What Runners say
As a Runner, the type of work you might be asked to do is wide-ranging and depends on the company and sector of employment.
We asked Runners to give us a brief outline of their typical daily duties. The answers they gave are grouped below and are representative of the kinds of work you might be expected to do:
Office duties
- Administration - photocopying, filing, answering telephone enquiries, taking minutes at morning briefs, database work
- Finance duties - handling petty cash, raising purchase orders and invoices
- Distributing schedules and memos to all cast and crew
- Collecting and taking items to different offices/companies
General duties
- Getting lunches and drinks for artists and crew
- Errand running, generally being on hand to help
- Making purchases - buying DVDs and CDs for research, shopping for/returning items for the show, buying props, sourcing or making props/costumes
Production duties
- General
- Compiling and distributing scripts
- Getting Artists and guests through make-up, wardrobe and on set
- Making presenters' cue cards for the day's show
- Technical work
- Unloading equipment, working alongside Director to set up all equipment ready for the operator to shoot; assisting 3rd and 1st Assistant Directors
- Helping with rigging and de-rigging of camera equipment
- Doing vox-pops and assisting Cameraman with cutaways
- Filming on DV
- Dubbing
- Cable bashing
- Assisting in post production including working in the VT department and digitising
- Hospitality
- Buying, preparing and serving refreshments for cast, crew, guests
- Preparing and cleaning the Green Room and audience room
- Research
- Junior Researcher duties - researching new documentaries (library, press conference, telephone and internet research) and researching specific facts and information for documentaries already in production