This week in the section dedicated to the women in our industry we have had the pleasure of interviewing Alba Barneda, Production Director of the production company CANADA. Don’t miss anything she told us about her professional career and her vision of today’s industry:
– What has been and is your professional journey?
“I studied Audiovisual Communication at the University of Pompeu Fabra in Barcelona. It was then that my interest in production was born, especially in the world of music videos and advertising. When I finished my degree, I took part in a couple of fiction filmings as a production assistant and that’s when I got a call from the directors of CANADA, where they told me about the adventure they were starting and that they were looking for someone young and eager to join them. I didn’t hesitate for a second. And at the end of 2008, CANADA was founded”.
“In CANADA, I started producing small pieces and music videos for Spanish indie bands. CANADA became successful and grew both nationally and internationally, and I grew alongside them: I worked as Production Manager on international music videos, Producer on national and international advertising projects… Until I ended up taking on the role of Production Director. Now, after the opening of the London and LA offices, I am Partner and Global Head of Production at CANADA”.
– What is it like for you to work at CANADA?
“I have spent 99% of my career in CANADA, so CANADA is my second home. When I got the call in 2008 from the directors of CANADA, who I followed and admired the work they were doing in the music video world, I couldn’t imagine a better place to start my career as a producer. That feeling hasn’t changed even though almost 15 years have passed. Now CANADA is a very different production company from when we started, but I still have the same enthusiasm as the first day, learning and enjoying every day. The team I am surrounded by is largely to blame for this. I feel very fortunate to work with such talented professionals, who work hard to move projects forward and who make CANADA a pleasant place where we can live very enriching professional experiences”.
– What projects have had the biggest impact on your life?
“In 2010 we were going through a severe global economic crisis and it was the beginning of CANADA, so it was difficult. At that time we started working on a music video for El Guincho, ‘Bombay’. We did not have almost any money left in the bank, and we saw this project as a good opportunity to put all our eggs in one basket and be able to do something interesting that could be seen beyond our borders thanks to the fans El Guincho had around the world. Nicolás Méndez, Founder and Director of CANADA, came up with a music video that has become part of the history of music videos. It was the first thing I had produced for Nico and it was a real challenge to film in the middle of August and with almost no money. I suffered and learned a lot, but all the effort was worth it. That music video changed our lives. From there came international jobs and alliances that have brought us to where we are today”.
“Another very important project was in 2018, it was our tenth anniversary, and Pablo, El Guincho, returned to our lives accompanying a young Rosalía, with the demo of ‘El Mal Querer’ under his arm. We put all the pieces together so that Nicolás could get back at the controls to make not one, but two music videos in one go for Rosalía. We were amazed the first time we heard ‘Malamente’, as the whole of Spain and half the world would later be, and we decided to throw the blanket over our heads and bet (blindly at that moment) on what later became an unprecedented national success with an indisputable international repercussion. ‘Malamente’ and ‘Pienso Tu Mirá were’ two music videos that I am very fond of and that broke the mould in their day. They came at an important moment for us, when we were 10 years old and we could say to the world ‘here we are’. We didn’t win the Latin Grammy but we had a great time in Las Vegas”.
– Do you have any new projects you are doing or have in mind?
“This year we are putting a lot of effort into our American operation, with the opening of an office in LA. It’s a venture that we are very excited about and that is bearing very good fruit despite the short time we have been running it”.
“Another branch that we have been starting up for more than a year now is fiction. It is something we have always dreamed of doing since CANADA was founded. We are working on the development of several feature films, short films and documentaries. This whole world excites me enormously and it’s something we want to put a special effort into”.
– How do you think our industry is evolving, what challenges are you facing now and what is your opinion on this?
“Our industry is becoming more and more global, and this has its good and bad things. COVID-19 shook up a lot of issues, but we learned things from it that we didn’t realise we could do. Now, with all this taken on board and the borders once again open, we are faced with new scenarios. For us, internationalisation has saved us and has allowed us to grow and expand and focus on the things that interest us. But I understand that this more global world also causes some inequality and new environmental challenges”.
“The future is about sustainability, I think that’s indisputable. I have been very heavy on the subject in our office recently, but I believe that any effort is not enough. In CANADA we have worked with Eco-consultants who drew up our Sustainability Plan and with whom we developed our GreenBook, and we have done in-house training. We have also added an in-house Eco-Manager with whom we have designed several models of Eco-filmings to offer our clients. There is still a lot to do, but it is important to talk about it and to encourage everyone to take action in their daily lives and in their daily lives and in their productions”.
“And, of course, I think a feminist future is necessary. We have made progress in recent years but we are still a long way from real equality and parity. It gives me hope to see how the new generations are coming along, but as producers, a lot is in our hands, in the decisions we make and the battles we fight. We have to go for female talent and for diversity in general in the whole industry. Being close to our offices in London and LA, which are markets that also have a long way to go, I realise how far behind we are here and how urgent we should be to get moving as soon as possible to try to close the gap”.
– What would you say it takes to work in this sector?
“A lot of attitude, effort, talent, two fingers on the pulse and a little bit of luck. Something that is not necessary, but I think it should be, is not to be an asshole. As silly as it sounds, the other day I read an article about it that made me think. I don’t consider myself a hater, I think I’m rather naïve, but unfortunately there are assholes in our sector, as in any other. And we would all be much happier if we didn’t have to deal with them”.
– What would you say to young people who want to be part of the audiovisual world?
“I guess it depends on whether you want to go into production or directing. If you’re interested in production I would tell them that they have to fight very hard for someone to give them a first chance, and when they get it, they can’t fail. You have to do your best, do things well, and above all be useful and get things done.
For people who are more interested in directing, it’s a path that seems to me to be more difficult from the outset. Unfortunately, it’s important to be able to go knocking on doors with some reel. The quality of some amateur productions is incredible with the technological advances that have taken place, but they require a significant investment when you don’t usually have a lot of resources. I recommend putting all your resources into making ONE good piece, rather than dividing that effort into 10 smaller pieces. With 1 good video nowadays a production company might be interested in you”.
