Many people who want to get into the movies ask what a
production assistant does on a daily basis. These assistants work for actors,
film staff, directors, and other people who work to make movies happen. They do
a little bit of everything. Often these PAs are called the grunts of the movie
business, because they do a lot of things similar to an intern. It's a lot of
work without the glamour. They are typically called 'gophers' because they
go-for-this or go-for-that. But PAs claim that their jobs are rewarding and get
their foot in the door to work in the movie industry.
In a nutshell, production assistants take care of the
administration, organization, and secretarial work that goes along with
producing TV programs. This basically means they do a little bit of everything,
from scheduling to coordination to implementation. The PA is responsible for
attending production meetings, preparing correspondence, making copies of
scripts, running errands, managing expenses, typing call sheets, and assisting
cast members with various requests. They set up materials, keep track of
deadlines and remind directors of time constraints, and place orders.
They are responsible for booking hotels and other
accommodations, booking travel, typing and and distributing schedules,
distributing call sheets, dealing with budgets, accounts, and expenses, getting
food, checking running orders, checking scripts, making shot lists, logs, and
other paperwork for post-production, running various errands, assisting cast
members with their call times, typing, editing, copying, and distributing
scripts, setting up pre-recorded material in the studio gallery, and putting
away the material after it's been used.
Some PAs are given extra responsibilities. They drive and
manage the production and camera cube trucks. This responsibility is often
given to the more senior PAs because it provides several extra days of pay.
Junior PAs can work their way up to this position.
They call out rolls during each shoot to determine if
everyone is on set. If someone is missing, the PA must go and find them and
determine what the delay is. During filming the PA makes sure everyone knows
their call time and when to walk on set. They also manage the craft services
table and place fresh food and drinks out for actors, camera crew, and
directors to munch on while they are filming.
After filming has stopped for the day, the PA is responsible
for sweeping up debris, collecting props, and putting away costumes. The
costumes and props need to be put away in an orderly fashion so that they can
be easily accessed the next day. They make sure all the props are cleaned. If
the costumes need cleaning, they take them to the cleaners and pick them up.
Typically a production assistant isn't required to have a
degree. They may have a bachelor's degree, but it isn't mandatory. Great PAs
have a lot of experience and a ton of tenacity. They must be thick-skinned and
able to handle criticism and negative comments. Often people on film sets are
tasked with major deadlines that could cost a lot of money if they are not met,
so PAs may get the brunt of the misplaced stress.
