Answers before you start the course
Find out who the course suits, what you will practise each week, how the work is reviewed and what you can realistically expect to be able to do afterwards.
Questions from prospective learners
These are the questions people ask most often before starting. If yours is not covered, write to us and one of the instructors will reply in plain terms.
Do I need production experience before I begin?
No. The course starts with the basics of a running order and builds from there. It helps if you have attended or helped at a live event, a webinar or a conference, because you will recognise the situations we plan for. Comfort with a spreadsheet or a simple document editor is enough for the exercises.
What will I actually practise during the course?
You work through original sample rundowns and turn rough agendas into usable plans. That means setting segment start times, naming owners, adding fallback options, writing cue sheets, and drafting rehearsal schedules. Each module ends with a short exercise built on the same kind of material you would meet at work.
Who teaches the modules and reviews my work?
Marcus Reynolds leads the running order modules and reviews learners' sample rundowns. Elena Brooks teaches cue sheets and rehearsal scheduling, drawing on her stage management background. Daniel Whitfield covers streamed discussions, remote guests and technical handovers. Each of them comments on the exercises in their own area.
How is timing and pacing taught?
You practise by timing segments yourself and then adjusting a programme that runs long or short. We look at where buffers belong, which segments can shrink without harm, and how to tell a presenter what changes. The aim is a plan you can defend and amend calmly during a live show.
Does the course cover streamed discussions as well as in-person events?
Yes. One module is devoted to streamed panels. You prepare a moderator, guests and remote contributors, and mark clear handover points between speakers. The same habits carry over to webinars and hybrid business events, where some people are in the room and others join from elsewhere.
What can I realistically do once I have finished?
You should be able to take a loose agenda and produce a running order, a cue sheet, a rehearsal plan and a set of production notes that another team could follow. The course builds planning skill and a portfolio of practice documents. It does not promise a job or a particular income.
Will I receive a certificate or accreditation?
No. The course gives you practice, feedback from the instructors and a set of finished planning documents of your own. We do not issue a certificate or claim any outside accreditation, so what you take away is the skill and the working samples you can show to others.
How do I ask something that is not listed here?
Use the contact form on the contact page, or call or email us using the details shown there. Tell us a little about your background and what you hope to plan. One of the instructors will answer in writing, usually within a few working days.
