Overview of the role
A production coordinator (PC) works within the production team, providing operational support to the production manager (PM). The production coordinator is the key member of the production team who arranges contact between the whole crew and the management team. They help the team deliver the production, by helping to obtain rights and legal clearances to production content, producing and maintaining production documentation, organising resources and logistics including transport and accommodation, and scheduling productions. Production coordinators have a clear understanding of the production process and the changing needs and demands of the production team.
Download the PDF version of this skills checklist here: Production Coordinator Skills Checklist.
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.
- Set up and equip production office and other offices so they are suitable to meet production requirements
- Liaise with relevant departments to ensure that equipment, people and facilities are in place to match the schedule requirements for the base
- Plan and schedule pre-production activities
- Arrange production meetings and technical recces
- Supervise the implementation of pre-production activities against plan
- Implement contingency plans developed by the PM / line producer (LP)
- Liaise with casting directors, producers (and company legal team), and then casting agents / cast members in order to fully execute 'casting advice notes' and contracts before cast begin work
- Negotiate with education authorities, agents and production office so that child licenses are obtained
- Identify chaperones and tutors to meet requirements
- Communicate changes to scheduled activities to all relevant people without delay
- Create and store health and safety files and all other necessary certifications in line with organisational procedures
- Identify and confirm requirements of unit medics and organise additional medical assistance and resources when required
- Check that psychological testing is carried out to meet requirements
- Arrange insurance cover for all cast and crew to cover all activities required by productions
- 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
- Ensure that safeguarding checks and vetting have been carried out in line with local requirements
- Confirm that crew and suppliers have their own insurance when required
- Confirm that vehicle operators hold relevant operating licences and comply with all pertinent regulation
- Maintain constant communication links with the floor / set / PM / LP in line with production requirements
- Ensure that production team know what they have to do during all stages of production, by holding regular catch ups
- Compile daily progress reports using information from relevant departments
- Distribute daily progress reports to all appropriate people
- Confirm that appropriate arrangements have been made for travel and accommodation for non-local artists
- Oversee travel and accommodation for cast and crew to meet requirements
- Keep passport details of all cast and crew members and auxiliary people in a secure location for travelling and insurance purposes
- Keep a record of children’s hours in line with legal and production requirements (liaise with second assistant directors (2nd AD), chaperones and tutors)
- Book chaperones, tutors or sign language interpreters as required
- Work closely with 2nd AD to prepare, compile and amend daily call sheet
- Give colleagues clear and accurate information about what is required of them in providing information for schedules and call sheets
- Confirm that call sheets and other paperwork for crew have been distributed when required
- Communicate daily call times to all relevant people and departments
- Notify crew and cast of any last-minute changes to call sheets after wrap without delay
- Communicate with all relevant departments on a regular basis
- Deal with urgent matters when they occur and in collaboration with appropriate production personnel
- Confirm that all relevant information is included in the call sheet and further revisions are passed onto cast and crew at appropriate times
- Notify crew and cast of any last-minute changes to production schedules without delay
- Use reliable and consistent methods of monitoring expenditure against agreed budgets
- Ensure that expenditure details are recorded in an appropriate and compatible IT package
- Set up and use effective systems for managing budgets and other paperwork
- Maintain an up-to-date equipment list, monitoring supplies against orders and purchases
- Identify potential shortfalls, delays in delivery, or discrepancies in stock levels, and take prompt remedial action
- Implement procedures to ensure that equipment and materials on hire or loan are returned in an acceptable condition after use
- Comply with local laws and regulation when using production resources
- Confirm that all production equipment is covered by adequate production insurance
- Obtain loss or damage reports in appropriate formats regarding any equipment that is lost, damaged or stolen
- Refer to the producer and script editor with script queries where relevant
- Coordinate and communicate script changes, verifying that scripts are prepared in required formats
- Confirm that all reasonable action has been taken to avoid copyright infringement, libel or defamation and negative checks have been carried out
- Seek expert advice on negative checks and copyright issues
- Keep accurate records of all clearances, and their contracts, and of all negative checks to be passed to producers, broadcasters or co-funders
- 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
- Oversee the monitoring of the production’s carbon footprint using production sustainability tools, such as carbon calculators
- Maintain an on-going awareness of post-production schedules
- Liaise with relevant people to establish their requirements for the smooth running of the post-production process
- Ensure that all necessary materials and associated paperwork are delivered to post production teams by production office when required
- Confirm that all clearances are in place to meet requirements
- Create and complete documentation in formats that are acceptable to all
co-funders - Confirm that all deliverable paperwork is complete and in the correct order
- Identify and remedy errors or omissions without delay
- Distribute all elements to those who require them as specified in contracts
- Confirm material has been received in line with organisational procedures
Skills
Check out role specific skills, transferable skills and attributes for the role of production coordinator.
- Organise and control production cast, crew and supplies
- Compile resourcing and progress reports, drawing on information from all relevant departments in line with production requirements
- Liaise with other departments, acting as first point of contact on the production
- Provide production personnel with up-to-date information on production activities
- Communication: interpreting other’s requirements and communicating requirements to departments and colleagues
- Team-working: collaboration within own and with other departments, liaising with 2nd AD and post-production and spending time on set
- Networking: investing time in networking activities, building a network of business contacts and establishing rapport with others quickly and effectively
- Planning: planning practical requirements for transport, catering, cast and crew to meet production needs
- Problem-solving: contingency planning and resolving issues with locations so that productions remain on schedule
- Financial skills: budget monitoring
- Resilience and enthusiasm: adapt positively to changing work priorities and patterns, ensuring deadlines continue to be met. Proactive and 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 all of 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
- Professional development: develop an ethos to learn and seek out learning and networking opportunities, identifying those that will be most beneficial