Essential Paperwork Every Production Coordinator Needs

Posted on: Apr 22, 2025

Photo Credit: FG Trade

By Ben Hickson

The role of a production coordinator is a tough, but rewarding job. Creating a smooth-running set and ensuring that all logistics, communication and paperwork are handled efficiently is essential to the success of the whole operation. I have been a coordinator for the past few years, and I have learned a lot about all the paperwork that makes a production run smoothly. It doesn’t matter if you’re stepping into the role for the first time or looking to sharpen your skills—understanding these key documents is crucial.

Key Takeaways:

Meticulous tracking of petty cash and receipts is vital for staying within budget and avoiding financial delays.
Accurate and timely call sheets and schedules keep the production running smoothly and aligned across departments.
Collecting and organizing releases and permits before filming prevents legal issues and production setbacks.

Here’s a breakdown of the most essential paperwork every production coordinator should master:

Petty Cash Reconciliation/Receipts

Tracking expenses is a major part of the job. Production coordinators are often the ones handling the day-to-day purchases and petty cash. They must be able to handle purchase orders for rental equipment, catering and other on-set necessities, while maintaining order and keeping track of who is buying what for what department. Organizing receipts and ensuring proper documentation for all transactions is critical for budget management and reimbursement processes. Every dollar spent must be accounted for, and keeping organized records ensures that the production stays within budget and that all purchases can be reconciled at the end of the shoot.

One of the biggest challenges in my experience is making sure all receipts and petty cash are accounted for. Missing receipts can cause major delays in closing out financial reports, so I always have two separate organization systems for petty cash and production card expenses. Doing this is good practice, because by having a system in place—whether it’s a spreadsheet, accounting software or a physical log—you are able to track every transaction throughout the shoot. Additionally, setting up petty cash limits and requiring crew members to sign for any cash advances can help keep spending under control.

Call Sheets and Schedules

The call sheet is a production’s daily blueprint. It includes essential details, such as crew call times, shooting locations, cast requirements, weather forecasts and any special instructions for the day. As a production coordinator, you’ll often be responsible for gathering information, formatting and distributing the call sheet to the entire cast and crew in a timely manner.

I find that the key to having a good call sheet is double-checking everything with the producers and production manager to ensure accuracy and clarity. There have been instances where listing the wrong call time or an incorrect address has thrown off an entire day of production. Additionally, maintaining an up-to-date master schedule is essential to ensuring all departments are aligned with the overall production plan. This includes tracking shoot days, rehearsals, travel days and post-production deadlines.

Releases

In my experience, releases have been one of the most important documents to stay on top of. They include appearance releases, materials releases and location releases. These agreements between the production, and those on camera, allow us to use their likeness and logos on screen. If we did not have these, our TV screens would be one big blur, so ensuring all releases are properly signed and filed protects the production from legal complications.

One of the biggest challenges in managing releases is making sure they are completed before filming begins. It’s easy for a production to get caught up in the chaos of the day and forget to get someone’s signature. This can cause serious problems during editing if a release is missing and the footage is unusable. To avoid this, production coordinators should maintain a checklist of all necessary releases and ensure they are collected, verified and stored securely before filming starts. Digital release tracking systems can also help keep everything organized and reduce paperwork errors.

Location Agreements and Permits

As mentioned earlier, securing a location release is essential to ensuring you have permission to film at your location. Oftentimes, securing locations for a shoot requires proper documentation, and possibly special permits. These location agreements outline the terms and conditions for using a specific space, while permits ensure compliance with local regulations. It’s very important to research the permitting process for each location well in advance, because some locations have strict regulations regarding street closures, noise levels or drone usage. These permits can take weeks to process, so staying on top of these is essential to keeping the shoot on schedule.

Additionally, it’s crucial to clarify all logistical details in the location agreement. This includes outlining the hours of use, parking arrangements, security requirements and any fees or damages the production is responsible for. A well-drafted agreement can help prevent conflicts between the production team and location owners, ensuring a smooth shoot day without unexpected issues.

Being a production coordinator is a fun and rewarding job, but it also means staying on top of a multitude of documents to keep the production running efficiently. Mastering these essential documents will help you stay organized, communicate effectively and support a seamless filmmaking process, so that whether you’re on a small reality TV set or a big-budget production, these skills will make you an invaluable part of the team. The paperwork may seem overwhelming at times, but with practice, it becomes second nature and you will be able to focus on problem-solving and keeping the production moving forward.

By developing strong organizational habits, maintaining accurate records and staying proactive in gathering necessary paperwork, I have managed to grow my skills as a production coordinator. Understanding all of these documents was not easy at first, but once I got the hang of it, I really saw how they work to ensure that everything runs smoothly behind the scenes. The job requires attention to detail and the ability to handle multiple tasks at once, but when done correctly, it’s one of the most rewarding roles in production.

Benjamin Hickson is an aspiring producer and production coordinator who has 4+ years experience working on various Film and TV projects. He has a background in Public Relations and served for six years in the military. He also has passion for travel and aims to increase LGBTQ+ representation in the entertainment industry.

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