First time PA here

first time PA here

AMA

Other urls found in this thread:

mnfilmtv.org/files/2914/2428/3783/Production_Assistants_Pocket_Handbook.pdf
twitter.com/NSFWRedditGif

How much dick did you have to suck to get the job?

If you have to suck dick to get a PA position you're not going anywhere

Nice dubs tho

I don't even know what that is but I have to say working on set looks quite depressing

listen up cos i'm never this nice on Cred Forums.

PA tips:
>get out the way. seriously, get out the fucking way. But make sure you are always in line of sight of a Director/AD or a Producer.
>If you have a 3rd AD/Floor Runner ALWAYS be in their line of sight.
>learn everyone's names ASAP, you never know who you're going to be asked to talk to/take coffee to/pass on a message to.
>get a separate wallet for petty cash and receipts. Never let this leave your person.
>buy a sharpie
>LEARN the area you're in and where all the shops are. I used to get to sets early and walk around and see what their is. You never know what they'll ask you source.
>clean your ears for comms


finally, if you haven't read this: mnfilmtv.org/files/2914/2428/3783/Production_Assistants_Pocket_Handbook.pdf

that's your homework for tonight.

Good luck and make a good impression. Network network network.

Poor lighting, and bad can on my phone, looks better in person

Already knew most of that but thx anyways

how does it feel to know you are eventually going to lose your job from posting leaked shit?

the book is the most important part.

also this posting this shit online is fucking stupid, and if they find out they'll fire you and your first and only reference is gone.

I'm serious, my man. Some people get really annoyed if you leak ANYTHING, and as a PA they will cut you zero slack. It's not worth the risk. Even if you think this is some no-name film.

Top fucking kek OP is scared now and hoping his thread will die

OP i don't know what your career goals are or whatever but hear me out on this. You can listen to guys like all you want. His advice is good if you want to be a nice little PA. But here's the thing: No one on that set gives a fucking shit about you. The most that you'll get from doing all that perfectly his called back for another PA gig in a few months when the production coordinator is on his next job. PA work is a dead end 99% of the time, and the only growth that it does lead to is more relatively small time shit like electric department or production office work depending on who you hit it off with on set.

If you're trying to actually "make it" as like a writer or director or whatever, PAing isn't going to get you there. It's a good way to meet people and network, yeah, but there are better ways to do that, the most prominent of which is making your own shit and sending it out. You'll get a thumbs up and a pat on the back for being a good PA, but if you write a good script or make a legit music video or something like that, then people will see that you actually have the skills and the chops to do what you want to do. I realize you need to work and continue to make money to survive, but honestly set work is not the way to do that if your goal is anything higher than AD or gaffer or some shit. As a peon the hours are too long for you to be able to focus on your own work, and everyone on set is way too stressed to give a single flying fuck about you. You can "stay in the line of sight" of the producer all you want, but he's never going to know (or care about) your name.

Pick up some technical skils and get a (better paying) job at like a post production facility or a studio somewhere. The hours are better and the environment is less hectic so people will actually care enough about you to learn your name. Continuing the last bit next:

You'll have the schedule to be able to focus more on refining your OWN craft.

Yeah, you hear one story out of a million that some kid PAing on set slipped his script to the producer or something and then became Paul Thomas Anderson. Unfortunately that shit does not happen in the real world. The furthest you'll move up as a PA is something like production coordinator. Without a proof of concept of what you can do, the few connections you will be able to make working on set will be more or less worthless.

Don't fall into the trap. You won't like where you end up.

my advice was to make sure he doesn't fuck up on the set he is on now. (he already has by leaking photos)

I agree that nobody will make you a director because you have done a bunch of PA work, but if you want to get good at your craft you have to be on set. I learned more on my first day on set than I did making my first few short films. But yeah, PAing isn't really a job route and for the most part I agree.

unfortunately, most studios won't hire a runner with 0 PA credits, or has never seen a set before.
People say the hardest part is breaking in, but really the hardest part is that jump from PA to, well, anything else. And I'm not sure what advice to give on that.

do i have to study to become a production assistant?

Better find a jobcenter, kiddo

no

dont make my mistake and study film.

where do you find jobs?

what country you in?

australia

get back to your lock up you piece of shit.

>PAing isn't really a job route and for the most part I agree.

that's not true at all literally the only way to join the DGA is by filling your book with union days, only way to get respectable 2nd 2nd, 2nd, or 1st work is by being in the DGA.

literally can never take a single class or never a single day in a school. Studying is worthless especially for such an entry level thing as a PA - just look for experience as an additional or some small time stuff and don't be a retard.

I have no idea if I'm honest, pal. facebook is actually surprisingly not shit for finding jobs. see if there are any Runner groups you can join. Otherwise, contact your local studios. Avoid subscription websites.

is going up the AD ladder a good way of becoming a director though? I've had people tell me that once you make a name as a good 1st AD people never want you as a director.

but I've had people tell me a lot of shit in this industry

What are the hours like?

there is no "path" to being a director - it either happens or it doesn't. The closest correlation to other positions would most like from being a writer or a DP. And being a 1st has nothing to do with being a director, its literally just all on set logistics, timing, and scheduling. The only benefit that might transfer is the fact that you know how to deal with pressure and wouldn't be a fuck up while helming a film.

In the US a minimum of 12 hours with almost no exception - most PA's end up working around 14 hours. The worst is for Locations who can expect to work usually around 15 to 16 hours per shoot day.

PA work fucking sucks.

>Hey louis i need you to go to westwood to drop of the script to judith
Cant we just email it to her?
>no she wants it in person
so she doesnt have a printer?
>she doesnt know how to use all that stuff
well can i just email it to her assistant?
>no go deliver the fucking script and when your done remeber to drop off those inscurance forms at the burbank office and then make sure you get the office lunch orders in by 12.
I cant go to westwood then burbank and be back by 12
>figure it out

PA work is fucking trash. Never again. Good pay, shit hours, basically no social life at all.

I meant job route as in becoming a director or making your own work. I didn't really make that clear though.

i guess just making your own films is probably the best way to get known as a director, right?

more or less but that being said you can make the greatest piece of art or entertainment but chances are no one will give a fuck. It's like lightning striking becoming a successful director - a lot of talent and a fuckload of luck and opportunity.

im sticking to writing as an option for getting my own work seen. just as reliant on luck but way easier on my wallet and my time.

what kino are you working on?

It's a low-budget foreign flick. I'd be surprised if anyone on Cred Forums's heard of it or anyone on it. And it's not like i'm taking these pics in secret; one guy jokingly got mad at me for taking this pic.

I already knew this informations

I'm not PAing to become a director. I direct to be a director. I'm PAing to network, learn the ins and outs of working on a pro set, and for the fun of it.

>meme maker

Lol XD bro

Alright, so I am almost 19 and don't know whether I should study film or study and work something else while I put effort into scripts and such.

If I want to become a filmmaker is it really a bad idea to major in that?

My philosophy is, no matter what you want to go in to, if you're waiting on schools to teach you shit, you're doing it wrong. There are thousands of books, videos, and other media all over the place. I'm a freshman studying film and they're not teaching me anything yet that I haven't learned three times over.
The most film school can ever offer you is access to equipment and networking. But for that you need a school with a real film dept, not just a school with a "film studies" class. A film degree from those might actually mean something.

keep in mind this is coming from someone a year younger than you on his first PA job. It all seems right to me now, but I might not know what the fuck i'm talking about.

I'm from eastern Europe and am planning on studying and living in Scotland or Germany (thanks to proficiency exams). Many universities there include Filmmaking in their curriculum but I don't want to study that shit and then fall on my ass after it doesn't work out and have no other means and qualifications to get a good job. Maybe I should major in something like IT or Journalism to prevent that.

I'm from eastern Europe and am planning on studying and living in Scotland or Germany (thanks to language proficiency exams). Many universities there include Filmmaking in their curriculum but I don't want to study that shit and then fall on my ass after it doesn't work out and have no other means and qualifications to get a good job. Maybe I should major in something like IT or Journalism to prevent that.

You're right that the info I can gain from film classes is readily available on the Internet but I'm pretty sure having a degree will have more weight than plain old me submitting a script.

wow, first time I've seen an accidental double post on Cred Forums and it's me

what a time to be alive

I'm murrifat so I don't know any good schools in Europe, or the job market for film people there. Sorry. But no matter what you go into you'll need skill and connections to really do anything, so don't think getting a degree in something you don't want to do will keep you "safe" unless you're garenteed a job in that industry.

From what i've seen, most people don't give a fuck where you went to school. Or, they care less about it than the quality of your work. You can major in film at NYU and attend lectures by the greats, but if you're still bad, nobody will care. So study and work independently in order to master your craft.

>Good pay
Lol, the fuck? Compared to other people in the same industry that are doing much less, PAs make scraps.

Still, PAing at a studio or post house is leagues better than PAing on set. FUCK that shit.

My point is, don't expect the networking you do there to lead to anywhere other than more PA work.

>one guy jokingly got mad at me for taking this pic.

That's probably a sign you should stop taking fucking pictures. Christ.

Film school has its pros and cons. If you go to a real film school you're going to be paying out the ass for four years to be taught things that could be learned in a month more or less. The degree you end up with will be essentially worthless.

However, what film school is good for is building a network (of both faculty and fellow students who will end up referring you for work down the road) and having a safe, controlled space to practice your craft and build a solid foundation for a few years before you're thrust into the real industry where shit is cutthroat and no one will hesitate to fire you for not being good enough. Also, believe it or not, there are some low level jobs in the film industry that do require a BA in some sort of cinema studies. Not like your bottom feeder PA gigs, but some listings just a step above that do actually want that degree, so sometime's it's not completely worthless.

Overall I'd say I don't necessarily regret going to film school. While what I actually learned there may not have been a whole lot, I had the time to refine what I learned time and time over, which is actually huge in being able to make a polished project. And also, every single job in this industry that I've ever had, I've gotten through referral by an old classmate.

One last piece of advice - if you are planning on going to a film school where you can concentrate in a certain aspect of the process, for the love of god do not pick fucking directing or writing. Even if ultimately that's what you want to be, adding those concentrations to an already near useless degree might as well be a sign taped to your face that says "I HAVE NO SKILLS." Focus in editing or cinematography or sound and take your writing and directing classes as electives on the side while refining those skills with your own projects. If you come out of school with a TECHNICAL skill set rather than a THEORETICAL one, you'll be qualified for much higher paying work early

There's such a thing as getting promoted.
PA is like working the mailroom; it's entry-level, which means it can lead somewhere. Do you think every Director, AD, DP, producer, and executive producer im the business started out doing what they're doing? Scroll down on any of their IMDB pages and you'll find PA credit.

I would've been kicked out by now of anyone cared. They's confiscate my phone the moment I walked on set if I couldn't take pics

Good advice. What school did you go to?

I've worked in this industry a lot longer than you have, kid. I'm not telling you to walk out right now and never PA again. I'm just telling you not to expect to be directing the next movie these guys are making, or the one after that, or the one after that, or the one after that. Or any of them.

But by all means, completely ignore what I'm telling you.

A no-name school in Pittsburgh. Ended up going there because I wanted to stay together with my high school girlfriend. Didn't even apply to USC or anything like that, which I regret to this day.

Although I guess it ended up somewhat working out for me anyway.

Dude, i'm a freshman in uni working his first pro shoot. I don't expect to wake up a director tomorrow.