Production

Production Assistant

Step 1 of 8 · Overview

Paperwork is getting automated, but a set still runs on people who show up early, lock up a street, and fix the problem nobody saw coming, and that's how every career starts.

The job, and where it's going.

Production assistants are the entry-level crew who keep a shoot moving. Set PAs work for the assistant directors: locking up areas, running walkies, moving background and distributing paperwork. Office PAs support the production office with runs, copies, deliveries and phones.

What stays human

Holding a lockup on a busy sidewalk, politely and firmly, so the shot can roll
Noticing an actor isn't where they should be and getting them there before anyone asks
Calming a neighbor, a store owner or a crowd so the shoot can keep its location
Being the radio voice the AD trusts to relay 'rolling' and 'cut' exactly right
Reading a room and knowing when to help and when to stay out of the way

What's changing

Paper call sheets are going digitalApps like SetHero, StudioBinder and Scenechronize send call sheets by text and email and track who confirmed. PAs spend less time copying and more time making sure everyone actually read the changes.

Digital start paperwork and payrollPayroll companies like Wrapbook and Cast & Crew handle start forms and timecards online. You need to manage your own documents and catch errors in your pay.

Safety awareness is part of the jobIndustry safety bulletins cover heat, lightning, firearms, stunts and drones. PAs who know them are more useful and more trusted near the action.

Smaller crews do moreOn many commercials and indie shoots, PAs cover several jobs at once. That's a chance to learn more departments fast.

Training programs are a real doorStructured programs like Made in NY PA Training and the DGA's assistant director training programs give a clear route into the industry, and they're competitive.

The next ten years

Now

Call sheets, schedules and start paperwork are mostly digital. Set PAs still do the essential on-the-ground work of lockups, walkies and wrangling.

Next few years

Likely more apps for check-in, crew lists and production reports, with PAs expected to be comfortable using them on day one.

By 2036

PAs are likely to spend less time on paper and more on people, safety and logistics. The PA role stays the most common way into the industry.