Television production assistant
A television production assistant is responsible for the administration, organisation and secretarial work involved in producing a television programme. While duties do vary from production to production, the work includes assisting actors and the crew, issuing scripts, dealing with travel and accommodation bookings and sorting out enquiries and other paperwork.
A production assistant may work on different kinds of programmes, such as news and current affairs, reality television shows, soap operas, dramas and comedies. They are usually involved at all stages of a project, working alongside everyone from early stages until completion.
Production assistants can be known by other names or specialise in one particular area of assistance. Other names include production coordinator, script supervisor or production secretary.
Typical work activities include some or all of the following tasks:
Assistants can also be involved in:
This area of work is open to all graduates. There are no specific educational requirements to enter the profession but the industry is becoming increasingly competitive and more entrants are now educated to degree level.
It is important to have work experience, enthusiasm and contacts so knowledge of the industry, the ability to network and a willingness to work for free will help significantly.
A postgraduate course can help increase your practical skills, although it is not considered essential. With media qualifications, it is always important to ask about accreditation by industry bodies as well as opportunities for placements and using equipment.
Media experience is crucial. It is possible to gain experience from your course, university television unit or filmmaking society. Volunteering on a local community film project or the local hospital radio station, entering media competitions, applying for awards and building up a portfolio of work will all help.
Candidates need to show evidence of the following:
Media directories, such as The Knowledge and the PACT Directory of Independent Producers , list addresses, named contacts and information on productions.
Find out what is going on in the industry by reading the media press, in particular Broadcast and The Guardian on a Monday.
The majority of vacancies are rarely advertised. Networking and persistence is vital for hearing about opportunities. Contact production companies, independent filmmakers, or local TV and radio stations for paid or unpaid work opportunities.
Some companies offer unpaid work experience, but you may have to approach them a few times as both the timing of your application and their recruitment needs will affect whether you are successful each time.
The minimum wage legislation can make unpaid work experience a grey area, but if you are working solely in order to gain skills, it is legal for you to work unpaid. In TV production, it is highly unlikely you will secure paid work without having done a substantial amount of unpaid work to strengthen your CV first.
Skillset has published Guidelines for Work Experience Placements in the TV Industry . Although these are aimed at employers, they contain useful information that will help candidates understand their rights. The BBC offers a limited number of work experience placements, for which competition is fierce. These can be viewed at BBC Work Experience .
For more information, see work experience and internships and search courses and research.
Television production assistants receive most of their training on the job by shadowing experienced assistants and attending training sessions organised by the production company. In some companies, the BBC for example, training opportunities are almost exclusively internally provided.
A number of training organisations, however, offer additional training and short courses for media professionals:
There is no structured route for career development within the industry. Networking is vital along with persistence and motivation even during periods of unemployment. Success often comes through seizing opportunities, making a positive impression, knowing the right people and being in the right place at the right time.
It is important to contact companies on a regular basis to find out whether opportunities have arisen. Many companies will rarely advertise externally. Career development is linked to being proactive and balancing workload with development of new skills.
Production assistants can progress to roles such as senior production assistant or production manager, focusing on financial management and handling budgets. Other positions include production coordinator, assistant director, director, floor manager, unit manager, location manager and vision mixer.
The UK television industry has nine terrestrial broadcasters, which include BBC , ITV , Channel 4 , Channel 5 , S4C, SMG and UTV, and over 300 cable and satellite broadcasters, such as BSkyB (British Sky Broadcasting Group) .
The biggest area of the industry are the ‘indies’, the 1,500 independent production companies which make the biggest shows on television and employ thousands of people in the course of a year.
The BBC is the UK's largest broadcaster and produces much of its own content. There is growing regional interest, and more opportunities are arising outside London. BBC North, which will be based at MediaCityUK at Salford Quays from 2011, will include BBC Children’s, BBC Learning and parts of BBC Sport.
Channel 4 Television broadcasts throughout the UK, except Wales, where Channel 4 Wales broadcasts S4/C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru).
Five broadcasts terrestrially to around 80% of the UK with the remainder receiving it by cable, satellite or digital equipment. Both C4 and Five commission their programmes from independent production companies whilst S4C commissions them in Welsh from the BBC and independent producers. They do not, therefore, offer opportunities in production.
There are numerous other satellite, cable and digital broadcasters and news specialists. There are also around 1,000 independent production companies in the UK. Most belong to the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT) .
Most vacancies are not advertised externally, so proactively sending CVs with covering letters, making regular follow-up calls, getting work experience and having contacts in the industry will make all the difference. It is rare to find paid work without having substantial unpaid work experience first, so try and gain as much experience as possible to enhance your CV.
Recruitment agencies sometimes handle vacancies, and you may find temporary jobs through media recruitment agencies. However, networking opportunities should be used whenever possible. Some production companies offer work experience schemes, and a number of independent television companies have graduate opportunities which operate on an individual company basis. These will be advertised on their websites and in industry press.
Get tips on job hunting, CVs and covering letters and interviews.
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