The Runaround

The runner-to-producer route is out of date. What changed, and where do we go from here?

By Ruby Stoneham

Having just graduated from a degree in Film and Television, I am very familiar with the advice, “start as a runner and work your way up”. Through my studies I incessantly searched for opportunities for runner work: finding job boards, talent pools, and applying directly through production companies (as well as asking anyone who would listen if they knew of any work for me). I believed if I could amass a few experiences working as a runner that I would eventually build up enough ‘proof’ that I was capable and absorb relevant knowledge on the job that would allow me to progress. My experience was not as I had naively imagined it would be.

I think there are three key factors that have changed since this advice became the default. Firstly, the ‘runner – to – producer’ (or really runner to anything!) route doesn’t work if runner roles themselves are impossible to secure. Secondly, the route itself is broken; rather than ‘learning on the job’ we are seeing a rise in technical specialists training for specific roles and freelancing, rather than moving up/around roles. Lastly, the universal accessibility of ‘content creation’ has completely restructured the world of production. Through the omnipotence of social media, my generation specifically has realised that we no longer need to pay our dues to rise through the ranks, and rejects the system altogether – see Kane Parsons, director of Backrooms, who started on YouTube.

Route

Degree aside (I know it’s long been disputed if there’s any point going to uni before going into film and tv), I can’t help but feel that I’m twenty steps behind everyone else, even people my age. It seems like I missed the memo that said you have to be an expert in the field before you even have hope of entering it. I have some experience from making my own short films at university – all of which I’m very proud  – but it still seems like there’s a chasm between where I am now and where I need to be to qualify for an entry role. You could probably put some of that down to being young and self–effacing, but considering how many of my peers feel the same, I know there’s more to it than that.

The runner pool has become viciously competitive. Graduate jobs in the industry are so rare and difficult to qualify for that one–off runner jobs are increasingly in demand and competitive. If you do land the opportunity, the chances of working with the same people again is slim to none, and the nature of the work is so random that it’s difficult to build trust or a good working relationship with the right people (and that’s if they remember you). Everyone I know that’s worked on a set has said that you get dismissed (at best), and that you often feel you have nothing to show for it at the end except a bullet point for your CV. We are now seeing people working as runners for years before there is any chance of securing a more senior role, so it seems that these obstacles, while being the same as always, are twice as threatening as before.

Training

As I mentioned, it seems like everyone is a professional before they even start working. Understandably, you need to prove your passion and skill to be considered for a job. In this industry, that means writing, producing, and editing your own work to ‘prove’ your skills. It sounds great in theory, but the idea takes a lot of things for granted. Firstly, money – these projects are, more often than not, out of pocket, which creates a real discrepancy. Camera quality, location, and post-production start to look exponentially better when there’s a decent budget. But the most expensive resource is time. If you have a full–time job it might feel like an impossible feat to build an impressive showreel in your spare time.

This is not to say it’s impossible. In fact, it’s easier now than ever to create good quality stuff cheaply, and talent and investment are far from the same. There are lots of online resources like free editing software that’s very high quality, and its no longer necessary to be taught on the job by an older professional. I am, however, aware that I spent three years doing this and only this, with a (small) university budget, and I’m still complaining – so I can imagine it’s even more difficult without those benefits.

Cutting out the middleman

This leads me to my final question – is this broad accessibility a good thing? A lot of these changes probably seem beneficial to independent filmmakers – you can gain professional skills from home and freelance alongside making personal projects. Social media is as good a distribution platform as any, and it’s a great equaliser.

But what happens as the market becomes oversaturated? This accelerated restructuring means that large parts of the industry are downsizing and consolidating – leaving the workforce under–employed and battling for work. ScreenSkills reported from a recent survey that 72% of respondents had extra capacity for work. This is exceedingly true for junior roles, of which 82% agreed. This overcrowding is felt most by those trying to enter the industry - If someone with 10 years’ experience can’t find work then what hope do we have?!

The good thing is the new generation of filmmakers are very supportive of new and unusual ideas – it’s increasingly easy to find and grow your audience, and this kind of success has started to be taken very seriously by industry veterans who are acknowledging a massive shift. If you can give evidence for your skills by proving that people your own age are engaging with your work then you have a lot of currency – because that’s exactly the kind of thing they’re looking for.

So What?

My research has told me that (alongside the SAG-AFTRA/WGA strikes in 2023 causing a dip in commissioning), COVID was a large factor in this volatility. When everyone was stuck at home, we all wanted to watch more, which created loads of jobs, but also over projections, some hasty promotions (and therefore skills gaps) that led to a plummet, which is what we’re feeling now. Hopefully, these waves will calm and the jobs will adjust to the market. Until then, it’s important not to only rely on ‘runner’ jobs to pull you up the ladder. There is a lot of opportunity for growth that hasn’t been exploited yet, and youth is definitely a strength here.

As a very cautious person I should take my own advice. I’m quite traditional in the sense that I often want to be taught and trusted before I do something for myself, but the truth is that with this kind of thing you have to just throw yourself in, the deeper the better, and just be really shit at it for a while if that’s what needs to happen. Eventually you will learn from the mild embarrassment and mistakes, and it will all be worth it.

This is not to say you shouldn’t try to get work experience – absolutely do that, but teach yourself too, have your own projects, and use the opportunity to create something entirely personal and unique, because you never know where it could lead. If anything, once you start working you will have to sacrifice a lot of creative control, so take the chance to be completely original while you have it.