{"id":2640,"date":"2018-10-22T13:07:02","date_gmt":"2018-10-22T12:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.productionbase.co.uk\/blog\/?p=2640"},"modified":"2019-02-19T11:05:02","modified_gmt":"2019-02-19T11:05:02","slug":"become-production-assistant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.productionbase.co.uk\/blog\/2018\/10\/22\/become-production-assistant\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Become a Production Assistant"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Become<\/p>\n

What is a Production Assistant<\/strong>
\nProduction Assistants, also knows as PAs work throughout pre-production and production, supporting senior production staff, and are responsible for a number of administrative and organisational duties.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In most productions, the Production Assistant role is an entry-level position. The Production Assistant\u00a0will usually work across a number of different departments.\u00a0Therefore the role of a Production Assistant encompasses many different tasks and can vary from production to production.<\/p>\n

While this may sound quite daunting, working as a Production Assistant is a great way to build your understanding of the different departments that work together to create a production. Further, if you don’t have a career in mind, it is a great way to learn about each of the departments and to get a feel for what you might like to do in the future.<\/p>\n

Below you can find a small insight into what to expect and the key skills you will need to succeed.<\/p>\n

What does a Production Assistant do?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

In short? Anything and everything. As a Production Assistant, you are everyone’s go-to for any extra jobs that need to be done. In this role thinking on your feet and taking initiative is an absolute necessity, you’ll need to be a fast learner and willing to put in the hours. But, never be afraid to ask questions, although a Production will expect a lot from you this is an entry-level role and an opportunity for learning and development.<\/p>\n

To be a Production Assistant organisational skills are essential. You’ll be expected to hire production equipment and studios, copy and distribute scripts and call sheets, and organise schedules and contracts. From time to time, you will also need to book hotels and other travel arrangements if and when the production goes abroad for filming. You may also be expected to control crowds.<\/p>\n

Numerical skills will come in handy with this job, as you will be dealing with accounts,\u00a0 expenses and building budgets.<\/p>\n

\"Production<\/a><\/p>\n

As part of your role as you will organise meetings, interviews and liaise with personnel across the production team making interpersonal skills a must-have. When you get a message through on the walkie-talkie, be sure to respond even if you aren’t available as this will help ensure the efficiency of the production.<\/p>\n

In this role, no two days will ever be the same and you will constantly face new challenges and tasks. Work hard and you will be rewarded with knowledge and experience that will help you advance in your career.<\/p>\n

As a Production Assistant, you’ll also need to have great communication skills, being able to communicate well is probably the most important part of this job role. We definitely recommend brushing up on those interpersonal skills, after all in this competitive industry a lot of the time it is about who you know.<\/p>\n

But don’t take our word for it. Here is a great short video showing a day in the life of a Production Assistant:<\/p>\n