Runner

 

A runner is essentially the helper on set or in the offices of the production. A runner is in charge of making sure all of the cast and crew are happy and they have everything they might need while on set or in the production office. This could be moving sets around on set, transporting equipment, Making tea and coffee or doing a run to the shop or post office for a member of the crew. Some runners can be in charge of handing out paperwork and scripts for people to read and know about. They can also do general office paperwork and jobs such as answering phone calls, writing messages and putting data onto computers. 

 

Skills needed:

 

Some of the skills a runner needs they have probably used in the past such as using microsoft office programs such as word and excel, Driving a car is usually very useful as most runners have to transport equipment between offices and sets and be able to write emails effectively. 

 

How to get into a production runner job:

 

There are a few ways that different runners get into the industry. 

 

Education is a way that a lot of production runners start getting into the industry wherever this is through college or university. Some students may leave college and try and get a runner job straight away however others may continue to university. At university there is a lot of different degrees that could be helpful for becoming a runner. These include: Film Production, TV Production, Photography, English, Business. Through this most graduates can get a job quite easily. 

 

Another way about getting into the production runner career is building up a film portfolio from independently shot films. This could be anything from short films, music videos, promotional content and general film footage. While making different types of film you will learn while you're doing it for example yo0u will improve your camera skills as well as management skill sets. 

 

One of the very popular ways but hard to get into is becoming an apprentice. Spaces and roles are limited as companies don't like to create them as much but when they do come around they usually get grabbed very quickly. In an apprenticeship you learn on the job while getting payed and getting a qualification at the end. Sometimes once your apprenticeship is finished they may ask you to stay on with the company as a full time employee and other times they can help you get a career in another company and can give you a reference. 

 

An example of a runner in the industry is Richard Walker who studied television production at the university of Gloucestershire. Before going to university he joined a facebook group which posted job ads for runners. After rewriting his CV he applied and got the job. He received an email with all of his jobs for the day. They went straight onto set production and helped as much as they could do on set. He did this between college and university.

 

References:

 

https://www.screenskills.com/job-profiles/browse/film-and-tv-drama/production-management/production-runner/

https://rts.org.uk/article/my-first-day-tv-runner

 

 

Line Producer

 

Line Producers are in charge of allocation of money, hiring crew and making sure the film is on budget as is being filmt safely. They work very closely with heads of departments and they try to produce the best film they can do while on budget. They are responsible for all of the crew’s contracts. Thye hire equipment from different co panies trying to get the best price the possibly can. When the production is being filmt they keep an eye on the filming process and the budget to make sure everything is going to planned. 

 

Some of the skills that line producers need can vary to the task they are completing. Having soft skill sets such as communication can help with talking to other crew members and if you have a polite attitude it can help gain respect within the department. Being organised is essential to the job as you are managing a lot of different people and a very complicated budget. Being able to negotiate is key to being able to strike deals with companies for equipment and to keep all of the crew happy on set. Some of the hard skill sets you will need is film production and having a knowledge of camera equipment and knowing what does wat and what the crew may need during the production shoot. Also having project management skills and the knowledge of the law can be extremely helpful to understand the health and safety legalities of the set. 

 

Line producers work with a number of different people across the crew including, Production managers, production accountants, Production secretaries, Coordinators and runners. 

 

There are numerous different ways to become a line producer and there are lots of completely different routes into it.

 

Firstly, college or University can be very helpful if the course is relevant as it teaches you the relevant skills you need before getting into the job. Going into education helps teach you project management skills to combine with your film knowledge. Some courses that could be helpful are BA (hons) in business, finance, maths, film, tv, photography and english.  

 

Apprenticeships are a common way to build up in the industry starting at the bottom while still learning. It's a great opportunity however they don't come around to commonly due to companies not creating positions that often. Sometimes it can be handy to do an apprenticeship in business or finance/project management and then after transfer into the film and tv industry.

 

Another way to get into the industry is to work the way up from the bottom becoming a runner and making networks with other industries and slowly working the way up to the top. 

 

An example of someone who has become a line producer is Adam Knopf who came from Zimbabwe when he was just 16 and never working in the tv industry before but wanting to be working in the creative industry. He went to university and studied journalism in Cardiff about journalism but looked at film and tv as much as he possibly could. From university he tried work experience which led him to be invited to be the production secretary on the first series of the award winning broadchurch. From that job he kept working his way up until he managed to become the line producer in Dr Who after the production coordinator had dropped out at the last minute.  

 

References:

 

https://www.screenskills.com/case-studies/line-producer-adam-knopf/

 

https://www.screenskills.com/job-profiles/browse/film-and-tv-drama/production-management/line-producer-film-and-tv-drama/