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WANTED: Intelligent, energetic, organized and ultra-responsible persons to work long hours for fixed weekly pay. Must be willing to take phone calls anytime. Sleep optional.
You may think working behind the scenes in the entertainment business is glamorous, but it takes a lot of dirty work to make a TV show, movie or corporate video. The production team is responsible for most of that work. And production assistants (PAs) are "the essential ingredient for moving all this material and all these people," explains Sandy Curry, author of the reference book Production Assistant Guidelines. Hence, there is always opportunity to get into this job.
A PA's life is marked by hard work, low pay and long hours. But toughing out the demanding work environment has its rewards, veterans say. "It's definitely a tough job," says Curry, a former PA who's now a freelance producer. "But if you survive it, you get great opportunities."
While working for a studio or producer may provide the most stable pay and work environment, you may prefer the freedom of working on your own as a PA.
Anatomy of the Job
Production assistants typically work in the movie, television, news, corporate, video game and advertising industries. But most PAs are employed in entertainment, where the hours are longest. Regardless of industry, the work is menial, and the pay is even less inspiring. PAs can expect to make between $150 and $500 a week in most major media markets. If you freelance, the length of your gig is determined by the project.
Alan Danzis, Baltimore-based executive producer of the "Fate Date" television show, describes how PAs were deployed on his set: "PAs were essential, whether it was for holding doors open for us when equipment moved in and out or carrying the equipment, making sure we didn't trip on a wire, and holding the boom mike. It didn't matter what they were doing. They were always important."
Some PAs do more traditional office work, like filing, emailing and shuttling tapes between producer and director. These PAs spend an inordinate amount of time on the phone tracking down materials, tracking packages and essentially being at the production team's beck and call.
"I was on the phone when I got my hair done; I was on the phone at the dentist's and doctor's office," says Natasha, a former PA at a special-effects production company who's now in feature-film development at a major Los Angeles studio. "I even worked from the temple while at my cousin's bar mitzvah."
"The thing with PAs of any kind is that you can be called on to do anything at any given time," says Joe, a New York City-based PA for a consumer-advocacy TV news service.
Necessary Skills
Curry says that besides the ability to juggle many tasks, successful PAs must possess these skills:
- Flexibility
- Adaptability
- Good communication skills
- Courtesy
- Hypervigilance
- A strong sense of responsibility
- Resiliency
- Neatness
Natasha adds patience to the list. "You have to deal with a ton of people on a daily basis, and you cannot get angry with anyone," she says. "The angrier you get about something, the less focus you have to complete your task at hand."
She also says an ability to prioritize is "probably the most important thing to cultivate and practice. You will have hundreds of things to do on a daily basis, and it's your job to determine what needs to be done sooner rather than later."
A Foot in the Door
So why would anyone want this job? It's a great way to learn about the business. If you pay attention and ask questions, you can start to figure out your next career move, Curry says.
"Aim for what you want to do next, and let the crew know you want it," she says. "Sometimes, if something comes up and they know you're interested, you'll get the assignment."
And that's how you work your way up the ladder. Almost all producers, directors or cinematographers worked as PAs.
"It's a great stepping-stone experience," Joe says. "It exposes you to different people and occupations."