4 Honest Tips to Know for Your First PA Gig
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Your first time being a PA can be intimidating. Luckily, The Call Sheet teamed up with freelance PA Rachel Moody to give you advice on how to ace your first day, even if you’ve never stepped on a set in your life.
Don’t miss this opportunity to take advantage of a long and wonderful tradition of apprenticeship on the sets of movies, commercials, music videos, live shows and pretty much any other kind of film production.
(1) Arrive on Set Early & Prepared
Check your email for the call sheet with your call time. The call sheet typically goes out the day before the set day. Arrive at least 15 minutes before breakfast serves, Moody said. Don’t forget these essentials:
- Appropriate clothing: Wear comfortable shoes, and bring layers for cold mornings and hot days. Jeans and t-shirts are typical, but there is technically no “dress code.”
- Surveillance: This is your ear piece for your walkie talkie. You can buy them on Amazon or at production supplies stores such as Quixote.
- Copies of the call sheet: It’s good to have a hard copy, and you may be asked for a copy from another crew member.
When you get to set, report to the production area or truck to grab your assigned walkie talkie and a few extra charged batteries, or “hot bricks,” according to Moody. And don’t forget to introduce yourself to the other PAs and production team!
(2) Know Your Way Around & Practice the Basics
After you grab your walkie, take a second to learn the layout of the set, including the location of the bathrooms, crafty, production office, talent holding and video village, according to Moody. On large sets you’ll likely see different trucks dedicated to departments such as Art, Camera, Grip, Electric and Production. Don’t be afraid to ask your fellow PAs or friends in the production office where these are located. Moody said some of your basic duties for the day may be:
- Set up chairs, tables and pop-ups: If any part of the set is outside, you’ll likely set up pop-up tents over any crafty, talent holding, lunch tables or video village.
- Call out “rolling”: When the director or 1st AD calls out “rolling,” you’ll hear that echoed by the PAs. This helps other crew members stay quiet and aware during takes.
- Lockups: Secure an assigned area so that no one disrupts a take. This means silencing conversations and preventing people from walking in frame between “rolling” and “cut.”
- Keep the set clean and safe: Pick up any trash you see and take the trash out to the dumpster if it gets full.
- Staying present on the walkie: If someone asks for an available PA over the walkie, you can offer your help by replying, “Copy, flying in.”
(3) Follow the PA Code of Conduct
“The most important thing to remember as PAs who will eventually graduate to higher roles in the film industry is to act appropriately and treat everyone with respect,” Moody said.
A USA Today survey of more than 800 women in the entertainment industry found 94 percent say they’ve experienced sexual harassment or assault. Moody recommends that PAs who experience any kind of harassment or discrimination should report the incident to the production team. Report it to a production coordinator, production manager (or even an accessible producer on smaller sets). Remember that their contacts are on the call sheet as well.
Don’t be afraid to pull a fellow PA aside to ask for advice.
Moody called inclusive sets an incredible place where “people of all cultural and ethnic backgrounds bring their unique experiences and uplift each other.”
(4) Don’t Forget to Fill Out Your Time Card
It’s time for you to get paid for your work. And yes, you’re allowed to ask what your day rate is before you step on set!
Moody says that the typical rate for a PA on a commercial is $225 for a 12-hour day. The rate for films, television or movies can range anywhere between $150 and $225, depending on what state the production is in. Don’t forget to fill out these out:
- Time Card: A form you fill out on a weekly basis to log your work hours.
- I-9: This verifies that you can work in the U.S. Fill one out for every job.
- W-9 or W-4: Your IRS Tax Form. Fill this out once a year.
- Wage Theft Prevention Act (WTPA) Form: Because PAs are non-union workers, they must sign this for most every job.
Know the Lingo!
- Call Time: The time you are expected to be ready to work.
- Crafty: Nickname for craft services, or the hub of snacks on set.
- Hot Bricks: Charged walkie talkie batteries.
- Non-Union: Not belonging to a labor union. You can find examples of film-related unions in California here.
- Video Village: On commercial sets, the agency and client watch takes from their own monitor in video village.
Click here if you have any tips for new PAs!
