Runner

• showing clients where they can leave their belongings;
• fetching and carrying items, such as equipment, tapes, cable and scripts, to and from various locations;
• transporting cast, crew and production staff between offices, studios and shoot locations;
• clearing up after a shoot;
• handing out post and messages to colleagues within the production team;
• delivering post to local clients;
• doing basic research;
• answering the telephone;
• making tea;
• making and handing out lunches;
• photocopying and undertaking general administrative work;
• taking care of petty cash;
• hiring props;
• helping set up a location for a shoot;
• making arrangements for staff on location, such as booking meeting rooms or ordering food;
• transcribing production tapes;
• picking up cast for make-up calls;
• ordering stock;
• sorting out the kit bags, for example checking that the camera bag has everything that it should have;
• writing down shot lists;
• driving cars, vans or trucks;
• using cell phones, maps and other film and television production equipment, such as tapes and clapper boards.

• With a couple of years' experience, you can expect to earn between £12,000 and £16,000 (salary data collected July 05).
• The hours tend to be long and unpredictable, often up to six days a week during production. Broadcasting is a 24-hour operation and the working style reflects this. You may have to work nights, weekends and public holidays. You may also have to do shift work and be on call.
• Work takes place in offices and/or studios, as well as on location.
• Runners are often employed as freelancers and work on full-time, short-term contracts. Due to competition, there is a tendency to avoid taking unrelated career breaks as time away from the industry can often leave you out of the loop and result in missed opportunities. Short-term contracts and long hours can have lifestyle and financial implications, sometimes making it difficult to secure mortgages.
• You will probably be on your feet for most of the day but conditions can vary widely, depending on who you work for and the nature of the production.
• The work may be stressful at times and there are often tight deadlines to meet. Runners are expected to be prompt and to keep a handle on things - part of the job is to take the pressure off the person above you by doing things on their behalf. That said, the work is fast-moving and can be exciting, stimulating and diverse, with plenty of variety.
• The bigger production companies are often based in London and other large cities, such as Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester and Liverpool. Production companies tend to recruit runners who live locally or who they can rely on at short notice, so relocation may be necessary.

Courses