How to be...

Here is a list of things you need to know if you ever want to be come a GREAT Production Assistant:

1. Never question a request and/or command (you will never be right…ever).
2. Always hustle even if no one is looking.
3. Never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down (these truths are only known if you can escape the eyes of everyone on the crew).
4. If asked by a pedestrian what you are working on you can: A) say what it is truthfully, B) Lie and start naming names of people on the crew and act like they are up and coming stars, C) Tell them it is a new mayonnaise commercial, or D) Be extremely rude and act like you can’t hear what they are saying.
5. Keeping a “lock up” is one of the worst jobs a PA can have. Accept it. Be as nice as possible to people walking by, and never, EVER, lay a hand on a pedestrian no matter how much they are going to ruin the shot.
6. Crew members typically don’t listen when asked to be quiet while filming. If they want to talk, they will talk. Another thing to “accept.”
7. You will be talked down to. You will be yelled at for what you think there is no apparent reason.
8. Humility is the key to everything you do.
9. Write everything down even if you think you have the best memory in the world (I have a TERRIBLE memory and I still don’t write everything down. Bad for me).
10. Love your job. You will know within a few hours whether you want to be in this business. If you don’t love it, then move on, because it will make you miserable just like any other job.