Producer’s Role- Most senior member of the production team

o The Producer has ultimate responsibility for the production and has the final say in any decisions that are made. Therefore, if necessary, the Producer may overrule the Director in order to stay within the production’s budget and any limitations posed by the team or venue. However a mutually agreed decision is always to be preferred.

o Delegation is a key skill. The Producer doesn’t have to do everything personally.

- Appoints key members of the production teamo In collaboration with the Director, the Producer chooses:

Marketing Manager Design team Production Manager & Technical Crew

- Cuts through red tape o Signs a contract or tenancy agreement with the venue managemento Applies for the rights to perform the chosen playo Applies for permission to use any recorded musico Informs the venue of any special risks involved in staging the production

e.g. smoking, pyrotechnics, naked flameso Obtains any necessary insurance and licences e.g. for using child actors

- Manages the moneyo Deals with the production company’s bank accounto Obtains financial backing for the project o Draws up a budget and monitors spending

- Manages the teamo May assist the Director in organising and running auditionso Organises and chairs regular meetings with the production team to discuss

progress and problems – especially ensuring the communication between designers and crew is enabling the technical preparations to go as scheduled

o Attends important rehearsals; provides an objective judgement of the play’s progress and addresses the concerns of any team member

o Liaises especially with the marketing team to ensure that the production is being effectively publicised

- Liaises with the venue’s Box Office and Front of House staffo Assembles programme information for the Marketing Managero Recruits Front of House personnel and arranges any refreshments, licensing etco Gives Front of House staff information for audiences (running times, warnings

etc).o Monitors ticket sales and considers appropriate action to improve audiences

- Assists during the runo Ideally, attends every performance to check that the show is playing wello Trouble-shoots any problems that arise during the run

- Ties up the loose endso Liaises with the venue to obtain box office returns and the end-of-run settlemento Compiles final accounts and records. These will need to be shared with OP and

funders.

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o Reimburses the project’s backerso Organises a final party for cast and crew

Important Pointers:

It might be hard work but it shouldn’t stress you out. You’re responsible for a lot but that should involve co-ordinating the people to do the jobs rather than doing them all yourself!

Sometimes the Producer’s role will involve de-stressing others – but make sure that you don’t get over burdened. That’s where a quick email, phone call or visit to the Drama Officer might be a good idea, even if you just want to have a little moan or be reassured that you’re doing fine!

Always remember that we’re here to help – so if you’ve got a problem, the sooner you come and speak to the Drama Officer or the venue staff the sooner we can help you sort it!

Money troubles tend to arise if the budget hasn’t been compiled in negotiation with the key team members including the director, designer and production manager. If everyone is agreed on how much they have to spend for their area, they are less likely to over spend. Do not forget to add VAT into your budgets.

Little things go a long way – part of your job is to keep the team happy and working together. If you’re working over a vacation period maybe send everyone little updates in a group email especially telling them about things that are going well like securing funding. Also, consider a small budget for entertaining – perhaps for biscuits for the directors during the auditions or for the crew during the get-in. Think about organising a social event for all the cast and crew before you start working in the theatre together – even if it’s just a meal or a trip to the pub that doesn’t cost the production anything, it’s nice if everyone has already met.

Because the job of the Producer is to oversee all aspects of production, the advice

and deadlines given to the Marketing Manager, Learning, Designer and Production

Manager can be found below.

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Marketing

Oxford Playhouse generic marketing for student productions includes: Brochure – appearance in the season brochure, which is mailed to approx.

20,000 addresses, and distributed in the OP foyer, the city centre and surrounding counties.

Canopy – listings on large boards on the front of the theatre the week of production.

Season email – listed as part of season email, with link to online booking, sent to approx. 36,000 addresses and approx. 3,000 student addresses.

Website – page on www.oxfordplayhouse.com, featuring show information, image and link to online booking.

Featured as forthcoming productions within programmes - listed on ‘forthcoming productions’ page where appropriate.

Regional and national press release – featured in a solus press release mailed and emailed to local and national press contacts by the OP marketing and press officer. Please note that you are responsible for writing the press release to the schedule of the OP marketing team.

Press night – held by OP for journalists, usually on the opening night of production.

Print – OP will display your posters and leaflets within the public areas of the theatre in advance of your production.

Advice – from the OP marketing department, on all aspects of your campaign, if requested.

Programme

What you need to do:1) Confirm marketing budget – How much does your marketing team have

to spend? What marketing tools will you be using and how much will this activity cost?

2) Forward Planning – Work out marketing strategy including what tools you will be using and the timings for implementation

3) Target Audiences – Decide who you want to reach with your campaign as part of your marketing strategy. You may decide to run different campaigns for different target audiences.

4) Messages – Decide what specific messages you want to communicate to your target audiences.

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OP Brochure Entry: (10 weeks + or as soon as your slot has been awarded)As part of the Oxford Playhouse season you will appear in the Oxford Playhouse season brochure. Your entry will consist of approx 100 words of copy about your production and an image. Deadlines for this copy and image will be circulated once your slot is confirmed. We usually work to a 10 week lead time for brochure production.You will need to provide an image in one of the following formats; emailed as a JPEG (minimum 300 dpi), on CD in mac format (minimum 300 dpi) saved as an EPS or TIFF file or as photograph or transparency.Please consider that your image needs to be illustrative of your production and remember who you are trying to target. You will need to provide 100 words of copy that describes and promotes your production (70 words for a one-night slot). This needs to be appropriate for the OP core audience with the principle message targeting your key target audiences (see above). Please see previous OP brochures to see the copy styles of other professional and student shows. Again, remember who you are trying to target and that copy should be simple, accessible and to the point.Please send copy and image to erin.mcdonald@oxfordplayhouse.comPrint: (10 – 16 weeks)Your show print ideally needs to be out on distribution at least 10 weeks in advance of your show. Print can take weeks to be designed, proofed and printed so you need to consider the following advice 12 -16 weeks in advance of your production. The OP Marketing department will be happy to advise you on print design and production. Remember, the Marketing department have final sign off on your print, so please make sure you send for approval with plenty of time before the deadline in case any amendments need to be made.Whilst designing your print you should consider… Who are your target audiences and how are you going to reach them with your

print? Does your design convey the right message to contact your target audiences? What format works best for your planned distribution (posters, flyers,

postcards etc)? How will it look in a leaflet rack? You might consider different formats for different uses, for e.g. postcards for pigeonholing and DL leaflet for distribution.

Are the key details clear and accessible? DON’T assume the public will pick up your print to find out these details, make it easy for the audience by ensuring the essential information is clear. These details include: Title, author if relevant, venue, OP logo, dates, times, booking details (Box Office and Website) and ticket prices. It should also be clear on all print that the production is by students.

Don’t overcrowd your print, keep fonts and colours simple and use space effectively.

Look at other professional and student print, what do you think works well and what doesn’t? Can you understand the nature of a show you know nothing

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about and are you stimulated to come and see it just from looking at the print? This is your aim!

Direct Mail If your budget allows for a Direct Mail campaign you may want to use appropriate OP audience data. Generally we don’t mail students (as addresses often change) but we find that this is a great way to get in touch with other key sectors of our audience. We do this by targeting specific previous productions where there is an audience crossover with your production. We can provide the data in the form of an excel spreadsheet or postage labels and if you book a slot in advance you are welcome to frank your mailings at the Playhouse. The cost of labels and postage are charged back to your company as part of the deal. You should budget approximately 45p per address.Schools – If one of your target audiences is schools then you need to mail them as far in advance of your production as possible, especially if your show is part of the National Curriculum or if you are planning to offer educational workshops (12 weeks +). Schools can be a very lucrative audience, so it’s worth targeting this publicity directly. Public – Our research shows that the public are booking later and later so you should aim for your mailing to hit about 3 - 5 weeks in advance of opening.Letter content - Avoid saying exactly the same as what you have on your leaflet or flyer. Remember key information, consider what your messages are and who you are writing to. Why would they want to come? Another approach is to think of reasons why they might not want to come and turn them on their heads. i.e turn negatives into positives. e.g. A lesser known title can sometimes put potential audiences off but if promoted as ‘a rare opportunity to see’ the message becomes a positive.AdvertisingWe have a very preferential rate with the Oxford Times and Oxford Mail. Thursdays are the best days to advertise any theatre events. Media space must be booked at least a week in advance and artwork provided by the Tuesday prior to publication date. If you would like to advertise your production in the local media please talk to James Webster DisplayInternal – OP will display your posters and leaflets within the public areas of the theatre in advance of your production. Space is limited so posters are on rotation within the foyer displays. Print material won’t go up until your show is on sale but it is a good idea to get it to us as early as possible to maximise internal exposure. The Westgate Library also offers free display space for up to two weeks at a time. These sites are in high demand and get booked up very quickly but are definitely worth looking into – ask the person behind the desk within the periodicals section about booking.External – There are two canopy boards on the front of Playhouse and your production will be featured during the week of your production.There are a few free poster sites that can be used for displaying posters in Oxford city centre, including those by the High Street entrance to the Covered Market. The City Council doesn’t allow bill postering or leafleting anywhere in the city, other than within designated poster sites. The OP is not responsible for any costs or consequences if you choose to ignore City Council regulations.

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DistributionOxford Playhouse has a very good rate for distribution runs with Oxford Calling. Please contact James Webster if you would like further information. You can do distribution yourself as well, and you have access to a great resource in the Oxford Colleges and departments to reach other students and members of the university. Pigeonholing with your leaflets and putting your posters up in JCRs and departments are a good idea to spread awareness of your show. Outside the university, you can ask shops, cafes, bars, restaurants etc to display your print. Have a think about what sort of places your target audience will visit. It’s a good idea to amass a big team of volunteers to help with distribution, as this will widen the number of people that you can reach. It can also be quite time consuming! Make sure you take heed of the bill postering regulations though.FlyeringDistribution has traditionally been achieved on the street also, but new rules in Oxford have made this much harder. Check out the guidelines at http://www.oxford.gov.uk/PageRender/decER/DistributionoffreeprintedmatterLeaflets.htmCreative non-print ways to sell a show on the street, ‘guerrilla advertising’ are proving to be successful, and a way of turning a show into a real ‘event’. ProgrammeOxford Playhouse will create and sell programmes for your production. These are produced by a company called John Good. John Good provide OP programmes for many of the incoming touring productions. Programmes are made up of biographies and information on the show.  Biographies can be included for every member on the team, and should include subject studied and college.   Lauren will be your main point of contact. Once your production is confirmed and Lauren has received the programme production schedule from John Good she will confirm with you your copy deadline (the date you need to let her have your copy and content for the programme).PROGRAMME SIZE: B5: 245mm high x 172mm wide Please contact Lauren for advertising space dimensions (should you want to use any of your page allocation for advertising).The maximum number of pages available to you for your editorial and content is 16.Please designate one person to deal with the programme and be sole contact regarding its production.

TIMINGS AND DEADLINES:Copy and contentThis is your first deadline and is approximately 3 – 4 weeks before your first performance date. Copy and content needs to be emailed to Lauren in time to meet this deadline. You may also want to include some direction for order of content and look of the programme. Please also include an example of your show print so John Good can complement the design.First proof

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John Good will send a first proof through to Lauren approximately 1 week after your copy and content deadline. This will be emailed to your programme contact.This first proof is for comments on design, style, and content. You will need to proofread the programme carefully and then email Lauren the following day with any copy/design/style changes and suggestions. All design changes must be made at this stage. The cover of the programme needs to be signed off at this stage.Second proofThis will be sent to you approximately a day later and is an opportunity to check all the original changes have been made. You may find further changes and these must be sent to Lauren the following day.Final proofThis is the final opportunity to make any changes to your programme. Again, send changes to Lauren.Sign offYour programme needs to be signed off one week before your first performance to ensure delivery is in time.At this point we will need to confirm the number of programmes to be printed. OP will confirm this quantity based on current and forecast ticket sales.DeliveryYour programmes will be delivered to the Playhouse during the day of your first performance. The OP Front of House team are responsible for selling the programmes to the audience.CONTENT:Your programme will contain a number of general advertising pages (John Good sell these pages and take the revenue from these pages), up to eight Oxford Playhouse pages and 16 production pages. These production pages are yours to fill and usually include the following:Front coverNeeds to include title, dates, your company logo and the OP logo.Inside title pageMarks the beginning of your company’s specific pages within the programme. The design from this page is usually adapted from the front cover artwork.Production pagesCopy you may want to include in these pages:Company and/or Director’s statementSynopsis (audiences like these!)1 or 2 editorial pieces related to production (could be title, author, production style, subject matter etc). John Good can commission the editorial for you. If you would like to take advantage of this service you would need to provide Lauren with an editorial brief 8 weeks before your production opens.Rehearsal photographyIllustration used to influence production design

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Cast listCreative listProduction team listAcknowledgements and any thanksCompany contact detailsCast biographies and photographs - should include subject studied and college.   Creative team biographies - should include subject studied and college.   Company history

EmailWe have an email list of approximately 20,000 people, and a student email list of around 3,000. Both lists are contacted on a weekly basis. Details of your production will be included in the OP season, what’s on this month and what’s on next week emails. It’s also a good idea to create an email signature advertising your production. That way with every email you send, your contacts are reminded of the upcoming production. This can be easily done from most email accounts – try and encourage all your cast and crew to do this.Don’t forget all of the web resources available to you as students as well – the Drama Officer’s email, JCR and faculty mailing lists and website messageboards. They’re free so you might as well use them.

WebsiteYou will automatically be listed within the Oxford Playhouse website (the same copy and image as in the brochure unless you supply something different). Once on sale your show will be online for 24 hour booking.Creating your own website is a good way of making more information available, however don’t rely on it as a stand-alone marketing tool because a new website will not receive many hits. Always make sure that vital show and booking information is included within your other more visible marketing tools (print, email, direct mail etc).

PromotionsThese can be a good way of getting media coverage and generating word of mouth. Be creative (but don’t break the law!). If your planned promotional activity needs to happen within the theatre, please consult the Front of House department.Possible ideas are:

Media competitions with local radio, newspapers and websites. Ticket giveaways Ticket offers (in advance and last minute) Email competition Partnership deals

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Quirky giveawaysPressPlease contact Lauren Meehan at Oxford Playhouse regarding press. You need to start considering a press campaign at least 6 weeks before your production opens. You will need a longer lead-time for monthly publications. You should think about:

Press releases and schedule Publicity images Editorial angles Interviews Related events or stunts that could generate press activity Press Night Press cuttings Specialist Press (this needs a longer lead)

As you have considered messages to convey to audiences, you need to think through angles and hooks that might appeal to the different publications/media, journalists and the people they write for. Good things that might be of interest to the media are the title and author, any quirky or interesting features about the nature of your production, who is in it and who is directing it (if they are rising stars) and any relevance to Oxford or the local community or significant anniversaries.The Playhouse will distribute a press release approximately 5 weeks (and images 3 weeks) before your production opens. You need to provide the copy for a release (different to the copy on your print), which the Playhouse will adjust into house style. These will be emailed and posted to the regional press list at no cost to your company. It is up to you to develop a press campaign and follow up the release with editorial ideas. The OP press dept will happily guide you on good contacts and supportive publications.Images are a great way of getting bigger and better coverage. It is a good idea to mock up some scenes in order to get publicity images that are representative of your production. More often than not the images used within your print aren’t suitable to accompany previews and features. Don’t forget images ideally need to include people and be as high resolution as possible to maximise the chance of it being printed.The Playhouse will organise and host a press night for the opening night of your production and will co-ordinate all press ticket requests for you. The Playhouse will provide you with copies of all local press cuttings relevant to your production (including reviews) after your production’s run. The above is a guide only. Please do not hesitate to contact the OP Marketing Department.

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LearningYour production should plan to appoint an Education Officer as soon as possible to manage the educational/access/outreach aspects of your production. Like the Marketing Manager, they should be core members of the production team, attending rehearsals as well as production meetings to ensure that they have a full and up-to-date knowledge of the play.Do:

Check all education mailings with the marketing department before sending;– more mistakes are made in the schools letter than anywhere else!

Think about the experience that you are asking the participant/audience to sign up for, in the same way that you think about your performance: would you stay for a post show talks after a 3 hour shows? There is a limit to what people want to do!

Check any ideas you may have for talks, workshops etc. with the Participation Manager before finalising plans. Pre-show talks are generally ticketed and held in the Top Room, which holds 65 people but room availability is limited. Post-show talks are generally held in the auditorium after a performance, and are open to all.

Think hard about which timing and age range your play appeals to. Obviously there is no point mailing Brecht to a primary school, and there is extremely limited value in mailing schools for a show in half term. School budgets and timetables are under increasing pressure so be realistic about why a school would chose to come to your show over another.

Don’t: Think you can leave it to the last minute to organise events. Education

activities should be included in the brochure. If they are not in the brochure, they might not go ahead.

Hold pre or post show talks on your opening night. Run a post show talk on a matinee performance.

Schools Letters:In your schools letter you should include:

How to book - both tickets for the show and for any talks (ideally both should be through the Playhouse Box Office)

Price and deals – i.e. £11.50 each for school groups with the 11th going free – Check this with marketing, and remember that this will affect your sales.

When they will be able to book from Suitability - Is there nudity, violence, strong language etc? Is there

anything in the production that is going to cause trouble with a school? Relevance of workshop – I.e. flag up any direct links with the Curriculum Your website and Playhouse website - It helps with visit planning info

for them

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Make sure that we have as much information as possible about the events - who is running workshops, what their expertise is, how long, whether they should bring a packed lunch, where the workshop is talking place etc.

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Information for Directors The main points of contact for student directors will be with Katy Snelling and the University Drama Officer. Feel free to get in touch at any point if you have any concerns or queries. The bulk of your job will be no different to other directing in Oxford – but scheduling and organizing rehearsals with your cast, preparing blocking, working on characterization and drilling your team – all of this will be done on a larger scale, and you should ready yourself for this. Recruit an assistant(s) to do some of the organization, or even deal with chorus sections or subplots, so that you can stay focused on the story you are telling. This is also useful in terms of training up the next generation of people. Work closely with your producer on this delegation, and make sure everyone knows what their job is. The get-in and tech will be on a scale which requires everyone to know their role precisely. Plan with your team who holds responsibility for what at this time so that the show always comes first. Some points for directors to consider:

Directors can (and should) bring their cast on stage before their production week. A visit fairly early in the rehearsal period can be useful to focus the mind and check projection. Contact Katy to arrange this.

It is very useful for directors to have seen some of a Playhouse student tech, or to have assisted at one. If you have not done this the UDO can put you in touch with teams looking for helpers

If you'd like someone to come and sit in on a rehearsal and give some feedback on the production, do get in touch! The UDO and Katy are all very happy to come along to rehearsals where possible.

A few weeks prior to production week the Technical Director will meet you, your Production Manager and your Producer to discuss how best to run the tech and to give you pointers as to how it should be managed. This should help to make it run as smoothly as possible.

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Designers & Production ManagerThere are a number of important points and things to consider in the run up to your production: Meetings – within two weeks of being offered a slot you should arrange a

meeting with Matt Britton (Technical Director), Zeb Turner-Johnson (Technical Stage Manager) and Ashley Bale (Chief Electrician) to discuss your initial design ideas and plans. It is vital that following this you continue to have regular meetings with Matt regarding the technical elements and to keep him informed of all changes and developments. Meetings should be arranged in advance as Playhouse staff do not work office hours. Mondays and Tuesdays are not good days as most technical staff are occupied with fitting up incoming shows.

o No later than 2 months before production week the design should be finalised with Matt and Zeb, a model box created and scale drawings started. The designer and the production manager should meet to discuss construction methods, costings and orders and the build schedule with Zeb. If there is an orchestra or band their positioning should be confirmed at this stage.

o No later than 6 weeks before the show working drawings are required and a build schedule begun to be drawn up (see below).

o 4 weeks before the show the lighting designer, sound designer and production manager should be discussing early ideas, hires and plans with Ash. At this stage, because of the onward impact on the Playhouse technical team, if Matt & Zeb are not satisfied with the progress of the set design then you will only be allowed use of the in house steeldeck and black masking, no set construction will be permitted.

o 2 weeks before the show a final LX plan should be submitted to Ash and all LX and Sound hires confirmed in writing. All technical heads of departments should meet with Matt, Ash & Zeb to agree the fit up schedule. Playhouse staff have the right to call as many paid staff for as long as required to safely fit up the set, lx and sound but will advise the Production Manager of the calls so that they may adjust their budget accordingly.

o 1 week before the show any crew assisting on the get in and get out who have not already done so should have undertaken an induction session.

Build week - The hire of the Playhouse includes one week build period (total 39 hours) in the workshop from the Monday until the end of the Saturday of the week before your show week. A member of Playhouse staff will be present at all times during this period and much of the construction of the set will be undertaken by them. Usual working time regulations apply and a schedule should be drawn up for the build week. If a second build week is required to achieve the design then this cost will be recharged. The current cost of a second build week is £750 + VAT. The Designer and Production Manager should be available throughout the build week to advise on plans and assist where appropriate. No student is permitted to use power tools. The finish of the set is the sole responsibility of the Designer and Production Manager and adequate time should be left within the build week for painting etc. The workshop should be left clean and ready for a new incoming company by the end of the preceding week.

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Get in & production week – For safety reasons the get in will be run by Playhouse staff but the Production Manager should call student crew to assist. These crew must have attended a technical induction at some point (usually Sunday morning immediately before the Get in commences). All present should be suitably dressed including appropriate footwear. Student crew should also be arranged for the sessions on Monday and Tuesday. Playhouse staff will endeavor to help you to make your show look as good as possible but they are not responsible for doing the work for you. It is your production and its success or failure rests with the entire team.

Get out – happens immediately after the final performance. If crew are coming in to help who have not been involved with that day’s shows they should be sober, dressed appropriately and have attended an induction. You may need to order a skip or vans to remove items from the Playhouse but, because a new production will be coming in the following week, the entire set and rig need to be stripped and nothing can be stored on site.

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Model Box – A model box of the stage and the set is the best way of being able to visualise your design physically in three dimensions. It is an especially useful way to demonstrate the aesthetic of the show to the whole team, as well as the Designer, the Production Manager and the Playhouse technical staff. Ask Matt whether there is a to-scale model box available to use for you production (small deposit required), or make one yourself! 3D rendering software like Google Sketch Up can be useful to the designer, but is less useful to a director and actors than a tactile model.

Plans – A small-scale plan and cross-section of the Playhouse can be found at the end of this Induction Pack. Larger scale diagrams of the stage, auditorium and lighting bars are available from Matt and are essential when it comes to constructing your set and designing your lighting.

Suggested timetable – The timetable below contains other things that the Production Manager should also be considering in the run up to your production. These are alongside the points above.

While the schedule that follows is for the Production Manager primarily, it is essential that the whole team understand the time

constraints of the production as it moves towards performance week.

3-4 months before show (middle - end of previous term) Do you have a lighting designer? (If not, that is a concern) Do you have a deputy stage manager? (Not so big, but you need to start

looking immediately) Do you have a costume designer? (again, start looking immediately) Have you changed your budget in accordance with any changes you have

made? Have you thought about who is going to stage manage?

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Have you thought about who is going to sound design? (If there is live music of any sort, this is much more of a concern than if there are just sound effects, but there aren't many sound designers in Oxford, so it would be good to start looking now)

Have you talked to someone who has production managed here before, if you have not? (If not, ask the UDO for some names)

2 months before show (end of previous term – beginning of term of show) At 2 months, check all of the above questions again. At this stage, you really

need to have: Lighting Designer Deputy Stage Manager Stage Manager Sound Designer Costume Designer Any other designers (e.g. sur/subtitles)

Have production meetings with all your team each week to check how things are going.

Is there flying in your show? - Do you have a flyman and have you spoken to Matt? Is there projection? Where are surtitles going to be placed?

Have early rehearsals impacted the design of the show at all? Does everybody know this?

1 month before: Continue with weekly production meetings and updating budgets. Start looking for:

Assistant lighting designer Assistant stage managers Lighting op Sound op Costume and make-up helpers Any other ops

Start compiling a list of information for ticket office and front of house staff including warnings (loud noises, strong language, nudity, violence, haze etc)

If there is smoking in the production you will need to submit a smoking plot at this stage. Please note that the use of tobacco products is not permitted.

Start working on risk assessments. These must be submitted before your get in.

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TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT

A full inventory of current technical equipment can be found on Oxford Playhouse’s website. Hire prices for additional equipment should be confirmed in writing with Ash and will be subject to VAT.

Oxford Playhouse Technical Plans can also be found online.

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Get-ins, Get-outs and Staff ChargesWithin the hire fee, you are allocated 88 hours of single time technical staffing between Monday – Saturday. In addition to the 88hrs, you are also allocated two members of the technical team for each show call.

You will be recharged for:- any hours on a Sunday at double time- the get-out - any hours over and above the 88 given in the contract- any overtime incurred as a result of your calls (see below for details).

OPH has recommended a guideline allowance of £3000 for these extra staff charges, and though it is an estimate, it is based on a standard get-in, tech and get-out, and should be adequate provision for the bidding and fund-raising stages of your pre-production, unless your production is highly technically ambitious. As you get closer to production, however, it is wise to start breaking this figure down with the technical staff.

The minimum call for anyone is 3.5 hours. For this reason, and to allow proper breaks it is usual to work to four-hour calls: 9am-1pm, 2-6pm, 7-11pm. Time and a half & Double time chargesAny hours over 9 in a single day are charged *1.5Any hours over 39 in a week are charged at * 2Any hours after midnight or before 8am are charged at *2

Sundays: Sundays are always charged at double time

Missed meal breakIf more than five hours are worked without a break being given, one hour will be charged at double time.

Meal allowanceIf more than 10 hours are worked in one day, a meal allowance is charged at £7.02 + VAT

ContinuationsIf there are less than 11 hours free time between calls from one day to the next, you will be charged for each hour that is taken away from the required 11. For example, if a call ends at midnight on Monday, and Tuesday’s call starts at 9 am, you will be charged 2 hours at single time for each person called. All continuation charges are at single time.

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Get-Out The get-out has a minimum call of 2 hours. Hours above 2 are charged in 30 minute slots. A break of 30 minutes is given after 3.5 hours. All crew called for the get-in are called on the get-out.

ChangesYou cannot easily call crew in with less than 48 hours notice – it is hugely expensive to do so and you will be charged for cancelling calls with less than 48 hours notice – so be realistic when planning beforehand, and if something goes wrong, act quickly. Always keep Matt and Zeb updated if you have concerns.

2016-2017 Crew Rates per hour (these rates are subject to inflationary increases and are subject to VAT).

CREW RECHARGE

T1 T1.5 T2 Show TOIL Cont. Meal M/B Get OutHoD Rate £17.40 £26.11 £34.81 - £17.40 £17.40 £7.02 £17.40 £61.01

Deputy Rate £15.70 £23.55 £31.40 - £15.70 £15.70 £7.02 £15.70 £61.01

Assistant Rate

£13.67 £20.51 £27.34 - £13.67 £13.67 £7.02 £13.67 £61.01

Casual Rate £12.87 £19.31 £25.74 £43.06 £12.87 £12.87 £7.02 £12.87 £61.01

T1 = single time T1.5 = time and a half T2 = double timeShow = show callcont = continuation callmeal = meal allowancem/b = missed meal break

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