Overview of the role
The construction manager is responsible for creating a construction department suitable in scale and budget for the production. It requires a close working relationship with the production team, given the complexity of both the design process and the shooting schedule. The construction department is made up of the plastering, carpentry, rigging, stagehands, metal working, sculpting and painting departments all led by their own heads of department (HODs).
The construction manager will liaise with the HODs to plan and organise the daily work of the construction department they are responsible for and balance the needs of the creative crew and the practical limitations of the production budget and schedule. They also have responsibility for health and safety requirements being met within the departments.
Download the PDF version of this skills checklist: construction manager skills checklist.
Core responsibilities
These core responsibilities are provided as a guide and are not exhaustive. The exact responsibilities in a particular job will vary depending on the scale / budget band / genre of the production.
- Liaise with the producer to interpret the brief for the work to be carried out
- Establish the scale of production, number of sets, scale of sets, build timescale, locations, shooting schedule and strike schedule
- Confirm budgets and any restrictions
- Select HOD’s for each department
- Calculate crew for each department in consultation with HODs and confirm specific jobs to be completed
- Calculate materials at current prices, highlight potential problem areas and consult with production
- Establish sufficient working capital for suppliers, lines of credit and discounts
- Establish the payroll system for the construction team or integrate with productions payroll team, to ensure payments are made as scheduled to crew and suppliers
- Consult on studio spaces for shooting stages, workshops and storage
- Monitor work to ensure jobs are running smoothly and mitigation is provided by production for any budget changes
- Begin directors’ recces of locations with production and location department
- Report any issues with potential locations to production and locations department in order to contribute to the decision-making process.
- Begin technical recces, and consult across departments on issues, schedules and costs
- Agree the construction budget once all locations and stages are established
- Confirm the working stages and locations for the construction department
- Designate supervisors to each stage and location for the initial setup stage
- Arrange for the workshops to have large power tools installed, benches, racks and storage will be fabricated for small power tools
- Check and confirm the HOD stagehand has ordered forklifts and access equipment to be delivered according to the schedule
- Check and confirm the construction electricians have PAT tested power tools and extraction and laid in 240v and 110v power to the stages and the benches
- Agree procedures for checking and communicating information with colleagues, including accidents or emergencies, identifying obstructions and environmental considerations
- Check and confirm that the construction admin team has established Public Liability Insurance for the construction company based on projected construction and other crew liability
- Establish communication channels for the HODs and between departments
- Establish working relationships with the producer, art director and assistant director
- Check that all members of the HODs team understand the requirements and specific activities they are responsible for
- Monitor departmental performance to ensure that requirements are being met, bringing in extra members as required
- Arrange training for crew as required
- Devise a work plan to provide training for new members in the department
- Provide advice and guidance as appropriate to enable work to be completed
- Adapt and make decisions to work arrangements to suit production schedules and each department’s needs
- Manage the departmental budget, offsetting savings through innovation if possible
- Manage the HOD team and resolve any issues within the construction department, or with other departments
- Produce risk assessment method statements (RAMS) for the departments
- Make RAMS available to production team and the assistant director
- Work in compliance with health and safety legislation, regulations, and protocols at all times
- Arrange health and safety induction for crew on starting work
- Check and confirm any qualifications or certifications required by law or the insurers are produced by the crew
- Ensure health and safety protocols are being followed, in particular, for crew working at height
- Agree actions to address health and safety breaches or repeat offenders with the HODs and production
- Ensure all crew dress appropriately and use required personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Put in place procedures to identify and report any close calls, accidents or breaches to health and safety, rectifying issues to prevent reoccurrence when applicable
- Help crew members to report any safety items used so they can be replaced
- Arrange for a team medic, and mental health first aider if required, and identify the location of the nearest hospital
- Ensure that close calls or accidents are logged in the accident book
- Assist victims of, or witnesses to, bullying or harassment and report to production
- Consider working hours for the department and ensure nobody is working longer hours than deemed safe
Skills
Check out role specific skills, transferable skills and attributes for the role of construction manager.
- Breakdown and allocate plans and requirements for the construction department
- Share the producer and assistant director’s vision and effectively manage tasks and operations
- Manage and develop the construction department crew and HODs
- Management and leadership: lead the construction department, uphold ethics and maintain respect when dealing with others. Support and encourage junior members of the team
- Communication: interpreting other’s requirements and communicating department requirements to staff and colleagues
- Team-working: collaboration within own and with other departments
- Negotiation: agreeing construction outputs, crew and logistics, costs and contract terms with suppliers
- Research and analytical: planning practical requirements against brief breakdown and production vision
- Problem-solving: contingency planning and resolving issues so that productions remain on schedule
- Resilience: adapts to changing work priorities and patterns, ensuring deadlines continue to be met. Proactive and explores new ways of working which will enhance and deliver the best results for the production
- Productivity: organises work effectively and achieves required results within deadlines. Demonstrates the drive and energy to get things done in pressurised situations and escalates appropriately when necessary
- Ethics and integrity: honest and principled in all of their actions and interactions. Respectful and inclusive of others, and meets the ethical requirements of their profession
- Flexibility: willing to both listen and learn and to accept changing priorities and working requirements and has the flexibility to maintain high standards in a changing production environment