Tv or film production assistant Job Information | National Careers Service

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TV or film production assistant

Hours

Variable
Starting salary

Variable

If you like working with people and organising things, and you want to work in film or TV, this job could be ideal for you.

As a production assistant, you would give practical support to the director and production team during the making of films and television programmes. It would be your job to handle administrative and organisational tasks so that the production ran smoothly and on time.

In this job you will need excellent attention to detail. You would need to have good administrative and computer skills. You would also need plenty of initiative and the ability to think creatively to solve problems.

This is a job where your personal qualities and experience could be more important than your qualifications. Employers usually look for candidates with enthusiasm, common sense and a good track record in office admin work. Many people get into this job through volunteering, or starting out as a runner.

The work

You would be involved in a wide range of tasks before, during and after filming, which would often include:

hiring studio facilities and equipment
booking hotels and making travel arrangements
attending production meetings
copying and distributing scripts
typing and distributing schedules (‘call sheets’) and daily reports
getting permission to use copyrighted music or film clips
dealing with accounts and expenses.

In television, you might also carry out production duties such as:

timing the show in the studio gallery
calling camera shots
cueing pre-recorded material
keeping records (known as 'logging') of shots taken
keeping continuity.

You would work as part of a wider production team, including producers, researchers, and technical staff like camera crew and editors.

Hours

Your working hours would vary depending on the type of production and the location. You could work long hours, including early mornings, late evenings and shifts.

You would be based in an office with other members of the production team, but during filming you would also spend a lot of your time moving between offices and production areas.

Location work could be anywhere in the UK or overseas, so you may need to travel and stay away from home for long periods.

Income

Freelance production assistants are usually paid a fee for each contract.

Freelance rates can vary widely, and may be negotiated based on the type of production and your track record. Contact the Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU) for current pay guidelines.

Entry requirements

You will need good office IT skills and plenty of initiative, enthusiasm and common sense. You should also build as much practical experience as you can. Although many production assistants are graduates, this is not essential as most employers will be more interested in your experience and personal qualities than your qualifications.

You can build useful experience through activities such as:

student or community film/TV projects
community or student radio
work experience placements (often unpaid).

Creative Skillset Careers offers advice on finding work experience – visit their website to find out more.

Creative Skillset – Gain Experience

It isn't essential to have studied film, video or media production, although you might find it helpful to take a course that includes practical skills, work placements and the chance to make contacts. Several colleges and universities offer relevant courses, including:

Level 1, 2 and 3 Award, Certificate and Diploma in Media Techniques (7601)
BTEC Level 3 Certificates and Diplomas in Creative Media Production
BTEC HNDs, degrees and postgraduate courses.

Check with course providers for entry requirements, and see Creative Skillset’s website for details of industry-endorsed courses.

Your first paid job would often be as a runner or a junior assistant or secretary in the production office, and you would work your way up the production ladder as you gained experience.

Training and development

You will develop your skills on the job by learning from experienced production staff.

At the start of your career you may be able to get some training as part of an apprenticeship-style new entrant scheme, such as the programmes occasionally run by broadcasters, regional screen agencies and media training organisations.

Competition for places on training schemes is very strong, and you will need to show genuine commitment and some previous work experience. Contact Creative Skillset Careers for information on any schemes that may be available.

As an experienced production assistant, you could take short courses in various business and production skills, which are run by film schools and some specialist training companies.

Visit Creative Skillset's website to search for courses and for information about how to fund your training as a freelance in the media.

Skills and knowledge

To be a TV or film production assistant you should have:

excellent communication and 'people' skills
good organisational skills
excellent attention to detail
good administrative and computer skills
the ability to work without supervision and use your own initiative
creativity when dealing with problems
stamina, focus and determination
some mathematical skills, for working with budgets and accounts
flexibility and adaptability
the ability to work under pressure and to strict deadlines.

More information

Creative Skillset (Opens new window)
Focus Point
21 Caledonian Road
London
N1 9GB
www.creativeskillset.org

Creative Skillset Careers (Opens new window)
Tel: 08080 300 900 (England and Northern Ireland)
Tel: 0845 850 2502(Scotland)
Tel: 08000 121 815 (Wales)
www.creativeskillset.org/careers

Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph and Theatre Union (BECTU) (Opens new window)
373-377 Clapham Road
London
SW9 9BT
Tel: 0845 850 2502
www.bectu.org.uk

Opportunities

You would usually work on freelance contracts for television broadcasters and independent production companies. Large broadcasters such as the BBC may offer longer-term renewable contracts.

Competition for work is strong, and when starting out you may often have to work for little pay.

Some jobs are advertised in the national press and on industry websites. However, many vacancies are not advertised, so you will need to be proactive to find work by networking and contacting companies yourself.

With experience, you could progress to production co-ordinator and production manager. Alternatively, you could use the job as a stepping stone to becoming a researcher or producer.

You may find the following useful for job vacancies and making contacts (links open in new window):

Mandy
Broadcast Freelancer
BBC Careers
ITV Jobs
Grapevine Jobs
Production and Casting Report
PACT Directory (contacts directory)
The Knowledge (contacts directory)
Kays Production Guide (contacts directory)

Job profiles are based on the latest information supplied to us by industry bodies, such as Sector Skills Councils. Please be aware that with the introduction of the Qualifications and Credit Framework there has been, and will continue to be, changes to vocational qualifications. For more information, please check with industry bodies directly.

We do not accept responsibility for the content of external sites.

Related industry information

Industry summary

The TV industry is part of the creative industries, which is represented by Creative Skillset. This includes: advertising; animation; computer games; corporate and commercial production; fashion and textiles; film; interactive media; photo imaging; publishing; radio; and television.

The TV industry comprises: terrestrial broadcast TV; cable and satellite broadcasters; independent production companies (Indies); and a growing number of community TV companies, which share the analogue spectrum of 18 Restricted Services Licences.

The TV industry is characterised by a small number of large businesses and a large number of small companies. Broadcasters, such as the BBC and BSkyB, dominate the landscape of larger businesses, and increasingly, smaller independent production companies are merging or being bought out by other independent production companies to form much larger businesses, such as RDF Media Group.

Key facts:

55,900 people are employed in the TV industry, which is estimated to be 11% of the creative industries workforce.
The TV industry comprises over 1,450 businesses, including:
- 10 (terrestrial) broadcast TV
- around 250 cable and satellite broadcasters
- around 1,100 independent production companies (indies)
- a growing number of community TV companies
More than a third of the workforce is freelance, including 57% of the independent production workforce, 26% in broadcast TV, 12% in cable and satellite and 3% in community TV.
Nearly half of the TV workforce has undertaken unpaid work within the creative industries.
The TV workforce is highly qualified and a high proportion has media‐related degrees.

Jobs in the industry include:

Art and Design – Art Director
Camera – Script Supervisor, Camera Operator, Camera Assistant, Lighting Camera Hair and Make‐up – Make‐up & Hair Artist
Journalism and Sport – Broadcast Journalist
Lighting: Lighting Director, Gaffer
Performing – Actor, Presenter, Agent
Production – Director, Producer, Executive Producer, Location Manager, Production Manager, Researcher
Sound – Sound Supervisor, Sound Recordist, Boom Operator
Studio and Broadcast Technology – Transmission Engineer, Vision Mixer

National and regional data

The largest number of employees in the TV industry is located in:

London
North West
Scotland
Wales
South East

The East Midlands hosts several independent production companies with regular television commissions and corporate production work, including: Kingfisher, Channel 2020, The Media Group, 360 Red, Whistling Gypsy and Main Street Media. ITV Local and BBC East Midlands are based in Nottingham. Midlands Asian Television (MATV), based in Leicester, has a restricted service licence to broadcast news, current affairs and bought‐in Asian films and TV programmes to the Leicester area. The channel also has a cable arm, Channel 6. The regional workforce is around 600.

In the East of England, ITV Anglia and BBC East produce regional news. In Norwich, Town House TV produces the daily Trisha Goddard Show for Five. Imago Productions make a diverse range of programmes. Eye Film & TV works across documentary, drama and corporate production and is involved in training. In Wortham, Bungalow Town Productions make and distribute award‐winning feature documentaries for worldwide cinema and television. There are around 900 people employed in the industry.

In London, there are around 36,600 people working in broadcast TV, cable and satellite, and independent production, which is 65% of the industry.

The North East houses two terrestrial television broadcasters, BBC and Tyne Tees. Tyne Tees' regional output is factual and a quarter of Tyne Tees non‐news regional output is commissioned from independent producers across the region. In 2000, Tyne Tees created Signpost, which is now the leading supplier of on‐screen British Sign Language translation. There are around 400 people working in the industry.

Television broadcasting is an important component of the creative industries in the North West. There are around 4,200 in the workforce. Manchester is a large and established broadcasting centre and the leading regional TV centre outside London. The BBC is relocating London‐based staff to mediacity:uk in Salford. ITV (formerly Granada), also based in Manchester, produces a significant amount of network and regional programming. Independent production is strong in the region with over 90 production companies in the region.

In the South East, there are around 2,400 people working in broadcast TV, cable and satellite, and independent production. The region is home to key broadcasters including ITV Meridian, BBC South and BBC South East, ITV Local, Six TV and Kent TV. Over 10% of the UK's 1,500 plus production companies are based in the region and some companies have regional offices in the region. This represents the largest grouping outside of London and includes companies making feature films, corporate audio visual material, programmes for broadcast television and commercials. Maidstone Studios in Kent are a significant creative industries cluster; the region also boasts two major broadcast support employers, Virgin Media and Arqiva.

The South West has a strong production sector in Specialist Factual and Natural History production, both at BBC Bristol and in the independent production sector. Bristol is an established hub for television production. Two Four, one of the strongest independents outside of London and spanning TV, Interactive and Digital Media and Facilities, is based in Plymouth. There are around 1,800 people employed in the industry.

In the West Midlands, both the BBC and ITV Central have studio bases in Birmingham. The BBC has two bases, namely the Mailbox where regional and network television and radio productions are produced, and the Drama Village at the University of Birmingham. ITV Central is located in purpose‐built premises. There is a strong base of small independent production companies. The main output of these companies is factual entertainment for network and cable television. There are over 1,200 people employed in the industry.

Yorkshire and the Humber has a rich history of media production due in part to ITV Yorkshire being based in the region. ITV Yorkshire has a strong drama base, producing Emmerdale and several network dramas including Heartbeat, The Royal and The Royal Today. The BBC has two main centres in the region BBC Yorkshire and BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. There are over 1,800 in the TV industry workforce.

Northern Ireland is significantly under‐represented in terms of network production. There are approximately 1,200 people employed in the industry.

The total value of TV production activity in Scotland was over £111 million. Of which £54 million are attributable to commissions from the main UK broadcasting networks. Network production in Scotland has declined since 2004. There are over 2,500 people in the TV workforce.

Compared to the size of the population (approximately 3 million people), levels of network production are low in Wales. The Independent sector in Wales is a significant employer. Consolidation with the Independent sector has led to Welsh companies, such as Tinopolis and Boomerang, becoming major players within the UK TV sector. There are around 2,400 people employed in the industry.