Firstly, let me start by giving you a little background about myself. I have worked in film and television, both behind and in front of the camera. I have worked in the UK and in the United States. I have worked as an Actor, Assistant Director, Script Supervisor, and as a Production Assistant. So, as you can see, I have a lot of experience. People are always asking me how they can become a successful Production Assistant? They say there isn't any decent career advice out there, and they're not really sure what a Production Assistant is. So I decided do make this website, and answer your questions once and for all. For now, the profile of a Production Assistant is the only thing covered in this site. But keep checking for updates, because I aim to have information on ALL aspects of Television & Film, e.g. Directing, Assistant Directing, Acting, getting an Agent etc. For now, as the saying goes, "On with the Show."

This Website will tell you how you can obtain work as a Production Assistant in your hometown, or wherever there is something being filmed. Production Assistants or "PA's" as they are commonly called, are needed on every production, no matter the budget. A matter of fact, it's extremely difficult to make a movie, television show, or commercial without at least one or more PA's on set. They are vital to the success of a film or television project and make everything run smoothly.

Thousands of PA's head out bright and early every morning to make sure everything is in order for the day's work. They're usually the first ones to arrive on the set and the last ones to go home at the end of the shoot day. PA's are the "keepers of information" and handle most of the details that are necessary to keep the production moving along on schedule. They usually handle everything - from making coffee to loading film into a camera. But, in most cases, those skills won't be necessary and will be left to the crew members with specific experiencing those jobs.

The best part about working as a PA is that you get to know a little about a lot of different positions. This gives you the opportunity to see what you like and dislike. You can observe other crew members to see what position you would like to advance to. You may find that you like directing or you may find that set design interests you. Although PA's are paid well, it is usually one of the lower salaries on the crew. Therefore, it is quite important to keep your eyes out for future advancement. Use your time as a Production Assistant to network and learn the industry. You'll make tremendous contacts working all day with several different members of the crew including the Producer. Most PA's advance to a better position within a year. A lot of that will depend on how often you work during that year and how good you are on the job.

There's no better way to begin a career in the film and television industries than as a Production Assistant. If you want to work behind the camera, then this is the best place to start. It's the perfect position to get your foot in the door. Remember, each production will be different and each job as a PA will be different. It will depend entirely on the job. Be ready to adapt your skills. You may only run errands on one job, while another job may have you do almost everything. The budget of the production usually determines the amount of work a PA will do. In general, a production with a larger budget will have the PA doing only a few daily assignments while a lower budget will have the PA doing many different tasks. If you crave responsibility and like keeping busy, you may enjoy working on a lower budget project. But, on the other hand, if you want to do well at just a few tasks, then you may be better suited for a big budget production. This is something to keep in mind when you look for a PA position. Find out in advance how big the budget is so that you have an idea of what your workload will be like.

Now that you have some understanding of the life of a PA, let's get more specific. In the following sections, you'll learn what it takes to become a PA and how to get started. It's not as hard as you think and there are as many PA positions as there are productions. And with the growing number of Television stations and independent film-making, PA jobs are increasing everyday. It won't be long before you'll be working as a PA too! In the next section, entitled, WHAT IS A PRODUCTION ASSISTANT ? we will find out how...