Runner

The job

The entry grade in the production office. You keep the office and unit supplied: deliveries, collections, script pages, rushes drives, lunch orders, airport runs, phones. On many UK shows "runner" and "production assistant" share a line on the Bectu card.

The work is basic. The standard isn't. Quick, accurate and calm gets you booked again.

A typical day

In before the office opens: coffee on, printers loaded, post sorted.
The coordinator hands you a list: a lens from the rental house, revised pages to the director's hotel, paperwork to accounts.
Drive most of the day, phoning in as each job's done.
Back in the office: filing, photocopying, phones.
Some evenings, stay late to print and distribute the call sheet.

Skills

A full, clean UK driving licence. Many runner jobs depend on it.
Good time-keeping and a working knowledge of the roads round the studio.
Discretion. You will see scripts, cast details and phone numbers.
Clear messages, written down, passed on once and correctly.
Initiative without freelancing: ask before you improvise.

Who you report to

You report to the production coordinator, or the APOC on a larger show. Nobody reports to you. On the floor, floor runners belong to the AD department, not the office; see 3rd AD.

How people get in

Most runners find their first job through a contact, a crew-list site or a trainee scheme. ScreenSkills Trainee Finder is another route in. Office, retail and hospitality experience counts, because the skills are the same: punctuality, service and keeping a cool head. A short course in set etiquette helps you understand the unit around you.

Next step up

Production assistant or production secretary, usually after a few credits. Some runners move sideways into the department they spent the most time with: accounts, locations or the AD team.

The runner keeps the office moving.