Ever thought about landing a gig in Tinseltown? Well, here are 5 ways you can break into Hollywood by being a production assistant (in no particular order):

1. Get a Production Assistant Job
Working as a production assistant, or a PA, on a film or TV show is a beneficial way to learn about the production process and to get familiar with the folks making the decisions. The day-to-day duties can vary greatly depending on the production and budget, but the elbow-rubbing time can not be underestimated. Some will tell you assistants exist to feed the egos of their self-important bosses, but others know it’s a rite of passage to the Hollywood fraternity (or sorority). While much of the job consists of pouring coffee and answering phones, occasionally there can be some free time to read scripts and write coverage too. Also, production companies fill most new positions from within. When there’s a new position to fill, most managers would rather promote a qualified production assistant to the position, rather than hiring a stranger, even if some outside applicant had better work on his reel. In many studios, you find top people who initially started as PA’s. The key is getting in the gate in the first place.

Check out Media-Match to search for production assistant jobs and apply for as many as seem appropriate. For a small fee Media-Match will post your resume and try to match you with a job opening in the television and film industries. Also, it has a forum and a social network that allows you to interact with other people working as production assistants and job seekers looking for production assistant jobs.

2. Educate Yourself
Do you know what the terms “call sheet,” “sides,” “honey wagon,” and “call time” mean? If you don’t, you need to learn the terminology, “the lingo” that’s used in the industry. Or else, you can’t do your job properly as a production assistant.

Do you know the difference between a Director of Photography and an Assistant Director? Do you know what the Production Designer does? Learn more about the various production job roles found on television and film sets.

Next, familiarize yourself with the “trades.” These are magazines and newspapers geared towards entertainment industry professionals. The main ones are “The Hollywood Reporter,” “Variety,” “Film & Video,” and “Backstage West/East”. “Film & Video” is specifically for those who work behind the camera. Get “The Hollywood Reporter” on Tuesdays and “Variety” on Fridays. Those are the two days when the Production Charts are listed.

Learn as much as you can about the workings of film and TV production before you arrive on set for your first day of work.

3. Network, Network, Network
In Hollywood it’s not so much what you know as who you know in the entertainment industry. As many Tinseltown residents will tell you, this city is built on connections.
Take advantage and leverage your connections as a production assistant. Network, network, network. Talk to the people you work with and get to know them. The film or television industry is all about who you know and the people you are working with are a great place to start. Make those connections. You can meet people this way and begin to build up a network and beef up your Rolodex.

4. Be Persistent
Being a production assistant is not glamorous, but it is an important role. While you are on a set, be a sponge and soak up everything you can. When one show ends, be on the lookout for another one. Don’t ever stop working or looking for work because the next <a href=”http://www.media-match.com/jobsboard.php” title=”Production Assistant Job”>production assistant job</a> you take could be the one that takes you to the next level in your career.

5. Figure Out Your Ultimate Goal
Think about what your eventual career goal is. When you’re working as a production assistant, knowing what you want to do and knowing what you must accomplish before you get there is an effective way to move up. You have to put yourself on the proper path to where you want to be in the film or television industry.

If you’re currently a production assistant or are pursuing to be one, we’d like to hear your tips and suggestions.

Tags: Hollywood, production assistant

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 27th, 2009 at 1:06 pm and is filed under Production Jobs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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