The Producers Guild's feature code of credits gives the production supervisor about one sentence: the supervisor "reports directly to the Line Producer and Unit Production Manager and works in conjunction with the Production Manager" on day-to-day functions. That short description covers a lot of ground, and the job changes a great deal between a studio series and a $1.5 million indie.
Two versions of the job
On a studio feature or a series with a DGA UPM, the production supervisor is the UPM's second. The UPM makes the big calls on budget, schedule, and crew. The supervisor carries them out and handles everything below that threshold: equipment and vehicle orders, vendor quotes, stage and office leases, crew housing, and the stream of daily problems that would otherwise reach the UPM's phone.
On a non-union or low budget show, there often isn't a UPM. The line producer handles budget and deals, and the production supervisor runs physical production. That means approving purchase orders, negotiating rentals, dealing with location owners after the location manager has the deal, and signing off on the daily production report before it goes to the line producer.
Prep: vendors, packages, and the office
A production supervisor usually starts in week one or two of prep, around when the coordinator does. Early tasks:
- Set up the production office with the coordinator: lease, internet, phones, copiers, walkies, office furniture, parking.
- Collect bids for camera, grip and electric, and vehicle packages once the department heads submit their lists, and compare them against the budget lines.
- Track crew start paperwork so nobody works a day without a completed deal memo and payroll start form.
- Build and update the vendor list, certificates of insurance, and rental agreements.
- Help the UPM or line producer with the prep calendar: scouts, tech scout, production meeting, camera tests.
The bid comparison is where a production supervisor saves real money. Suppose the grip and electric package is budgeted at $6,500 a week for five shoot weeks, $32,500 total. House A quotes $7,200 a week, all in. House B quotes $6,100 a week but bills the pickup day and return day separately at $1,200 each. House A's five weeks come to $36,000 ($7,200 x 5). House B's come to $32,900 ($6,100 x 5 is $30,500, plus $2,400 for the two extra days). That's still $400 over the budget line but $3,100 cheaper than House A. The supervisor lays both out for the gaffer and key grip, who know whether House B's inventory is in good shape.
Shoot days
On a typical day the production supervisor is in the office in the morning and on set at least once. A sample day on a 12-hour location shoot with a 6:00 AM general crew call:
| Time | Work |
|---|---|
| 6:30 AM | Reads the call sheet changes, checks that tomorrow's condor lift is confirmed |
| 8:00 AM | Office: approves POs, answers the coordinator's questions on a crew travel change |
| 10:00 AM | Calls the stage about a load-in date for next week |
| 12:30 PM | Visits set at lunch, checks with the key grip about a damaged flag that will need a loss and damage report |
| 3:00 PM | Reviews start paperwork for tomorrow's day players |
| 7:00 PM | Checks the draft production report for meal penalties and overtime before it goes to the UPM |
Wrap
Wrap is heavy for supervisors. They manage equipment returns, loss and damage claims with the rental houses, closing the office lease, final location payments, and chasing the last invoices so the production accountant can close the books. On many shows the supervisor stays a week or two past the last shoot day, after most of the crew is gone.
Who they work with most
The production coordinator reports to the supervisor, and the two of them run the office. The supervisor works daily with the production accountant on POs and invoices, with the location manager on fees and permits, with the transportation coordinator on vehicles, and with department heads on their equipment and supply orders. Above them are the UPM and line producer.
Unions and pay
Production supervisor isn't a DGA category, and the classifications listed by IATSE Local 871 and Local 161 cover coordinators and assistant coordinators but not supervisors. Supervisors negotiate a weekly rate, sometimes with a box rental for their computer and a car allowance. On a DGA show, anyone who wants to move from production supervisor to UPM still needs to meet the DGA qualification list requirements for UPMs.
Getting there
The usual path is office PA, production secretary or assistant coordinator, production coordinator, then production supervisor. Supervisors who want to move on go one of two ways. Some take production manager jobs on non-union features and then line produce. Others join the DGA track by working enough days to qualify as UPMs.
Tools
Production supervisors work in spreadsheets, the budget, the vendor list, and the call sheet and production report. The equipment checklist and crew contact list templates cover two documents they check every week.