My first production assistant gig in LA was a four-day sizzle shoot for an unscripted docuseries*. When I walked in, I did the usual million pages of paperwork. If you’ve read other posts jabout the beginning of my career, you’ll know I didn’t go to film school. I had very little knowledge of what I was actually getting into when I started this line of work. And I’ll be real honest, I was about as green* as they come. The production manager handed me a walkie and surveillance* like I was supposed to know what to do with it. So, I did what any millennial would do: I googled it. I asked to use the bathroom and watched a youtube video about how to put the surveillance on. Looking back on it all, I obviously could have just been up front and asked for help, but that’s not how I handled things then or now, and I do think there’s a certain level of trying to figure things out on your own that is respected around here. You know, the ‘fake it until you make it’ type of thinking. As a production assistant, and a crew member in general, being able to figure shit out on your own is almost rule number one.
PAs are the backbone of any gig. Don’t let anyone tell you any differently. You do all the grunt work, all the disgusting work, all the little things that it takes to get the job done. You keep things clean, organized, quiet, handled. If it’s a production without a specific catering* or craft service* department, you will be dealing with all of the crafty* and everyone’s lunches. If it’s a production where there isn’t a transportation department*, you’re probably driving production, equipment or the crew. You might be doing lockups, which just means you’re responsible for making sure no thing or human disrupts the shot. In these situations, you’ll be asked to make sure people keep their voices down or that they don’t walk through a shot.
The best PA is someone that is proactive and always present. Even if you’re green, always be paying attention to what is going on and how you can be helpful. One of the first production coordinators I worked for used to just sit back and watch the crew. He was so great at people watching, and he could tell by their actions when they needed something before they even asked for it.
Being attentive means you should probably shouldn’t be doom-scrolling on Instagram, especially in the first few days because first impressions are everything. Once you have the gig and crew sort of figured out, you will know when it’s appropriate to be on your phone. Unless you’re using your phone for work, of course, which you will. You'll hear stories about what it was like to be a production assistant without cell phones, google and map apps. I’m sure it was miserable, and fortunately for you (and me), we don’t live in that world anymore. If you’re a PA, your cell is kind of your best friend. Use it to help you accomplish tasks quicker, to be more efficient, and to make sure you never get lost and/or show up late because time really is money.
The biggest advice I could give you is to lean on your production department. Your coordinator and production manager are your guides. They need you as much as you need them, and the only way to function is as a team. If you are trying to figure out something on your own and end up exhausting all options, ask them for help. I know I said people like you to be the kind of person that can problem-solve, and I meant it, but no one will be satisfied if you end up taking more time trying to figure something out on your own instead of asking for assistance.
If you’re lucky enough to have more than one PA on the crew, lean on them, too. Some of my best friends to this day are people I started out with. We were comrades in the trenches; we went through it all together, and I always went to them before I went to anyone else. Everyone has different levels of experience, and you never know who you’ll end up working with. When things slow down at the end of the year, it’s pretty normal for people to take production assistant work as a filler when they don’t have as many calls coming in for their usual position. So check in with your fellow assistants if you have any questions or concerns.
The most important piece of advice I could give is to try not to second-guess yourself, which isn't easy to do regardless of your position. Most jobs are thankless ones, and production gigs aren’t any different. Whether you’re green, you don’t know anyone you’re working with or someone you’re working with has been doing it longer than you, it doesn’t mean you don't deserve to be there. Something I’ve always struggled with in life and, specifically this line of work, is imposter syndrome. Chances are, if you got the call for a gig, it’s because you’re qualified to be there. You deserve the job so stop getting in your own way. A friend and coworker of mine told me a story recently about when I was her PA in January 2015. I was anxious, nervous, totally doubting myself. It was the first job I was called for where I was fully in the field on set as a crew PA for the full run of a show. I still think back on those days and cringe because I was just so new. Oh, the mistakes I made. But she didn’t have that experience while working with me. She didn’t share any of the feelings that I felt about myself at the time. In fact, she told me in our conversation that I made her feel more comfortable by knowing the company so well (I was the office PA at this production company for 6 months before I got the gig with her). She laughed at my version of it all and reassured me that she always found me to be extremely helpful. It just goes to show that we really likely are our own worst enemies.
A few production assistant tips to get you started:
Always come in early. I’m the worst at this and am barely qualified to give this advice. What do parents say to their kids? Do as I say and not as I do? If you’re on time, you’re late.
Make sure you read the call sheet. Like, actually read it. Know what the day looks like, and make sure you find your name and check the call time next to it. Sometimes the “basic crew call” is different than your call, and you don’t want that to be the reason you're late.
Your walkie goes on at your call time (exception for this might be day 1 as you might not have your walkie yet). It’s the best form of communication, and if they can’t get ahold of you, it’s not a great look.
If your gig has a cooler that production is responsible for, it should always have ice in it. Drain it often. At the end of the night, make sure to empty it. Don’t be that guy that spills a cooler full of water in the crew van.
Wear closed-toed shoes, something comfortable. You never really know what your day looks like so you need to be prepared for any terrain and a potential change in weather. Definitely have a good backpack that fits you and has a lot of pouches. Depending on your gig, you’ll likely need to have waters, snacks, and potentially equipment in there. It’s also really important to know whether or not you need to wear show blacks*. This information can be found in the call sheet, or you can ask your supervisor, probably the person sending the call sheet. I’ll talk more about what to wear on set later, but these are crucial.
Have a way to take notes, whether that’s on your phone or in a notebook. You’ll use this for lunches (if your show doesn’t provide meals via catering or another method), among many other things.
There are tools and things you can have with you that will be helpful, and that all will most likely depend on the gig. The best PAs are considered a sort of Mary Poppins, because they have literally everything they could possibly need in their kit. Some things I always had were a small first aid kit, scissors, pens, sharpies (dual tip), multitool, knife, highlighters, paperclips, binder clips, a notepad, p-touch, white out, cell phone charger (sometimes a few), trash bags, etc. I think I even had a small sewing kit. You can never be too prepared. You should also have call sheets, time cards, etc. printed out and with you at all times. Some of these things you’ll learn as you go, but if you start out knowing you need them, you’ll be ahead of the game.
Make sure you’re aware of your duties before you start so that there aren’t as many questions along the way. You’ll want to know if you’re going to be in the office or the field, where set is located, what tasks they’ll be using you for (i.e. runner errands, releasing* people, assisting camera to name a few). This will help you prioritize what tasks are most important while you’re on set.
If you’re in charge of getting lunches, let this be your warning: people lose their minds about food. You are essentially a server. Make sure you get appropriate cutlery for the amount of people and food you’re eating. Find out exactly what each person wants; if they ask you for a salad, make sure you know which dressing. When you’re picking up the food, you need to make sure everything is there before you leave the restaurant. Technically, it’s the restaurants fault if the food isn’t there when you get back to set, but the restaurant isn’t there to deal with your angry crew member, so the best way to avoid drama is to handle it before it becomes a problem.
There’s a chance you won’t be on the same walkie channel as some of the crew, depending on what your gig is and how big it is. Try to find out where it’s safe to stand during the shoot. Make sure you’re helpful while also staying out of the way and out of the shot.
A trick of the trade is learning proper walkie etiquette. When you get your walkie and surveillance on, do a walkie check. You’ll want to make sure you hear someone let you know it was a good check so you can make sure your surveillance is working properly. Use the word copy to let someone talking to you know that you’ve heard and understood what they’ve asked you to do. When trying to reach someone on walkie, say "your name for other person's name" (Kait for Natalie). When responding to someone looking for you, you’d say, "Go for your name” (Go for Kait). A 10-1 is a bathroom break. You can ask people where they are by asking “What’s your 20?”. Let people know you’re flying in when they call for you to do something quickly and standing by when you’re waiting for a command to complete a task. If you didn’t hear something someone has asked of you, you can ask them to go again. More on walkies later.
Always log your hours on your own. Keep track of your mileage if you’re doing that kind of thing. Be as specific as possible with your notes; it’s your money, after-all.
The last big tip I have is possibly the most important. Keep your relationship with the cast and talent to a minimum. It’s a rule I live by because any miscommunication about a relationship between cast and crew could result in termination and most likely not for the cast member. This rule is more strict on some gigs more than others, but regardless, it’s best be polite but keep your distance. If a cast member approaches you and is requesting something (iPhone charger, food, beverage, etc.), call the appropriate person on walkie to have them handle it. The only exception I’ve ever made is one time a cast member asked me where the bathroom was, and I told her.
What did I forget or what did I get wrong? Let me know! As always, you deserve to be here. Do your best, work to the best of your ability, and remember that, for the most part, none of this is really that serious. Mistakes happen, as we are all human, and at the end of the day we’re all on the same team.
Stay safe, busy and healthy.
The Lady AC
(Originally posted in 2020)
Industry Terminology
docuseries - a television series that follows a particular person or group of people and their involvement in real events and situations over a period of time (think Tiger King)
green - being green refers to having very little to no experience on a particular job
walkie & servaillance - A walkie seems like southing you probably already know. It's a communication device that is used often in production. A surveillance is the headset you use to communicate so you don't have an open walkie, or a walkie that someone else besides yourself can hear.
catering - We all know what catering is, right? It's a service provided by production to feed the crew.
craft services/crafty - provides cast and crew with snacks, drinks and other assistance. Craft service workers are nicknamed "crafties" and are represented by a union, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.
transportation/transpo - Transportation on some productions consists of teamsters, or people who are responsible for driving vehicles, cargo or crew. There's unions for teamsters, as well. If your gig isn't union, the usual drivers of thing and people are the production department.
show blacks - Show blacks are black clothing that are gig-friendly (comfortable and functional). The idea behind show blacks is that you are less likely to stand out if your clothing is dark.
releasing - Releasing on set refers to the taking down the information of a person that was in the background of a shot. You'll be working with the release coordinator, unless your production doesn't have one, in which case you might be the only one doing the releasing.
Comments