. More often than not, when a production hits a roadblock, one of those experts will have an answer that saves your bacon.

Perspective: Filmmaking is tough, and you have no idea how others may be experiencing the show you’re doing together – try to appreciate this and give those people (and yourself) the necessary space and support to respond to problems they may be facing. We may not be curing cancer, but that doesn’t diminish the emotional/physical impact of the job, and it’s important to understand and respect that. The flip side is that we are only ever making a piece of entertainment, and we’ve been hired to do our jobs to the best of our abilities under the respective circumstances, so try to keep everything within that balanced perspective. 

Availability: A strong working relationship relies on trust and consistency, and the best way to develop these is through regular contact – ideally in person. Try to engage each departmental contact early on in the process and then regularly once up and running. The hour ahead of call each day is a great opportunity to touch base with each department to check in on the day ahead and any thoughts or concerns they might have. Away from set, the door is always open.

Silence: Say little, listen to everything.

Constant Development: be open to all feedback, but do not necessarily take all of it on board. Developing your own thoughts and management style through experience is the goal. Authenticity, accountability, reliability, consistency, compassion, fairness and honesty are probably the best attributes to strive towards, in my opinion, but they all sit within your personal working style, and each will be challenged on every project. Understanding this and reflecting on decisions made will hopefully support development from job to job. 

Back to Young Sherlock, from what we see on screen coupled with what you’ve told us about the filming, it looked like quite a complex production. How did you deal with that as PM?

Being a period production, there was a heavy reliance on set dressing and costume, which brings with it filming complications; external shots would take up to a week to dress, and the costumes were typically made rather than bought/rented, so lead-in times across the board were chunky, and changes always led to complications. These elements also played into the stunt/fight work, which all required a bit more thinking and choreography than you’d typically expect.

The only way you can manage a project of this type and scale is with a clear vision across the show and strong decision-making from the overarching creative team. You also have to ensure you have a red-hot crew who are experienced in this sort of production, and build in enough prep time into the schedule to give the teams the time they need to get everything lined up

To the first point, we were very fortunate to have GR at the helm; known for his distinctive style as a director, GR brought a clarity of vision that was razor sharp. In prep, this gave clear direction to the designing teams, and whilst shooting, it brought a level of efficiency that would make many productions jealous. I also believe this approach rippled out to the rest of the crew, and everyone seemed to be absolutely flying in their respective departments and roles. To that point, and to highlight the two departments most pressed given the type of show, Tom Burton (Production Designer) and Jany Temime (Costume Designer) led the line and managed to consistently deliver everything the production needed whilst filming. It was incredible to see these things develop from scene to scene and set to set. It was then up to Charlotte Loughnane (VFX Producer) and her team to ensure everything was polished and perfect in post. 

Sherlock is such an iconic character with a very distinctive world. How did filming in Wales and parts of Bristol help bring that world to life - both on screen and behind the scenes? 

Everybody and their dog knows Sherlock Holmes, and whilst many will welcome a reimagining of the story, there is still a level of expectation when it comes to quality and polish. Beyond this, Sherlock is very much of a period in time, and this "quintessentially British" setting is something that has to be on point. Finally, beyond the underlying material itself, we have the GR factor, which also brings with it a demand for delivery of the highest order. These factors combined make for a very challenging list of requirements for everyone, but particularly our Locations department. Luckily for us, we found ourselves blessed with options across Oxford, Wales and Bristol. Oxford and Bristol are well known for their "frozen-in-time" buildings, but Wales surprised a few of our team with just how many wonderful properties and locations it had on offer. Whether period buildings, libraries, or stately homes, we found exactly what we needed, and when the show needed a moment to breathe in the most glorious surroundings, Wales delivered. 

Young Sherlock was reported as the largest production so far at Great Point Studios in Cardiff. What was it like seeing a project of this scale come to life here, and what could working with local crews and facilities like this mean for production in the region?

It was a joy. As studios go, Great Point provides a brilliant platform for any production. Not only are the facilities at the studio everything you could need, but their sustainable approach is second to none in the UK. I advise anyone looking into production with a view to responsible filmmaking to look at what they’re doing there – not many studios have their own wind turbine outside generating the studio power.

The UK is a world leader in TV and Film production, and I think sometimes the narrative around this tends to focus on those productions shot in London, but this does the industry nor the nation any favours as it negates an incredible depth of talent and range of opportunities open to Producers and Studios with projects to shoot. Young Sherlock could not have been filmed anywhere else, and it looks fantastic. My hope for the project beyond commercial and critical success is that the hard work, talent and those stunning locations will become a postcard from the region to the world, showing Wales is here, it's awesome, and it's very much open for business.

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First Love Films, In The Current Company, Warner Bros.

PGGB Members:

Erin Duffy – Production Supervisor (additional photography – UK)

PGGB Partners and Affiliates:

Panavision, Sargent Disc and Audiolink 

Mother's Pride

Fred Films, Moo Studios, Principal Film Finance

PGGB Members:

Lucinda Van Rie – Line Producer 

PGGB Partners and Affiliates:

Supply 2 Location, Digital Orchard, Moving Picture Logistics, Loop Talent, Team Engine, SetKeeper, Sara Putt Associates, Sunbelt Rentals, Media Insurance Brokers and TPH Global.

New Television Releases

Young Sherlock

Motive Pictures, Inspirational Entertainment, Amazon MGM Studios & more

PGGB Members:

Spencer Pawson – Financial Controller 

Mike DeSouza – Supervising Production Accountant

Sebastian Brown – Production Manager

Laura Craig – Payroll Accountant – AP Assistant 

Monika Grochulska – Production Accountant 

PGGB Partners and Affiliates:

Supply 2 Location, Bristol Film Office, Compass Travel Management, Panavision, Panalux, Sargent Disc, Gallagher Entertainment, Facilities by ADF, Great Point Studios, CallTime Company Recruitment Ltd, Sara Putt Associates, Trevanna London LTD, The Base Camp Co., Creative Wales, Location Safety Ltd, Audiolink, CineArk, Location One and Entertainment Partners.