Duties and Responsibilities of a TV Runner

Do you have what it takes to become a Runner in the Television industry? Read on to find out the skills and expectations of the role.

What is a Runner?

On Film or Television sets there will usually be at least one person working under the job title of "Runner". Runners tend to the needs of the cast and the crew and are often seen "running" between tasks, organising people, and getting things done. If you think of the phrase "running errands" this is the premise of the entire job. As a Runner you will run errands for anyone that asks you to, most often tasks nobody else has time for or wants to do, and often headed by your head of department. On larger sets there could be Runners in every department or multiple Runners under the Assistant Director (AD), whereas, on smaller sets Runners will usually be looked after by the AD or Production departments. If you know which department you would like to start a career in, look out for Runner roles specifically in those areas - if you can't find these you can always use other jobs to network with the department you want to get into and make connections for future opportunities.

Duties and Responsibilities

By all means, the list below will not be exclusively the duties and responsibilities of a Runner, but it is a good start to get an ideas for what you would be doing set. As above, depending on the size of the set, you could be the only Runner doing these things or you could be in a team of Runners who specialise in more departmental roles.

You can expect to be:

• Keeping on top of refreshments for your department/crew/cast

• Making/acquiring teas and coffee for cast and crew

• Keeping sets and locations clean and tidy

• Meeting and greeting important guests

• Photocopying and general office admin

• Handing out call sheets/scripts

• Collecting and fulfilling lunch orders

• Collecting and delivering equipment

• Passing on messages

• Running general errands

• Running shopping or postal errands

• Driving between sets and locations

Job expectations and Salary

Running is the most junior role on any production. It is one of the only ways into the industry as everyone has to start at the bottom and work their way up. While it may sound like an unimportant entry level role, you will quickly see that Runners are fundamental to the running of a set.

You should expect to be working long days, these are usually contracted at 10 (or 11) + 1 hours. This means the "on camera" time plus half an hour before and after unit call and wrap.

You do not necessarily have to live in London. Production companies will often look for local Runners to save on money. See if you can find any jobs based near you that you can get to easily to up your experience.

You should expect to be paid hourly, minimum wage or just above depending on your experience and the budget of the production.

You will be working on a freelance basis which means work is often not secure. You may be able to secure a role and be asked to block out time for it in your calendar, however, production schedules or budget requirements may change and just as quickly you could be out of the role. Try not to feel too disheartened if this happens, it is just the nature of changing production schedules. You could also find you have long periods of not being employed in the industry so it is often helpful to have another job on the side that will let you be flexible with your hours.

When can I move on?

You should expect to work in Runner roles for roughly 2 years before you move onto the next rung of the career ladder. Next steps could include: Production Secretary, 3rd AD, Location Assistant e.t.c.

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