Lucasfilm, Warner Bros., Sony, Netflix Execs Honored Among Variety’s Physical Production Leaders

VP, production, FX Networks

The recipient of 25 Emmy nominations and tens of millions of eyeballs, “Shōgun” was nothing short of a cultural phenomenon. Causey says that her involvement in the James Clavell adaptation began seven years ago, making its success feel especially sweet. “Not every project that you work on gets the recognition, even though pretty much every project you work on involves a similar amount of effort,” she says.

After initially pursuing more traditional creative disciplines — writing, directing, cinematography — Causey says she quickly developed an aptitude for helping the individuals in those roles achieve their shared goals. Though she’s now quite literally marshalling armies to bring projects like “Shōgun” to life, her attention to detail and vigilance is driven by a philosophy she admits sounds “hokey” when she says it out loud. “My mantra is ‘care more,’” she says. “Yes, I did ‘Shōgun,’ but I also worked on ‘Scary Movie 5.’ And I worked just as hard on that movie, because I care.” — Todd Gilchrist

President, production administration, Sony Pictures Entertainment

Davis, a line producer for much of his career, describes his role as that of a solver of puzzles — “creating an environment with clear fiscal parameters so the filmmakers can be creatively free. … There is always a way for the filmmakers to execute their creative ideas as long as everyone is flexible and open.” Tech advances can help, he says, citing Sony Pictures’ visualization tool Torchlight, which can be used for virtual scouting and planning.

On recent films that benefitted from rich locations and solid support services, he cites the Glen Powell-Sydney Sweeney rom-com “Anyone But You,” supported by Sydney (the city) and the Australian government. He adds that part of “Venom: The Last Dance” — the sequel starring Tom Hardy, set to open Oct. 25 — was lensed in Alicante, Spain, taking advantage of the newly reopened Ciudad de la Luz Studios.

A board member of the California Film Commission, Davis adds that 2023’s “The Equalizer 3” was also memorable, for shooting on the Amalfi Coast. “Need I say more?” — Carolyn Giardina

President, Array Filmworks

Garnes says “Origin,” Ava DuVernay’s adaptation of Isabel Wilkerson’s nonfiction book “Caste,” felt like a return to the independent film space the two of them emerged from more than a decade earlier. “We were looking for the ability to come up with a solution for equipment and the creative needs of the [film],” Garnes says.

Though the production shot in nine locations across Germany, India and the United States, Garnes established a home base for the production in Savannah, Ga., a city he calls a “great hybrid.” “Each [location] is different, so it’s a little bit of taking in your standards and the things you need out of the locations,” he says. “But also don’t assume you know everything, because people filming in these locations have different tricks of the trade.”

Garnes says their globe-trotting “Origin” experience prompted Array to pursue more worldwide productions going forward. “We want to shoot in different places and embrace different cultures that we haven’t been able to do in the past.” — Jazz Tangcay

President, physical production, Warner Bros. Pictures

Imperato Stabile admits that it’s essential in her role to wear several hats. “I manage and also support. I oversee every project, but I have an incredible team,” she says, adding that this includes working hand-in-hand with the creatives. “It’s imperative that productions are run efficiently while allowing the filmmakers to stay true to their vision.”

Since joining the motion picture group in March 2023 from MGM, she’s overseen productions including Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice,” which was filmed in the U.K.; and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s “The Bride!,” which was lensed in New York. Next up is Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s yet to be titled film starring Tom Cruise.

She offers a shout out to film commissions from around the world, saying, “From location scouting and problem-solving to incentives and local job training programs, they are our partners when we’re on the ground ensuing production runs smoothly.” — CG

Exec VP, production, Sony Pictures Television Studios

With credits ranging from “The West Wing” and “Parenthood” to “Star Trek: Picard” and “Spider-Noir,” veteran producer Massin brings the fruits of 30-plus years of experience to bear while overseeing anywhere from 15 to 50 shows in different stages of production.

While in college, a summer PA gig on “So I Married an Axe Murderer” charted a professional course for the TV-loving Houston native. Massin stepped into his new role at Sony in January but is already making his mark. “I look at this industry as a team sport, so getting to be on Team Sony was a huge win,” he says.

Though anxiety-inducing for some, Massin counts the inherently plate-spinning nature of his job as his favorite aspect and something that informs his occupational philosophy. “I think the mistake people make is the idea that it’s a widget business,” he says. “Every show is different. Just because something works with one doesn’t mean it works with the other.” — Brent Simon

VP, production, nonfiction & live, Netflix

Mussman has led the charge into real-time programming with projects like “The Greatest Roast of All Time: Tom Brady,” an upcoming boxing match between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul and, on Christmas Day, two marquee NFL games.

Crediting an “exceptional team” for their explosive progress, Mussman says, “knowing when to lead, follow or get out of the way” is the key to successful leadership in physical production. “It’s essential to actively listen, value different opinions and empower your team.”

A 15-year veteran of MTV with additional producing credits to his name that include the Academy Awards and the Grammys, Mussman’s extensive travels for work helped him cultivate a particular appreciation for local crews and talent. “Investing in local resources and communities doesn’t just enhance our creative output,” Mussman says, “it underscores our commitment to the local community, creating jobs and opportunities with teams that bring invaluable local knowledge to our productions.” — JT

Exec VP, production, Warner Bros. Television

Palladino knows more than most that her industry might best be summed up by David Bowie’s “Changes.” But consistently turning “to face the strange” is a challenge she relishes. “Those of us in production management — we love the controlled chaos of it,” she says.

Work on “Abbott Elementary,” “Presumed Innocent,” “Shrinking,” “Ted Lasso” and many other series has kept her busy recently. But Palladino’s roots stretch back to the production company Witt-Thomas, where she worked for 20 years, starting on “Soap” and “The Golden Girls.” From there, she joined Warner Bros., which she’s called home for another two decades-plus.

Clear boundaries and good communication inform what Palladino describes as a motherly approach to her work, helping her triumph over the incredible disruptiveness of COVID. Adaptability is also integral to her success. “Either show business prepared me for parenthood or parenthood prepared me for show business,” she says. “Because that’s really my philosophy, with kindness and respect being at the bottom of all of it.” — BS

Exec VP, physical production, Lucasfilm

SenGupta helped Lucasfilm navigate industrywide disruptions while completing two television series for Disney+, “The Acolyte” and Season 2 of “Andor” (which she promises is “spectacular”), as well as Jon Favreau’s “The Mandalorian & Grogu” spinoff feature. “In a time where there was such strain on the industry, to have finished shooting those and then getting our movie up and running, that’s what’s made me joyful to come into work every day.”

Originally medical school-bound (“You’d be surprised how many biology majors there are in physical production”), SenGupta — a self-described “highly organized, OCD person” — discovered her calling after transferring to film studies. A stint at Netflix prior to Lucasfilm further taught her how best to maintain creative integrity under varying, and inevitable, constraints. “I’m a person that loves organizing people’s lives so they can do what they want to do best,” SenGupta says. “In physical production, ‘no’ is never the answer. It’s always, ‘How are we going to get there?’ ” — TG

Head of production, Disney Entertainment Television

Turner got a big promotion in the spring of 2023 that put her in charge of physical production for Disney Entertainment Television’s family of divisions, including 20th Television, ABC Signature, ABC Entertainment, FX, Disney+ and Freeform. She’s since overseen more than 70 projects in different phases of production, ranging from ABC’s long-running “Grey’s Anatomy” to FX’s upcoming “American Sports Story.” This year, Disney has been able to take advantage of California’s production incentives for many of its projects, but the company is also a regular visitor to Georgia, Toronto and European locales like Budapest, where it’s currently shooting Hulu’s limited series about the Amanda Knox case.

In her office on Disney’s Burbank lot hangs a poster of one her favorite projects, the Vancouver-shot Disney+ series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” which in its first season made extensive use of an LED volume stage. “That technology allowed us to go to different locations, all in the same place, and turn that around very quickly,” notes Turner. — Todd Longwell

Exec VP, physical production, Universal Pictures

Like many before and since, Wordham moved to Los Angeles in his early 20s, looking to take the world by storm on the creative side of the biz. But his career path took a sharp left turn when a friend he’d worked with on a play asked him if he’d like to join him as a production assistant on the 1995 road movie “Boys on the Side.” That put him on the path to his post today, in which he manages the planning, logistics and budgeting of Universal’s feature productions around the globe.

In recent months, his work has taken him to New Mexico and Winnipeg, Canada, but over the previous two and a half years, his home away from home was London, where “Fast X” and Parts 1 and 2 of “Wicked” were shooting simultaneously. “Even though we were building our new studios [Sky Studios Elstree], they weren’t complete yet,” says Wordham. “So it was a big challenge finding the space necessary to support ‘Wicked,’ which was the largest footprint by far that I’ve ever had to figure out.” —TL