Tour Guide: What Does a Production Team Actually Do?
What does the production team do on a live show?
The production team keeps a show or tour organized and moving. It plans the technical side, schedules the people, handles the paperwork, and runs the backstage operation on show day. If a department needs something, it usually goes through production first.
The team has 3 layers. Production management leads the technical production. Production staff handle logistics and backstage. Automation runs the moving scenery on bigger shows.
What does a Production Manager do?
The Production Manager (PM) owns the technical production of a show or tour. The PM advances each venue, builds the crew and vendor plan, and leads the floor on show day through load-in, soundcheck, show, and load-out.
On a tour, the PM works alongside the Tour Manager (TM). The TM runs the people and the business. The PM runs the show itself. Together, they choose most of the vendors and hire most of the crew. Our Tour Manager breakdown covers the other half of that partnership.
Bigger productions add an Assistant Production Manager to share the load.
What does a Labor Coordinator do?
A Labor Coordinator schedules and manages the local crews in each city. Touring crews travel with the show, but every load-in also needs local hands. The labor coordinator makes sure the right number of local stagehands show up, in the right disciplines, at the right call time.
If you’re working as a local stagehand, the labor coordinator is often the person deciding whether you get the call.
What does a Production Coordinator do?
The Production Coordinator is the logistics hub of the production office and the PM’s right hand. Travel, advancing, scheduling, and paperwork all run through this role.
Coordinators see every moving part of a production without being responsible for the technical execution. That makes it one of the most common paths toward becoming a Production Manager.
What does a Production Assistant do?
A Production Assistant (PA) handles entry-level support for the production team: errands, paperwork, setup help, and whatever the coordinator or PM needs that day. PA work is one of the classic ways into the live events industry.
One note on the jargon: “PA” can also mean the audio system (public address). People on a call will use both meanings, sometimes in the same conversation. Context tells you which one they mean. Our jargon glossary has more terms like this one.
What does a Stage Manager do?
A Stage Manager runs backstage and calls the show. Calling means giving each department its cue at the exact moment it needs to happen. Stage managers are especially central in theater, corporate events, and awards shows, where the show runs on a tight, scripted sequence.
What does an automation team do?
Automation covers the moving scenery and machinery on a show: lifts, turntables, flying performers, and set pieces that move during the performance. It’s computer-controlled motion, and it’s high-stakes, since performers are often standing on or near the moving pieces.
Automation Operator: runs the automation console live, cueing each move in sync with the show.
Automation Tech / Automation Manager: builds, maintains, and supervises the automation systems.
Automation shows up most on arena tours, theater, and large corporate productions. Smaller club shows rarely have it.
What other production jobs exist?
Production also includes a set of business and operations roles that keep a tour running:
Tour Accountant: manages the tour’s day-to-day money on the road.
Technical Director: owns the technical execution of the show.
Road Manager: handles day-to-day logistics on the road, often on smaller tours.
Tour Logistics Manager: plans the movement of people and gear between cities.
Equipment / Asset Manager and Shop Manager: track the gear and run the shop between tours.
Account Manager / Rep and Touring Consultant: manage the relationship between a vendor or service company and the tours it works with.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a Production Manager and a Production Coordinator?
The Production Manager owns the technical production and makes the decisions. The Production Coordinator runs the logistics behind those decisions: travel, scheduling, advancing, and paperwork.
Is a Production Assistant job a good way to start in live events?
Yes. PA work is entry-level, puts you inside the production office, and exposes you to how every department connects. Many coordinators and PMs started as PAs.
What’s the difference between a Production Manager and a Stage Manager?
The Production Manager oversees the whole technical production, from planning through load-out. The Stage Manager runs backstage during the show itself and calls the cues.
Recap
Production is the team that keeps a show organized. Production managers and labor coordinators plan the technical side and the crews. Coordinators and PAs run the logistics. Stage managers call the show, and automation teams run anything that moves.
For the bigger picture on how production fits with every other department, start with how the live events industry works. Ready to find your next role? Head to giggs.live.
