- knowledge of media production and communication
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- knowledge of English language
- leadership skills
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- the ability to use your initiative
- to be flexible and open to change
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to monitor your own performance and that of your colleagues
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
You’ll be involved in a range of tasks including:
- hiring studio facilities and equipment
- booking hotels and making travel arrangements
- attending production meetings
- copying and distributing scripts
- typing and circulating production 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, like:
- timing the show in the studio gallery
- calling camera shots
- cueing pre-recorded material
- keeping records or logging of shots taken
- making sure the shots look the same after breaks in filming
You could work at a film studio, in an office, at a TV studio or on a film set.
Your working environment may be outdoors some of the time and you may spend nights away from home.
With experience, you could progress to production coordinator and production manager, or become a researcher or producer.
You can find out more about becoming a TV or film production assistant from ScreenSkills and ProductionBase.
You can find out more about creative careers from Discover Creative Careers.
