Overview of the role
The drama producer plays a key creative and managerial role on any scripted production, driving the project from development or pre production through casting and filming to post production and delivery. They will have a passion for, and be expert in, story telling for a young audience and demonstrate strong market awareness of the children’s content industry. They will be knowledgeable about all aspects of compliance including the Ofcom Broadcasting Code and other editorial guidelines on appropriate content for children and expert on working with a young cast including all regulatory and health and safety frameworks.
Producers stay across all of the detail, including the budget and schedule from pre production onwards, making changes and adapting as required to deliver the show on time and budget. They line manage more junior members of the team, work collaboratively with directors and the line producer and support the executive producer, acting as their voice on the floor.
Core responsibilities
These core responsibilities are provided as a guide and are not exhaustive. The precise creative and managerial responsibilities of the producer role can vary from project to project depending on the scale and budget and how roles like executive producers and show runners are operating.
- Keep abreast of trends in content and distribution across the children’s industry nationally and internationally demonstrating and applying a thorough understanding of the different commissioners, channels and platforms.
- Apply a thorough knowledge and appreciation of current trends in content consumption (what, why, when, where) across all platforms among younger audiences to ensure stories are relevant and meet audience needs.
- Understand how the audience consumes content within different age groups and ensure scripts are shaped, paced and written appropriately, employing experts where necessary.
- Demonstrate an up to date awareness and understanding of how AI can be used to generate cost savings and support ideas generation and content creation, from pitching to post production, and ensure any uses on production are employed and disclosed transparently and in accordance with production company and broadcaster guidelines and UK and EU law.
- Demonstrate consistent and clear leadership, acting as an expert sounding board for the team, ensuring all voices are heard, developing individuals and fostering an inclusive, collaborative and healthy working environment. Have a visible presence across all areas of production.
- If involved before pre production, work on their own or with the development team to find fresh new story ideas and secure writers and options. Work with Heads of Production, business affairs and executive producers on the scale and budget of the film, helping to source financing from co producers. commissioners and distributors.
- Working with the executive producer or showrunner, interview and recruit directors (lead director may already be attached).
- Attend story conferences and writers’ rooms, helping to filter the best and most appropriate ideas including editorial compliance in key areas like portrayal, harm and offence and imitative behaviour
- In production, manage up and down to ensure that the show is realistic for its budget and schedule whilst delivering the creative aspiration of a commissioner.
- Quality control. Display strong editorial judgement and story telling skills and offer support and expert feedback, from script drafts to fine cuts, sustaining the narrative drive and audience appeal of the drama across all episodes.
- If the project has multiple directors, work with them to ensure continuity and consistency re tone and approach and safeguard the shared creative vision.
- Working with the casting director, director and EP, identify the best acting talent for the project that will have particular resonance with younger audiences and create impact, from high profile names to engaging and diverse new actors.
- Alongside a casting director, guide the team when it comes to appropriate methods for sourcing and auditioning in line with all editorial and safeguarding guidelines. Liaise with appropriate experts including media production psychologists (MPPs) to assess suitability to participate along with welfare and background checks.
- Build and nurture respectful and productive relationships with new and established acting talent, their families and representatives, ensuring any issues are dealt with promptly and effectively and escalated where necessary.
- Working with the executive producer and director, source and appoint the best creative partners for the project, including VFX and post production.
- Working with the executive producer, showrunner or and line producer, recruit the best production team for the project including casting directors and HoDs who may already have experience in drama production for children and ensuring inclusivity and accessibility are reflected at all stages.
- Working with the location manager and production team, ensure locations and studio settings meet all of the creative, safeguarding, sustainability and health and safety requirements for filming.
- Understand and translate into best practise working for self and team the importance of contributor safeguarding, GDPR/data protection rules and compliance with all of the rules and guiding principles for working with children. Ensure there is a clear and effective process for reporting and resolving any concerns.
- Organisation: be on top of the whole project, including schedules and production budget using financial and editorial skills to maximise resources, help the budget go further and ensure scripts fit schedules. Manage and prioritise a varied workload which might include juggling scripts still being finalised during filming while post production has already started.
- During filming, view daily rushes and rough assemblies and feed back in a timely and constructive manner.
- Hold regular team meetings for updates including any changes to the editorial or schedules that may affect the wider team.
- Attend production, cost report and scheduling meetings acting as first point of contact for any issues that arise that impact from a creative, budget or scheduling point of view.
- Liaise with executive producer(s) about any potential pitfalls from a budget, creative or scheduling point of view and work closely with the line producer to create viable alternatives.
- If involved into the later post production stages, be capable of juggling multiple edits, online and dubs, providing constructive and insightful notes in a timely manner and ensuring the schedule keeps to timelines and budgets.
- With the executive producer, manage the notes and deliverables processes with co production partners and commissioners, nurturing an open and candid dialogue, being responsive and adaptable to feedback.
Skills
Check out the role specific skills, transferable skills and attributes for the role of scripted producer in children's TV.
- Actively engaged with the output of a range of broadcasters and platforms serving the children’s audience and familiar with the commissioning landscape in the UK and globally.
- Knowledgeable on contributor safeguarding, GDPR/data protection rules and compliance with all of the rules and guiding principles for working with children on content for children.
- Editorial judgement - have extensive knowledge of all the creative processes involved in producing a scripted show. Know how to tell a compelling story for children and make and approve creative decisions to help do this well.
- Communication: communicate effectively and persuasively with a variety of internal and external organisations, cast and crew.
- Team-working: collaboration within own and with other departments and external organisations.
- Problem-solving: find solutions quickly and creatively adapt to different requirements.
- Deliver under pressure: responding quickly to the needs of the business and commissioners and responding to urgent deadlines calmly and efficiently.
- Collaboration: work well with peers and partners and other areas of the business including commissioners.
- Management: manage the team, upholding ethics, and maintaining respect when dealing with others.
- Strong interpersonal skills: to support their talent to produce their best work.
- 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 quality control maintained.
- Adaptability: willing to both listen and learn and to accept changing priorities while maintaining high standards in a changing environment. Respond openly and flexibly to feedback and develop accordingly.
- Proactive: explore new ideas and ways of working which will enhance and deliver the best results for the ideas.
- Productivity: organise work effectively and achieve required results within deadlines.
- Drive and energy: get things done in pressurised situations.
- Professional development: develop an ethos to learn and seek out learning and networking opportunities, identifying those that will be most beneficial.