The 4-month Production Manager program will let you acquire, over a short period, the essential skills for managing projects in the arts sector.

Skills objectives

The Production Manager for artistic projects title validates the acquisition of the following skills:

  • Managing and monitoring the budget of an artistic project
  • Carry out the contractual and regulatory operations related to the production and exploitation of an artistic project
  • Organize the production and operation of an artistic project
  • Communicating about an artistic project for prospecting and promotion purposes.

Learning objectives

The learning objectives of the Production Manager programs are to enable learners, at the end of the program, to:

  1. Position the artistic project (performing arts or contemporary music) within an aesthetic, cultural, and socio-political environment,
  2. Organizing the production process,
  3. Ensuring budget monitoring,
  4. Taking part in the legal management,
  5. Managing logistical aspects and collaborating with technical teams,
  6. Leading projects on a European and international scale,
  7. Communicating, promoting, and marketing in the digital age,
  8. Mastering desktop publishing (DTP) software.

Methods used

  • Classroom courses led by professors or professional speakers who are experts in their fields,
  • Professional simulations in group or individual work on real cases provided by a partner company or on representative cases,
  • Group and individual coaching allowing you to develop a methodology and successfully carry out your project and your professional resources,
  • Meetings with professionals through thematic seminars (radio production, a study day on the RAP music industry), lectures, talks by alumni…
  • Project-based pedagogy, in groups or individually.

Skill blocks

RNCP39624BC01 - Managing the budget and resources of an artistic project

  • Determine the resources needed to carry out the artistic project, drawing on an interview with the creator/artist as well as on the initial documents (statement of intent, synopsis, script, etc.), in order to estimate production costs
  • Draw up, in collaboration with the various stakeholders, the project’s provisional budget, based on production and operating costs and revenues, in order to assess the financial resources the project needs and/or its viability
  • Set the transfer/sale price of the artistic production, based on operating costs and set costs, in order to recoup production costs and generate the funds needed for the organization’s development and structuring
  • Monitor the production budget, by producing regular reports and comparing forecasts (provisional budget) with actual figures, in order to identify any discrepancies and make the necessary adjustments

RNCP39624BC02 - Implement the contractual and regulatory operations of an artistic project

  • Draw up employment contracts for the various contributors (internal, external), ensuring the application and observance of labor law, so as to formalize relationships
  • Draw up the different types of contracts (co-production, residency, assignment, co-organization, provision, etc.) and/or agreements necessary for the production and exploitation of the artistic project, taking into account: applicable regulations, mutual agreements between stakeholders and the specificities of the production, in order to formalize commitments with the various partners/collaborators
  • Submit requests for authorization relating to copyright and related rights necessary for the exploitation of works, carrying out the necessary steps, in order to be able to reproduce or distribute various pre-existing works created by a third party
  • Apply the social and contractual obligations related to the international dimension of a project, relying on/informing themselves about the regulations of the countries concerned, so as to guarantee compliance with legal obligations

RNCP39624BC03 - Organize the production and run of an artistic project

  • Identifying the professionals and institutions likely to be mobilized and involved in the artistic project, relying on the prior preparation of an artistic file, in order to enter into partnerships
  • Establishing a forecast schedule for production and the run, by determining, in collaboration with stakeholders, the various stages, milestones and resources needed for each activity, so as to steer and monitor the project
  • Drawing up the technical rider of the artistic production, by listing all the technical and human needs required for the performances/showings, so as to anticipate technical aspects and gauge the constraints and possible adaptations with the host venue and/or the buyer of the project
  • Planning the logistics needed for the artists' and technicians' work, by negotiating and arranging their reception, transport, accommodation, etc., so as to ensure the smooth running of the production/run
  • Drawing up the roadmaps and schedules of the various contributors/artists, by listing the resources, prioritizing tasks and defining the timetable of the various activities, in order to coordinate resources/teams

RNCP39624BC04 - Promote an artistic project

  • Establish a digital and offline communication plan, by planning and detailing all the actions to be carried out (objectives, targets, resources, channels and messages), in order to organize and monitor communication around the artistic project
  • Write an artistic project file, summarizing the artistic approach of the project and its objectives (audiences, partners, outreach activities, etc.), in order to prospect for and present the project to partners
  • Design the various communication materials, adapting the content to the target audiences and the different distribution channels, so as to promote the artistic project

Certified title

Professional certification Artistic Project Production Officer from ECAD Consultants – IESA arts&culture, level 5, NSF code 323, registered with the RNCP under number 39624 by decision of the Director General of France Compétences dated 10/01/2024 for a period of 2 years.

Certifying assessment methods

To be eligible for the final oral exam for the certified title, the learner must have taken all the exams and obtained an overall average of at least 10/20.

Continuous assessment methods

The evaluators decide on full or partial validation of the skills associated with the certified title framework at the end of a one-hour final oral exam during which the learner must present their artistic and cultural project.

Next steps

The Production Officer programs are not designed for further studies. Nevertheless, graduates can continue their education at IESA arts&culture in the 3rd-year Bachelor in Cultural Production if they wish.

Options to validate skill blocks

If you do not obtain the RNCP title, please note that if you have validated all the skills of a block, that skill block is yours permanently.

Accessibility for People with Disabilities

Do you have a disability? Do you have an RQTH? Do you have specific difficulties? IESA arts&culture supports your success, whatever your situation. An individual meeting will be offered to determine with you the adaptations needed for your training path.

Your contact: handicap@iesa.fr