Is the role of a production manager inherently a creative one or not?

Convener(s): Richard Couldrey

Participants: Lian Bell, Natalie Querol, Richard Dufty, Alice Booth, Geraldine Pilgrim, Lucy P W, Jon Spooner, Tony Simpson

Summary of discussion, conclusions and/or recommendations:

The group in the discussion was a diverse, it contained:

• Development officer who wanted to turn to  Producing
• Producer / Artistic Director
• Installation Artist who also works as a Theatre  Designer
• Theatre Director
• Company Artistic Director and  Producer
• Lighting Designer
• Actor / Company Artistic Director
• And me, a Production Manager

A question came up about the type of theatre we are talking about, and it was generally thought that this question doesn‚t relate to commercial or West End structures.
 
Q. WHAT IS A PRODUCTION MANAGER?

• Somewhat like the General in an army where the  technicians and stage management are the army and the Creative Team are the  Politicians.
• Production Manager is pivotal to creating the  right making environment
• He/she is the person who, put very simply, makes  the show happen
• Having a creative dialogue with a PM is really  important
• The Production budget manager
• The logistics supervisor
• The person who gets the set built
• The person who calls and chairs production  meetings
• The person who calls the shots during a fit  up

ATTRIBUTES OF A GOOD PM:

• A good understanding of theatre
• The ability to step back and have an overview of  the whole show
• The human touch
• Needs an understanding of the correct approach  to any situation as defined by time and circumstance.
• Practical input to the making process (eg,  bringing the right rehearsal props or set into the rehearsal room)
• Attention to detail
• Diplomacy
• A good understanding of the room or building the  show is being performed in. Building base PMs often have this in bucket loads,  but may get jaded with time
• Its absolutely about caring for the  show
• An understanding of the spirit of the law, not  the letter of the law (avoiding being a „no‰ person)
• Suggest creative alternatives to unachievable  ideas
• The ability to have a creative dialogue with  Directors / Artists / preformers

Q.  WHAT DOES „CREATIVE‰ MEAN IN THE ISSUE RAISED? This was something that ran through the discussion

• Creative thinking in executing design ideas,  not, however defining the design ideas.

Q.  AT WHAT POINT DOES A PM COME ON BOARD?

• As early as possible
• Does that depend on the role or the individual  within that role?
• Earlier the PM comes in, the more the show will  benefit from that broad experience and possibility of creative solutions to  unachievable ideas

Q. Is there creative elements to every area of making theatre?
Q. Is the timing of the appointment of a PM a question of economics?
Q. Is there a difference between a technical everything and a PM in small scale work?

All these questions were moved over quickly but lead onto the next line of debate

In the Theatre Directors experience, the LD is the first to come on board as she has a long standing working relationship with this person, then the Production Manager before a set designer or sound designer / composer.
 
The aim of early appointment is to achieve a collective creative understanding as well as a practical understanding of the show‚s ideas within a core of people and the PM is seen as absolutely in this core.
 
A qualification comes down to money and pay scales, you can only call on certain people all of the time

I would propose that a PM‚s engagement is stretched over a longer period so that email, phone calls, conversations over beer or coffee can happen early.
 
The trick is to try and achieve a creative family that understand the show in terms of language and ambition. They will then be able to work in an interconnected way to achieve that idea. This needs thorough understanding of what the show across the core team, including the PM.
 
Also, it is useful to be clear about what people‚s job descriptions are so that the team and the process doesn‚t contain holes. Would this mean a slight redistribution of jobs so the PM is able to work more creatively?
 
Attributes a good PM should have:

• A good understanding of theatre
• The ability to step back and have an overview of  the whole show
• The human touch
• Needs an understanding of the correct approach  to any situation as defined by time and circumstance.
• Practical input to the making process (eg,  bringing the right rehearsal props or set into the rehearsal room)
• Attention to detail
• Diplomacy
• A good understanding of the room or building the  show is being performed in. Building base PMs often have this in bucket loads,  but may get jaded with time
• Its absolutely about caring for the  show
• An understanding of the spirit of the law, not  the letter of the law (avoiding being a „no‰ person)
• Suggest creative alternatives to unachievable  ideas
• The ability to have a creative dialogue with  Directors / Artists / performers
• Being able to inspire a team not directly  related to the show to work to the highest quality

Attributes of a good relationship between an artist and a PM:
 

• The development of trust
• Honesty in the working relationship
• The ability to have a one on one when the  project is maybe not going to plan
• An open and creative working environment during  the making of a show ˆ only possible if that working relationship is two way  as it is the PM who is pivotal to the ambience of the working  environment.

Q.  WHAT IS IT THAT AN ARTIST AND A PM NEED TO WORK TOWARDS?

• In 99% of cases, there is another way of saying  „No‰ that is offering solution, progress not obstacle.
• In the 1% of situations, being able to deserve  to say „no‰, for it to be believed without question.
• Blurring of the definitions of your job without  neglecting responsibility.
• A trust that the they are both working towards a  shared goal

There is an element of creativity across all roles in theatre.

My question was more fundamental than that, is a production manager a creative member of the core team?

Q. DOES A PM MOVE WITH AN ARTIST FROM PROJECT TO PROJECT?
 
A number of the group said that they would always try, once a good PM is found, to keep continuity in Production Management over the rest of the team.
 
The group also highlighted that there are not so many good PMs out there.
 
Q. SHOULD WE CALL PMs „CREATIVE‰ PRODUCITON MANAGERS IN THE SAME WAY THAT A CREATIVE PRODUCER IS NOW A RECOGNISED ROLE?
 

• Is that an imposition of style?
• Care and sensitivity to the show are absolutely  needed, but that does not necessarily mean that a PM is working at the  Creative core of a project ˆ disagreement
• Does it come down to style rather than  label?
• PMs often shy away from creative input for fear  wanting to get involved in that side of the process.

Interesting point of how a Production Manager (and indeed other management roles within theatre) can grow quicker than Artistic ambition or abilities in some cases. It is a healthy dynamic when one is recognised to be pushing and testing the other and vis versa.
 
Q. WHAT INFLUENCES THE ARTISTIC INPUT OF A PM?

• The attitude and approach of artistic  leaders.
• PMs sometimes do not have an artistic  confidence. Even though they sometimes come up with great creative  suggestions, they may not have the confidence to follow through with the idea  or contribute further down the line

Some PMs simply get excited by delivering someone else‚s idea
 
Q. WHAT OBSTACLES ARE IN THE WAY OF A PRODUCTION MANAGER WORKING MORE CREATIVELY?

• Opening show cycles, a Director might have a  show opening once every 3 months, a PM may have a show opening every 4 weeks.  This comes down to economic ambition (or economic reality) and dictates how  much or how little time a PM would be able to dedicate to a project over and  above the essentials of the job.
• In the case of a Resident PM in a producing  house, it often depends on where the show sits in the season ˆ last show is  often with an exhausted team, first show with a refreshed team.

Q.  HOW CAN A BUILDING BASED PM WORK MORE CREATIVELY?

• Promoting creative development down a team (e.g.  Technicians having the chance to develop lighting design skills on smaller  shows) This would create (and has in the experience of the group) a much  better and slicker working environment come the installation of a larger show  when the team is working in the context of their normal roles. However, might  also create a higher turnover of staff ˆ but this should be  embraced!
• The idea that „the only reason we are here is to  pass it back‰

WORKING STRUCTURES   :

• An Executive PM who works at a greater distance  from the project, takes care of H and S, risk assessments, production  administration and a Site PM to work more closely and creatively with the  artist. Exec PM still comes in as an outside eye very successfully.

Possible Conclusions:

• Teams will develop naturally and determine the  atmosphere of a making environment. Working attitudes are often created from  the top down.
• Building based PMs should be encouraged to take  sabbaticals from their everyday working environments so as not to get  stale

POSSIBLE CONCLUSIONS
Most all Production managers are creative in some way in the making of a show or the decisions made during the touring of a piece. However, there is a marked difference to consider the PM to be a member of the artistic and creative core of the project, particularly during the developmental stages of that project. It is that role I would consider as a Creative Production Manager and one that largely depends on the style and confidence of the individual and asks for a minor leap in the other members of a creative team to include a PM on an equal creative footing.
 
I also believe that in the right circumstance, this could be a fantastically exciting way to work