PRODUCTION MANAGER

 PRODUCTION MANAGER

Production manager is simply ‘God-incarnate’ in the industry; yes, in the houses that engage themselves in movie-making. No movie can be comfortably made without the services of a production manager. As the very name goes, the production manager physically manages all the key steps of movie production. For reasons of convenience let us use the abbreviation pr. m to signify the position -production manager. It is nearly impossible to visualize the chaos in a ‘shooting floor’ unless one has a basic idea of the series of work schedules that go with ‘movie-production’.

A movie producer is the ‘poorest looking’ richest man. His riches are of no avail unless the pr. m is earnest in executing all tasks well in advance. In a movie house there are two demigods – the Producer and the Director of the movie. Both demigods keep issuing instructions from time to time to ensure smooth execution of work. Ironically, it is a vicious triangle with Pr. m, Producer and Director as one of them perpetually suspects the other two. Each is afraid that the other two are close enough to render ‘me’ weak. Each tries to keep the other two in tenterhooks, so that they do not confide among themselves jeopardizing the third man’s prospects or interests. If ever any two try to meet in any seclusion, the other man would thwart the effort by raising a number ‘doubts’ on the success of the project on hand. If the project succeeds [at the box office] each one would take credit saying’ only my timely caution has saved us from rut. If it flops a ready defence would be ‘did I not caution you from the beginning? Mr. xxx is a dangerous guy and hereafter we should keep him at bay’. Movie houses have more diabolic plots than they have ever picturised for movie-making. With such a labyrinth of complications in place, Pr. m is the most ‘sought after’ person.

The two demigods would keep on adding work to the pr. m; he begins activity well ahead of movie shooting. The moment the star cast is decided, pr. m gets to have the artistes committed for that movie. Peaceful schedules of production require perfect work schedules for all artistes. Unless, broad schemes are agreed up on, mustering of artistes on all days of work might prove a menace later. Pr. managers keep themselves in close contact with artistes so that at short notice the persons are mustered for work. Actually, pr. m is in the good books of PAs of artistes as a route to quick access to the artiste. Also, pr. m is well organized in his approach, so that he is in the ‘know’ of floor availability in different studios; he has excellent rapport with those studios to properly book floor spaces for movie shooting. At times, the space booked may have to be cancelled due to some dislocation in the picture shooting schedule.  At times an artiste, due to appear for acting may be ‘held up’ somewhere and may seek minor changes in schedule. The pr. m elegantly intimates Director of the change and ensures that alternative plans are carried out. At such moments, pr. m has to respond very swift and make the best use of the floor space booked for ‘that’ day/ movie.

Even more complex is the exercise of ‘bringing in’ artistes who were not primarily drafted for the day’s work. The worst part in change of actor- schedules, is ‘deputing’ vehicles to fetch artistes from other schedules or from home in time, to ensure progression of work. Every cancellation means ‘wastage’ of time and floor charges at least partly. There are a number of delicate equations ‘between personalities’ and pr. m is quite articulate in accomplishing the required work without touching the fabric of interpersonal vicissitudes. For every minor change, pr. m has to answer a range of questions even if he had nothing to do with that change.

All production mangers are excellent ‘actors’ in concealing emotions and conceding to requests by anyone. Actually a pr. m is a cauldron of anger though he appears pleasant and composed. Any anger displayed by pr. m can readily displace him permanently from work until someone else accommodates him on work. Although pr. m is well known in all components / departments of movie-making, he has to be extremely polite, tight-lipped and pleasant mannered to be a successful person. However efficient he is, he has to be at the beck and call of everyone associated with that movie, beside the nagging prospect of having to ‘utilize’ persons in future, though ‘not important for now’. Really poor creatures –are these production managers.

Prof. K. Raman