This article will help you land your first Production Assistant (PA) job on a film or television production. If you are unsure what a PA does or if PAing is right for you, please read my article “What is a PA?”. If you know you want to be a grip, prop master, camera operator, or whatever, this article may still be helpful and I suggest you read on. You should know that I started PAing in Chicago in the summer of 2000 and have worked my way up to Assistant Director. Much of the advice I will give here is directly applicable to the Chicago film and commercial market, however nearly all the advice is applicable to LA, New York or other major production cities.

don't limit yourself - film and tv
Most people I talk to want to work on feature films. The first piece of advice I have is: Don’t limit yourself. When I started out most of my income came from commercial and corporate/industrial projects. It was easier to land these jobs and get some actual set experience that I used to get more film work.

Generally, feature films pay PAs about $100 a day (give or take 50 bucks depending on the film’s budget). TV shows (reality TV, game shows, sitcoms) also pay about $100 a day. Commercials and Corporate/Industrials pay between $150 and $225 a day. Ultra low budget features often don’t pay PAs anything at all (but you should expect to at least be fed and reimbursed for gas if you use your car) but they are a good place to get some experience.
One day you could be working for $75 a day and the next $225. If you’re just starting out, take the $75 a day offers. As you get more experience and a larger contact base, you can start asking for the higher rates. You may end up turning down work, but if you’ve got several years of experience, you’ve earned the right to ask for a higher compensation. On the other hand, there is no shame in taking work that pays less than what you’re used to if: a) it’s slow and you really need the money b) the project has a low budget and you support what the producers are trying to do.

you probably already know someone
The best way to get your first job is through somebody you know. Working freelance, as most people in this industry do, all of your jobs will come from people you know. So start your job search at home. Ask your parents and friends if they know anyone that works in the industry. Chances are they do or they “know somebody who knows somebody.” See if you can talk to that person on the phone. He/she might not be able to offer you a job, but he/she should be able to point you in the right direction and give you some one-on-one advice.

other places to look
the web, film offices and schools
Once your family/friend leads have been exhausted the internet is the best place to get started. There are dozens of websites that list film production crew calls and it can be difficult figuring out which one to monitor. Everyday on Craigslist.org and Mandy.com there are postings for interns and PAs all over the country. Your odds are better looking in New York, LA, or Chicago but sometimes other cities get postings as well. There are other sites such as media-match.com, crewnet.com or Hollywood Creative Directory that will charge for their postings (sometimes it’s very expensive). If you’re just getting started I’d stick with mandy.com and craigslist.org. I should warn you that ANYONE can post on these sites calling for crew. Be careful when you respond and it might be worth doing some checking on any given production using IMDB and your local film office.

And speaking of film offices they are also a good place to look. Most large cities and states have film offices that have been created to entice film and television productions to come to their cities and states. Film and television is a multi-billion dollar-a-year industry. States and cities want the tax revenue on those billions. They assist in location scouting, getting permission to shoot in a public or difficult to access areas.

Film offices know what films are being shot in the region and sometimes even have crew calls listed on their websites or have hotlines. You should try getting in touch with your local or state film office and see if they can give you any leads. However, if you hear that Warner Brothers is shooting the next Bruce Willis movie in your area, the film office probably won’t give you the production office phone number… but don’t get discouraged. Independent films and commercial production companies are much more accessible.

Almost every state and local film office has a Production Guide. They have listings of local and state production companies, vendors, resources, and crew. You should see if you can get yourself listed, in most areas it’s free to do so.

If you’re in film school you’ve got a few more tools at your disposal. Most film schools offer internship programs that will help place you with a production company or film over one of your summer vacations. Some schools may also have job listings as well (which might be helpful even if you don’t go to school there). Look into what your school has to offer and don’t forget to talk to your professors. I got my first internship by talking to a teacher who put me in touch with someone who referred me to someone else.

the catch 22
You need experience to get hired, but you need to get hired to get experience. The quickest solution: Work for free. I know that’s a lot easier said than done, but it’s the fastest way to get some experience. If you have the savings or parental financial support, volunteer on low budget and student films. Most production companies and some films will require you to be in school before they take you in as an intern, but there are projects out there that will take you either way. These projects (especially film school projects) may seem very disorganized and flighty, but you will learn a lot (even if it’s what not to do) and you’ll have something to put on your resume.

Most low-budget feature films will shoot for three to six weeks. If you can’t afford to work for free for that long most of these projects will take you when they can get you, but most probably won’t bother if you’re only available one day a week. Try to offer two or three days a week, and make sure you’ll be available ALL day. A normal shooting day on any film or commercial for a PA is 12 to 14 hours and you could start at 4 am or 4 pm.

The most important thing to remember here is to be patient and persistent. Chances are you’re not going to get hired on the first job or internship you apply for. With three features, a commercial, and a music video on my resume, it still took a couple of months of sending resumes and making follow up calls before I was working regularly on commercials. If you don’t have any direct film/commercial experience it will probably take longer if you need to get paid.

the résumé and cover letter (résumé examples: current / old)
Whether you’ve got experience or not, you’re going to need to send a cover letter and resume. As with any job, make sure the cover letter and resume look neat and don’t have any typos. This is sort of obvious, but you’d be surprised. Try and keep your resume to one page. Two is still perfectly okay, but three is too much.

I understand that your long term goals may be to write and direct, but that’s not the job you’re applying for. You’re applying to be a PA and PAs do not write and direct. In your cover letter I don’t recommend describing your dream of being a famous director, just tell them that you want to be a PA and why you’d be good at it. In your resume try and list relevant experience. I won’t discourage you from listing your own shorts and student films on the resume (especially if that’s all the experience you have), but try to convey why those experiences will make you a better PA.

The main things a production company or coordinator will want know is this: You have a Car. You have a Cell Phone. You know your way around the city (which means you know where the vendors are). If you don’t have a car or a cell phone, you’re not totally out of luck… but you can just about write off working on set (except for New York). You might find a position at a production company as an in-office assistant, post-production house, or vendor (stages, lighting companies, labs, and other rental houses). But if you’re sure you want to be on set, you need to get a car.

Tell them you know the city. Find out where the main vendors are: Camera, Lighting/Grip, Labs, Production Rentals, Sound Stages, Film Offices, Truck Rentals, Prop Rentals… etc, etc. It doesn’t hurt to mention that you can find the nearest Dunken Donuts, Krispy Kreme, and Kinko’s your city has to offer.

It might seem obvious, but mention in your cover letter that you’re always early and you’re never late. There are a few things every PA should have: a car, a cell phone, a city map, pad, small flash light, pocket knife or multi-tool. Mention these things too.

who to contact
For Commercials/Industrials:
Most production guides will list credits and specializations for production companies and crew. For your first batch, pick companies and people that list commercial and industrial credits. Also be aware of where they are located. In your first batch I’d pick companies that aren’t too far from down town. It doesn’t matter where a coordinator lives, just look at his/her credits. I prefer to send resumes by mail because it looks nicer, though sending a fax is generally accepted too.

Film:
Films are a little harder to find. Again, first check with your local film office to see if they will give you an address or fax number for the film’s production office. Also ask if they’ll give you the name of the Assistant Production Office Coordinator (APOC) or 2nd Assistant Director. If you want to be an office PA/Intern address the cover letter to the APOC. For set PA/Intern address it to the 2nd AD.
The production guide might help you get a job on films too. Look for coordinators, production managers, and assistant directors who have listed films in their credits or experience. You might even try sending resumes to other PAs that are listed. Other PAs are a huge source of job referrals.

follow up calls
Wait one week if you mailed your resume, a couple of days if you faxed it, to make a follow up call. Simply call the person or company that you sent your resume to and ask them if they received it and if you could speak with him/her/someone about a job. It reminds them about you and your resume and it shows them that you have a serious interest in the job. Be persistent in your queries but be cautious not to cross the line from persistent to annoying. Lastly, if the company or person isn’t hiring, ask them if they know anyone who is. You might get a few leads from the people who turn you down

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