Production Manager – The In’s and Out’s
Within TV, Film, Theatre or Production sets, the Production Manager and Production team are invaluable.
What is a Production Manager: A Production Manager is responsible for budgets, schedules, crew (normally of a freelance capacity), equipment, management of the day-to-day responsibilities of putting a production together.
Production Managers are not responsible for any of the creative ideas on set but they do make financial decisions whilst on set.
Responsibilities of a Production Manager Preproduction:
- Budgets – Create budgets for daily crew rates, accommodation, equipment on set, suppliers
- Schedules – A Production Manager will liaise with Producers in creating a schedule that satisfies scheduling restrictions for cast, crew and location availability
- Crew Hire – Book crew (freelancers) that will work on set to prep and maintain the production equipment throughout the project/job
- Accommodation & Transportation – Coordinates all the required accommodation and transportation for crew
Once production has begun, a Production Managers responsibility will shift into overlooking the schedule and budgets they had put in place, ensuring everything goes to plan. Their time will be split in to reporting directly to the Production Office whilst also reporting directly on set.
Skills required to be a successful Production Manager:
- Excellent communication skills – You will need to be able to deal with individuals of all calibres who require concise information
- Strong budgeting skills – Budgeting is one of thee most important responsibilities a Production Manager has
- Organisation – A Production Manager needs to be super organised, they are responsible for planning, organising and executing budgets, crew and equipment
- Knowledge of TV/Film Production – A Production Manager will hold vast knowledge of the industry, the equipment, laws and regulations
- Relationships – The industry is built on relationships, crew, production companies, producers, suppliers and recruiters
