Want to Help Make a Movie? — Work on an SCA Student Set!
By: Nancy Aguilar Sanchez’22
As a member of the SCA production cohort, I’ve gained experience on various sets. The common thread with all of these productions is that they’re always in need of crew! Crew is one of the most critical parts of a set, and filmmakers are always looking for help—both on and off campus. If you’re remotely interested in the entertainment industry, working on the crew is a great way to connect with other people interested in film or TV, build your film credits, and add something unique to your resume.
What kind of role you get depends on your experience, but you don’t have to already have credits to get started! Many roles are available to those without experience—all you really need is a positive attitude and willingness to try and learn.
Roles
If you decide to work on a set, here’s an overview of the potential roles and responsibilities you would take on. And before you even think about setting foot on a set, make sure that you’re wearing comfortable shoes and layers of clothing because you’ll be moving around a lot.
Production Assistant (PA)
Here, you are essentially a chameleon. As a production assistant you help with anything and everything that is needed on set, and you may jump from department to department within a single day. Your job is to fill any role that is needed. This includes:
sweeping up
resetting a shot
tidying the cables and crafty area
unloading/loading equipment
holding up a flag/net or piece of set design
What you do really depends on the size of the crew. If you are the only PA on set besides the central crew, you may find yourself doing a variety of new tasks. I worked as a PA on a graduate student set with only three other people in the crew, and it was a really cool experience because I got the opportunity to try out many different roles and responsibilities. For example, I was gripping—assisting with lighting and lighting adjustments as well as setting up camera/lighting gear, and I also had 1st and 2nd AC responsibilities where I marked the actors’ positioning with tape, pulled focus, and called the slate before each take. This crew was very patient and helpful. They weren’t afraid to let me take on extra roles, and I was always willing to try everything, so it was a great experience for me.
Grip
A Grip works for the Director of Photography—who’s in charge of the camera—and the Gaffer—who is in charge of the electric department which consists of: lighting, power cords, “stingers,” generators, and basically anything on set that requires power besides the camera equipment. As a grip you will be responsible for:
Loading/unloading camera or lighting equipment
Setting up the camera or lighting equipment
Rearranging camera and lighting equipment as needed before, during, or after a take
Cleaning up the camera and lighting equipment
In my experience gripping, it’s the most physically demanding role on the set besides the director of photography or camera operator. This is because you’ll be lifting and rearranging decently sized items all over set. It’s a great role to be in if you’re interested in cameras. As a grip, I’ve been asked about my opinion on lighting and framing for a shot, so, oftentimes, you get to learn about why certain lighting is picked or why a certain type of framing is preferable. When I’ve gripped, I’ve also been the last to leave because there’s just so much equipment, so you really need to enjoy this aspect of filmmaking if you want to have fun in this role.
Art Production Assistant (Art PA)
An Art PA is in charge of helping the production designer, art director, and makeup/wardrobe artist. These duties are:
Loading/unloading makeup kits, set props, set design, and wardrobe
Arranging the makeup/wardrobe area
Cleaning up the makeup/wardrobe area
Helping find set or make up/wardrobe pieces at shops or in your own closet
And—if they’re short on staff—you may be able to become a makeup or wardrobe artist yourself! So you may be:
Doing make-up or hair for talent
Helping them get into wardrobe and costume
Watching for continuity errors or fixing hair/makeup if it gets out of place
I’ve personally never PA’d for Art, but it’s preferable that you have experience with hair and makeup. It’s always a plus if you have your own sanitized make-up kit. Additionally, this job requires a lot of pre-production planning meaning that you’ll be doing plenty of work before the actual set days because you may be tasked with researching cheap wardrobe options or alternatives to a certain set piece or prop.
2nd Assistant Camera (2nd AC)
2nd AC is a more specialized role and you’ll be working closely with the main camera. You’re in charge of:
Working with the slate—which is a clapperboard device that is used to sync sound and picture as well as label a specific scene, shot, and take
Making sure that the slate is labeled correctly (with shot and take number)
If you’re qualified, changing lenses on the camera and assisting the 1st AC
Script Supervisor “Scripty”
As a script supervisor you work closely with the director and bridge between the director and editor. Your duties include:
Taking note of the director’s favorite takes
Watching for false takes and mistakes noting that
Accounting for resets
Taking note of whether sound is working/rolling
Noting anything that will impact the edit or will help the editor
If you are a script supervisor on set make sure that you introduce yourself to the director as quickly as possible and learn their working style. They’ll tell you what they’d like you to take note of and how rigidly you should take notes. Make sure to take notes in an organized manner so that they’re easy to read and portable for your director and editors. I took handwritten notes and it was a tedious process to transfer them digitally, so save yourself that time and write digital notes.
Before taking on any of these roles, I suggest looking at a general breakdown of the role through a YouTube video so you are familiar with the main premise of the role, but you’ll also be able to do a lot of learning on set.
How to Get in Touch
Reach out to your SCA peers! If you know someone in film, I guarantee they need help or know someone that does. If you don’t know anyone in the program, I suggest reaching out to SCA faculty about your interest in working on sets. Once you tap into the community and get to know more people at SCA, the inquiries will never stop. Regardless of your major or experience on a set, you’re needed!
Set Etiquette
Another great thing to brush up on is set etiquette. This means respecting everyone’s roles on set and not overstepping. It also includes understanding the sacredness of every shot. When the camera is rolling, you want to be invisible . Be very mindful of yourself and others because the energy on a set is created by the crew, and everyone wants to be in a good environment and have fun. Every set is run differently, so you’ll intuitively realize when you have more liberty to step into other roles and when you shouldn’t.
Conclusion: Never Give Up!
One thing to remember is that every set is different. Even if you don’t have a great experience on your first set, go to another one! The energy is different on every set depending on the director and producers. Some run their set more rigidly than others. You have to embrace the experience of working with different people and not knowing what you’re getting into. Whether you PA, grip , Art PA, 2nd AC, Script Supervisor, or any fulfill any other role, the most important thing is that you have a good attitude and don’t give up!
CASTING CALL: If you are interested in being an extra on a set in the coming weeks, send me an email at neaguila@usc.edu for more information!
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