Commercials are a proper part of the film industry, with their own production companies, trade body, awards and directors, and a gateway to features for many crew. The in-house runner is the first person in and the last out of a commercials production company: reception, kitchen, post, castings, errands and the call sheet. At Stage 1 you have never had a paid job in the industry, so do not apply for jobs yet: learn how a commercial is made, who the companies are, and the office skills the job needs. Stage 2 is placements, shoot days, references and contacts. Stage 3 is a paid runner job and the path to production assistant and coordinator. Tick what you have done, work on the rest, and take the gaps to an MFJF mentor. The Foundations course for this role covers the Stage 1 knowledge.
Read the career guide for what the job involves day to day.
Stage 1: Before your first job
27 things to do, know or be able to do
Experience 8
- Apply for work experience positions during the holidays if you are studying; do not leave it until the first day of the holiday to look.
- Look for voluntary roles at film festivals or events that can add to your CV while you study; the BFI takes volunteers for the London Film Festival and BFI Flare (18 and over, travel and food covered).
- Begin to search for work experience at production companies and creative agencies; the APA's searchable members list is your target list.
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Skills 8
- Further your knowledge of Excel in Microsoft 365, and of Google Workspace; call sheets, crew lists and budgets live in both.
- Take any IT short courses to add to your CV.
- Take your driving test if you do not have a licence; runners drive.
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Knowledge 11
- Read Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson.
- Read The Ad-Makers by Tom von Logue Newth; it is from 2013, before social-first video, so read it for how a shoot is produced.
- Research the industry and the companies dedicated to making commercials; read Shots, LBB and Campaign for fifteen minutes a day and note the brand, agency, production company and director on every job you like.
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Stage 2: Experience and contacts
27 things to do, know or be able to do
Experience 9
- If you have finished studying, look for paid internships and short placements at production companies specialising in commercials; an unpaid placement should be short and genuinely observational.
- How many placements do you have on your CV? One might not be enough.
- Call or email companies of interest once a month.
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Skills 8
- Practise your interview technique with friends and relatives; interviews are only nerve-racking when you have not had many.
- Continue to develop your Microsoft 365 and IT skills.
- You will need a driving licence.
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Knowledge 10
- Research the company before each interview and keep re-reading the job description.
- If you are receiving no response, go back to your CV and work out what is missing; do you need more experience?
- Do you know who the favoured directors are, and which companies represent them?
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Stage 3: Paid work
21 things to do, know or be able to do
Experience 7
- Do you have a CV with relevant placements at a production company?
- Can you operate Excel?
- Can you demonstrate admin experience?
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Skills 5
- Can you demonstrate experience of treatment writing or image research?
- Do you know where to look for information when researching?
- Can you book travel and accommodation for a crew and for a visiting production, including a welcome pack?
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Knowledge 9
- Do you know what goes into a treatment?
- Do you know how the industry uses the trades?
- Do you know the best way to fit into the office environment?
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Ways in for a commercials runner
Real schemes, checked on the organiser’s own page. A shut one is still here with when it comes back, because half the big schemes are closed at any one time and that is worth knowing.
- Trainee FinderScreenSkillsPeople over 18 who live in the UK and have less than 12 months of paid production experience in their chosen department. No on-set experience is needed, and there is no upper age limit.Final deadline 28 October 2026
- Sara Putt Associates Trainee SchemeSara Putt AssociatesTwo professional credits but under three years' cumulative experience, in Camera, Sound, Edit, Production Office, Art, Costume, AD, Script Supervisor, Locations, or Hair and Make-Up.Final deadline 24 January 2027
- Production Training SchemeChannel 4 (4Skills)People at the very start of a TV production career who may face barriers to getting in. You are not eligible with more than three months' industry experience in total.Not open right now
Sources and References
This is MFJF’s own three-stage career plan for a commercials runner, written up from the career plan and the careers guide on our site. Open any of them yourself.
- MFJF career plan: Commercials Runner (PDF) the original plan this page was written up from
- MFJF careers guide: Commercials Runner what the job involves day to day
- The Three Career Stages the framework all three stages follow
Every link checked 19 September 2026. The plan itself was last revised September 2026.
