Tagged: assistant

Dec 07

Always Ask To Help

One thing that I think should be a no brainer when working on a set is to offer to help.  Apparently though while working on set this past week, I found that most PA’s that this particular company has hired have never offered to help out and had to be told to do so.

To me this is a huge rookie mistake that most green PA’s will tend to make.  When you are hired as a production assistant you have to do what your title says and assist the production.  This means helping with things like unloading the equipment van, taking out the garbage, and helping with lunch orders.

So instead of sitting around waiting for orders from your coordinator or production manager, get up and see who needs help.  This is will make you a great PA rather than just a PA.

 

1
comments

Posted in Being a Production Assistant, Things I've Learned From Set

May 16

Stuck in a Hamster Wheel

 

Last week while on set I got asked a question that really shocked me, and made me really think. While in the middle of crew meal, the D.I.T. leaned over to me and asked  “So why are you a PA still?”  I looked up with him with a completely dumbfounded face and honestly replied, “I really don’t know.”

Later on that day  I started thinking, why exactly am I still a PA?  I’ve been working in the industry for a few years now, and I know I could coordinate a production a whole heck of a lot better than some people I’ve worked with, so then why am I stuck in this continuous PA loop?  Finally the answer hit me.. I was still applying for PA positions hoping that someone would notice that I am over qualified and place me somewhere else. I was the one causing me to stay in the hamster wheel and not get anywhere.

So fellow PA’s that are in the same position as me, I say we take a stand and quit applying for the same position.  Take a chance and who knows..maybe I’ll end up getting something great.  Has anyone else started to do this?  Post your comments about it!

4
comments

Posted in Being a Production Assistant, Career Path

Feb 21

Questions About Making The Move

 

I received this question in my inbox this morning:

Good Afternoon,

I was reading your website and you have a lot of resourceful things/advice. Thank you for helping those, like me, who are clueless out here. I’m aiming to move out to LA by May and trying to apply to places. Anywhere I can get a foot in. I’m interested in film/sports, Don’t have a specific specialty though. My interests are broad including production, talent management, PR, broadcasting, and performing. I’ve looked into applying to Entertainment/Sports firms because I have a Sport/Business Administration degree and was an athlete and it seems like it’ll be my best bet. I’ve been told Agent Trainee Programs are your best bet to network. But other places I’ve read tat if you don’t want to be an actual agent, don’t waste your time. I’m moving out there relatively soon so I’m trying to commit and have an attack plan. Any advice?

Also, I’d like to receive the UTA Joblist. I’ve read that there are tons of assistant jobs, which I don’t mind at all. But are these jobs enough to live off of or do you usually need outside financial help? Another job?

Any help or advice you can provide would be greatly appreciated!

Well first things first you really should decide what it is that you want to end up doing.  There are so many different jobs in our industry and hundreds of different paths to get there.  Say for instance that your goal is to eventually become a director.  Well then I would suggest working on as many production sets as you can.  Start out as a production assistant and learn all the ins of outs on set.  From there you can start to move up into different things but I think the most important thing to learn is how the production set functions and how it runs.  If you want to be a producer try working as an assistant to one.  If you want to edit start working at a post production house as a runner or a production assistant.  My point is figure out what it truly is that you want to end up doing and then find the best path that will eventually lead you to that goal.

If you are interested in sports that is a completely different field than production and entertainment in general.  I honestly know nothing about that field, so you may want to look into that on your own and decide what is the best path for that field.

With the Agent Trainee programs, they are a lot of pros and cons.  They are great if you want to be an agent, because you learn first hand what it takes to be one.  I have to warn you though that I have heard some bad things about the program including EXTREMLY long hours and a unhealthy connection to your blackberry.

If you are just looking for networking oportunities there a millions of different ways to accomplish that.  The best way to look at networking is to really see it as making friends, rather than making contacts.  Your friends will be more than happy to put their neck out there for you to get a job, while a random phone number will not.

On to the UTA job list.  This joblist is a highly sought after list in Hollywood that has all of the new assistant jobs.  This list is great, however, you have to realize that thousands of people get this list, and even more apply to these positions.  Also Hollywood tends to hire from within so most of those jobs are already filled by their friends cousins sister-in-law.

You can make a living off an assistant job just know that it will not be a lavish one.  Same goes for any entry level job in this industry.  My biggest suggestion is to save as much as you can before you come out to LA, that way you will have something to fall back on when you only make $500 per week.

I hope this helps!  Please keep the questions coming.


1
comments

Posted in Job Hunting, Los Angeles, Production, UTA Job list

Jan 10

To be an assistant or to stay freelance

 

For the past year I have been working freelance as a production assistant and I have to admit there are some days when I wish I could finally land a full time job.  It admittedly gets very old having to look for a new job every couple of months.  That being said I think my career path would take a different turn in the industry if I decided to stop working freelance, and here are my options:

I could try to find a position as a producer or director’s assistant.  The pro’s of this position would be that I would be working directly or close to directly underneath an producer in Hollywood and I would be somewhat involved with the films or tv shows that he/she is working on.  I would be doing a lot of script coverage which means I would be reading scripts and taking notes on them to help the producer decide if the script is worth them reading.  The con’s would be that I would be doing a lot of regular assistant duties like scheduling, answering phones, and picking up coffee.

I could also work at a network or a studio as someone’s assistant.  There are a lot of different divisions at a studio and a network from legal and financing to development and business affairs.  Depending on who I am assisting my job could differ however  most likely I would end up doing a lot of regular assistant duties with a few interesting projects thrown in.

Last but not least I could become a personal assistant to a director, writer or even a celebrity.  In this position my main job would be dealing with scheduling, and basically organizing that persons life, which could usually end up meaning I would have no personal life of my own.

As you can see most of these positions are not the most glamorous positions, but then again neither is being a PA.  Either way I will have to work my way up from the bottom.

I have never really been an assistant so I’d love to hear someone’s experience being one.  Email your story or post it in the comments.

0
comments

Posted in Being an Assistant

Jan 07

Job Hunting

 

As the gig I am currently on sadly comes to an end with no second season picked up I figured it would be a great time to blog about job hunting.  I know it sucks..but as a freelancer you always have to keep looking for work.  Here are a few avenues that you can go through to find the best thing for you:

Call or email your past contacts

This is possibly the most important thing you can do.  All those people you worked on set with before are probably working on a new production now.  While you were working you should have gotten all of their contact information so put that to use and email them to see what they are up to.  DO NOT just flat out as for a job because that will usually annoy people.  Create some form of a conversation that will lead to them asking about if you are working and hopefully they will know someone that needs help.

Job Sites

There are a few job sites that are usually pretty good to check out when looking for production work.  Some are free while others charge per month to use the service.

www.mandy.com – free

www.craigslist.org – free

www.crewedup.com -free

www.realitystaff.com- free and subscription (The subscription allows you to write more in your cover letter).

www.entertainmentcareers.net – subscription

www.media-match.com – subscription

www.filmstaff.com – subscription

www.productionhub.com- free

www.varietymediacareers.com- free

www.productionweekly.com – subscription

www.mercuryreport.com- subscription

You can also check out specific production company websites, studio websites, imdb in the forums section (though it is shady sometimes) and any other place you can think of.  If anyone knows of any more websites please let me know!

Go to a networking event

This is just like calling your old contacts, however, here you are making new ones.  A lot of different film groups or societies tend to have networking parties that you can attend.  Google or ask your other friends in production and go armed with your business card.

Cold calling/ emailing companies

You can always cold call and email production companies to find if they are hiring crew or if they keep potential crew resume’s on file.

UTA job list

This as I have mentioned before is a list created by UTA of all the assistant positions in Hollywood.  This list is awesome if you are looking to be an assistant, but very bad if you are looking to actually work on set in a production.  Keep in mind thousands of people receive  this list so don’t be surprised if you never hear back when you apply for something.  If you want to receive the UTA job list email me at rachelmmarks@gmail.com

It is important to remember to not doubt yourself and give up.  There are a lot of production companies and projects filming that need a hand.  Keep at it and eventually you will land a gig.  Happy hunting!

1
comments

Posted in Being a Production Assistant, Job Hunting

Jan 03

Questions About The UTA Job List

 

So I recieved this question in my inbox from Justin about the UTA Job list:

Hey Rachel,

Thanks so much for sending that along. If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your connection to the industry? Do you work for an agency? Some of the articles I’ve read made the List seem pretty unobtainable unless you knew the right people so I was just kind of curious how you got it. I understand if you can’t tell me. And I was wondering how often they update it and who it gets sent to once they do. Do they always send it to the same people, and if you get it once does that mean you’ll necessarily get it again? I’m sorry if this is too much, but you did say not to hesitate to ask questions. And I’m trying to absorb as much information as I can about assistant/mailroom/trainee positions out there.

Well first a foremost I am just a freelance production assistant and I have no “real” connection to the UTA Job list.  I actually get the job list through a friend who probably gets it from a friend that gets it through a friend.  The list is actually kept very secret by those who create it and apparently if you contact UTA and ask about the list they will deny that it even exists.  The best way to get the list is to get it from someone else that already gets it.    As for who the list actually gets sent to I have no idea.  I honestly think know one really knows except for the person that physically sends out the list.  I would love to one day speak to that person, however, that has not happened yet.

As for being an assistant/mailroom/trainee it all really depends on what you want to eventually end up doing.  If you want to work at a talent agency working in the mailroom and then moving up to an assistant is the way to go.  If you want to work in production you can go a few ways.  The first is finding work as a producer’s or director’s assistant.  Here you will work directly under that person and learn a ton while doing so.  However, there is a downside to this.  You will most likely not being working on set.   You will be spending most of your time doing general assistant tasks such as organizing your boss’s calendar, answering phones and reading scripts.  The other way to break in is the way I am, by being a production assistant.  You can work a PA on several different types of projects for web, tv and film and slowly start to work your way up.  Either way know that you are starting on the lowest rung on the ladder and that someday hopefully you will make it to the top.

4
comments

Posted in Being a Production Assistant, Being an Assistant

Dec 09

To work in porn or to not work to work in porn

 

As things are slowly start to wind down on the series I am working on with not a good chance of a second season in sight I am starting to wonder (aka slightly panic) about what I am going to do next.

While job searching today online I came across this great article on keypa.net and  it reminded me of the time my mother told me to get a job as a PA on Guys Gone Wild because “they are just hot boys taking off their shirts”.

Production Assistants and Porn

Posted by Mike DeHart in Breaking In, Industry, Job Hunt, Lifestyle

Yesterday morning someone sent over a job opportunity for a Production / Administrative Assistant at a prominent Adult Entertainment company.

Before passing it on to people, it got me thinking: do I potentially want to be responsible for launching someones career in Porn?

Two years ago I spent a few days in the field as a sound mixer with a documentary crew while we did interviews with Vivid (both on set and in their offices).

Granted, everyone acts differently when cameras are around, even if you aren’t recording, but all in all their offices were pretty awesome and everyone we met seemed to be very happy and friendly. I remember being slightly surprised to see so many family pictures on people’s desks.

Before stepping onto their set I definitely had expectations (Boogie Nights, Weed’s, Family Guy) and with the location for that day being in a dingy warehouse basement in downtown LA, I thought they were going to come true. By the time we wrapped, it felt like your standard indie movie set.

The most interesting part was meeting the crew. Everyone was in good spirits and happy to be working. The make up artist said that it was good work, but she would use a fake name for the credits and left those types of jobs off her resume.

I have a slew of friends who have dabbled behind the scenes in the world of erotica and everyone always says its not as sexy as you’d think, but it pays well.  Imagine editing teaser trailers for something like the Playboy channel, your day is spent scanning through movies for sexy facial expressions and unique positions.  As much as everyone needs to pay the bills, you should always be working towards your goals.

If you’re not comfortable putting it on your resume, it shouldn’t be your full time job. No matter what industry it is.

When all is said and done if you don’t have any personal objections to working on porn, the biggest downside (generally) is the work you’re doing doesn’t hold as much credibility in other areas of the entertainment industry.

What’s the point of doing all that work and not getting any credit? Money will only get you so far.

Regardless of if you end up on a porno set or not, odds are you won’t get a chance to rub noses with the stars. However, if that was all you were looking for you should just head over to Sardo’s in Burbank on Tuesday Nights for Porn Star Karaoke. No joke, it’s an adult industry event that’s been going on since 2003 and everyone’s welcome.

What do you think, would you work on set or in the office for an Adult Entertainment company?

3
comments

Posted in Being a Production Assistant, Job Hunting

Nov 22

Walkie Talk

 

One thing that I have realized working on set is that green PA’s don’t know how to use their walkies.  What I don’t get is that walkies really aren’t that hard to use, but then again I’ve also said that it isn’t that hard to be a PA and yet some people still manage to screw that up.

Here is your basic guide on how to use your walkie on set:

Turn it on

So it is your first time being a PA and you are so super excited so you arrive on set like 30 minutes before your call.  You meet up with your production coordinator and they hand you a walkie.  At first glance it looks simple enough.  Then the coordinator hands you some crazy looking headset.  Don’t panic it’s pretty simple, just plug everything in and turn the nob on top.  When you hear it make a nose that means that its on.  Grab your mic and say “walkie check”.  If someone else is on walkie they should say “good check”.  Trust me you don’t want to be that PA who does not have their walkie on.

Keep it on the right channel

This should be pretty self explanatory but everyone messes this up at some point or another.  Depending on how large or small your production is different departments will be placed on different walkie channels.  Double and triple check which channel you and the rest of the PA’s are supposed to be on.  Only switch to a different channel if someone asks you to.  Once you are finished on that channel switch back to your PA channel.

Walkie Sayings

There are several quick phrases that people use on walkies to get their points across quickly.  Here are some main ones that you should know:

Walkie Check- what you say when you are trying to see if your walkie is working

Good Check – what people say when someone asks walkie check

10-1- You are using the restroom

Switch to (insert number)- switch your walkie channel to another one

Copy- You understood what is being asked of you.

Remember each set is different.  Find out how your production runs and follow those rules.

7
comments

Posted in Being a Production Assistant

Nov 12

Production Resume Update

Found this article while searching for answers online:

How to Make a Production Coordinator Resume

By Scott Nicholas Amendolare, eHow Contributor

In my time in the entertainment industry, I’ve seen thousands of résumé’s come across my desk. The irony is that oftentimes a person with the highest level of skill has a more difficult time selling themselves on paper whereas a person with less skill has no problem selling their experience beyond their true abilities. A Production Coordinator is hired for their ability to be highly efficient and organized and your resume must reflect that. This article will show you how to construct an effective Production Coordinator resume. Please look to the example résumé in order to see the step by step applications of the directions.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

  • A computer with printing capabilites
  1. 1

    Lay out your personal information in a clear, simple and professional manner. This is important as it says so much about you as an individual. Avoid overly fancy fonts and ostentatious presentation. List you name in an 18- to 22-point font. In this example, the name is prominent with a line underneath to separate the contact information. List your full name and address with all your contact numbers as well as an email address.

  2. 2

    Lay out your primary work experience. Start with information about work directly related to the job you are going after. For this example we will be using a résumé with a three-column format as it makes this clean and easy to read, and condenses the information so that you can limit the number of pages. Starting with the left column, list the job title you held. In the next column, list the title of the show you worked on. In the last column list the company that produced the show and the year it was released.

  3. 3

    Next, lay out your directly related experience. This is experience that is similar to the coordinator position. List experience that shows you have held positions of responsibility and were required to perform tasks that are similar to the ones you are looking to perform.

  4. 4

    List any special award(s) that you have earned over the course of your career.

  5. 5

    List any special skills, software knowledge, guild or union membership and language ability that would be pertinent to the entertainment industry.

  6. 6

    List your education. Make sure that you list any educational distinctions you have earned during that time. Do not forget to list years of graduation.

  7. 7

    On the bottom of the page, centered in the middle, type the line: References available upon request. Although some people like to list their references on a separate sheet, it is really more professional to have a prospective employer request them.

Tips & Warnings

  • Make things clean and simple.
  • Do not list your references.
  • Use no larger than a 12-14pt font for the headings and 10 points for the information.
  • Spacing of the resume should be as follows: Use a 9pt space for the line per credit and a 12pt space to separate each of the headings.
  • Do not pad your resume; people can tell when you are lying.

Read more: How to Make a Production Coordinator Resume | eHow.comhttp://www.ehow.com/how_4463843_make-production-coordinator-resume.html#ixzz156LdcMh2

6
comments

Posted in Being a Production Assistant

Nov 09

Think before you act

 

When you are working on set as a PA there is a long list of do’s and don’ts that you should really be aware of.  One of the most important (I think) do’s is do think before you act or react.  Now I honestly thought that this was pretty self explanatory but apparently I was wrong.

While working on a set a few weeks back I heard through the grapevine of a situation that one of the other PA’s had gotten themselves into.  A lot of times a production coordinator or production manager will give a PA money to go pick up things that are needed on set.  On this day one of the newbie PA’s was sent out to go pick up food for some of the executive producers.  Now this should be a fairly easy task for any PA.  You place the order, you go to the restaurant, you double and triple check to make sure the order is right,  you grab a receipt and bring back the food.  Depending on how far the restaurant is this whole process should not take you very long unless you are picking up food for the entire crew which is a whole other blog post for another time.

This PA was only supposed to pick 3 orders of dinner from a restaurant that is literally across from our production office.  The order was placed at 6pm and the restaurant had told whoever called that it would be ready in 10-15 min.  Our production manager hands the PA money and tells her to grab a receipt.  The PA then heads out to grab the food.  Fifteen minutes pass and the PA has not yet returned with the food.  Our production manager tries her on walkie but she doesn’t answer.  He then calls her cell, however, it is apparently turned off.    Thirty minutes go by and there is still no PA in sight with the producers food.  At this point you can probably guess that my production manager is pissed.  Forty five minutes pass and finally our newbie PA waltzes into the production office on her cell phone.  She drops off the food on the desk and waltzes back outside to finish her phone conversation.

When she returns back into the production office she is called in to speak with our production manger.  Now I don’t know what exactly was said, however, I heard that she made the biggest mistake a PA ever could make.  Instead of just shutting her mouth and saying “I’m sorry, this is my fault.”  she blamed everyone else possible and then proceeded to tell the production manager why he was wrong and out of line.

Needless to say this newbie PA was not on set the next day, or ever again for that matter.

1
comments

Posted in Being a Production Assistant, Uncategorized

« Older Entries