In short: A unit manager runs the unit base on location for the locations department. They book the base and parking, position the toilets and other facilities near the set, set up the caterers and clear the site at wrap. They report to the location manager and work with the 1st AD and the transport department. On a small shoot a producer or a production assistant covers the same tasks.
A unit manager runs the unit base on location, so the crew knows where to park, where the facilities are and where to eat. The job is about organisation under pressure, and it sits in the locations department rather than the production office.
What a unit manager does on a shoot day
Before the day, the unit manager books the unit base and the parking, plans where the crew, the technical vehicles and the caterers will sit, and confirms the power and water supplies. They draw up parking plans and check the transport arrangements with the transport department. Any change to the schedule goes to the caterers, the drivers and the runners at the same time.
During the day, the unit manager runs the base and coordinates the unit team, the runners and the marshals. They position the toilets and other facilities so they are close to the set without getting in its way, and they fix problems as they come up: a caterer who cannot get a van in, a blocked access road, a parking dispute. They set up the costume, make-up and catering facilities for the following day. At wrap, they check the base is cleared and left tidy.
Facilities for the crew, such as toilets and catering, sit with the unit manager on location. Check the first aid arrangements for each site before the crew arrives. General guidance: a competent person must assess the actual site, the routes in and out, and the hazards on the day.
Who they work with
The unit manager reports to the location manager, or to the supervising location manager on a larger job. They work closely with the 1st assistant director, the transport department, the runners, the marshals and the caterers. Where there is a production office, the unit manager feeds it the information it needs to pay bills and keep the budget on track.
Unit assistants, runners and marshals work to the unit manager on the day.
Kit and skills
The working kit is a phone that stays on, a copy of the call sheet and the parking plan, and a tracker for spending. Most unit managers also carry a short list of suppliers and their out-of-hours numbers.
The skills are organisation and calm under pressure. A unit manager needs to hold a budget, handle suppliers firmly and politely, and keep time without shouting. Being the person the crew can rely on is the job.
How to become a unit manager
Most people start in the locations department as a trainee, unit assistant or marshal, or as a runner, and take on more of the base and its logistics as they show they can run a site and a budget. Titles vary between productions, so ask what the job covers before you apply.
ScreenSkills describes career maps, job profiles, free training and freelance toolkits as ways into the screen industries, and publishes a unit manager job description. Bectu, the media and entertainment union, takes members at the start of their careers. Many of these roles are freelance, so keep a record of the productions you have worked on and the tasks you ran on each one.
Do you need one on a small shoot?
Usually not as a separate person. On a small shoot a producer or a production assistant can cover the parking, the catering and the base, as long as someone owns each task. A dedicated unit manager is worth having on a multi-location shoot, a shoot abroad, or a shoot with a large crew and a tight schedule.
If the shoot is at the barn, the logistics are simpler. The site has 15 on-site parking spaces, ground-level load-in and an EV charger, so most of the planning is about timings and catering. Our studio hire page sets out what is included with a booking.
Related roles
- What does a production manager do?
- What does a production coordinator do?
- What does a runner do?
- What does a location manager do?
- What does a line producer do?
- What does a 1st assistant director do?
Sources
- ScreenSkills, Unit manager job description, read 5 November 2026
- ScreenSkills, How ScreenSkills can help you, read 5 November 2026
- Bectu, New entrants, read 5 November 2026
Related guides
Questions we get asked
What is the difference between a unit manager and a production manager?
The production manager runs the budget, the schedule and the production office. The unit manager works in the locations team, reports to the location manager and runs the unit base and its facilities on the ground.
Who does the unit manager's job on a small shoot?
A producer or a production assistant usually covers it. If the shoot is at one location with parking and a base close by, the logistics are simple enough for one person to hold.
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