Meet Jasmine and learn more about life as a production manager on the SCUM stage at Glastonbury. Part of our Bitesize world of work series.
Jasmine
My job as production manager starts in the office, where I book the bands. I liaise with agents and managers to negotiate fees and negotiate riders, all the terms of coming into a festival, playing a gig, and then I act as their artist advance, which is being the go-between the festival production company and the artist's touring party. So you just make sure that they have all of the information they need about access, tickets, stage technicalities and contacts and such, and then, on site, I'm here to run things. So I'm generally the person in the little production office backstage, with a radio and a laptop and I have all of the answers to things, either in my brain or in my spreadsheets.
The skills I need for work in this kind of job would be organisation, working under pressure. The highest commodity is common sense. You're faced with issues no one would've thought would happen, but you just need to put your heads together and problem solve everything.
People wanting to get into this industry, I would advise them if they're looking for opportunities to look at apprenticeships, because it's a practical way to learn, but it also has a bit of a buffer with education and tutoring. So that was the way I did it. And as advice just to them, if they're interested in this world, is to not make their mind up too soon, because you might start on one path, but there are lots of different paths through this industry, so the world is your oyster, if you get your foot in the door.
There are lots of different paths through this industry. The world is your oyster, if you get your foot in the door.
Jasmine is a production manager and booked bands for the SCUM stage at Glastonbury 2019. She negotiates fees and terms and acts as the go-between for the festival production company and the artist's touring party, making sure they have all the information about access, tickets and stage technicalities
To do this job, you need good organisational and problem-solving skills and you need to be able to work well under pressure
She advises that apprenticeships are a really good way of getting practical experience, as you have a combination of on-the-job experience and formal training
As there are so many paths that you could take in the music industry, Jasmine says don't make your mind up too soon – try out different jobs.
What to expect if you want to be a production manager
- Production manager average salary: Variable. You could be self-employed/freelance.
- Production manager typical working hours: 38 to 40 hours per week, including evenings and weekends.
What qualifications do you need to be a production manager?
You could get into this role via a university course, a college course (such as a Level 3 Diploma or a T-level in Media, Broadcast and Production - England-only, from Sept 2023), an apprenticeship, volunteering, working towards the role by starting as a runner or an assistant in the production office, or through one of the new entrant training schemes that broadcasters and film bodies offer, such as BBC trainee schemes.
You can find out more about working in live music production through Creative Choices
Sources: National Careers Service, GOV.UK
This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed and the GOV.UK website for more on T-levels.
For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: National Careers Service (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
If you’re interested in working as a production manager but are not sure if your skill set matches up, take a look at the Wheel of Strengths from Barclays Lifeskills.
It’s a nifty interactive tool you can use to identify your skills, interests and personality. It will also suggest jobs that might suit you and identify how building other skills could open up other job roles.
Take a look - your future awaits!
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