A Day in the Life of a Post PA

Key Takeaways

A Post PA's day changes significantly depending on the phase of the project
Dailies always take priority over other tasks
In TV, dailies and cuts overlap as multiple episodes are in progress simultaneously
Flexibility and organization are the most important traits of a good Post PA

One of the exciting elements of post-production is that your typical day will change as the production moves through different stages. Below are examples of typical days during major phases of the project.

During Dailies

Morning

A typical day might start with organizing the digital dailies paperwork that comes in from the production office. This paperwork will need to be checked against the processed dailies footage that the dailies facility has sent to editorial. Verifying takes against the paperwork is a key element of ensuring all the material shot during the previous day is accounted for.

Midday

After paperwork has been checked and takes have been verified, the Post PA, along with other post team members, may do a QC pass of that day’s dailies. This involves watching the dailies on whatever file sharing program the show is using (PIX, Frame.io, etc.) and ensuring everything plays properly.

Once everything has been checked, the dailies will be released to the pre-determined distributions and recipients.

Afternoon

After dailies have been released, the Post PA may be searching for stock footage, getting lunch, shuttling hard drives, filing paperwork, and assisting the post or editorial teams with anything that might come up.

During Cuts

As the Editors begin assembling their cuts for distribution, requests for music, stock, graphics, and other creative items ramp up. The Post PA will assist post and editorial in sourcing anything the team needs. Dailies may or may not still be coming in. Dailies always need to go out first.

Industry Note

In TV, dailies and cuts overlap as you are working on multiple episodes at the same time. While production shoots the next episode, editors are working on cuts of the previous episodes.

Daytime

The Editors will work on their cut during the day. After their work is done, they’ll turn the cut over to the Assistant Editor, and then hand it over to post for distribution. The Post PA will be on hand to aid in any way.

Evening

During the cuts phase, the workday can be longer to accommodate evening and late night cut distribution. Cuts are QC’d by the post team and then distributed.

During Finishing

Daily tasks during finishing may vary between TV and Features. In TV, production might be shooting later episodes while post delivers the earlier episodes. Feature dailies will have stopped by this point, unless the project is doing reshoots or pickups. Tasks will be split based on priority.

Throughout the Day

At this phase, the post team could be spread out at different facilities. Editors working in editorial, the Post Producer on the mix stage, the Post Supervisor and Post Coordinator doing VFX drop-ins at the finishing facility, etc. The PA will be where they are needed most, whether with the creatives or other editorial or post team members. And often moving from place to place. The days get busier as the project gets closer to delivery.

As you can see from any of the example days above, flexibility and organization are key characteristics of a good Post PA. What makes the job complicated also makes it exciting!

The Post-Production Assistant

The Post-Production Assistant is the entry-level position within the post-production department. A proverbial “jack of all trades”, the Post PA handles many of the day-to-day tasks in a supporting role to both the post and editorial departments.

Historically, the Post PA (or any PA in film and TV) could be referred to as a glorified “runner”, someone responsible for going point-to-point every day to shuttle media, drop off and pick up paperwork, get coffees and lunch, and handle the physical needs of the production. In today’s industry, remote capabilities and the transition to file-based workflows and deliverables have reduced the role of “running” and driving in the PA’s day-to-day work life. While “running” has not gone away, the industry’s evolution has altered the role of the Post PA into a more supportive office staff position.

Industry Note

The shift from physical media to file-based workflows has significantly changed the Post PA role. Daily tasks that once required hours of driving between facilities can now often be handled digitally.

Responsibilities

The organizational needs of a project can vary wildly depending on complexity, team and production size, budget, in-office vs work-from-home, schedule, and many other elements. Because of this, responsibilities can differ from show to show. Based on standard experience in today’s film and TV industry, below is a list of common responsibilities that the Post PA may be expected to perform.

Show accounts management (subscriptions, software, emails, anything requiring an account)
Dailies and editorial paperwork organization
Dailies footage and paperwork distribution
Hard drive, footage, and deliverables tracking
Lunch and coffee runs
Physical media and hard drive movement
Office supplies and crafty stock
Timecards and invoice submission
Stock footage searches
Meeting and session scheduling
Shadowing Post Coordinator tasks
Assisting Post Producer and Post Supervisor

Many successful post-production professionals began as the Post PA. It’s an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the department, build relationships, and start developing the technical and personal skills that make successful careers in the film and TV industry.

Understanding the Cuts Process

Key Takeaways

The cuts process follows a defined progression from Editor's Cut through Picture Lock
Each stage involves screening, notes, and revisions
Picture lock is the transition point from editorial to finishing

Every episode or film you’ve ever watched went through a structured editorial process before it reached the screen. This “cuts process” is the creative through line of post-production. It’s where individual takes are laid out and shaped into story through multiple rounds of editing, screening, feedback, and revision.

Whether you’re an aspiring editor, director, producer, production assistant, or just a lover of the artform, understanding the cuts process is paramount to understanding post-production.

The Assembly (Editor’s) Cut: Where It All Begins

Once editorial receives the dailies footage, the work begins immediately. The Assistant Editor(s) sort, organize, and review each day’s material, preparing it for the Editor. As scenes are shot, the Editor begins cutting them individually, building each one from the available takes.

After all footage has been received for a given episode or film, the Editor assembles their individual scenes into a single, continuous cut. This is known as the Editor’s Cut or Assembly.

Industry Note

Scenes are often shot out of order. Editors will build the cut scene by scene, using the shooting script and camera, sound, and script supervisor paperwork as a guide for their assembly.

The assembly lays out the scenes in script order, utilizing the preferred takes from all material that’s been shot. Scenes may be moved, pacing adjusted, and sound work refined as the editorial process moves forward, but this cut serves as the creative starting point.

The Progression of Cuts

After the Editor’s Cut, the project moves through a series of review stages. Each stage brings a different set of eyes and creative perspectives to the material.

Director’s Cut

Once the Editor finishes their cut, it goes to the Director. The Director will have a certain number of days to work on their own cut with the Editor. This second pass will reshape and refine the assembly into a more polished version. Sound design takes shape and additional music will be pitched.

The Director’s involvement differs in Features and TV. In TV, once a non-producing Director has completed their cuts, they will turn it over to the Producers and then move on to other projects. In features, the Director will typically stay on through the entire post-production process, guiding it through delivery.

Industry Note

On union projects, union and guild contracts have specific language that mandates certain aspects of the cuts process. These rules establish things like minimum days or weeks allotted to complete a cut, or who can view certain cuts. DGA rules govern Director Cuts, while MPEG provides guidelines for Editors.

Producer’s Cut

The showrunner (in TV) and producing team screens the Director’s Cut and provide notes to the Editor and Director. This is where the broader creative vision of the series comes into play. Producers may request structural changes, alternate performances, pacing adjustments, music, ADR, scene removals, etc.

A recent TV contractual change allows the director one more pass on the cut before relinquishing creative control to the producers.

The Producers will go through multiple rounds of notes and internal screenings before the cut is ready to present to the Studio & Network.

Studio / Network Cut

The studio and network executives screen the Producer’s Cut and provide their own round of notes. These notes often focus on key elements within the overall story; things like scene and story clarity, what is “working” or not, and additional items like legal concerns, clearance, and standards & practices.

Pro Tip

Keep detailed notes logs for every round of cuts. While many notes will be addressed in the edit bay, others will need VFX, color, music, or mix help. Track which notes were addressed, which are pending, and which were intentionally passed on. This documentation becomes invaluable when finishing.

Picture Lock

After all rounds of editorial notes have been addressed and the cut has been approved by producers, studio, and network, the episode or film reaches Picture Lock. This is one of the most important milestones in the entire post schedule.

Once picture is locked, the edit timeline is frozen. The Assistant Editor(s) clean up the project and prepare turnover packages for every finishing department: sound, music, VFX, color, online, and captioning. Each of these teams begin their work based on the locked cut.

Typical Cuts Timeline

While timelines vary by project, here’s a general sense of how the cuts process flows in a typical one-hour scripted television episode:

Cut Stage	Typical Duration	Creatives Involved
Editor’s Cut (Assembly)	Delivered 1-5 days after last day of filming	Editor
Director’s Cut	~4 working days for 1st cut, 2 working days for 2nd cut (per DGA)	Director, Editor
Producer’s Cut	Varies by show	Showrunner, Producers, Editor
Studio / Network Cut	Varies	Studio & Network Executives
Picture Lock	After final approval	Showrunner, Producers, Studio & Network

The cuts process is where the creative vision of a project takes its final shape. Understanding how it works, who’s involved at each stage, and what drives the decisions being made will make you a more effective member of any post-production team.

What Happens After Lock

Picture lock triggers a cascade of activity across every finishing department. The sound team begins dialogue editing, ADR, sound design, and foley. The composer starts writing score. VFX vendors receive their shots. The online editor begins the conform. Captioning begins. And the post-production team coordinates all of it to hit their delivery dates.

Industry Note

Changes after lock are possible but extremely disruptive. Any modification to the locked timeline ripples through every finishing department, requiring re-turnovers, change orders, and additional time and money.