● Deliver important messages between crew members. Communication is key to make sure everybody’s on the same page regarding the scenes that must be filmed each day. However, a movie set can be quite big, and important people of the crew don’t have the time to run through it to deliver messages to other important people. That’s the job of the runner.
● Drive cast and crew members from one location to the other. When I say this position requires a broadly skilled person, I mean it. And calming some actors’ nerves in this driving around process can also be a required task. People can get
stressed out way too easily during production, especially during long shoots.
● Take lunch, breakfast and coffee orders from the crew. You’ve probably seen this scene by now. While watching some movie that depicted a film set, the director shouted for coffee and a bagel to some guy or girl using headphones and a clipboard. That, without a shadow of a doubt, was the production runner he yelled at.
● Answering important calls. Many times on behalf of other people, runners have to answer phone calls in which the production’s progress depends on.
● Copy paperwork and distribute it to the crew. This paperwork can include copies of the film’s script, call sheets, safety notices, etc.
● Moving filming equipment and preparing the set. Film runners can often find themselves moving (by hand or with a car) shooting equipment from one location to the other. Positioning minor things on a set, as well as making sure it’s properly cleaned, can also be a responsibility.
