Researchers at Bournemouth University are reaching out to current and former production managers to share their thoughts on the current talent shortage in the job role.
The Production Managers Survey 2023, which launches today, asks contributors to detail their career path to date, including what attracted them to production management, to give some recent credits and to share their career ambitions.
It also wants to determine what led people to take a break from the role or even leave the industry entirely – as well as how the experience could have been more positive and what might persuade them to return.
The survey was prompted by last year’s Screen Skills review of unscripted television, which found that the roles of production manager and production coordinator have become “increasingly marginalised and less attractive” and seen as distant from the creative process.
The findings will feed into broader research from Bournemouth University’s Centre for Excellence In Media Practice and the Media Industries Research Group, entitled Understanding the Production Management skills gap in UK TV.
Dr. Christa van Raalte, associate professor in Film and Television and project lead at Bournemouth University said: “We’ve known for a long time that the TV’s talent pipeline is seriously leaky but this industry-wide retention problem doesn’t affect all roles equally. Research has shown that the biggest leakage by far is in production management and we need a much better understanding of what’s going on here.”
Complete the anonymous survey here.In April last year, the BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5 owner Paramount and UKTV invested a combined £1m in getting a Production Management Skills Fund off the ground to tackle the crisis and build a skills base.
In initially runs until April.
- The Talent Manager co-runs the ScreenSkills Production Manager Programme, a five-month course for junior and mid-level people in production management, supported by the ScreenSkills Unscripted TV Skills Fund.
- Entries are open for this year's course, which is offered in several locations across the UK.
- The deadline for applications is 23 February. Click here for more information and to apply.
