TV Production Assistant: Job Description and Information About Starting a Career in TV Productions

There are no formal education requirements for becoming a Television Production Assistant (P.A.). Some P.A.s have Film Studies or Television Production bachelor's degrees and aspire to work their way from the Assistant level to other roles on TV crews.

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Career Definition: Television Production Assistant

TV Production Assistants (P.A.s) are entry-level positions on a television crew, and they have a variety of duties. P.A.s make copies of scripts, help organize travel to locations, find and deliver equipment and even make coffee for other crew members. Production Assistants put in long hours and work nights and weekends when the shooting schedule requires it.

How to Become a TV Production Assistant

Required Education for a Career Assisting TV Productions

There are no formal requirements for becoming a TV Production Assistant. Many P.A.s are more educated than the position requires. Graduates with degrees in Film Studies or Television Production often enter the field as P.A.s and work their way up to other crew positions.

Skills Required for a Career as a Television P.A.

Production Assistants are good listeners and willing to take directions obediently from a diversity of people. P.A.s must be responsible and efficient in completing their tasks in order to prevent costly delays in the filming schedule. The College Board, www.collegeboard.com, emphasizes that P.A.s who pay attention and learn other crew members' roles have the best chances for career advancement.

Career and Economic Outlook for Assisting Television Productions

The U.S. Department of Labor, www.bls.gov, projects that Television Production jobs will grow at an average rate over the next decade. Competition for Television Production jobs is fierce, even for entry level positions, such as P.A.s.

According to the Salary Wizard, swz.salary.com, Television P.A.s earn a median wage of approximately $520 per week. Television production schedules are not year-round, and P.A.s typically have gaps in their employment between production jobs.

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