Show Group is over the moon to be welcoming Nick Smith back to the Show Group family, overseeing their new business engagement strategies based on the Gold Coast, Australia.
“Nick brings a wealth of knowledge and experience across both Show Group as an organisation, and the wider film & TV industry, making him the perfect candidate to help further grow the Show Group brand across Australia and NZ. We are so glad to be welcoming Nick back to our Show Group family and I have personally never been more excited about the future of this company.”
– Tom Clark, Show Group CEO
To celebrate Nick’s return, we spoke with him to learn more about his career journey, including how he got started, his most memorable experiences, and his advice to those dreaming of breaking into the industry.
What led you to pursue a career in the film and television industry, and how did you get your start in the field?
I was watching a film called Deep Impact in the late nineties when I had the destructive thought of, “What if the world came to an end? Have I done anything that I was truly passionate about and proud of? Something that brought me meaning, that had a positive outcome for others. What did I really want to do with my life?”
I wanted something creative, dynamic, and exciting for me that provided meaning, excitement, escape, education, and entertainment for others. I wanted to be a part of the film and television world.
Following this new revelation, I was reading the newspaper and saw a Producer’s name working on a production at Village Roadshow Studios. I wrote and mailed a letter highlighting my plea to make moving pictures. The Producer kindly passed my letter onto a Production Manager who was in the final stages of development of a series pilot. I was young, overdressed for the occasion, and scared, but showed enough promise that after my polite persistence and follow up for a start, secured a week of work experience.
Luck went my way; at the end of my week the Production Runner I had been shadowing left the show and I was asked to stay on to replace her. My first gig, 25 years ago. It was on my second production I started in Locations. I was now a part of the process!
This isn’t your first rodeo with Show Group, tell us a little about your previous role and what brought you back?
I was previously at Show Group for five years as Head of Showfilm and it was amazing. During those halcyon days, it was exciting at Show Group with an energy and eagerness to take on a challenge and go above and beyond to ensure productions got where they needed to be with a minimum of fuss and at the best cost. We knew our industries and focused on their requirements and needs, tailoring to the nuances of their travel. Not quite the office scenes from The Wolf of Wall Street but we were dynamic, vibrant, and we knew what we needed to do to make travel happen. There was an energy. A great energy.
CTM as the ‘new, new owners’ of Show Group acquired the travel company last year. They have a simple and clear directive for Show Group, and that is to focus on our people, relationships, being a part of the production process ensuring cast and crew get to where they need to be, without avoidable delays. I’m in!
Coupled with CTM’s passion to truly focus on entertainment and to tailor industry travel solutions, my other reason for returning is the people. The staff that stayed and those returning are amazing. Their drive to serve, their experience with both travel and the industries we serve is still second to none. I believe in them.
Simply, I am back because I trust CTM’s desire to do what is truly right by the film and television industry and I am seeing the success that they are now having with Show Group. All companies need to be commercially savvy and efficient, and CTM has the systems in place to achieve this while also doing their best for their clients.
You have an impressive history within the film & TV industry, how do you think your previous work experiences will support your new role?
I understand productions. I have worked in the industry for 25 years in a locations (and travel) capacity, so I have lived and felt productions’ challenges, time restraints, their roles, budgets, changes, and their culture. I am crew and I respect and value every role in the industry and know what it takes to make filming happen.
With this understanding, is my ability to truly represent and explain the production’s needs when negotiating bulk travel deals or resolving travel issues. As locations management, you are often referred to as the ‘Fixer’. My days are filled with resolving issues, fixing situations, and negotiating costs and solutions so the cameras can keep going.
Can you share with us some of the most memorable experiences you’ve had working in the industry and what made them stand out?
NDAs and confidentiality clauses prevent me from specifics! The most memorable experiences however have all been about working with production to achieve what seemed to be the impossible.
A late schedule change due to actor availability, rain, a location complication, and the next shoot day is looking lost. But you find a way, work together and make it happen. There are always a number of solutions, the most memorable experiences are watching the best solution play out.
What advice would you give to someone aspiring to branch into the film and tv industry?
Be humble, be focused on what role you want and chart the course to get there. Think about your interests and your strengths and research the industry roles and know confidently with calm conviction what department you want to be a part of.
Most importantly know your ‘why’. Why do you want to work in the industry? Answer this honestly. Once you know the Why and the Where, the How will come to you.
What are you looking forward to most in your new role with Show Group?
The Krispy Kreme donuts and Tim Tams! Just kidding. Those that may remember me from my Show Group days know that, like a house guest, I do not show up to a chat empty handed. Krispy Kreme donuts in Australia and Tim Tams in LA.
I am really looking forward to meeting with our clients. Chatting about (I have been known to like a chat) how their production is going and if we can help. I just want to help. It is not about sales for me, I want to add value through service and savings. Be a part of the process.
I am also looking forward to creatively combining the global might of CTM’s technology, passenger safety, buying power, efficiencies and service standards, with the specialist experience and knowledge of Show Group’s longstanding history.
Oh, and if you are filming in Brisbane or on the Gold Coast, I am happy to help with some location suggestions!
How can potential customers get in touch with you if they’d like to consider Show Group for their upcoming production?
“I am extremely grateful to CTM for believing in Show Group and the film and television industry. I was in awe of their love of the film and television industry and their passion to elevate Show Group into a new era of travel management while staying true to Show Group’s history of great people and strong relationships with clients, partners, and suppliers. I am excited about how CTM can serve the screen.”
– Nick Smith, Business Engagement Strategies, Show Group
Get in touch with Nick for a chat:
+61 450 669 529
nick.smith@showgroup.com.au.