In short: Runners do the production office work on a shoot: paperwork, deliveries, phones and supplies. The usual ways in are ScreenSkills' Trainee Finder scheme, a relevant qualification, your own films and work experience with production companies. Learn Word and Excel, get a first aid or health and safety course if you can, and agree written terms before you start.
A runner is the first job on many crews, and it teaches you how a shoot runs from the office outwards. Nobody gets a runner job by describing themselves as keen. They get it by showing they can be trusted with a call sheet, a delivery and an early start, and by making sure the people who hire them know how to find them.
What a runner does
ScreenSkills describes a production runner as an entry-level member of the production office team. Typical duties include:
- Copying and distributing call sheets, scripts, sides and health and safety notices.
- Making deliveries and runs, such as to the post office or to suppliers.
- Ordering breakfast and lunch for the production office.
- Answering phones, filing and data entry.
- Sometimes booking travel and accommodation, and managing a petty cash float.
Runners are usually freelance, and early starts at locations are common.
Skills that get you hired
- Following instructions quickly and calmly, and juggling tasks from several people.
- Reliability. Arriving on time is most of the job.
- Word and Excel, and a smartphone with map software.
- Driving, which helps with early starts at remote locations.
- A first aid or health and safety course, which ScreenSkills suggests.
How people get in
- Apply to ScreenSkills' Trainee Finder scheme, which ScreenSkills names as a main route in.
- Study for a relevant qualification. ScreenSkills lists A-levels or Highers in any subject, or a Level 3 vocational qualification such as a BTEC or UAL diploma in creative digital media, art and design, or business.
- Make your own films, even short ones, so people can see how you work.
- Contact video production companies directly about work experience, and ask to be told when runner jobs come up.
- Build a LinkedIn profile and a ScreenSkills profile, and join local film groups. Join the free online crew databases before you pay for any listing.
Pay, terms and union membership
Bectu's runners and new entrants branch says runners pay a discounted £8 a month for their first two years, and new entrants pay £5 a month for their first year. The branch page gives no date for those fees, so check them before you join. Bectu also advises runners to push for rates above the minimum wage or the real Living Wage, because those figures assume full-time, year-round work.
Get written terms before you start. They should cover hours, overtime, notice, sick leave and holiday. Bectu's branch can advise on rates, and runner rates should appear on the branch rate cards.
Worked example
A school leaver with a BTEC in creative digital media applies for a runner job on a short film crew. The application is a one-page CV, with Word and Excel and a driving licence listed, and a link to a short film they made. They also say they can start at six in the morning. The producer replies asking for a start time and the terms in writing, and the runner gets the job after the terms are agreed.
Common mistakes
- Paying for a course or a listing that promises work, when the free routes already exist.
- Starting work without written terms on hours, pay and notice.
- Sending a generic CV without a link to a film or showreel.
- Turning up unprepared for an early start or a long drive.
- Underestimating deliveries, which take more time than they look like they will.
For a wider picture of who does what on a crew, read the crew roles A to Z. For another department's view of the crew, see what does a gaffer do.
Sources
- ScreenSkills, Production runner job profile, read 5 November 2026
- Bectu, Runners and new entrants, read 5 November 2026
Related guides
Questions we get asked
How do you become a runner in the UK?
Most people apply to ScreenSkills' Trainee Finder scheme, study for a relevant qualification and make their own films. Contact production companies directly for work experience, and keep building your contacts.
Do runners need qualifications?
ScreenSkills lists A-levels or Highers, or Level 3 vocational qualifications such as BTEC or UAL diplomas, as typical routes in. Word, Excel and a driving licence help as well.
How much do runners earn?
The ScreenSkills page does not give pay. Bectu advises getting written terms and rate advice before you start, so ask your branch or the union rather than relying on a figure from a website.
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