JL04 Task 1 - Television Production Assistant

A television production assistant is also know as a PA. They are responsible for the administration, organisation and secretarial work which is involved in producing television programmes. The duties do vary from production to production and the work includes assisting actors, the crew, issuing scripts, dealing with travel and accommodation bookings and sorting out paper work and enquires.

A production assistant may work on many different kinds of programmes such as news and current affairs, reality television shows, soap operas, dramas and comedies. They’re also involved at all stages of a project by working alongside everyone from early stages until completion. Production assistants can also specialise in one particular area of assistance or then can also be known by other names such as production coordinator, script supervisor or production secretary.

The job includes

•attending production meetings;

•typing, editing, copying and distributing scripts;

•organising travel arrangements for cast, crew and production executives;

•organising accommodation for cast and crew;

•typing and distributing schedules, or call sheets;

•assisting cast members, and at times running errands for them;

•running errands between the production office and other departments;

•dealing with accounts and expenses.

Assistants can also be involved in:

•checking running orders and scripts;

•keeping track of timings during a programme;

•setting up pre-recorded material in the studio gallery;

•making schedules, shot lists, logs and other paperwork for post-production

The starting salary is £14,000-£16,000 and can go up to £30,000 per annum.