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THE ROLE OF THE PRODUCER/GENERAL MANAGER

With Gareth Johnson

Dates: 17 January - 20 March 2012
This course is now full, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to be added to the waiting list.
Duration: nine weeks
Hours of work: 6.30pm - 8pm Tuesdays evenings
Fees: £400
Please note there are no RADA scholarships available for short courses.

COURSE OVERVIEW

This short course is designed to be of use to all Theatre Practitioners regardless of their chosen role. It is a very broad brush examination of the Producer’s and General Manager’s role, with particular emphasis on the relationship between the Producer/General Manager and the Creative Team.

PLEASE NOTE THE SCHEDULE IS A GUIDE ONLY. GUEST SPEAKERS ARE SUBJECT TO LATE CHANGE DUE TO AVAILABILITY

Course Details

Session 1

  • Introduction and background to the course
  • What we want to achieve - The Producer's Function and The Director's function, and bringing the two together, with each understanding the nature of the relationship
  • Budget
  • Understanding the Administrative Process and the reporting structure of the producing organisation as well as the Production itself
  • Commercial or Funded Theatre - a brief introduction
  • First Stages: The Script, the size of the production and therefore the target venues.
  • New Work or Revival?
  • Driven by subject, Writer, Director or Cast?
  • Invitation to suggest particular topics for each of our Guest Speakers to address.
  • Finding and agreeing the creative team
  • The Producers Office and support staff
  • Differing sizes of organisation - the need to recognise the difference between 'bought in' specialist staff and a Producer providing a full resident organisation
  • Production Manager

Session 2

  • Richard Bullimore – one of our most experienced Production Managers with experience across all areas of Production.
  • What does the Production Manager take responsibility for?
  • Where does the Production Manager lie in the chain of command?
  • A brief talk about the many areas that fall within the Production Manager’s remit, and how that relates to the Creative Team and the Producer or General Manager
  • Question and Answer

Session 3

  • Guy Chapman from Target-Live. Marketing and Press
  • What ideal processes to pursue with producers to drive sales
  • Marketing and Box Office
  • Daily responsibilities of a Marketing Manager or outside Contractor relative to the individual production and individual venue
  • Relationship between producer and venue from a marketing and advertising perspective
  • Question and Answer

Session 4

  • Robert Israel – Gordon and Co. Why and what do we need to insure to ensure?
  • Working towards a cost effective recognition of risk
  • Special risks - Flying, Fight, Fire etc
  • Children and Animals
  • Protecting the Producer
  • Understanding insurance provided typically by venues
  • Understanding what to ask venues about their insurance before agreements made and relating that to existing or planned production insurance
  • Between venues on tour - travel etc
  • Insuring your Star?
  • Understudies
  • Medical/Injury
  • Question and Answer

Session 5

  • James Seabright – Producer Working in the small scale - how small is small?
  • Fringe Festivals - Edinburgh as the prime example
  • Advantages of working in the small and mid-scale
  • Using the small and mid-scale as a workshop for future projects

Session 6

  • Neil Adleman – Harbottle & Lewis. Why do we need a Legal line in the budget - surely we are not doing anything that new or untried?
  • Examples of what could and does go wrong
  • Co-Production Agreements
  • Venue Agreements
  • Commissioning and Rights Agreements
  • Limited Companies
  • Understanding Working Time Regulations, Health and Safety regulations, Data Protection and the many legislative hurdles that make a Producer convinced that 'they' are out to get him or her!
  • Question and Answer

Session 7

  • Steven Anderson and Steve Pennington – Anderson and Pennington look after the Production accounts of some of our biggest Commercial Theatre Producers.
  • Production Accounts
  • What is needed to keep the Investor/Funder satisfied?
  • What is needed for Tax purposes?
  • Payroll and contract requirements
  • VAT
  • Question and Answer

Session 8

  • Recap on previous sessions
  • Exploring budget lines
  • Casting
  • Design - Set, Costume, Sound, Lighting, Movement, Choreography, Fight, Ropework and Flying etc.
  • Scheduling
  • Rehearsal space
  • Different Manager's organisations - ITC, TMA, SOLT - and the agreements existing between Equity, MU and BECTU
  • Question and Answer
 

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