The Modern Producer: Kati Haberstock on Building Smarter, Faster Workflows

In this episode of Technically Creative, Orlando Wood sits down with Kati Haberstock, Head of Production at Erich & Kallman and Ad Age’s 2024 Small Agency Producer of the Year, for a refreshingly real conversation about what it means to be a modern producer. Kati’s career reads like a masterclass in production: from Smuggler, The Directors Bureau, and Buck to Framestore and now agency-side leadership at Erich & Kallman. She’s seen every angle of the process—live action, post, animation, and business affairs—and she brings that experience to bear on every project. Together, Orlando and Kati explore how producers are evolving from project managers to creative problem-solvers, why curiosity is the secret weapon of good production, and how AI-driven bidding tools are changing workflows. Kati also reveals her “unsiloed” approach to running a lean, high-output agency where everyone moves faster, smarter, and with more freedom. It’s a celebration of production fundamentals that never change—hard work, diligence, creativity—and how they’re being reimagined for 2025. What Orlando and Kati Cover: Why great producers never stop learning (and never say no) The evolution of the producer’s role from last call to first collaborator How Erich & Kallman punches above its weight on every project Why efficiency and creativity can coexist The rise of AI-assisted bidding and data-driven operations Building a modern, unsiloed production culture How to train the next generation of producers for speed and independence Why client trust still matters more than any tool or tech