Tamsin Nolan
Production Manager
What I do
I am a production manager within sports broadcasting. I work with a team to plan large outside broadcasts of live events, daily sports news and feature shoots. I currently work across women’s tennis, but I have worked across rugby, football and even squash.
How I got my job
I graduated from the University of Lincoln in 2007 with a first class honours degree in media production, where I learnt editing, presenting, filming and graphics. I then applied for lots of work experience, and my first job was as a runner for a Channel 4 programme. At first there were some interesting jobs I had to do for work experience – like cleaning out a fish tank, being the back end of a donkey and making a lot of tea! It was certainly not glamorous, but it exposed me to many different roles within the industry and helped me to build up contacts that later led to a role as a production assistant. From there I was a production co-ordinator, junior production manager and now production manager, managing my own shoots.
What I love about my job
I am fortunate to travel all over the world with the tennis tour, and experience many locations I would never dream of going to. I have also been able to attend great sporting events (the Olympics, Premier League, finals) and have met some great sports stars. Plus I work with a great team with exciting and fun ideas. Every day is different work.
What’s difficult about my job?
It can sometimes be long days, especially in tennis!
What skills I need
The role of a production manager requires, above all, planning and organisation. You are responsible for making sure a big crew are where they need to be, when they need to be, and that everything runs smoothly. Excel skills also help, as I manage many budgets, and I use Word.
Where to start
Work experience is absolutely key. This is a great way to build up your CV, gain an insight into the various roles with production, and make valuable contacts within the industry.
