Animation production managers

Experienced production managers (PMs) explain their role in animation productions for film and TV.

Production managers from right across the UK animation industry reveal what their jobs involve and offer top tips and career advice.

They talk about:

  • how they got into animation production management
  • the difference between the roles of production coordinator and production manager
  • how someone knows when they’re ready to step up to PM
  • how the roles vary depending on the size of the studio
  • what systems and software they use and if they were trained to use them
  • the difference between working in 2D and 3D
  • how they learnt to schedule

The conversation is especially useful to production coordinators looking to take the next step in building their career in the animation industry. It’s chaired by Sueann Rochester, managing director of Wild Child Animation.

About the panelists

Omari McCarthy, originally from Birmingham, is a production manager at KidsCave studios. He has worked on Animated Mr Bean (Tiger Aspect/ CITV), Hey Duggee (Studio AKA/ CBeebies), Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed (Jellyfish Pictures/ Beano Studios/ CBBC), 101 Dalmatians Street (Passion Pictures/ Disney Channel), The Tiger Who Came to Tea (Lupus Films/ Channel 4) and as a senior production coordinator at Axis Studios. 

Beverly Yeang is a highly experienced production manager in 2D and 3D animation production and post-production. She is currently working at Dog Ears Studio. Her credits include Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth (Studio AKA/Apple TV+), 101 Dalmatian Street (Passion Pictures/Disney+ TV), Watership Down (Netflix/BBC) and The Amazing World of Gumball (Cartoon Network).

Rob Franklin has more than 15 years’ experience in the industry and is currently the senior production manager at Gutsy Animations Bristol. He got started as a short form promo producer at Disney’s London office, before moving into animated short form at Aardman in both Bristol and New York.

Tamsin Clay Bee moved into production management from a background in HR and financial management and is currently at Wildseed Studios in Bristol. She is experienced in managing 2D and 3D animation series, live-action shoots and VFX, having worked on animated TV series for CBeebies, Milkshake, CBBC, Sky and commercial projects.

About the event

This event is a recording of an online event that took place on 6 October 2020. It was introduced by Abigail Addison, ScreenSkills animation production liaison executive, and supported by the ScreenSkills Animation Skills Fund with contributions from UK animation productions.