Production Manager

A production manager, also called a producer in some productions, is a senior role that coordinates the departments involved in making a media product. They do not usually create the content themselves; they make sure the people, equipment, time and money are in place so that everyone else can work effectively.

Scheduling and budgets

The production manager creates and maintains the schedule, deciding when each stage must be finished and in what order. This matters because one department running late can hold up several others. They also manage the budget, estimating costs, approving spending and checking invoices. By tracking spending as work happens, they can spot overspending early and change plans before the whole production is affected.

People, resources and progress

They hire staff and suppliers, such as freelance crew, studio hire companies and equipment providers. They coordinate resources and logistics: booking locations, arranging transport and making sure equipment arrives when it is needed. Throughout the work they monitor progress against the schedule and budget, chasing delays, rearranging bookings and reporting problems to senior colleagues.

The role is not limited to early planning. A production manager works across all phases, checking that decisions made at the start still make sense during shooting or recording and during editing, and solving problems wherever they appear.

For example, a team making a ten-minute animated film for a science museum has eight weeks and a £9,000 budget. The production manager books studio time for the narrator, hires two extra animators for the busiest weeks, and moves a review meeting when one scene overruns. The film still reaches the museum on the agreed date without going over budget.