A production manager is the person who takes responsibility for all the organisational aspects of production schedule and/or budget.
A production manager can work across all genres in film, television, commercials, VFX, post-production, animation and live performance art production. They may be work in a production office, on set/stage, in a studio or on location in the UK or internationally. A production manager may be employed by television or film production companies, VFX or post-production facilities, or theatres and performance venues. The production manager role varies according to the part of the production process that they work, and which area or genre they choose to specialise in. The production manager’s role in production is to support the realisation of the creative team’s vision; the producer, the director, writer, set designer, costume supervisor, theatre technicians, sound recordist, VFX supervisor, animation supervisor and/or camera crew. The production manager has responsibility for the practicalities of running a production; including the preparation of production schedules or script breakdowns, to ensure that enough time is allocated for all aspects of the production process, and to manage the productions resources including personnel. In post production and VFX, they provide the link between production company and the supplier to deliver people and resources to complete the project. If they specialise in Production Accounting, they will be responsible for the financial management of a production. Production managers need to be sensitive to the creative process, have negotiation skills, and to be able to identify and offer solutions to problems as they occur. This role may involve out of hours or irregular working or travel.
The Production Manager working in Live Performance Art Production supports the Technical Director to ensure the most effective use of resources and systems to realise all the technical elements of designs for productions, within the agreed budget, time and technical parameters. This may include Live Performance Art Productions held in theatres, national and international touring venues and non-traditional venues.