In short: A runner is the most junior person on a film or TV crew, running errands, moving kit and keeping the set supplied. Many people start as runners, and no degree is needed. A one-camera interview rarely needs one, but a day with several set-ups or locations usually does.
A runner is the most junior member of the crew, running errands, moving kit and keeping the set supplied so that the people who make the picture and sound can keep working.
What a runner does on a shoot day
A runner's day is practical and often repetitive. It starts before the crew arrives and ends after the last vehicle leaves, and the work changes with each location.
- Move kit. Carry stands, cables, bags and equipment between the van, the set and the holding area, and bring it back at the end.
- Run errands. Collect what the crew asks for, return what they no longer need, and take messages without being asked twice.
- Guide people. Show the cast and crew where to go, from make-up to the set and from the car park to the entrance.
- Keep the set clear. Keep the public and passers-by out of shot, which usually means standing where you can see the road.
- Look after the team. Make sure the crew has water and the catering is on time, without interrupting people in the middle of a take.
On unscripted TV, the ScreenSkills floor runner profile describes a similar job: greeting presenters, carrying their bags and checking on the production team. Timing matters in that work, and the profile warns against interrupting people just before going live.
Who they work with
On a film or drama, runners usually answer to the assistant director, the production coordinator or the production office, and they help anyone on the production who asks. ScreenSkills says many people start their careers in film and TV drama as runners, and that the role is entry level and can be done straight after education.
Kit and skills
The runner's kit is practical. The set etiquette guide from ScreenSkills suggests carrying the call sheet, a notebook and a pen, and wearing comfortable trainers or boots and layered clothing, with waterproofs if the day needs them.
- Initiative: offering help before it is asked for, and judging when to do it.
- Reliability and punctuality, because the rest of the day depends on your timing.
- A calm manner under pressure, and the tact to know when to step back.
- A willingness to learn quickly, from everyone, and to be told what to do again.
How to become a runner
There are several routes into the role, and none of them needs a degree:
- Apply for trainee and runner posts. ScreenSkills' Trainee Finder lists runner and trainee roles, and production companies advertise on their own sites and on the ScreenSkills jobs board.
- Get work experience. The ScreenSkills floor runner profile suggests asking broadcasters and local production companies for placements.
- Consider a course. ScreenSkills lists the BTEC National Diploma in Film and Television Production as a Level 3 route, and suggests short courses that are recognised by ScreenSkills Select.
- Volunteer. Stage management with amateur theatre, or backstage work at festivals, teaches the same habits in a different setting.
- Register for crew lists. Regional film offices and screen agencies keep free crew databases, which put your name in front of production teams.
- Join Bectu once you are working. Bectu, the union for people in screen, publishes a rate card for runners, so you can check what a day should pay before you say yes. Its crew rate card guide explains how to read one.
Being early, asking good questions and doing the dull job without complaint is how many runners get their second booking.
Do you need one on a small shoot?
- A one-camera interview or a podcast: usually not. One host and one guest need the room set and a person who knows the lights, not a runner.
- A studio day with a lighting set-up and a lunch: often yes, for the moving and the catering, so the camera and sound team are not interrupted.
- An outdoor shoot, several locations or a day with a lot of kit: yes. Someone has to move the kit and keep the set clear.
If you are booking one of our spaces, the film crew hire page explains how crew is booked with the room.
Related roles
- What does a 2nd assistant director do?
- What does a production coordinator do?
- What does a focus puller do?
- What does a clapper loader do?
- What does a best boy do?
Sources
- ScreenSkills, Film and TV drama career map, read 5 November 2026
- ScreenSkills, Floor runner (unscripted TV) job profile, read 5 November 2026
- ScreenSkills, Set etiquette easy-read guide, read 5 November 2026
Related guides
Questions we get asked
What does a runner do on a film shoot?
A runner does practical jobs across the production: collecting and returning kit, fetching things the crew asks for, guiding people around the location and keeping the set clear of the public. They report to the assistant director or production team.
How do you become a runner in the UK?
Apply for trainee and runner posts through ScreenSkills' Trainee Finder and production company listings. Work experience, volunteering in stage or festival work, and a Level 3 course such as the BTEC National Diploma in Film and Television Production all help.
Do you need a runner on a small shoot?
Not for a one-person interview or a podcast. Yes for a day with several set-ups, outdoor kit, or a lunch and a crew to feed, where someone has to run the small jobs so that the camera and sound teams can keep working.
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