PART II A continuation of the conversation…
Robin: What’s it like to work down in LA? You went down there pretty quick.
Jon: I moved down to LA about a year after I started in the pre-production world. I got called to work on a show. I had about three hours to decide whether I wanted to basically move down to LA and work for the next six months. I had no ride down there and I didn’t know where I was going to live, but I said yes because, why not, it’s an adventure.
Robin: That’s right!
Jon: There’s lots of work in LA for people who want to get involved in productions whether it’s for reality TV, or union and non-union commercials. In addition, there’s documentaries and film schools that have production assistants. Numerous TV shows and films are based here in L.A., so really, depending on how you want to get involved in the industry, there are endless possibilities.
Robin: Can you run down for me, just this job, First Set PA?
Jon: Okay, so there’s the First Team PA, there’s the Background PA, there’s the Walkie and Distro (distribution) PA and there’s usually additional PAs that are there to help as well and the Key Set PA.
The First team PA is essentially in charge of the cast. They have to know when the cast are arriving, how long it’s going to take for them to get through costume, through hair, and through makeup. The First Team PA will also coordinate with the First AD (First Assistant Director) on set to know how long the DP (Director of Photography) is going to need to set up the lighting and in general, how long before the set is going to be ready so that they can invite the actor up to the set. Then there’s some time between when the actor is ready and actually comes on to the set.
So the first team PA or the Basecamp AD will let the First AD know how long the travel time is from basecamp to set so that they can coordinate. (Basecamp is a location away from the set where actors, wardrobe, and trucks, etc. are housed. Sometimes Basecamp is in short walking distance and sometimes it is far enough that actors and other professionals must be driven back and forth.) Basecamp is where they get the actor ready and the First AD will coordinate with the DP and let them know how long it’s going to take for makeup and costumes to be finished and then they will get the actor up to the set. Usually, this is about 15 minutes before the set is ready for the actor to step in.
You also let all the costumes hair and makeup people know when cast is traveling up to set. That way when you get to set with the actor, you’re going to want to get them wired for sound. You’ll take them to sound (audio department), and depending on what the costume is, or what the scene is, a wire is typically used, however might only be booming if it’s a tighter shot or a scene where the actor is shirtless.
Once your actor is on set and they’re shooting, you’ll coordinate with the costumer, the hair and makeup department to let them know what the camera angles are. For instance, if it’s a close-up on the actor, if it’s of a two shot of two actors, if it’s over the shoulder of one actor, if it’s several actors, and so on. As the camera angle changes, you’ll communicate that with the various departments.
You’ll also work with the props person on set, because anything that the actor will handle, the props department is in charge of. You become somewhat of a personal assistant to the actor. You will grab them some water or a coffee and get to know their likes and dislikes. That way you can help communicate their needs, making everything move a bit more smoothly.
So that’s a little bit of what a First Team PA does.
Robin: Most people have no idea that there’s literary an open door to get into the film business. What would you say to someone who is trying to break into this business?
Jon: I would say to someone that’s trying to break into the film production business that attitude is huge. A positive attitude is extremely valuable. A positive attitude means to be helpful, kind, and assertive, a self-starter. Remember, you can be working with someone and just helping one day, and that person could turn out to be a producer on the set that you’re on the next day.
Robin: What are the things to watch out for? What could you tell people wanting to get into this business to watch out for—what not to do?
Jon: Sure, there are things that people wanting to break into the industry will want to watch out for. The main one is that it is a reputation-based industry. People in this business remember the way you treat people and the way that you interact with people. They recognize and remember if you work hard and if you’re kind.
They also remember if you’re late, if you don’t show up, if you lie, or if you disappear on set. These are actions that are looked down on. There’s an old saying, “if you’re on time you’re late.” Be early, always be early. I always show up a half an hour early, if I can, just to prepare myself. I try to get the lay of the land and see where everybody is and what’s going on before I’m supposed to be at work. This way I’m much more effective and efficient by the time things start moving because once the ball starts rolling it’s a snowball going downhill.
The other thing to watch out for is your health. Set PA can be a very physical job. Sometimes you’re on your feet for 12 hours a day, so get a good pair of shoes. Get enough rest and eat well. Everybody likes their coffee, but if you’re drinking it all day you’re going to be even more tired. If you’re Set PA on a big show in LA you will work a minimum of 60 hours a week, more likely within a range of 65 to 75 hours per week. You’ll be tired, you’ll be cranky, you’ll be waking up at 3 a.m. to get to a location an hour away for a 4:30 a.m. call time. Then you’ll work until 5:30 or 6:00 p.m., drive an hour back home and have to get to bed because you have call time the next morning at 5 a.m. driving 45 minutes in the other direction. This can go on five days a week for six or seven months, especially if you’re on a big TV show. So, getting rest and eating right is super important, and definitely have the proper shoes because it will save your back.
Also, you’re going to want to pay attention to your paperwork and tax forms, at the end of the year. If you have a mix of TV shows, films, commercials etc., you’ll have a lot of W2s. There’s also the potential of 1099s in there too, which means you’re an independent contractor. Keep your pay stubs, keep your call sheets, it’s essential information to have especially if you want to join the DGA.
Another thing I would recommend is don’t party a lot. If you can’t pay attention, you’re not going to be functioning to your full potential and it could be dangerous. We, as production staff, help with safety. If someone is not on their A-Game and misses something and say a car goes by and ruins the shoot, it costs time and money and maybe their job. You want to be as attentive as possible.
Robin: We work in the real world and that’s part of the problem. The set is our office and we forget that it’s the real word we are shooting in.
Jon: It’s not only just what happens onset, but what’s happening otherwise. It’s like driving a car in traffic, you have to be worried about the other drivers.
Robin: And that’s daily! It sounds like a miserable job, why should I do this, what is it, right? I mean really, seriously, 70 hours a week and I’m going to have to get up at 3:30 and I’m not going to have a life and I can’t party. Why should I do this, what is it, Jon?
Jon: Let’s see, why would I want to be a production assistant when the hours are so long, I’m going to be on my feet all day, and it’s so involved that I feel like I won’t have a life? There’s a ton of perks and a ton of reasons that you’d want to be a production assistant. For Production Assistants, the career possibilities are endless. If you’re interested in breaking into another department such as camera or property or electric, you can learn about those departments by being a PA on set. You get to meet and work with some of the most intelligent, creative, and crazy people you’ll ever meet. I wouldn’t trade it for the world! You get to travel for a lifetime, and you get to be creative. It’s an adventure; every day is different.
There’s constant problem solving and successes and rewards to it. At the end of the day you get to see a finished product and if a project is particularly hard it feels that much better to finish it. You get to see the end product, and you’re like, I was a part of making that. And you know what? Every project doesn’t last forever. If it’s a particularly tough one the next one might be super easy; it might be a lot of more fun. So, you really never know what you’re going to get. It’s in no way like going to an office or working in a cubicle, because that’s not something that I could or would ever do. I’ve done them before, and this has been so much more rewarding for my soul that I wouldn’t change it for the world. I mean, I set foot on set one day and I never left.
