Production coordination course - MONDEL – L’Atelier du Cinéma – Training Center for Technical Cinema and Television Professions

Production coordination

The individual responsible for production coordination ensures the sound management of administrative aspects specific to the management and, more generally, to the production as a whole. They work under the supervision of the production manager or, where appropriate, the producer.

The production coordinator may be called upon to perform, in a non-exclusive manner, the following tasks:

  • assist the production manager and producer in their roles;
  • manage mail and update various documents throughout all production stages;
  • during pre-production and shooting, gather necessary information for production and ensure its circulation between the producer and the shooting team;
  • if the structure and needs of the production warrant, they plan the work of the production secretary and the assistant production coordinator.

More specifically, the individual assigned to production coordination may perform the following non-exclusive tasks during the subsequent production stages:

  • organize and attend pre-production meetings;
  • participate in the development of the pre-production, production, and wrap-completion schedule in collaboration with the production director;
  • distribute schedules to team members;
  • create the availability schedule for actors during the production period;
  • on location, ensure the presence of office and communication equipment and office logistics;
  • fill out contracts for performing artists and technicians and the related timesheets;
  • as per the production director’s requests, contact technicians for additional needs to retain their services;
  • manage petty cash, if applicable;
  • prepare certain logistical elements related to external shootings (transport, per diem, accommodation, restaurants), if needed;
  • distribute scripts and other documents to the relevant team members and performing artists;
  • prepare summonses for technicians and performing artists and follow up;
  • request shooting permits for locations.

  • complete service sheets;
  • follow up on contract signatures and timesheets; • be the point of contact in case of problems with the presence of technicians and performing artists and liaise with different departments;
  • update and format various documents including the production schedule;
  • liaise with casting agencies as per production specifications;
  • for fictional works, create the artist guarantees chart to present to the producer;
  • complete credits.

  • close files (purchase orders, invoices, supplier contracts);
  • send completed timesheets to various artist associations;
  • close the production offices.

Some of the tasks mentioned above may not be carried out by the production coordinator on a given production, while other tasks may be added.

*Please note that the use of the masculine gender has been adopted to facilitate reading and is not intended to be discriminatory.

Course plan

  • Excellent knowledge of union agreements-UDA-ACTRA-DGC
  • Training on basic software: Word, Excel, Filemaker, Preview
  • Management and email classification in Mail or another, Croogloo, Dropbox
  • Communications management with AQPM
  • Setup, organization, and closure of the production office (computer equipment suppliers, phones, furniture, etc.)
  • Development and use of various documents: service sheets, production reports, etc.
  • Understanding direction documents
  • Management of technician and actor contracts (creation, signature tracking, sending to the appropriate associations/unions)
  • Confidential information management, Making of annexes management, harassment
  • Management of information to be shared (direction documents, memos, team lists, actor lists, service sheets, production reports)
  • Role confirmation, allergy lists, insurance certificates
  • Information management to share with different associations and unions, external companies, and suppliers
  • Coordination of tasks with the assistant coordinator, production secretary, travel coordinator, and office courier
  • Coordination and file closure at the end of production
  • Organization of accommodation, travel, travel memo
  • Immigration – Work permits, export, ATA carnet
  • Medical exams for insurance purposes
  • Credits development.

Mandatory basic general course

Here is the content of the mandatory basic general course for all training:

  • “Masterclass” type conference for everyone
  • History of Quebec cinema
  • First aid course
  • Teamwork / Interaction with other departments / Hierarchy
  • Understanding of hazardous products (WHMIS)
  • Occupational health and safety. Ergonomics advice/Thermal control (cold and hot). Fire zone (fires, propane, gas). Fire line-corridor
  • Criminal and penal responsibilities
  • New sanitary measures (COVID).
  • Physical and psychological harassment
  • Law on driving heavy vehicles (law 430)
  • Stowing (general), SAAQ road code.
  • Transportation Policies-Drugs, Alcohol, tickets, fines. ATV-Golf cart
  • Awareness of residents and the unpredictables of locations-Impact on shooting locations-living environment
  • Understanding of direction and production documents
  • Understand the chain of all departments associated with a production
  • Application of green sets
  • Equipment responsibilities
  • Thorough knowledge of the AQTIS-514-IATSE union agreement
  • Introduction to associative life – AQTIS 514 IATSE
  • What is a producer? Role in production and interaction with the technical team
  • Relationship between the actor’s profession and technicians
  • Personal finance