17 Sep What Does a Fixer Actually Do on a Film or TV Production?
Key Takeaways
A fixer is a local professional who arranges the practical, on-the-ground side of a shoot in a country or region the visiting crew doesn’t know well. Typical fixer responsibilities include locations, permits, local crew, transport, and connecting the visiting team with contacts or interviewees. Fixers are standard practice in news, documentary, and international corporate production — not a sign that a shoot is unusually complicated. A good fixer often also acts as a local production coordinator, not just a guide.
“Fixer” is a term borrowed from news and documentary production, and it sometimes gets a reputation as something only foreign correspondents need. In practice, any visiting production — a UK broadcaster filming a documentary segment in Ireland, a corporate video team covering an Irish event, or an international crew needing local support for a day — can benefit from one.
The core job: local knowledge, fast
A fixer’s main value is compressing weeks of local research into a phone call. They know which locations will actually grant filming permission, what a permit costs and how long it takes, which local crew are reliable, and how to get equipment and transport sorted without the visiting production team having to build all of that from scratch remotely.
What a fixer typically handles
Scouting and securing filming locations, including permissions from private owners or local authorities
Arranging local camera operators, sound, and additional crew where the visiting team needs to supplement their own
Sourcing or hiring equipment that isn’t practical to bring from abroad
Local transport and logistics — getting people and gear where they need to be, on time
Connecting the production with interviewees, local contacts, or subject-matter experts
Acting as a point of local contact if something changes on the day
Fixer vs. full production company
A fixer role can sit anywhere on a spectrum — from a single local contact who scouts locations and makes introductions, through to a full local production partner who supplies crew, equipment, and technical direction for the shoot day itself. For a UK production filming in Ireland, it’s worth being specific about which end of that spectrum you need: purely logistical support, or a production team that can also operate cameras and manage the shoot.
Why productions hire a local fixer rather than doing it all remotely
Permissions and location access in particular tend to move faster through a local contact who already has relationships with venues, local authorities, and businesses. It also reduces risk: a fixer who knows a location well is more likely to flag a problem — noise restrictions, parking, access hours — before it derails a shoot day, rather than after the crew has already arrived.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a fixer for a short one-day shoot?
It depends on how well you already know the location. For a single well-planned location with existing permission, you may not need one. For anything involving multiple locations, public spaces, or last-minute location changes, a fixer significantly reduces the risk of losing shoot time on the day.
Can a fixer also operate a camera?
Some can — it depends on their background. If you need both local logistics and hands-on crew (camera operator, sound recordist), it’s worth confirming this upfront rather than assuming a fixer role automatically includes filming.
How far in advance should a fixer be booked?
For location scouting and permissions in particular, two to four weeks’ notice gives a fixer enough time to secure access properly rather than scrambling. Faster turnarounds are often possible for straightforward jobs, but permissions are the part most likely to need lead time.
Get In Touch
Idiosync Films provides local fixer and production support for UK and international teams filming in Ireland, from location scouting and permissions through to full camera crew and technical direction. Get in touch at hi@idiosyncfilms.com to talk through what your shoot needs.