How I got my First Production Assistant Internship

About a month ago, I started having thoughts about changing my major to film, or Digital Media Collaborative as my university calls it. It had been a longtime coming, and I wasn't happy with what I was doing in college anymore, but I didn't have any film experience.

I knew that if film is what I wanted to pursue, I would definitely need to network and get as much experience as possible.

Something I've learned in life that not only pertains to the film industry, but any position really, is that networking and experience no matter how big or small can always be beneficial in the future.

Anyway, I started browsing that website called "Backstage". If you've ever been into any kind of theater or acting or stage-crew kind of stuff, you've probably heard of it. It's a website where casting directors and other independent film makers can post auditions and upcoming opportunities for cast and crew.

As I was scrolling, I came across an ad for a production that was going to be shot in my area. The only information listed was the name of the director and what cast members they were looking for. There was no email attached and nothing about how to contact the director.

I realized that the director's name was actually someone who attended university with me, based off of their credentials listed under their name, and proceeded to do a quick search of their email in my university's database. After a few minutes of snooping around, I thought I had finally found the name of the guy who was shooting the movie.

I waited a few weeks, and got no response, which wasn't too disappointing because if someone randomly messaged me out of the blue, I would probably wouldn't answer either, and, more specifically, if a random person with no experience in film messaged me to join the crew, well who knows what I would do.

Just when I was about to give up hope, I finally got a response.

The director said that he'd love to have me on set as a production assistant if I was up for the challenge. I've heard bad things about being a production assistant, but I told him that I was excited to get the experience.

The film hasn't started being shot yet, but when it does I am super excited to have the opportunity to be a production assistant. It doesn't matter that I'm not getting paid or that it's the lowest job one can have in a film crew. Personal development on your own time, when you have the time, can be extremely beneficial down the line and give you the chance to get some experience that you may otherwise not get. Not only that, but it gives you the opportunity to network, and make connections that may be helpful in the future.