What Is.... A Production Assistant? - Careers Blog | Internship News | Inspiring Interns (2024)

FAQs

What's a production assistant? ›

A Production Assistant (PA) is an entry-level position that assists with general tasks on a film, television, commercial or digital media production. Some PAs work in the production department with the First or Second Assistant Director to provide support and communication to multiple departments.

A Production Assistant is a professional who assists producers and directors by printing scripts and disseminating messages throughout the crew while running errands.

A production internship is a program for a college student who works as a support person and seeks experience in the film or television set.

A Production Assistant is responsible for supporting and coordinating the activities of a film or television production. They're responsible for assisting with anything the crew needs, such as getting coffee, shuttling crew or equipment to and from locations, and making copies of scripts.

It's your job to demonstrate solid communication skills and ask questions and ensure you understand your duties—especially because film production can be a fast-paced environment that requires everyone work quickly and efficiently.

A production assistant requires excellent people skills to collaborate with film crews. Flexibility is also vital since you run various errands, from getting coffee to setting up equipment.

More than anything, you need to be incredibly hard-working to be a good production assistant. It's important to be reliable, available, and positive, and to have strong communication skills. Asking questions and having a concrete understanding of your tasks in the midst of a hectic shooting day is extremely important.

Intern job duties vary by industry, but their common responsibilities include learning and becoming proficient in software, completing tasks assigned by their supervisor and attending meetings where they take minutes.

An internship gives a student the opportunity for career exploration and development, and to learn new skills. It offers the employer the opportunity to bring new ideas and energy into the workplace, develop talent and potentially build a pipeline for future full-time employees.

What hard skills should I put on my resume production assistant? ›

What hard skills should you include on a Production Assistant resume? On top Production Assistant resumes, skills like Media Production, Film Production, Social Media, Video Production, Film, Television, Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Access appear most often.

What does a Production Worker do? Production Workers are skilled workers who keep production flowing by checking product quality through monitoring machinery. They clean and operate factory equipment and work on an assembly line, putting together products with great care to meet all safety guidelines.

You can make an office assistant sound better on your resume by highlighting your accomplishments within your role. Highlighting accomplishments within your office assistant position, rather than tasks and duties, will show employers the benefit that you bring to the position, rather than simply performing the role.

A production assistant is usually an entry-level job that does not require a certain degree or significant experience, although that can provide more advanced or otherwise specialized opportunities. Some salaries range from $7.25 to $26.65 per hour.

The funny thing about being a Production Assistant, there really is no training required and it is one of the few jobs where you can be hired based on having common sense, enthusiasm and zero experience. Most of the time Production Assistants learn on the job. Often that is the best training there is.

Despite such drawbacks, the position offers many perks that can make this job appealing. With a positive attitude and a passion for the creative process, being a production assistant can be fun and exciting. The production assistant career path can also be a stepping stone to positions of increasing responsibility.

The average salary in the U.S. for a production assistant is $32,149 per year. Salaries in this role can vary widely, depending on experience, education, additional skills, and certifications. Those who are paid at an hourly rate typically earn between $15 and $16 per hour.

A production assistant's job can be one of the the most harrowing in Hollywood. Not that it's physically difficult. Going on coffee runs and copying scripts isn't hard, exactly. But it can be emotionally taxing to be blamed for everything all the time, while simultaneously having no control over anything.

To be successful as an operations assistant, you should possess excellent communication skills and be able to juggle multiple tasks. Top candidates will have strong organizational, critical thinking, and interpersonal skills.

Example: “I see being an administrative assistant as a crucial piece of the functioning of an entire office, and it is my job to make that happen. I am tremendously organized, enjoy making things flow more smoothly and have 10 years of experience doing this. I stay in this career because I love doing it.”

What skills do interns look? ›

Mention a couple of skills or areas of expertise that you can bring to the company. Position yourself as a good cultural fit—show that your professional values align with those of the company. Describe yourself as someone who's enthusiastic, passionate, and dedicated.

It should include something unique about yourself, for example: area of study, degree, internships, experience, research, projects or military service. You can mention potential connections such as individuals in the same department, similar backgrounds and alumni.

The average salary in the U.S. for a production assistant is $32,149 per year. Salaries in this role can vary widely, depending on experience, education, additional skills, and certifications. Those who are paid at an hourly rate typically earn between $15 and $16 per hour.

What can I earn as a Production Assistant? The average monthly salary for Production Assistant jobs in the Philippines ranges from ₱15,000 to ₱18,000.

Yes, being a production assistant is a good job.

If you want to break into the business, working as a production assistant is the best way to learn all you can about every department on set, have the opportunity to climb the ladder and pursue bigger and better crew jobs and be passionate about filmmaking.

What skills do you need to be a production assistant? ›

Work Schedule

However, even production assistants based in film offices often work between 10 and 12 hours each day. This is typically the same number of hours as production assistants working on TV sets.

The funny thing about being a Production Assistant, there really is no training required and it is one of the few jobs where you can be hired based on having common sense, enthusiasm and zero experience. Most of the time Production Assistants learn on the job. Often that is the best training there is.

However, since it is such a good entry-level position for someone who wants to make connections and learn about the industry, competition for jobs can be tough. Fortunately, production assistants usually do not stay in their jobs more than one or two years, so turnover is fairly frequent.

Being a production assistant is an entry-level position with great potential for advancement. PAs can be promoted to being production coordinators and directors. They can also take a new position in the industry, such as assistant producer, crew manager or set designer.

A skirt or slacks, whichever's comfortable, but wear close-toed shoes if you want people to know you actually came work, and not just look pretty answering a phone. (A perfectly valid career choice, if you're okay with it.)