From Writing to Production: Lessons from Notch Video's Creative Powerhouses
What’s your gummy personality?
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If that question made you smile, you’d have loved the recent class session with Hannah Elston and Lindsey Cepek from Notch Video. This interactive experience with two creative visionaries wasn’t just about candy campaigns—it was about learning how storytelling and pivoting your career can shape a meaningful path in media production. Hannah’s inspiring shift from writing to production and Lindsey’s strategic insights gave me new perspectives on content creation, teamwork, and career growth.
Hannah’s Pivot: When Passion Meets Production
Hannah shared her unexpected journey from aspiring writer to producer, revealing how she fell in love with the fast-paced world of media. It was inspiring to learn that she started out wanting to write for live events but discovered production as a natural extension of her creativity and problem-solving abilities. This career pivot emphasized a crucial message: It’s okay to explore new interests and pivot when something unexpected excites you.
For me, Hannah’s story was like a reminder that career paths don’t always follow a straight line and that’s really perfectly fine. Her story encouraged me to stay open to new possibilities, knowing that even detours can actually lead to fulfilling opportunities.
Key Takeaway: The Power of Networking and Flexibility
Hannah and Lindsey emphasized the importance of building a strong network—not through formal meetings but through authentic connections. Lindsey pointed out that in production, it’s not just about hiring people but building relationships with the right freelancers. They also showed how flexibility in production matters, especially when working with tight budgets and timelines. Their Haribo case study demonstrated how even with limited resources, creative solutions can make a huge impact.
This resonated with me because I’ve often felt networking to be intimidating, thinking it requires perfect conversations and polished interactions. But hearing Hannah say that networking can be as simple as grabbing coffee with a colleague made me realize it’s more about being genuine and staying connected with people along the way.
Lessons from the Haribo Case Study: Creativity on a Tight Budget
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The Haribo “Tropifrutti” case study wasn’t just a passive lesson it was an engaging, hands-on exercise where we were challenged to develop our own campaign ideas. Our team brainstormed and crafted the “Tropifrutti Fun Zone”campaign theme, focusing on interactive on-site activities and online strategies to maximize engagement.
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For the event, we proposed fun activities like blind taste challenges, a DIY candy mix station, an Instagrammable photo booth, and a spin-the-wheel contest with live streaming. On the digital side, we designed a UGC contest and suggested partnerships with local influencers for Instagram story takeovers, along with branded hashtags like #TropifruttiToronto.
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Our total deliverables included event highlights captured in reels, influencer takeovers, live videos, and UGC submissions, which Lindsey praised for their creativity and practicality. This experience taught me that successful campaigns require thoughtful integration of online and offline components. It also reinforced the importance of working within budget constraints, as we had to balance creativity with realistic goals.
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Seeing how Lindsey and Hannah valued our ideas made the exercise even more rewarding—it showed me that collaboration creativity, and practical planning are key to executing impactful campaigns.
Shaping My Career Path: Insights for the Future
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One of the most valuable insights from the session was how Hannah explained us how she really manages multiple roles working with various different clients, hiring freelancers, planning shoots, and tracking budgets while still ensuring all projects stay on track. This holistic approach to production taught me that multitasking and time management are essential skills, not just for producers but for anyone in the creative industry.
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Listening to Hannah talk about burnout and the importance of setting boundaries was also eye-opening. It reminded me of the need to balance ambition with self-care something I’ll carry with me in my future career.
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Conclusion: Creativity, Collaboration, and Confidence
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Hannah and Lindsey’s presentation wasn’t just an overview of media production it was a lesson in resilience, adaptability, and collaboration. Their experiences showed me how crucial it is to embrace challenges, trust your network, and stay open to unexpected career shifts. As I look ahead to my own journey, I feel more confident knowing that every experience whether planned or unexpected can help shape a meaningful path forward.
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From brainstorming wild ideas to navigating budgets, Hannah and Lindsey’s insights left me with a broader view of what’s possible in content creation. Whether I end up in production, marketing, or a different creative role, I now know that success lies in staying curious, connected, and flexible.
