Want to be a Production Runner?
My first full time role in the TV and Film Production industry was as a runner. It’s where most people start. Over the years I’ve had many people ask how to get their first role or how to get more experience as a runner. It’s a highly sort after position and if I’m honest there aren’t enough employment opportunities versus the amount of people who apply for jobs.?
I thought I’d share some experiences from a recruiters point of view, that I hope will give you some hints a tips.?
In this blog I’m going to talk about two different types employment; a full time role as a runner (often at a production company or post facility) and a freelance runner, used on dailies or short term contracts.?
Full time Runner positions:
In the last 13 years I’ve recruited 5 or 6 times for full time permanent runners. To do this I’d generally place a job ad and people apply for the role. This is what happened following on from my last job posting for a runner in Sept 2022.
The job advert was fairly standard, it requested two things from applicants to apply. A current CV and a covering letter. We had 210 people apply for the job.?
This is the important bit….
Of the 210 applicants over 100 of them didn’t supply the requested CV and covering letter. Most failed to provide the letter (or email) and just sent their CV.?To be a runner, it’s really important to show us you can follow basic instructions and therefore over 100 people lost the opportunity at the first hurdle.?
With the remaining 100 applicants who’d followed the instructions we then started to read their covering letter. This is their opportunity to really sell themselves, show their passion and enthusiasm for the role, highlight in their own words why they want to work for us and get us excited! We’re are a production company who specialise in TV advertising and DRTV, so the applicants who called this out really stood out in the process. However, many just wrote a short note saying something like “Attached is my CV, I look forward to hearing from you.” These people didn’t make the cut for interview.?
We now have around 50 people left in the mix for the job role and at this point we start to look over CV’s. There is a lot of pressure on runners to get their CV right and whilst it’s important - for a full time role I think the covering letter is equally important.?
Remember what’s important to most business owners or recruiters when hiring a full time runner role.
A runner is a junior role, everything can be taught - so attitude outweighs experience. Focus on this!?
We ended up interviewing 25 people for the role and we’re overjoyed to recruit our runner Abby. She’s a fast learner, great attitude to work, fits perfectly in our team and is a pleasure to be around. I know she’ll go on to big things in production, hopefully with my team at ABF.
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Freelance Runners:
We often employ runners for short term contracts (anything up to 28 days) but more often than not it’s for extra crew on shoots (often 1 or 2 days).?
Roles like this often get posted on Facebook runner sites and require CV’s and Letters. As this role isn’t full time the experience level is a higher priority. We generally look for people who have had on set or production office experience, often applicants who have their own transport.(Runner’s with cars and business insurance). They need to hit the ground running without needing to be guided to much.?
Sometimes, it’s a last minute recruitment drive and in those situations the faster the response the more chance a runner has of landing the role.?
Last year I needed a casting runner for 1 day in London. I had nearly 400 applicants (wow!) I’m sorry but I didn’t have time to read them all. I think I read 20 resumes in the end and then made my choice. The lady I hired did a great job and I made sure that when I bought her some lunch I spent time talking with her about her career, just in case I could offer advice. I hope she got something out of the day, other than just another credit on her CV.
If you land a one or two day role make sure the crew remember you for the right reasons. Take the opportunity, get involved and always try and be one step ahead of the rest.?
Final thought
Get your covering letter right, it’s your way of selling yourself. Make sure it stands out! We’ve had some incredibly creative letters with everything from clever storytelling, to one applicant who wrote their letter as a film script.?
Always research the production company and their team. If the job is at company that makes TV ads, then talk about that.
Always have your eye out for new opportunities and don't waste the chances you get to impress. Be prepared to respond quickly when you see freelance roles appear.
On CV's don't call yourself a Cinematographer if you are applying for a Runner position. Yes, you might have done it at University but recruiters aren't stupid. Be honest open and realistic.
Remember that every production company is different and this is just my take on things. I wish everyone who reads this the best of luck in their career.?