For some, the pandemic and lockdown created an opportunity to be able to look back at the things we had done previously, and come at it again with a fresh pair of eyes. This was the case for Steph Paton, who found themselves being drawn back towards working with us as one of Productions Attics extremely talented Producers and Editors. Steph actually helped establish Production Attic back in 2011 and stayed with the company for a few years before leaving to pursue other pastures. Now, having come back and rejoined us, it’s created an exciting chance to see not only how the company has changed, but how they have along the way.
For Steph, seeing how much we’ve grown over the past couple of years has been incredibly gratifying. Seeing the varied client base that’s been built up, filled with both new and old faces, and seeing how far we’ve come really helps show that the foundations they helped establish were well placed. Of course, when you have time away, getting back to in the swing of things always presents itself with new challenges, and having done a bunch of work in a wide variety of fields between their two periods with Production Attic, it’s been an interesting challenge for Steph to recalibrate their mind back to video production, while also taking all the experience and knowledge they acquired along the way and finding ways to use it here.
Steph’s role at Production Attic means they’re one of the people who will often see a project from start to finish. While a lot of other roles step in, do their bit and step out again, Stephs position allows them to be with a project from the first breath it takes to its final conclusion, and this feeling of completeness is one of their favourite aspects of the job. For them, there is something satisfying about being able to see all of it from beginning to end and seeing how all the parts work together.
Having worked on so many different projects, it’s a struggle to pick a favourite. Although, some particular highlights was the work they did on the Equal Marriage Campaign with the Equality Network and the first TV ad they ever shot for the National Museum of Rural Life.
Meanwhile, outside of their work at Production Attic, Steph has worked closely with the Scottish Greens in the 2016 election as their online Campaign Manager. Steph also operated as the online editor for the National Newspaper for a few years, alongside being responsible for growing their social media output, particularly through podcasts, and other online-based content. Doing things like these gave them a good perspective for not just creating content, but also the importance of keeping an eye on its distribution and tracking where it spreads once it’s been released.
Steph still writes a weekly column for the National and their journalism work is one of their personal greatest accomplishments. Seeing the success and traction they’ve had with it, and watching their writing develop has been amazing for them. While they’ve done writing before, they’d never done opinion based stuff so seeing how they’ve been able to build up to having their own weekly column in a major national newspaper is quite a strong source of pride.
It’s fitting that Steph’s most relatable animated character is that of Avatar: The Last Airbenders protagonist Aang. Aang’s enthusiastic approach to everything allows him to look at the world with eyes filled with creativity and passion, while the experience and knowledge of his past lives provide a solid foundation for him. All these traits are one that Steph shares, which makes them a joy to work with and someone we’re very happy to have back with us again.
