Overview of the role
Production runners work within the production team. During filming, key tasks might include meeting and greeting talent and contributors, purchasing items such as food for contributors and teams, putting filming notices in public areas and setting up or de-rigging the production office. A technical runner may help filming crew with equipment or assisting with the back-up of rushes. Driving is often a welcome skill but is not essential in all runner positions.
Office runners may support the team with a variety of tasks which could include carrying out research or sorting paperwork such as release forms. They need to be able to take instruction, work without supervision, be organised, and effectively prioritise when asked to do different things by different people at the same time.
Runners are typically line managed by the production manager or production coordinator and may interact with many of the production team. There are various runner roles including production, casting, welfare, talent and technical runner. There are also runner roles in TV studios or post-production facilities.
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.
- Sourcing or purchasing props or supplies
- Prepping items to take on location including equipment
- Collecting hire cars
- Setting up and de-rigging the production office with the team
- Maintain constant communication links with the production office including use of walkie-talkies
- Use vehicle to run errands, transport people and equipment when required
- Deliver drives to post-production facilities
- Support teams moving equipment around location
- Meet and greet talent and contributors - looking after people during the filming is a key part of the role
- Support production management in collating release forms, distributing any call sheets or paperwork
- Put up any signage or filming notices around the filming area
- Occasional research tasks
- A technical runner role may also include running equipment to set, moving equipment bags and supervised backing up of rushes
- Purchasing and distributing meals and refreshments
- Ensuring production office and location are always kept tidy and paperwork is recycled or confidentially shredded when no longer needed
- Delivery of rushes and transport drives to post-production facility
- Sort through props and other items returned from the production office
- Scan and save release forms compliant with company GDPR policies
- Return items to storage unit if required
- Return any props and hire cars
Skills
Check out role specific skills, transferable skills, and attributes for the role of production runner (unscripted TV).
- Reactive and quick thinking
- Good people skills and ability to interact easily
- Demonstrates initiative in the role
- Assessing the task and then delivering what is needed
- Confident dealing with all levels of talent and team hierarchy
- Able to ask questions if unsure of what is expected
- May be required to drive and with confidence
- Team-working: collaboration within own team and whole production team
- Communication: interpreting other’s requirements and communicating effectively with colleagues
- Etiquette: learn and uphold the roles and responsibilities within production teams and communication etiquette
- Time management: able to prioritise tasks and ensure production are kept up to date with progress of tasks
- Planning: assisting team with planning practical requirements for transport, catering, contributors, and crew, to meet production needs
- Resilience and enthusiasm: adapt positively to changing work priorities and patterns, ensuring deadlines continue to be met
- 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
- Professional development: develop an ethos to learn and seek out learning and networking opportunities, identifying those that will be most beneficial
- Developing attribute: proactive and explores new ideas and non-standard ways of working which will enhance and deliver the best results for the production