I’ve seen a Production Assistant at work. When I lived in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area) my Mom and I phoned in and got tickets to watch Dini Petty‘s show at the CFTO (now CTV) television station. We went to several of her shows, until we moved farther out of the GTA and soon after Dini wasn’t doing the show any more. (She missed us?)
Dini Petty had a Production Assistant. She actually seemed to be running the show from what I could see. She talked to the audience before, during and after the show, keeping us up with what was going on during delays and letting us know what we should be doing at different times. I know she was doing other things and I even spoke to her once and found out more, but I’ve forgotten what she said – it was a lot.
Since then, I have thought Production Assistant was a job I would like. Not for TV comedies, dramas, etc but the talk shows where you have more real people, an audience and guests and more stage props and such. I guess all shows have the same elements but there is something more vital and ever-changing when it’s a talk show instead of a work of fiction.
Wikipedia: A production assistant, also known as a PA, is a job title used in filmmaking and television for a person responsible for various aspects of a production. The job of a PA can vary greatly depending on the budget and specific requirements of a production as well as whether or not the production is unionized.
Production assistants on films are sometimes attached to individual actors or filmmakers.
Most jobs require some training although some jobs may hire you with no training. Associate’s or Bachelor’s degrees make you more marketable because many degree programs offer internship opportunities that allow students to gain experience in the field while taking classes in school.
- The Production Assistant’s Handbook
- The Anonymous Production Assistant’s Blog
- Devon DeLapp: How I got that First Job in Television
- eHow: How to Become a TV Production Assistant
- About: Film/ TV Careers: Production Assistant
- Indeed: Production Assistant Jobs Forum
- Production Assistant Jobs
- Film Jobs Info: Production Assistant
I think your review of Barrie was good. I’ve been here about 10 years now. I grew up in Port Union, Ontario, before it became Scarborough, and after. Barrie is pretty suburban still. Downtown Barrie still has a lot of bars and drinking night life. The box malls and shopping in general didn’t get into downtown Barrie, just the outskirts. It helps keep traffic from being completely locked up during weekends when there are people out shopping and even more people navigating the cottage highway. There is a new mall going up not far from where I am. It will be right at the highway turn off for Duckworth, where the hospital and Georgian College are. The two lane bridge which ran under the highway is being done over. A big project but it has been needed for a long time. Living in Barrie I especially like being on the lake and actually seeing it. I grew up on Lake Ontario and I have missed having a big lake nearby – it was one of the reasons I picked Barrie. Last note, for anyone traveling to Barrie in the winter, it does get colder here as we are at least a couple of snow belts up from the weather in the GTA.
