Production Management
Production Manager
Runs the production office. Contracts, logistics, permits and the daily machinery of making it happen.
The Production Manager Role
The Production Manager runs the production office and the practical logistics of a shoot — crew contracts and deal memos, equipment and vehicle hire, accommodation and travel, permits and insurance, and day-to-day budget control alongside the line producer. Almost every department head goes to the production manager when something needs booking, paying for or solving. It is a role defined by breadth: on a functioning production the PM knows the status of roughly everything.
Key Responsibilities
- Run the production office and its coordinators
- Issue crew contracts, deal memos and start paperwork
- Arrange equipment, vehicles, travel and accommodation
- Secure permits, insurance and location agreements
- Track daily spend against the budget
- Support the line producer on cost reporting and change orders
When to Hire a Production Manager
Once the production office needs to exist — practically, once you are issuing contracts, booking equipment and arranging travel. On mid-scale productions this is one of the earliest hires after the line producer. Small shoots fold it into the producer or a coordinator.
What to Look For
- Territory knowledge for permits, insurance and local suppliers
- Contract and paperwork discipline
- Supplier relationships that get you better rates
- Calm handling of simultaneous requests from every department
- Experience at your scale
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Production Manager — Common Questions
- What does a production manager do?
- They run the production office — crew contracts and deal memos, equipment and vehicle hire, travel and accommodation, permits and insurance, and daily budget tracking alongside the line producer.
- What is the difference between a production manager and a line producer?
- The line producer owns the budget and the cost reporting. The production manager runs the logistics and the office that delivers against it. On smaller productions one person covers both.
- What is a UPM?
- Unit Production Manager — the same role, more common in North American usage. In the UK and India, production manager is the usual title.
Related Crew Roles
Production Management
Line Producer
The budget guardian. Manages the production's finances and logistics from pre-production through wrap.
Production Management
Producer
Responsible for the production existing at all — finance, rights, hiring and delivery.
Production Management
Location Manager
Finds, secures and runs locations — and handles everyone who lives next to one.