The Unit Production Manager is required to coordinate, facilitate and oversee the preparation of the production unit or units assigned to him or her, all off-set logistics, day-to-day production decisions, locations, budget schedules and personnel. This can include preparing breakdown and preliminary shooting schedule, preparing or coordinating the budget, overseeing preliminary search and survey of all locations, assisting in the prepartion of the production to insure continuing efficiency, supervising completion of the Production Report for each day's work, coordinating arrangements for the transportation of cast, crew, and staff, overseeing the securing of releases and negotiating for locations and personnel, and maintaining a liaison with local authoritites. - Directors Guild of America
Highlights
Abby Singer on the duties of a unit production manager
Bernie Oseransky on advice to aspiring production managers "be able to roll with the punches"; on what he looks for first in a script, to spot potential problems
Stewart MacGregory on the technical aspects of being a unit manager on Wide Wide World
Robert Justman on the differences between Unit Production Manager and first assistant director
Bernie Oseransky on managing the budgets for shows as a UPM (called "production coordinator" at the time) at Ziv Television
Abby Singer on advice to people getting into production management and his influence in the business
Who talked about this profession
Robert Justman
Robert Justman on the differences between Unit Production Manager and first assistant director
Stewart MacGregory
Stewart MacGregory on the technical aspects of being a unit manager on Wide Wide World
Stewart MacGregory on the difference between a unit manager and a production manager
Kent McCray
Kent McCray on the craft of being a production manager
Kent McCray on the importance of keeping things light with his crew
Bernie Oseransky
Bernie Oseransky on the challenges of shooting Hawaii Five-O on location in Hawaii, as opposed to Los Angeles and shooting in "pineapple juice"
Bernie Oseransky on what makes a good production manager
Bernie Oseransky on what it means to be a good production manager; on working with local crews as PM on Hawaii Five-O; on location in Hawaii
Bernie Oseransky on advice to aspiring production managers "be able to roll with the punches"; on what he looks for first in a script, to spot potential problems
Bernie Oseransky on managing the budgets for shows as a UPM (called "production coordinator" at the time) at Ziv Television
Abby Singer
Abby Singer on the duties of a unit production manager
Abby Singer on what makes a good production manager
Abby Singer on the main responsibilities of a production manager/executive, and a typical work week
Abby Singer on advice to people getting into production management and his influence in the business