Technical Manager

Salary: £5810

Open City Documentary Festival is currently looking for a Technical Manager to oversee the technical delivery of the festival film programme.

This includes ensuring all screening materials are received on time and in the correct formats, overseeing the technical delivery of the Talks and Workshops programme and providing technical support to additional events where required.

Role details:

• Fixed-term
• Part-time

Dates of work:

• 2 days per week from w/c 17th February
• 3 days per week from w/c 31st March
• Full time from 6th – 11th May (inclusive of weekend)
• 7 days wrap-up after festival

Role responsibilities:

• Liaise with filmmakers, distributors and archives to coordinate the delivery of all digital and analogue film screening formats.
• Manage the transportation of films and videos and the accompanying paperwork, booking both national and international couriers.
• Maintain detailed tracking documents, logging delivery status and technical information regarding each film/screening.
• Liaise with festival cinema venues regarding the delivery and testing of screening materials.
• Liaise with venues and filmmakers / external curators to arrange technical rehearsals.
• DCP creation and Quality Control of digital screening materials.
• Create pre-screening slides from template and deliver all pre-screening materials to venues.
• Work with programming and production team to advise on technical set-up and delivery of special events, arranging rental of any additional technical equipment required.
• Contribute to procedure sheets for all festival events with technical information and screening orders.
• Manage print transport and technical budgets, maintaining records of projected and confirmed expenditure.
• Collect and log replacement values of film prints for insurance purposes
• Liaise with filmmakers and subtitling service to source materials required for creation of descriptive and live subtitling.
• Prepare playback computer for Talks and Workshops programme, including the preparation of clips and slides as required.
• Contribute to festival production ­meetings.
• Coordinate return of screening materials from venues and arrange onward shipping.
• Finalise budgets and provide wrap report.
• Any other duties that are within the scope, spirit and purpose of the job, as requested by the festival team.

Essential criteria:

• Demonstrable experience handling both digital and analogue film formats.
• Good working knowledge video screening media, including video and audio codecs, framerates, subtitling and aspect ratios.
• Strong attention to detail and a proactive approach to checking the accuracy of information.
• Knowledge of a variety of video and audio post-production software.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to prioritise workload and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to act as an ambassador to the festival and deal effectively with people at all levels.

Desirable criteria:

• Prior experience working with national and international courier shipments, ideally involving the import and export of films / cultural items.

How to apply:

To apply complete this form and send your CV to info@opencitylondon.com with the subject line “2025 Technical Manager Application”.  Applications close at 11:59 pm GMT on Monday 9th of December. Interviews will take place the week commencing January 13th.

If you have any questions about the role or the application process, please get in touch with us at info@opencitylondon.com

As part of London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates currently underrepresented in UCL’s workforce and within the cultural sector. These include: people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, disabled people and LGBTQ+ people.

The closing date for this position is 09/12/2024 at 23:59