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The Television Floor Manager

Floor Manager

The television floor manager is the person in charge of the production "floor". In studio settings the floor is the main production area where all the action takes place, often on a stage. In outside broadcast settings, the floor is a temporary area where presenters and other talent are located.

The floor manager is the link between the director and people on the floor, i.e. presenters, talent, other staff and the audience. The floor manager normally wears an earpiece and microphone to stay in constant contact with the control room. S/he passes information and cues to the talent and relays information back to the director.

The floor manager's duties can include...

Before the show:

During the show:

Required Skills

The floor manager is a senior position. As such it requires a high level of maturity, confidence and competence. A good floor manager will have a broad understanding of television requirements and know all the floor staff positions well (camera, sound, lighting, etc).

The floor manager must be able to work well under stress and be able to deal with difficult situations calmly. S/he must have excellent interpersonal skills and be unflinchingly diplomatic.

A sense of timing and continuity is critical. A good sense of space is also helpful when referring to floor plans and making set changes flow well.

Most floor managers work their way up to this position from having worked in other television roles. Formal qualifications are helpful but practical experience is what really matters.