Grierson DocLab In Focus: Production Management Programme in the UK

The programme offers eight places to UK-based people aged 18+ (with no upper age limit) who have the transferable skills, experience and passion to pursue a career in documentary production management.

Benefits

• Successful candidates will receive:
  • Intensive training (six days in-person training in London, with additional online sessions)
    • Training will cover:
      • The documentary genre and formats
      • budgeting;
      • cashflows and production paperwork;
      • health and safety and risk assessments;
      • demystifying post-production;
      • jargon-busting;
      • managing and looking after personnel;
      • the importance of diversity and inclusion on a production;
      • exploring when to step up to the next level in your career.
  • A paid, three-month placement, working on a Netflix documentary production
    • As this is a trainee programme, each placement will be for a new entrant position, starting in the role of Production Secretary.
    • Each placement will be different, and will be in person, based at the production company the trainee is matched with.
    • For those with carer or parental responsibilities with needs around working patterns, discussions will be on a case-by-case basis as to how to best manage for both the individual and the production company.
  • Mentoring by an industry mentor
    • Meeting once a month over consecutive six months, the trainee and mentor will work together on the former’s career goals, with the mentor acting as a critical friend to the trainee, providing advice on how to approach any work-related questions.
  • Continued support from The Grierson Trust
    • Coupled with ongoing support from The Trust, trainees will have access to networking events (held online and in-person), plus professional development opportunities through a programme of webinars.
    • Trainees will also be invited to the prestigious Grierson Awards in 2024 to network with industry guests. All trainees will then join the Grierson DocLab Alumni group for continued support through the network.

Who should apply?

• People who work in production management are:
  • excellent communicators;
  • problem solvers;
  • have strong collaborative skills;
  • are great organisers who can multi-task.
• They want to hear from highly skilled applicants from different sectors who are interested in the opportunity to retrain.
  • That might include:
    • People who have been in office roles.
    • People who have worked in accounts.
    • People who have been project coordinators from:
      • retail
      • hospitality
      • event management
      • manufacturing
      • local government
• This scheme is not for individuals who want to follow a creative pathway (i.e., the editorial route from Researcher, Development Executive, Assistant Producer to Director), or views this as a potential shortcut into editorial.

Criteria

• You must be a UK resident with the right to live and work in the UK.
• You must not be in full-time education.
• You must commit to the whole of the Grierson DocLab In Focus: Production Management programme.

For more information, visit The Grierson Trust.