Many productions would fall apart without their support staff and it’s no different in voice production. Runners are both very much seen – they’re in reception, they regularly pop into the studio with teas and lunch menus, but are also the hidden engine keeping a lot of things moving. Many have both obvious and hidden skills. Being in that “foot-in-the-door” role, some want to move further into production while others use it to support a different life. They also have more influence on whether an actor works at a studio again or not than you may realise. I’ve seen many runners come and go and want to shine a light on them today.
The role of the runner ticks a lot of the cliché requirements of any job listing:
Self-motivated: a lot of tasks are repetitive, so it takes effort to keep consistent and continue to care after the first few weeks. A good runner figures out how to keep things interesting, which leads to …
Proactive: not just ticking items off a mental list, the super runner is always looking for ways to make things better, be it researching less expensive suppliers or how to make a long-term client happy.
Organised: if a runner misses the food order or delivers something late, a rather expensive recording session can either be delayed or people end up working hungry.
Team player: Runners are often the first people everyone sees at the studio, so their attitude and vibe are very important. If temporary, they have to slot right in working elbow-to-elbow with people they’ve only just met. If they’re doing it right, no one can tell the difference.
And speaking of working closely with others, runners take care of actors in many ways, from bringing in warm drinks to soothe a tired throat to checking on someone panicking in the toilets. They can give you a heads up about the mood in the studio, find you a quiet place to warm up, or sneak you an extra chocolate if you’ve had a tough commute.
Remember, they also see everything in reception: the good, the bad, and the ugly. It’s noted when a runner and receptionist like an actor, it indicates they’re likely to be good to work with in studio as well. But a quiet word to a production manager about bad behaviour out of the view of the Production team and suddenly a talent agent’s getting a call about their actor. Don’t go trying to sneak flyers for your show or service onto the bulletin board, Runners see your every move. Violating an NDA or trying to drum up your own business? Reported.
And it’s not just the actors they’re keeping an eye on. I once was called because a parent-chaperone had decided to take advantage of our studio’s proximity to Oxford Street and left to go shopping! I had to make a rather urgent and terse call to get them back in to supervise their kid’s session and not violate the child performer license regulations.
Runners, especially temps, who jump from one gig to the next, often also have special skills. It’s been delightful to discover those who can sketch beautifully, practice calligraphy, put together amazing playlists, arrange flowers, save dying office plants, and photograph flattering portraits. It makes sense, it’s often the artistic or creative type who temps to support their craft. We just get to uncover these skills once in a while.
Do not underestimate how important they are to your client relationships as well. A good runner will bring a plate of biscuits or a jar of chocolates into the studio just as the late afternoon slump is hitting. Once, when a Canadian client was really starting to miss home during the second or third week of a long-running recording schedule, the runner looked up what poutine was and put together the closest version they could manage in Central London. The client was delighted. Cheese curds and gravy on chips are not in any training manual, but a good runner did it anyway.
The runner position is known as a starter role, and for good reason. Runners are in the midst of everything. Many runners I’ve worked with have made their way up through reception and into Production and Casting and are now making major decisions about your favourite game franchises. Those who came in with engineering training but little experience are now talented Audio engineers, Post Production specialists, or Sound Designers. While a runner’s job is to help productions run smoothly and take care of everyone in studio, in their rare quiet times they can also assist in tasks which may put them on their desired career path. How they handle themselves in their role, especially on busy days, as well as what skills they show in these trial runs are what give managers a view to how they can help develop a runner’s career. Those cliched points mentioned above? Do well at those and it’ll be noted, as they apply to every role upwards as well.
Of course, it’s not for everyone, some runners find their energy fizzles out or they realise that perhaps audio production isn’t for them. They move on, either taking their skills to new places, such as music and film studios, or end up leaving production entirely. Some even decide to cross the divide and try their own hand at acting or film-making. They’ll have chatted to a few actors at the studio about all that before making the jump, have no doubt.
So, a big hurrah! to the super star runners out there. Appreciate them when you can, be it as their supervisor or when accepting a well-made mug of tea. And for those of you who are runners, thank you. Whether you intend to stay a runner to support the other parts of your life or this is just the start of your journey into production: best wishes.
