How to Become a TV Production Assistant
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Instructions
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Figure Out Where You Want the Job to Lead You
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Once you're nestled into your new position, notice just how many people it takes to make this production work. This is your chance to figure out where you fit in. Are you the type of person who likes being on set, or do you prefer being behind the scenes in the office? Do you want to learn how to edit, or are you a lighting kind of person? Do you think you'll ultimately be someone in a coordination role, or someone with a distinct specialty, like a cameraperson? Think hard about your personality and what kind of work will really make you happy in the long run. The second and third P.A. positions you take will help you forge a path in the direction of your desired career. Here are some additional P.A. roles to think about:
Office P.A.: This P.A. works in the production office. The types of jobs that can stem from here are coordinator and subsequent manager-type positions--production, logistics or administration.
Department Assistant (D.A.): Some large production companies, like MTV Networks, have positions in other related departments. You may be a department assistant in marketing, publicity or development. If the set isn't for you, this is a great entry-level job.
Assistant to the "_______": In the TV world, this is simply a glorified name for secretary/personal assistant. As with P.A. work, the hours can be grueling and the tasks mundane. But you are the right-hand person to a highly important individual, and will learn a lot about the business itself and the power players involved. One drawback is that great assistants are hard to come by, and many bosses do not want to let their assistants grow into new roles. Another problem is that the people in power in this glamorous TV business are often downright insane: Many tears have been shed by assistants. That said, these positions can lead to associate-producer roles, creative-affairs or development positions, distribution roles and many more.
There's a trend here: Most P.A. positions lead to future jobs that are decidedly behind-the-scenes. There are two basic categories of employees in the television business: talent and facilitators of talent. A P.A. role will guide you toward the latter. If you believe yourself to be the next great television writer, for example, a P.A. job is probably not a perfect route for you. Doing some P.A. work to understand the system and to build a network of contacts is a great idea, but in the end, your P.A. work will not land you a writing gig (unless you assault the people you meet with a fistful of writing samples, which couldn't hurt).
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Resources
- Photo Credit smile image by sasha from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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I can explain to you how to become a production assistant if you would like to learn. I live in LA and work on commercial and music video production
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Um this didn't explain anything about HOW to become one... It explained what one does.
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hey ludacris, what's up?
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this is ludacris.
