Television production coordinators are responsible for the administration, organisation, and secretarial work that ensures TV programmes run smoothly
As a television production coordinator, you'll be responsible for setting up and running a production office, handling shooting schedules, cast lists, work permits, travel and accommodation arrangements, and equipment supplies.
You'll be involved at all stages of a project, working alongside everyone from the early stages until completion. You'll likely work on different kinds of TV programmes, such as news and current affairs, reality shows, soap operas, dramas, and comedies. Alternatively, you may choose to specialise in one particular area.
Job titles can vary, and you may be known as a television production assistant.
What does a television production coordinator do?
You'll need to:
- prepare and distribute schedules or call sheets, as well as attend meetings
- help set up the production office with the necessary supplies
- type, edit, copy, and distribute scripts
- arrange any necessary work permits
- organise travel arrangements for cast, crew, and production executives, as well as arranging accommodation
- source equipment and supplies
- run errands between the production office and other departments, sometimes assisting cast and crew members
- deal with accounts and expenses
- sort out enquiries and other paperwork, including insurance and visas
- close accounts with suppliers and deal with surplus stock when production is finished.
Depending on your role and the size and type of the production company, you may also be required to:
- check running orders and scripts
- keep track of timings during a programme
- set up pre-recorded material in the studio gallery
- prepare schedules, shot lists, logs and other paperwork for post-production.
Television production coordinator salaries
- Television production coordinator salaries in the UK are varied. On average, you can expect to earn in the region of £22,000 and 30,000, with an average of around £26,500.
- With several years of experience, you can expect to earn up to £36,000.
- Many television production coordinators are freelance and are paid on a contract basis. Rates depend on the type of production and its budget, but you could earn around £147 per day, or £749 a week, according to Production Base.
Income figures are intended as a guide only.
How many hours does a television production coordinator work?
Working hours tend to be irregular, long, and demanding, and will likely include travel as production shoots often take place in a wide range of settings, both indoors and out. You'll most likely have to work shifts and weekends, depending on the production, often arriving first and leaving last.
Career breaks are possible, but time away from the industry can result in missed opportunities.
How do I become a television production coordinator?
This industry is open to all graduates. You don't need a specific qualification to be a television production coordinator, but there's a high amount of competition, so a degree in a media-related subject may be helpful.
Relevant subjects may include:
- broadcast and production
- creative media and production
- digital media
- management and administration.
You'll need to be tenacious and enthusiastic to succeed, and networking is crucial to build up useful contacts that can lead to work opportunities.
A postgraduate course can help increase your practical skills, although it isn't considered essential. With media qualifications, it's always important to ask about accreditation by industry bodies, as well as opportunities for placements and using equipment.
Search for postgraduate courses in television production.
What skills does a television production coordinator need?
You'll need to have:
- excellent communication and interpersonal skills, particularly as you’ll be dealing with a lot of different people during production, including cast and crew
- stamina, persistence, enthusiasm, motivation, and a proactive manner
- the ability to remain calm and level-headed under pressure, especially in such a demanding industry
- initiative, flexibility, adaptability, common sense, and problem-solving skills that will mean production continues as smoothly as possible
- sound administrative and organisational skills, as well as a good level of numeracy and sound word-processing skills
- the ability to prioritise and cope with last-minute changes, such as script rewrites.
Work experience in television production coordination
Media experience is crucial if you wish to become a TV production coordinator. It's possible to gain experience from your course, university television unit, or filmmaking society. Volunteering on a community film project or your local hospital radio station, entering media competitions, applying for awards, and building up a portfolio of work will all help.
Networking is vital, so be persistent, follow up leads, and politely press for responses wherever possible. You may need to contact companies multiple times to ask about work experience or jobs. The timing of your application and their recruitment needs will affect whether you're successful. Getting experience within a production company or local TV station will give you the skills employers require and will also allow you to find out about potential internal vacancies.
Keep an eye out for work experience placements at the BBC. They offer a limited number of places from time to time, but competition is fierce. Channel 4 also has work experience and training schemes, including apprenticeships.
Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.
Who employs television production coordinators?
Within the UK television industry, the main broadcasters include the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and Channel 5, as well as hundreds of cable and satellite broadcasters, such as Sky UK. Although many of the larger broadcasters make programmes themselves, they also use independent production companies for some of their shows.
Jobs with these companies are usually found in London and the South East, but there are regional bases as well, such as BBC Cymru, which have locations throughout Wales.
Hundreds of independent production companies, based mainly in London, mostly recruit freelancers. Many of these 'indies' belong to the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT).
Look for job vacancies at:
Most vacancies are not advertised externally, so proactively sending CVs with covering letters, making regular follow-up calls, getting work experience and having contacts in the industry will make all the difference. You can make speculative applications and find contact details through resources such as:
Career prospects in television production coordination
The industry is fiercely competitive, so you may need to work your way up by starting as a runner or trainee before moving into the role of television production coordinator.
There's no structured route for career development and the fact that most coordinators are freelance can make it even more unpredictable. Your career progression will depend on your networking skills, persistence, and motivation, even during times of unemployment.
Success often comes through seizing opportunities, making a positive impression, having good contacts, and being in the right place at the right time. You need to show you're constantly developing your skills and you've gained a lot of experience along the way.
You can progress to roles such as senior production coordinator or production manager, focusing more on financial management and handling budgets. You may also move into another role within TV, such as:
- assistant director
- director
- floor manager
- producer
- unit manager
- location manager
- vision mixer.
You'll receive most of your training on the job by shadowing experienced television production coordinators and attending training sessions organised by the company. In some companies, particularly larger ones, training is almost exclusively internal.
A variety of short courses (as well as HNDs, degree courses, and diplomas) covering relevant creative media production topics are available. You can search for these at ScreenSkills - Courses, which also has details about available funding, usually in the form of bursaries, designed to subsidise training for creative professionals.