Production Manager (Screen or Live Performance)
What the work is
Plans, organises, supervises and coordinates the day-to-day operations of screen or live performance productions, including managing the activities of crew, artists and technicians.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Supervises the day-to-day operations of a film, television or live performance production
- Coordinates and manages rehearsal processes
- Liaises between performers, creative artists and the production team to support the director during rehearsals
- Coordinates bump-in and bump-out of costumes, sets, props and lighting
- Manages performers during the performance run
- Coordinates pre-show set up and manages the backstage, props and costumes
- Plans and schedules rehearsals and production activities and calls technical cues during a show
- Oversees and manages daily operations of the production team, staff and artists to ensure efficient flow of work through the facility
- Assists with setting up and maintaining the production and technical workflow processes internally and externally
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a short film shoot at a series of locations around a regional town. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A scene comes together after a long day and everyone on set feels it
- A tricky location problem gets solved and the shoot stays on schedule
- You watch the finished film with the whole crew and see your own small decisions on the screen
Hard days
- Rain on the day you had planned for sunshine, with a crew waiting for you to decide
- A creative disagreement between two people you both respect
- A long day that ends with tomorrow's call sheet still not written
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 231435, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.