Production Manager and TD Responsibilities

[DaveySimps]

I have been reading the posts on organizational structures, and had a more spicific question for everyone. What are the spicific job duties for the Production Managers and TDs in your resective organizations?

~Dave

[gafftaper]

I would say the Production Manager supervises the stage managers, running crew, board ops, follow spot ops, dressers (if your theater is that big)... anyone who works on the production.

The T.D. is the person who takes the designer's work and figures out how to make it happen on time and on budget. The T.D. works with the heads of props, costumes, scenics, lights, and sound. To supervise the overall implementation of the design. In a small theater the T.D. is often a Master Carpenter with some other responsibilities. In a larger theater the T.D. is often more of a management position. The last conversation I had with the T.D. of the big theater in town ended with him saying, "I've got to go. I've got a big meeting with the union reps about the next contract."

[icewolf08]

It really depends on the theatre, as ever theatre is different.

In out theatre, the Production Manager, as gaff said, oversees all of the production side of things. He is the one who makes sure all of the shops (costumes, scenery, props, lighting) have the staff they need and the information they need to get the shows produced. He is the person that the department heads report to.

Out T.D. oversees the scene shop, painters and the props shop. I, the ME, run my own department. The T.D. as gaff said takes the designer's drawings and figures out who to build them. Then I come in and start deconstructing the set so that I can get lights on it... We barter over the lineset schedule, but the TD usually wins. The TD is in charge of ordering the supplied needed for the shop, keeping track of tools and making sure things get serviced and such.

The Production manager position is usually a less hands on position and very much a management position. They are usually in charge of the budgets and hiring, and the business end of production. The TD position is a very hands on position, and is generally a more carpentry oriented position.

[DaveySimps]

I appreciate the replys so far. I guess I am looking for spicific examples of what other Production Managers and Td's do. being a production manager myself, I am just curious how our structure compares to other organizations.

~Dave

[icewolf08]

Why not tell us a little about how your theatre is set up, and what your job as Production Manager entails.

[sobenson]

We are a road house and in our theater, the PM is the one who looks at the rider, budgets the shows, schedules the hands, hires new house staff and deals with the main office. I am the TD and my job is to get the shows in, run the crew, keep the theater up, and buy new things. On my staff I have a Master Carp, Electrician and Sound Engy. We also have a smaller theater who the TD for that space is also the lighting designer for the resident companies.

[DaveySimps]

Originally Posted by icewolf08

Why not tell us a little about how your theatre is set up, and what your job as Production Manager entails.

Sure. As PM in our organization I am responsible for the budgeting and scheduling for all of our productions and our facilities. I hire all of our technicians (electricians, board ops, carpenters, stichers, over hire hands, etc.), and many of our designers. I supervise our two stage managers, our TD, and company manager. I am responsible for payroll for anything production related, and reconcile all of our open accounts (lumber and steel accounts, credit cards, Home Depot, etc.). I also serve as a laison to our Board of Directors along with our Managing Director and out Artistic Director, which, in our case, means I present pre and post show budget reports, and a facilities and equipment report a few times a year. I usually do at least one sound or lighting design a season as well.

[Van]

Sounds as though your responsibilities mirror the responsibilities of our PM. She is responsible for contracting designers, actors, other technicians, whereas I am more responsible for the actual hands on completion/execution of designs. I deal with budgets for materials, creation of special effects, make all the engineering decisions for the realzations of designs. The PM handles payroll, and interfacing with guest designers, renters, etc. etc.

[Logos]

I was PM in my Theatre in the UK. I was responsible to assist with programming with the AD/GM "No Terry I 've looked at the specs and their set won't fit on our stage and we don't have room to hang 150 ML's."
I was responsible for getting the show on stage once it was booked and making sure we were staffed. I had budget responsibilities for day to day operations and for our in house productions (2 plays 2 musicals 1 pantomime). I was TD for those liaising between the designer and the shop and either LD myself or liaising with the LD. As we were primarily a receiving house I only had 4 permanent staff and was quite often on staff myself. I usually did the small irritating shows so my ME could get some sleep. I operated a few shows from the SM desk side stage using the Riggers control from our Insight 3. I was part of the "Mangement team" which I hated. It's amazing how long a discussion about what brand of toilet paper we should buy can go for because everybody understands toilet paper and wants to talk. When it;s something serious they all shut up and .... never mind old frustrations surfacing.
Anyway I don't know if that helps. Probably not but hey.