Tamara Mauthe, Production Coordinator

Like It Non-Stop

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"I like it when it's non-stop, when you're constantly busy but you're not insanely busy. For the most part that's what it's like: non-stop. Things just roll into other things."

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My Job

MY JOB

Title: Production Coordinator
Key Tasks & Responsibilities:
- set up and manage the production office:
- order phones, fax, copiers, computers, desks, etc.
- obtain equipment for crew
- arrange for work permits for non Canadian cast and crew
- fly in cast/crew
- coordinate transportation, accommodation for out of town people
- liaise between all other departments
Years: 4
Works with:
- Assistant Production Coordinator
- 1 or 2 Office Production Assistants
- Producer's Assistant
- Director's Assistant
- All departments including Assistant Director's Dept., Location Dept, Catering, Accounting
Reports to:
- Production Manager
- Producer(s) TOC

Start to Finish

Start to Finish

I generally work longer on a project than a lot of the other people because I'm involved in the pre-production process, production and post production.

So if I’ve got films booked that are back to back, I’ll literally finish a film on a Friday and by the following Tuesday or Wednesday I'll be on to prepping the next film.

It often means I can work nearly twelve months of the year without a break.

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Like an Office Manager

Like an Office Manager

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"Essentially production coordinators are like office managers for the film industry. When we start up a film I set up the office. Then we focus on the day to day business of prepping a movie.

"Then we prep the movie; then we start shooting the movie. And I do everything from obtaining equipment to obtaining work permits - absolutely everything that someone could want, and then some!"

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First on Site

First on Site

When a film production comes into town and sets up, the first thing that happens is they hire a Production Manager. Then the Production Manager hires me.

I'm generally one of the first people on a film other than the PM, the Production Accountant and maybe a couple of Production Assistants.

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Regular Suppliers

Regular Suppliers

I’ve developed a loyalty over the years from certain contacts I deal with for equipment and supplies, because they give me good rates and service and always treat me well.

It's important to develop that aspect because part of my job is to find the best rate possible for everything that we're renting and to keep within the budget given to me.

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Where I Work

Where I Work

As a freelancer, I hire myself out to various productions as they come up. Depending on the production, I could be working in a factory space, an office building space or in a regular office.

It's basically up to me and my department to create the workspace we will use for a particular job.

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About Me

ABOUT ME

Background
- grew up in Plumas, MB
- moved to Winnipeg after high school
- youngest of 11 children

Interests/Activities
- movies, theatre
- reading
- spending time at the lake, hiking
- big football fan
- shopping TOC

Cultural Oasis

Cultural Oasis

I started out in the theatre industry so that's where my real passion lies. I'm constantly amazed by the cultural oasis that we have in this city. It's incredible.

Plus the fact that we're still a small town and we haven't become too big for ourselves. If that happens I think the film industry's going to take a dive.

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Go Bombers!

Go Bombers!

I’m a huge Blue Bomber fan and I try to get to as many games as my schedule allows.

It’s an opportunity to spend time with friends as well, something else that is often hard to find time for.

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Into Movies

Into Movies

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"Actually I like to watch movies, which is a rarity because I find that a lot of people that I work with in the industry aren't actually into movies which seems very strange to me.

"But I like to go to movies; I like to rent movies and watch movies."

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Love the Climate

Love the Climate

Strangely enough I like the winters here in Manitoba except I guess when it's minus 45. And our summers of course, are wonderful.

I also love the fact that within a hundred mile radius of the city you can see several different climates. There are beaches and places for hiking and camping right near to home.

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My Day

MY DAY

(During Shooting)
8:00 am: Arrive, check emails, faxes & voice mail
8:30 am: Review production report from previous day
9:00 am: Meet with Location Department Manager about shoot site requirements
10:00 am: Finalize work permits for non-Cdn actors
11:00 am: Fax/email final contracts actors
11:30 am: Meet with all department managers to determine special requirements
1:00 pm: Lunch at my desk
1:30 pm: Check for new emails, faxes and voice mail
2:00 pm: Order special lighting equipment from Vancouver
2:30 pm: Create draft of shooting schedule with Assistant Director
3:30 pm: Courier revised scripts to actors
4:00 pm: Distribute new production schedule to all staff/teams
4:30 pm: Confirm travel itineraries for non-local production team members
5:00 pm: Final check for emails, faxes
5:30 pm: Go home! TOC

Takes All Kinds

Takes All Kinds

You work with different kinds of people in this industry. You may work with screamers; people who yell at you for no apparent reason other than they're a producer and their ego demands it, or you can work with people who are calm and collected.

There are people who manage themselves well and others who can't seem to work out even the most mundane problems without panicking. It makes for very interesting and varied experiences!

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Work with Everyone

Work with Everyone

I pretty much work with every department involved in a production because we’re the ones people come to for things like cell phones, car rentals and shipping things here and there.

I would have to say though, our closest ties are with the Assistant Director’s Department and the Location Department.

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Busiest Week

Busiest Week

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"The week before we go to camera is usually the biggest week for me. That's when all the casting decisions will have been made.

"Then I would be preparing work permits for the non-Canadians, getting all the gear in, making sure that the lunches were ordered for a certain day and do we have the vehicles we need.

"Then also overseeing what everybody else in the office is doing."

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Setting the Tone

Setting the Tone

Generally the mood of the 'above the line crew' - the producer, director and actors, will set the tone for the whole production.

If they're calm and easygoing then the rest of us will be the same. If it's a frantic, excitable prep, that also mirrors itself in the rest of the staff and makes it a more stressful production.

The calm ones are the rarer of the two but generally those are the films that turn out really well.

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Winter Breaks

Winter Breaks

Traditionally January is a slow month for film in Winnipeg because of the cold, and unless you're shooting inside, who wants to shoot outside? So I usually take my time of in January or February.

Generally I go from film to film without a break. Sometimes I'll deliberately not take a film just to take the time off. But I have gone for up to two years without more than a week off here and there.

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Me and My Job

ME AND MY JOB

Likes
- the variety involved
- interacting with so many different kinds of people
- making a good living doing what I enjoy

Challenges
- working with high stress people; those who overreact or have big egos TOC

Varied Pace

Varied Pace

Each stage has its own pace. Early prep is slower with moments of franticness. The week before shooting is usually busy and during shoot things are usually pretty steady though some days can be a bit hectic.

But I would have to say that the craziest is always the last few days before we go to camera. That always sticks out in my mind as, 'oh, this is going to be crazy’, because of all the little things left to the last minute.

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Keeping it Fun

Keeping it Fun

I try and have fun in the work environment because we're there for a lot of hours. We'd go completely stir-crazy if we did nothing but work, work, work for 12 or 14 hours straight.

So once in a while we’ll have fun with nerf balls or water pistols and that kind of thing, to help relieve tension and pressure.

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Variable Pressure

Variable Pressure

The amount of pressure depends on the circumstances, but it usually starts at the top.

A high stress producer will set a stress tone for the rest of the show. If the producer’s a calm type it will set a more relaxed tone for the production.

Basically, you have a group of people with different personalities lumped together like a large, dysfunctional family that has to get along for 3 or 4 weeks.

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Manager: Not Boss

Manager: Not Boss

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"I try not to pull the, 'Well I'm your boss' routine with the Assistant Coordinator or the PAs. Because if I've got an assistant coordinator who knows what they're doing, I don't tell them what to do. I simply know that they're going to do the job that I'm asking them to do."

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Maintaining Perspective

Maintaining Perspective

It can be difficult balancing work and personal time. I work a lot so my nights are not generally my own. I come home, read the paper and go to bed. That's essentially it.

I try to keep my weekends free so I can do things like hang out with my friends. It's good that I have friends who aren’t in the industry because they can give me a perspective that sometimes I can't see.

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My Resume

MY RESUME

Education

- Various Film/Management Courses, Film Training Manitoba
- University (4 credits short of BA in Theatre, English, U of W
- High School Diploma

Experience
- Film Production Coordinator, Freelance
- Film Production Assistant, Freelance
- Various positions for Theatre productions, Freelance
- Administrative Assistant, Private Insurance Company TOC

Machine Aura

Machine Aura

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"I joke. I say I have 'machine aura'.

"Sometime artistic types just can’t focus, or fathom how to deal with machines. So if something starts beeping or going wrong - it's just a machine. It's fixable. It's always fixable.

"But they just can't fathom how they can fix it and they freak. So then you have to be able to go, 'okay, this is what we'll do; we'll fix it.'"

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Administration Skills

Administration Skills

I worked for an insurance company for 11 years after high school which gave me the office skills I use now. Had I taken any sort of Business Administration courses, they would have helped me as well.

I’ve worked with people who’ve taken admin courses and they bring a number of organizational skills to the job. Those skills are vital because you have to deal with a lot of outside businesses and talk and negotiate with people all the time.

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Changed My Plan

Changed My Plan

Initially my intent was to major in English and get a teaching degree. But that's not the way it happened.

I started taking evening courses and one was an introduction to theatre. One night, the technical director for the theatre department at the university lectured.

He was so interesting that I took his course the following year and started stage managing. And that was it. That's essentially how it happened.

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My ‘Almost Degree’

My ‘Almost Degree’

I have an ‘almost’ degree. I dropped out of university 4 credits shy of my BA - Theatre major, English minor, because I’d started apprenticing in stage management, and never went back to complete my degree.

I've taken various film related courses since, but mostly in things that I had some knowledge of already.

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Essential Skills

Essential Skills

The ability to listen is really important in this job. You have to communicate well on a level that people understand.

You also need to have patience and to keep calm when you're dealing with so many different kinds of people and temperaments.

The other very essential skill is multi-tasking. I’m often on the phone at the same time that I'm downloading, typing, and answering someone in front of me.

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My Future

MY FUTURE

Ongoing Learning

Every time Film Training Manitoba offers courses, I look at what I need to take for doing my job better, such as supervisor courses and subjects like that.

Being a coordinator is more managerial than my previous job as production assistant. So courses that help in that aspect are ones I generally look at.

I also look at courses that teach you how to deal with stress and time management. TOC

Virtual Office

Virtual Office

I'm hoping that my job will become a bit more electronic in the future. I've done a couple of shows for a fairly big company where we've used what we called a 'virtual production office'.

A lot of the paperwork and distribution was done online via email instead of faxing people information and couriering them paper.

It made it easier in some scenarios, to communicate with people electronically as opposed to verbally or on paper.

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Advice

Advice

Work in the real world for a bit, to gain a good perspective.

Don't think that it's glamourous because it's not. Yes, you’ll get to meet big stars but they may only talk to you because you can fly them places.

You need to have a really good ‘put your head down and work’ attitude and the ability to develop a really thick skin.

It's going to be high pressure and it's going to be high stress.

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Love Your Work

Love Your Work

(TEXT FROM SOUND BITE)

"Don't get into it for just the money. That's the biggest piece of advice. Everybody goes, 'oh don't you make a lot of money?'

"Well, yes. I have a comfortable living from this business. But if I was only in it for the money I would make myself crazy. You have to be able to enjoy what you're doing."

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Consistent Growth

Consistent Growth

My biggest concern is that we get too big. Despite the fact that some people think differently, infrastructurally Manitoba cannot support a huge industry.

Our industry will never be the size of Toronto's and I don't want it to be. We’re not big enough to handle that onslaught of people and requirements.

Stability, with growth consistent enough so that there's work at least 10 months out of the year for everybody, would be ideal.

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My Goal

My Goal

I see myself moving up into Production Management in a few years time .

I did work once as a production manager on a low budget feature here in Winnipeg, and although I was fortunate to have good support around me, I felt a little bit over my head .

Eventually though, I’ll be production managing once I've learned how to coordinate better than I do now.

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Useful Links

MORE INFO

The film industry in general can be a risky business. The industry here in Manitoba has been stable for the last couple of years but it depends on a lot of things like US productions coming in, a stability in indigenous productions that is not always there, and the Canadian dollar too: the better the dollar is, the less attractive filming here is to US companies.

All these variables make this industry very tenuous but there are signs of stability for at least the next 5 years.

One of the best training grounds are low budget, small short independent films where there aren’t the same hierarchy and structure as in the big feature films. Film Training Manitoba offers a very comprehensive program to bring you through the ranks. TOC

Job Market Info

Job Market Info

The links below take you to federal and regional government information on employment, education, salary ranges and long range prospects for this career.

The official name for Tamara's occupation is "Production Co-ordinator" and its *NOC code is 5226.

Job Futures

Manitoba Labour Market Information
(Select Manitoba, the Area in Manitoba, enter NOC code 5226, then click Search)

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada

*Each occupation has an official name and unique number called the 'National Occupational Classification' code or 'NOC'.

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Education

Education

Useful High School Subjects*

- Photography
- Art
- Computer-related courses
- English

*Source: Job Futures.ca

Below are links to various programs and courses that will you on the path to a career as a Production Co-ordinator.

Film Training Manitoba
Training Programs

University of Manitoba
Faculty of Arts - Film Studies
Asper School of Business
Continuing Ed. Management Development Programs

University of Winnipeg
Theatre and Drama
Stage Management and Production
Administrative Studies

Red River College
Full Time Programs
Choose from:
- Business Administration
- Business Administration Integrated
- Office Technician
- English for Business Purposes

Collège Saint Boniface
Administration des affaires

Brandon University
Business Administration

Assiniboine Community College - Brandon
All Programs
Choose from:
- Business Adminstration - page 99
- General Business - page 119
- Office Administration - pages 128 & 130

University College of the North - The Pas/Thompson
All Programs
Choose from:
- Management - page 42
- Business Administration - pages 23 and 24

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Industry Association

Industry Association

Film Training Manitoba offers training and professional development for people involved in Manitoba's film industry.

Their training programs, skills upgrading, mentoring and professional development opportunities are geared to people already involved in or actively pursuing a career in film.

FTM's workshops are scheduled based on the current needs of the industry.

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Related Careers

Related Careers

Some related careers from Human Resources Development Canada web sites:

Film Production Manager (0512)

Stage Director (5131)

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Professional Associations

Professional Associations

Director's Guild of Canada - Manitoba District Council

The Director's Guild of Canada is a national organization representing over 3,700 members coast to coast in the areas of Direction, Production, Art, and Editing.

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