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Production assistants support the director and production team during the making of films and television programmes. They handle the administrative work and organisational tasks, to help the production run smoothly and on time.

They are involved at all stages before, during and after filming. Their work can include:

• hiring studio facilities and equipment
• booking hotels and making travel arrangements
• attending production meetings
• copying and distributing scripts
• typing and distributing schedules (‘call sheets’) and daily reports
• getting permission to use copyrighted music or film clips
• dealing with accounts and expenses.

In television, they may also have production duties like:

• timing the show in the studio gallery
• calling camera shots
• cueing pre-recorded material
• logging (keeping records of) shots
• keeping continuity.

They work with a large team, including producers, researchers, and technical staff like camera crew, sound recordists and editors.

Hours and Environment

As a production assistant, your working hours will vary depending on the type of production and the location. You may work long hours, including early mornings, late evenings and shifts.

You will usually be based in an office with other members of the production team, but during filming you will also spend a lot of your time on your feet moving between offices and production areas. During TV transmissions, you could sit in a darkened production gallery, surrounded by banks of monitors.

Location work could be anywhere in the UK or overseas, so you may need to travel and stay away from home for long periods.

Skills and Interests

To be a production assistant you need:

• excellent communication and people skills
• good organisational skills
• good administrative and computer skills
• the ability to work without supervision and use your own initiative
• creativity when dealing with problems
• stamina, focus and determination
• mathematical skills, for working with budgets and accounts
• flexibility and adaptability
• the ability to work well under pressure and to deadlines.

Entry

There are no standard qualifications for becoming a production assistant. Employers are usually more interested in your personal qualities such as enthusiasm, common sense and initiative. The key is to gain practical experience and develop a network of contacts in the industry.

You can gain relevant experience through:

• student film or TV productions
• getting paid or unpaid work experience
• building a portfolio of productions you have been involved in.

Contact Skillset Careers for advice on finding work experience (see Further Information section for details).

You may find it helpful to take a course in film, video or media production. The most useful ones include practical skills and work placements (see Skillset’s website for details of industry-endorsed courses). Several universities and colleges offer relevant BTEC HNDs, degrees and postgraduate courses – check with course providers for entry requirements.

You will often start as a runner, junior assistant or secretary in the production office, and work your way up the production ladder as you gain experience. You will need good typing speeds and computer skills. Shorthand skills are also useful.

Training

You will usually learn on the job from more experienced production staff.

Film and Television Freelance Training (FT2) runs a two-year apprenticeship-style New Entrant Technical Training Scheme for production assistants (including assistant location managers, production co-ordinators and script supervisors).

Places are strictly limited and the selection process is tough. You do not need formal qualifications, but you must be:

• able to touch-type at 40 words or more per minute and ideally have shorthand skills
• aged 18 or over
• prepared to live in London during training
• able to prove that you are committed to finding work experience in the film and TV industry.

See FT2’s website for more details.

Regional screen agencies may sometimes offer other new entrant schemes. Contact Skillset Careers for more information.

As an experienced production assistant, you could also take short courses in various business and production skills. These are run by film schools and some specialist colleges and private training providers.

Skillset and the British Film Institute jointly provide a database of media courses – see Skillset’s website for this, and for information about how to fund your training as a freelance in the media.

Opportunities

Competition is fierce for jobs in the film and TV industry. When starting out you will often have to work for free or for little pay.

Most production assistants are freelance and work on fixed-term contracts for each production.

Over half of the TV and film workforce is employed in London. The rest of industry is mainly based in the south east and north west of England, and major regional cities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

As a production assistant you could work for:

• television broadcasters
• independent TV or film production companies
• producers of commercials, music videos or corporate video.

Some jobs are advertised in the trade press and websites, but it is common to get work through networking and contacts. If you are making a speculative application you should target small independent production companies, as they often do not have the budget to advertise vacancies.

With experience, you could progress to production co-ordinator then production manager. Alternatively, you could use the job as a stepping stone to becoming a researcher or producer.

Annual Income

Freelance production assistants are usually paid a fee per contract, and they may experience gaps between contracts.

Freelance rates within the media vary widely and may be calculated on a daily or weekly basis. You could negotiate your own fees based on your experience and track record, the type of production and the budget available, or you may be paid according to Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU) guidelines.

See BECTU’s website for current minimum rates (details in Further Information section).

Further information

373-377 Clapham Road London SW9 9BT

249 West George Street
Glasgow
G2 4QE
Tel: 0141 302 1700

Gronant
Penrallt Isaf
Caernarfon
Gwynedd
LL55 1NS
Tel: 01286 671000

4th Floor
Warwick House
Warwick Street
London
W1R 5RA

Prospect House
80-110 New Oxford Street
London
WC1A 1HB

Tel: 08080 300 900 for England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Tel: 0808 100 8094 for Scotland