Production Meeting
A Production Meeting is a crucial gathering where all the key people involved in creating a show or performance come together to discuss plans, progress, and problems. Think of it as the main planning session where directors, designers, stage managers, and technical staff coordinate their work. These meetings help keep everyone on the same page about schedules, budgets, creative decisions, and technical needs. They typically happen regularly throughout the preparation period of a show, from early planning stages through to opening night. Similar terms you might see include "production conference," "production planning meeting," or "production review."
Examples in Resumes
Coordinated weekly Production Meetings for a 12-show season
Took detailed notes during Production Meetings and distributed action items to team members
Led Production Meeting discussions between creative team and technical departments
Typical job title: "Stage Managers"
Also try searching for:
Where to Find Stage Managers
Professional Organizations
Online Communities
Job Resources
Example Interview Questions
Senior Level Questions
Q: How do you handle conflicts between departments during production meetings?
Expected Answer: A senior stage manager should discuss their experience in mediation, prioritizing show needs, finding compromises, and maintaining professional relationships while ensuring all departments' concerns are heard and addressed.
Q: How do you structure production meetings to ensure efficiency with multiple shows running simultaneously?
Expected Answer: Should demonstrate ability to organize multiple meeting schedules, prioritize urgent issues, delegate tasks effectively, and maintain clear communication channels across multiple production teams.
Mid Level Questions
Q: What information do you prepare before each production meeting?
Expected Answer: Should mention preparing agendas, progress reports, scheduling updates, budget tracking, and collecting department updates ahead of time.
Q: How do you follow up on action items from production meetings?
Expected Answer: Should discuss systems for tracking tasks, sending meeting notes, following up with department heads, and ensuring deadlines are met.
Junior Level Questions
Q: What's your process for taking and distributing production meeting notes?
Expected Answer: Should describe basic note-taking methods, organizing information by department, and standard distribution procedures for meeting minutes.
Q: Who typically attends production meetings and why?
Expected Answer: Should be able to list key attendees (director, designers, technical director, etc.) and explain their roles in the production process.
Experience Level Indicators
Junior (0-2 years)
- Basic meeting note-taking
- Understanding of production timeline
- Knowledge of theater terminology
- Basic scheduling abilities
Mid (2-5 years)
- Meeting facilitation
- Conflict resolution
- Budget tracking
- Department coordination
Senior (5+ years)
- Multi-show management
- Strategic planning
- Team leadership
- Crisis management
Red Flags to Watch For
- No experience taking or distributing meeting notes
- Poor communication skills
- Inability to maintain organized documentation
- Lack of basic theater terminology knowledge
- No experience with scheduling software or tools
