Breaking into Hollywood: How do I get my foot in the door as a film or TV production assistant?

This is the one industry where working for free or $100 for a 16 hour day is required. You make connections and those connections will bring you up if you pass muster. NEVER flash attitude or get pissy. You can't afford to. Someone is a total ass to you, just smile and move on. You have no political capital to burn and people need to see that you do not stress and escalate and talk trash. Don't talk shit. If you don't know something, befriend someone to show you. People love to show off their knowledge. You'll only look green to someone who has been doing this for 10 years if you act like you know it all and you don't. Be eager to learn always and people will pick up on that. Be humble and hustle. It's very very much a personality and networking industry. When crews are forming, you will be at home smoking weed and watching Maury, but you need someone out there in a meeting saying "I want to work with this person - great attitude, good hustle." Your career should trend upward. Eventually you will need to pick a goal and try to apprentice towards it, but the first few jobs, just enjoy the long days and the talent around you. EDIT: I'm not saying work for free as anything more than it's not an uncommon way to get your foot in the door. After you get your foot in the door, it's up to you to bust it open and get to the better paying jobs as fast as you can. It's all word of mouth and referrals.

and both have great answers.  Since the OP's profile indicates that she currently lives in Louisville, KY, I will suggest ways to get local contacts and experience. Lexington (where I live) and Louisville both have active filmmaker communities, and regional professionals are fairly collaborative.  I mostly work with musicians, but have been involved with one substantial film project.  For our three weeks of principal photography last year, we hired approximately 2/3 of the crew from the Lexington and Louisville areas.  The Assistant Director was local, and he brought on several tech professionals who had worked with him on previous productions.  We also gave PA credits to unpaid University of Kentucky student interns, and to on-set volunteers who were recent graduates of a community college filmmaking program. (this is us: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1883217/) When we reunited the local crew to shoot an additional scene this spring, several of them had already worked on other projects together.  They had built reputations among each other, and as a team.[1]  This summer, half of our paid and volunteer crew members were hired for jobs on a bigger budget film shot in Louisville.  Currently, one of our grips is directing his own project, with help from our former PAs.  As these individuals move up in experience, they will need enthusiastic, hard-working entry level people to help them. You can do something this month (September 2011) to connect with the broader network. Each year during the IdeaFestival, the Kentucky Film Lab a day-long workshop for filmmakers.  The people you need to meet will be in one place on Saturday, September 24: http://www.kyfilmlab.com/?334  A networking session follows the instructional program, with the stated goal: "Collaboration is the key to improving the cinematic arts in Kentucky"    If your undergraduate degree is not related to film or TV production, you may also wish to enroll in this one-semester filmmaking certificate program: http://www.bluegrass.kctcs.edu/Humanities/Filmmaking_Certificate_Program You may also want to explore the Louisville Film Society (http://louisvillefilm.org) and look at links to resources on the Kentucky Film Office's website (http://filmoffice.ky.gov/resources/). [1] A bit of shameless self-promotion... actor Bruce Dern said some really nice things about our local crew: http://noclexington.com/?p=3546 I think everybody on this crew—first of all, I didn’t see one asshole. Except maybe myself. I didn’t see any screw-ups. I didn’t see anybody who wasn’t ready to get ready to be prime-time in their department. The organization of it was fabulous. I think there’s a lot of hope for this group of people. If I was a filmmaker and I wanted to come down here I’d keep this group together. I think anybody around Lexington, or in this part of Kentucky, ought to really study and look at the names of the people who were on this crew, and how it moved, ‘cause it’s a little army. All movies are. You become a family. The sad part about it is, when you get on a bigger and bigger level, you make a movie and then you never see those people again.

This is a great question, which I'll be following for sure. Here in Pittsburgh, the film industry is really picking up, and while there is increasing opportunity for someone who wants to work on feature films, it's also a bit of a closed club until you get that foot in the door, and I'm still working on this for myself. PA's I've pestered on big budget productions about how they got their jobs have cited internships with casting agencies or production companies. Another PA suggested joining the union, though, at least in this particular region one must have 600 hours on feature films to become a full union member; you can apply for a permit as a student worker with the union, if you're a student, I was told. You can also join local and state organizations relating to film, and get to network with people during those events (here in Pittsburgh, that's Women in Film and Media, Pittsburgh Filmmakers, Pennsylvania Film Industry Association, Pittsburgh Film Office). By doing that, you'll start bumping into the same people at all of these places and that's never a bad idea. (This is what I concentrated on, this past summer. At one PaFIA event, I ended up collecting the five most important business cards in town relating to the film industry in this city. Time will tell whether that helps me get on a feature as a PA, but I have to think that it will.) Work as an extra on features and, without being a pest, get to know a few of the PA's. After a little while you'll start bumping into the same people and they'll see that you're serious. Also, it isn't just big features that list opportunities through your local film office...it's independent filmmakers and students, who need help with their projects. They can't always pay you, but, it's a way to gain legitimate experience in film. EDIT: In September, I attended PATS, or, "Production Assistant Training Seminar" (http://www.patrainingseminar.com/) and received a certificate. It was held at Point Park University and sponsored by the Film Office. That may be a cool thing to have on my resume now. Whether this strategy bears fruit for me, time will tell...but at least I have a few ideas about how to move forward. I haven't been a PA on a feature yet (just student and local films), but hope to, eventually. (And again...this is Pittsburgh, not Hollywood...but I have to think that these same strategy points may also work in other places.)  Good luck to both of us, I guess! :)

First, move to LA or NY. NY is expensive, but there is a lot of TV and film production going on there. In cities like Chicago, Atlanta, Charleston, SC, etc. where there is also a lot of production, it is possible to break in as well. Sometimes it's easier in a market like Atlanta. But-- if you have dreams of being a Director, Producer, Writer... You will eventually need to be in LA or NY. If you're a local Director of Photography, you'll always be the local guy. Here's some of my list to try to sift a job out of Hollywood-- Subscribe to the Hollywood Reporter. They publish and update constantly-- a production list of everything shooting in the US.  It will have enough info to track down a Production Office of a show-- film & TV. The UTA job list- The Hollywood Temp Diaries website has good info and opportunities.   http://tempdiaries.com Also, Coordinators 911 is a google group of POC's. Production Office Coordinators. They hire a lot of PA's. Check the Studios-- they all have job lists of entry level, and are mostly corporate (assistant to the head of international TV distro to China, etc...), but they also have page programs that put you on a show. A PA with little or no experience who sends in a resume via e to a Production Ofc. or POC, will be put to the bottom of the pile. That's to be expected.  POC's especially, value experience and look for it. Also, once they have a PA they trust, the next hire is usually, got any PA friends? Ultimately, that is the key. Connecting with as many people as possible. Work for free, but don't make it a habit. USC & UCLA always need free PA's. Meet and join groups, go to screenings, follow and like filmmakers on the web. Show you care about their work. Get your resume into as many places as you can and follow up. Use the manners your family taught you to deal with everyone you speak to. You are asking for work and are of value, but you must stride that fine line between persistent and pushy.  If you drive a POC nuts with calls and emails, they will delete you to oblivion. However, if that POC needs a last minute PA and, remembers last week they had a conversation with a nice young person who seemed enthusiastic. Probably come in on a moment's notice. Where was that kid's resume again??  That's the thing about the experienced PA. They work a lot. They are not always available to their POC's or Assistant Director pals who call. And they move up to more serious jobs on set after a few years. So new bodies are always needed. You can be the one they're looking for. Keep pressing, but don't panic. It will happen. If you're in LA, I'm teaching a class on breaking in. Info-- http://JRSchoolofFilm.com

Katherine Brown is spot on with her answer.  The best way to break in to the film industry is moving to NY or LA - preferably the latter - and be an unpaid intern.  Every film related company welcomes free interns and is willing to teach them some of the tools of the trade.  I interned for two agencies in LA, got referrals, and then I landed a desk job immediately following my graduation.  Once you become an assistant at a desk, you have to schedule lunches with other assistants and meet as many as you can in order to build your rolodex of contacts.  It is very important to figure out what exactly you want to do, because choosing the right internships and/or assistant jobs is what will shape your career endeavors in Hollywood.  Do you want to be an actor?  Intern at a casting company, acting school/program, or agency.  Do you want to be a camera person or Director of Photography?  Intern at a production company or equipment rental house.  Do you want to be an editor or music supervisor?  Intern at a post production house or recording studio.  Do you want to direct?  Intern at any or all of the above, get on as many short film sets as you can for experience, grab a camera, start shooting, and build up your demo reel.

Volunteer for all and any independent productions you are able to work on. Many of the key production people will be pros who are also helping out or working for small fees. They will recognize you as a dedicated, hard working and conscientious person (if you are) and eventually inquire about you working with them again, and this time you might even get paid.

WHAT?!! Granted, some folks have some decent advice on this topic, but you certainly DO NOT need to be an unpaid intern in order to break into the Industry. Nor do you need to move to a metropolitan area. It could help, but it's not a dealbreaker. Firstly, you need to specify just what kind of PA you want to be. Not all PAs need to be in the office or, in all honesty, affiliated with a studio or company. You'll also, as mentioned above, want to figure out where you're headed. Having a short-term goal of finding work is a good thing, but don't get stuck in the "I'm just a PA" mental trap. I have written a whole book devoted to this specific question. Contact me if you're interested in reading it. It's designed to get you working quickly AND making money while you learn. I'd be happy to go into detail about my position on this question, but I'd feel I'd be repeating what I've already written. Though, if you do have questions, send me an email on here and we can have a personalized discussion.

Get an internship. Every company in Hollywood is constantly looking for good interns and, unfortunately, the only consistent sure-fire way to break in is to be willing to work for free. After getting that experience under your belt, you are more likely to be considered for paid work, such as a job as a production assistant.

Get an internship. It's a racket, but get one anyway. Be able to read and type fast. Be able to do something the boss can't do--photoshop, wordpress, Squarespace. Read a lot. But remember you are not there to be a put down artist. People want to know what you love not what's on your meh list. Have lots of ideas. Have an area you know more about than anyone, sci fi, romantic comedy, standup comedy, bollywood--but your knowledge must be deeper than what you can fake from wilipedia.