Overview of the role
As the title suggests, the role of producer/director essentially takes two roles and combines them into one, creating and producing both the unifying visual identity and content for a project and directing the filming. The precise requirements of the role can vary by project. A PD on a documentary project might take full ownership, setting up the shoot, securing access, directing crew and then taking the film through the edit. On a factual entertainment show there might be a number of PDs self shooting episodes to an existing format and handing rushes over to edit producers.
All of the roles require creativity, flair and originality in story telling, good communication skills and the ability to multi task. PDs in this sector will also have strong market awareness of the children’s content industry and understand how to engage young audiences with appropriate story telling techniques. They adhere to all regulations around working with children, health and safety and legal, ensuring content complies with the Ofcom Broadcasting Code and other editorial and broadcaster guidelines. They work closely with series producers and production managers and line manage APs, researchers and runners, promoting an inclusive culture.
Core responsibilities
These core responsibilities are provided as a guide and are not exhaustive. The exact responsibilities in a particular job will vary depending on the size of the production company and team, the type of show and the budget available.
- Inspire creativity and inclusivity - working with a series or executive producer, help to create a unifying vision for a new project, a distinctive visual identity and filming style, understanding how to deliver on this vision both technically and creatively. Initiate fresh ideas for returning series; encourage ideas from the team, filtering the best and most appropriate.
- Know what the audience is interested in. Have a thorough knowledge and appreciation of current trends in content consumption (what, why, when, where) across all platforms amongst younger audiences to ensure ideas and story telling approaches are relevant and meet audience needs and demands.
- Understand the different age segments in the audience and ensure all ideas and topics are identified, shaped and pitched appropriately, bringing in child development experts to support where necessary.
- Ensure all ideas comply with the Ofcom Broadcasting Code and broadcaster editorial guidelines on producing content for children, and that the team follows all guidelines and regulation on working with children including safeguarding and welfare, GDPR/data protection.
- Quality control - be able to scrutinise own and others’ ideas, building on them and solving problems to make them as distinctive as possible.
- Demonstrate an up to date awareness and understanding of how AI can be used to support content creation and generate cost savings and ensure any uses are employed and disclosed transparently and in accordance with production company and broadcaster guidelines and UK and EU law.
- Guide the rest of the team, displaying strong editorial judgement and scripting and story telling skills and offer support and expert feedback to APs and researchers.
- Work with production management colleagues to ensure deadlines are met and budget lines adhered to, understanding how to implement changes if overspends occur in order to balance the budget without compromising the editorial vision.
- On hybrid projects, work collaboratively and creatively with writers, performers, designers, musicians, animators and directors to plan innovative new narratives for the young audiences.
- If working with a crew, source and book the best practitioners including camera, sound, lighting. Ensure they are fully briefed ahead of the shoot.
- If self shooting, determine the best kit to deliver on the visual demands of the project, working within budgets and allocating second cameras if needed. Understand how to deliver well shot sequences and interviews to broadcast standards in pictures and sound.
- If casting young contributors, liaise with appropriate experts to assess suitability of contributors to participate along with all appropriate welfare and background checks. (See casting producer skills checklist for more detail.) If working with a casting producer or celebrity producer establish good communications to ensure a good working environment and smooth production.
- Where possible recce proposed locations to inform shooting scripts and pre interview contributors on camera.
- Ensuring best practice is followed in research on sourcing and checking facts with meticulous record keeping. For factual and current affairs projects understand how sensitive topics can be explored appropriately both visually and within the compliance guidelines and guide the team accordingly, ensuring contributors have given informed consent.
- Build respectful and productive relationships with contributors. With on screen talent and their representatives, provide briefing notes beforehand, any feedback on previous performance and address any issues or concerns in a timely and appropriate manner, escalating where necessary.
- Write the shooting script and build the filming schedule, ensuring researchers and APs are directed to gather all the information, props, permissions needed.
- Work closely with production management team to ensure schedules and filming meet all budgetary, legal and regulatory requirements including sustainability, health and safety and working with children guidelines.
- On shoot days clearly direct the production team and crew on what’s needed, instructing presenters on delivery, producing contributors and completing filming schedules.
- Create an inclusive, respectful working environment and demonstrate good time management, including building in contingencies to limit over runs.
- Work closely with production management teams to ensure all health and safety , safeguarding and working with children regulations are adhered to.
- If taking the project on into post production, understand how to prepare thoroughly for the edit and work closely and creatively with a craft editor on shaping the show, delivering rough cuts on time to the series and executive producers and commissioners and adapting to all edit notes and feedback. Supervise onlines and dubs.
- Work with SP on implementing aftercare practices for contributors and families after production has finished especially around first transmission/upload.
- Additional duty of care considerations are required when working with under 18s. These should be discussed with editorial management, commissioning editor and compliance contacts at the start of the production process.
- If production is casting young contributors directly - see casting producer role requirements. If working with a casting producer or celebrity producer establish good communications to ensure a compliant and enjoyable working environment.
- Production teams using young contributors may decide to implement the principles of the Ofcom risk matrix into to determine a project’s level of risk and include steps that will be in place to mitigate potential risks to contributors before, during and after production.
- Be diligent in applying GDPR/data protection rules throughout production, ensuring all personal data is stored in a safe and appropriate way.
- During the handover to production from casting and before filming starts, ensure all relevant welfare processes are in place and all aftercare practices for contributors. Ensure contributors have a single and clear point of contact on production and know who to contact with any concerns. Understand how to escalate those if needed.
- Keep up to date with industry best practice and Ofcom compliance guidelines on working with under 18s including fairness, harm and offence, imitative behaviour.
- Where appropriate work with the series producer on recruiting and then managing a diverse editorial team, setting clear tasks and goals for reports, offering support and timely feedback and fostering a creative working environment where all voices are heard.
- Lead and manage and develop junior members of the team, monitoring the quality of their work and support them in shaping ideas.
- Assist the team in understanding prioritises and managing workload ensuring they have clear and realistic objectives, giving constructive feedback, treating team with consideration when under pressure.
- Oversee workflow to ensure the project hits key deadlines.
- Be available as senior support to junior members of the team to ask questions.
Skills
Check out the role specific skills, transferable skills and attributes for the role of producer/director in children's TV.
- Knowledgeable on all working with children regulations, Ofcom and broadcaster editorial compliance guidelines.
- Understand how younger audiences consume content across all platforms and how to present engaging and appropriate content for different age groups.
- Display strong editorial judgement and story telling skills for younger audiences. Ensure content is entertaining, empowering and appropriate for the age of contributors and the audience.
- Up to date with industry best practice and Ofcom and broadcaster compliance guidelines.
- Excellent scripting and narrative skills.
- Ability to direct to a high standard with a fast turnaround.
- Self shooting: good understanding of composition, light, focus, framing etc, up-to-date with the latest technology, how to operate it and know the best options for different productions.
- Ability to manage colleagues to do their best work in the best working environment.
- Creativity: ambitious about making a variety of content, good writing and storytelling skills, fair and originality in creating visual identities for shows.
- Communication: able to convey creative and editorial vision, clarity on direction and goals for teams, liaise effectively with series producers and production management colleagues and with a variety of internal and external organisations and individuals.
- Sound editorial judgement.
- Multi-tasking: able to juggle producing and directing, edits, teams. Wide range of knowledge of production processes.
- Problem-solving: assessing ideas for practical, editorial, and financial considerations, able to prioritise and make quick and effective decisions, listen to others and be proactive
- Deliver under pressure: responding quickly to the needs of the business and commissioners and responding to urgent deadlines calmly and efficiently.
- Fiscally aware: understand production budgets and efficient working practises and scheduling
- Passion for serving young audiences with entertaining and empowering content and a commitment to fostering diverse and inclusive creative voices.
- Resilience: adapt positively to changing work priorities and patterns, ensuring deadlines continue to be met and fostering resilience in teams.
- Positivity: able to keep the team morale high particularly during challenging production periods.
- Proactive: exploring new ideas and non-standard ways of working which will enhance and deliver the best results for the ideas.
- Drive and energy: get things done in pressurised situations and escalate appropriately when necessary.
- Ethics and integrity: honest and principled in all actions and interactions, clear and transparent communication with teams, talent and stakeholders. Respectful and inclusive of others ensuring all voices are heard.
- Flexibility: willing to both listen and learn and to accept changing priorities and working requirements; flexibility to maintain high standards in a changing environment.
- Independent working: the ability to work unsupervised, exercising initiative and assessing priorities but referring issues upwards where appropriate