Overview of the role
A production manager (PM) is at the heart of a production and responsible for all the organisational aspects of the production schedule and or budget. They are responsible for hiring crew, resources, and people. The production manager has overall responsibility for the practicalities of running a production. Their role includes the management of the production schedule, ensuring that enough time is allocated for all aspects of the production process, cost management and reporting, and managing the production’s resources including personnel. Production managers will report to the line producer, production executive or head of production.
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 scale / budget band / genre of the production.
- Understand programme format to ascertain production needs
- Allocate sufficient time to each stage in the production process to enable objectives to be met and for effective use of resources
- Work with the line producer or production executive to identify the major responsibilities, sequence and duration of activities and tasks, to deliver productions within budget and on schedule
- Collaborate with a variety of internal and external stakeholders e.g., health and safety, HR, legal, technical crew, studios, and post-production facilities to determine the resource, cost and timescales required to meet creative briefs
- Work with the senior team (for example line producer, executive producer, series producer and production executive or head of production) to develop plans and schedules, using production planning methods appropriate for the type of production
- Identify factors which are likely to cause delays to production activities, making realistic contingency plans to deal with any delays which may arise
- Check that production plans and schedules are clear, accurate and contain essential information
- Confirm with relevant colleagues that production plans are fit for purpose
- Suggest realistic solutions when difficulties in implementing plans are identified
- Confirm that schedules take account of health and safety of contributors and crew
- Discuss and agree realistic alternatives and budgetary changes with colleagues when proposed plans are likely to exceed budget or when requirements exceed artistic or technical limits
- Consult with relevant people to identify the materials to be cleared for inclusion in the programme, the context in which they are to be used and the extent of their use ensuring necessary documents are in place and meet contractual requirements
- Verify and keep evidence that necessary permissions and clearances have been obtained
- Record any problems or difficulties identified with the use of each location in line with production procedures
- Note any climatic, physical, environmental, access and health and safety factors likely to affect the use of locations
- Recommend contingency arrangements to cover extremes of weather or non-availability of certain locations
- Plan and schedule pre-production activities with regular updates to the team
- Supervise the implementation of pre-production activities against plans
- Liaise with relevant departments to ensure that equipment, people and facilities are in place to match the schedule requirements
- Oversee any casting or welfare requirements and resources are in place in line with schedule and budget and company duty of care procedures
- Create and store health and safety files and all other necessary certifications in line with organisational procedures
- Arrange a safety, duty of care, and/or welfare briefing with key personnel to ensure compliance in line with organisational and company duty of care procedures
- Negotiate with relevant authorities and agencies to ensure all casting or contributor paperwork is obtained
- Check that psychological testing is carried out to meet requirements in line with organisational and company duty of care procedures
- Ensure that safeguarding checks and vetting have been carried out in line with local requirements
- Arrange contracts which meet legal and regulatory requirements, and which include full and accurate details of individual or supplier contribution
- Clarify and agree with all relevant parties the roles and responsibilities for moving and storing materials, equipment and supplies
- Create or approve appropriate risk assessment documents in collaboration with editorial colleagues
- Ensure that health and safety regulations are adhered to
- Ensure there are appropriate risk assessments for productions
- Identify and confirm requirements of unit medics and organise additional medical assistance and resources when required
- Arrange insurance cover for the production including any cast insurance for all contributors and crew to cover all activities required by productions
- Check that you have required medical statements of health from relevant contributors and crew and crew
- Check that psychological testing is carried out to meet requirements
- Complete accurate documentation that shows that crew and suppliers are aware of the relevant health and safety requirements, are suitably qualified and certified
- Confirm that the content of production materials conforms to legal regulations and relevant codes of practice
- Identify and refer any sensitive or contentious aspects of production material to appropriate people
- Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information in line with organisational procedures
- Take appropriate action to secure compliance and to protect the interests of productions when there is a failure to comply with legal or non-statutory requirements
- Confirm that necessary steps have been taken to ensure public interaction with productions meets regulations
- Store production schedules in a secure location in line with legislation and regulations
- Check when contributors, talent and crew are available for work
- Communicate changes to scheduled activities to all relevant people without delay
- Interview and select proposed crew that have availability and suitability to meet production requirements
- Negotiate contracts within union, organisational guidelines or trade agreements and which are within budgetary parameters
- Ensure that safeguarding checks and vetting have been carried out in line with local requirements
- Check drivers have the correct documentation for driving vehicles
- Confirm that crew and suppliers have their own insurance when required
- Arrange any insurance and certification required to include cover for hazardous working
- Provide specific requirements and access for those with differing needs or access requirements
- Ensure production office books chaperones access coordinators or other consultants in line with production needs
- Ensure that production coordinator keeps a record of children’s hours in line with legal and production requirements
- Monitor crew and suppliers’ performance to ensure that contract terms are being fulfilled
- Establish communication systems which enable the efficient flow of information
- Coordinate relevant information for call sheets
- Confirm that appropriate arrangements have been made for travel and accommodation
- Give colleagues clear and accurate information about what is required of them in providing information for schedules and call sheets and liaising with editorial colleagues
- Negotiate with crew about tasks above and beyond their regular duties
- Prepare and implement plans to ensure that long-term scheduling needs are on target
- Oversee travel and accommodation for contributors and crew
- Confirm that call sheets are distributed as agreed with production team
- Analyse the production schedule and brief to identify the resources required for each stage in the production process
- Obtain tenders, estimates and quotations from potential suppliers of resources that meet production needs and assess the estimates against production requirements and budget
- Procure recording materials and storage for media in consultation to meet filming and insurance requirements
- Note any special additional resources required and report any losses or damages
- Offer suitable contracts which meet legal requirements and which include full and accurate details of suppliers’ contributions
- Evaluate all available evidence to ensure projected costings are accurate
- Check that materials, equipment and supplies are stored in a safe and secure location and meet insurance requirements, and that arrangements for storing fragile, valuable or dangerous and hazardous substances and materials meet legal and insurance requirements
- Identify the likely implications of the need for insurance cover for hazardous working and for vehicles appearing on camera
- Comply with local laws and regulation when using production resources
- Confirm that all production equipment is covered by adequate production insurance
- Brief production team members about expenditure control and monitoring systems at appropriate times
- Authorise expenditure in line with production procedures as directed by line producer or company policy
- Ensure that expenditure details are recorded in an appropriate and compatible computer-based package as directed by accounts department
- Check that expenditure detailed in reports is within budget
- Prepare cost reports and meet with senior management to update on variance
- Use reliable and consistent methods of monitoring expenditure against agreed budgets – setting up a robust purchase order system
- Sign off timesheets and manage payroll
- Anticipate areas of potential overspend to senior leadership team with plans to rectify or adjust
- Ensure broadcasters, insurance companies, health and safety consultants and any other stakeholder is supplied with accurate and up-to-date call sheets, risk assessments and other pertinent information via production office
- Confirm that call sheets and other paperwork for whole team have been distributed when required
- Brief team and, where necessary, contributors at appropriate times on studio or location about codes of practice and any health and safety requirements
- Ensure that signs and notices explaining and specifying access requirements and restrictions are clear and visible
- Monitor production targets and deadlines
- Deal with urgent matters when they occur and in collaboration with appropriate production personnel
- Ensure that overtime is not incurred without reference to line producers or production executive
- Confirm that all relevant information is included in the call sheet and further revisions are passed on to contributors and crew at appropriate times
- Ensure that everyone knows what they have to do during all stages of production by holding production meetings and technical recces/briefings
- Identify potential risks to contributors, production and crew’s health and safety and take appropriate measures
- Communicate all health and safety procedures to contributors, production and crew at the start of each day to meet organisational requirements
- Document and distribute relevant risk assessments to all production and crew members before shooting commences
- Resolve technical problems as they occur and achieve satisfactory results in collaboration with others
- Ensure that the producer and director’s requirements are met by delegating tasks to appropriate people during filming
- Brief the production about filming requirements for the next day’s call sheet at appropriate times
- Identify potential causes of delay to schedules and suggest and organise viable solutions
- Monitor filming activity to ensure the efficient use of resources
- Alert the head of production, production executive or line producer to any problems which may have serious implications to production schedule or budget
- Compare progress against plans and schedules on an ongoing basis
- Identify possible problems and plan for identifiable contingencies
- Ensure that all employment, legal, health and safety, insurance and contractual agreements are understood and adhered to by everyone and considered within planned schedules
- Identify the reasons for and suggest realistic solutions to any discrepancies between actual and planned progress
- Notify appropriate colleagues of changes to production schedules without delay
- Resolve disputes or communication issues between contributors, members of production, crew and defer to producers with any contributor issues
- Ensure all post-production resource is in place and schedules have been communicated to all
- Maintain and track post-production schedules ensuring all over-runs are reported and realistic solutions are planned
- Ensure production coordinator is on track to deliver the programme and all production paperwork to the planned schedule
- Liaise with relevant people to establish their requirements for the smooth running of the post-production process
- Maintain frequent communications between all team members involved with post-production
- Ensure cost control and tracking of the post-production spend
- After completion of the programme, ensure delivery of all rushes to the company to be stored as per company guidelines
Skills
Check out role specific skills, transferable skills, and attributes for the role of the production manager (unscripted TV).
- Plan the workflow in combination with other departments from pre to post-production
- Networking and working closely with production team departments such as legal, HR and health and safety and all suppliers
- Provide production personnel with up-to-date information on production activities
- Management and leadership: lead the production team, uphold ethics and maintain respect when dealing with others
- Support and encourage junior members of the team
- Communication: interpreting other’s requirements and communicating department requirements to staff and colleagues
- Team-working: collaboration within own and with other departments
- Negotiation: agreeing cast, crew and logistics, costs and contract terms with staff and suppliers
- Research and analytical: planning practical requirements against brief breakdown and production vision
- Problem-solving: contingency planning and resolving issues so that productions remain on schedule
- Financial skills: provide effective financial control and management of budgets on productions
- Resilience and enthusiasm: adapt positively to changing work priorities and patterns, ensuring deadlines continue to be met
- Proactive: explores new ideas and non-standard ways of working which will enhance and deliver the best results for the production
- Productivity: organises work effectively and achieves required results within deadlines
- Demonstrates the drive and energy to get things done in pressurised situations and escalates appropriately when necessary
- Ethics and integrity: honest and principled in their actions and interactions
- Respectful and inclusive of others and meets the ethical requirements of their profession
- Flexibility: willing to both listen and learn and to accept changing priorities and working requirements and has the flexibility to maintain high standards in a changing production environment
- Leadership: ability to lead, motivate, challenge, resolve and manage the production with diplomacy and respect