How to Become a Commercial Production Coordinator
To become a production coordinator, a person must be willing to have a hand in all departments of a production. The production coordinator is responsible for making and keeping schedules, feeding the cast and crew, handling payroll, organizing transportation, distributing scripts, and a multitude of other tasks. Production coordinators must also know each cast and crew member's call time, arrange lodging for everyone, and know where each department will set up once on set. It takes massive feats of organization and the ability to change direction on short notice. It's a job that is demanding and sometimes exhausting but is also dynamic and tons of fun.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Challenging
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Patience
- Organization skills
- Multitasking skills
- Ability to assign tasks to others
- Ability to work flexible hours
- Knowledge of production terminology
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Knowing the filmmaking process is an essential skill for a production coordinator. Starting with basic hands on training, taking classes in film and television production is a great place to start. It will help build fundamental skills in pre-production, production and post production. Business and accounting knowledge also helps a great deal in the everyday tasks of the production coordinator. Knowing how to create and stick to a budget as well as familiarity with administrative software applications is imperative.
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Networking is one of the best ways to start a career as a production coordinator. Start out by working on a free or deferred pay basis on independent productions or student projects. This will provide valuable work experience and give beginners a taste of what a production coordinator does on a small scale. It's also a great way to meet other people who can be potential employment leads.
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Attend film festivals and markets. They feel more like social events than work. Meet with filmmmakers, go to lectures, attend parties and talk to people. It's a fun way to make new connections from around the country and pass out your business card. Use social networking sites like MySpace or LinkedIn to keep in touch with the people you meet.
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Obtain more information on available production coordinator responsibilities through their union. IATSE, Inernational Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories and Canada is the union that represents production coordinators. Visit their website at www.iatse-intl.org to find the local chapter in your area.
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Contact the film board (a.k.a. film commission or film office) in your city or state. Most film boards publish a directory of crew members and their services. They list names and contact information of local film staff and crew. Get yourself listed in the production coordinators section, that way employers can come to you.
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Tips & Warnings
Because film and television production is such a specialized field, finding work can prove to be a challenge. Consider relocating to where the work is. Los Angeles, New York, Toronto and Vancouver, B.C. are all production hotspots today.
Production coordinators wear many hats. Be prepared to assist with casting, write promotional copy, or act as a limo driver for cast members.
When looking for work, stick to the film specific job websites. Entering "production coordinator" into CareerBuilder or Monster.com will likely only turn up construction production coordinator positions.
Production coordinators are expected to work long hours. Production coordinators are frequently expected to forgo personal obligations to get the job done.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Holger Ellgaard
Comments
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kaiamedia
Oct 27, 2009
Thanks for this article. Being a production coordinator can be difficult to manage when you are juggling multiple hats. BEING ORGANIZED on top of what you have listed will surely bring success, if not sanity on set. A disorganized coordinator is death to a show.
