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!

How to Land Your First Post PA Job

Key Takeaways
  • Post PA positions are rarely publicly advertised; networking is the primary path in
  • Social media, university resources, and industry groups are valuable tools for finding opportunities
  • The Post Producer or Post Supervisor hires the Post PA
  • Pay rates range from minimum wage to approximately $22/hour with daily or weekly guarantees

Finding your first Post PA job can be incredibly daunting. Open positions are not often publicly advertised and meeting those hiring can be challenging. In the film and TV industry, networking will always be your best friend. Word-of-mouth plays a heavy hand in people knowing who you are and your quality of work, and personal references hold a lot of weight. Never be afraid to tell people what you want to do, because you never know where your next opportunity will come from.

Never be afraid to tell people what you want to do, because you never know where your next opportunity will come from.

Where to Look

Social Media

Social media has done a decent job of opening doors to new opportunities. There are several job board-type groups that anyone can join, where people will often post job opportunities or ask for resumes. We recommend searching for industry groups that are trying to connect individuals with opportunities. As mentioned above, word-of-mouth is a powerful tool and following other industry professionals on social media sites can be a great source for job leads.

University Resources

If your college or university has an alumni job board or career resource, we highly recommend taking advantage. Industry relations are a big selling point for institutions and alumni connections are invaluable when it comes to networking. Utilizing these services could prove beneficial when job hunting.

Industry Groups, Guilds, and Unions

Networking will be your biggest friend when trying to secure work and market yourself. While “open to the public” union events are a little more rare, there are many post-specific industry groups that host events throughout the year. Newer groups like the Post Production Guild NY and Post Production Guild West host industry meetups for anyone interested in post. Attending as many industry-related events as possible will open doors and help form strong industry relationships. Follow these groups on social media or join their public Slack channels for more information.

Pro Tip

Don’t limit yourself to post-specific events. General film and TV industry mixers, screenings, and panels are all great places to meet people who work in or adjacent to post-production. The more people who know your name and what you’re looking for, the better your chances.

The Hiring Process

After securing an interview, the Post PA will likely meet with the Post Producer and/or Post Supervisor. They will discuss the details and needs of the show and expectations of the post team. If selected, the Post Producer will then send the PA’s resume to the post department at the studio for final sign off. Once approved, the Post PA will receive their offer from the studio or post team, and will typically start one to two weeks before the commencement of principal photography.

Industry Note

It is industry standard that all potential candidate resumes be sent to the studio for final approval before offers can be presented. Higher-up positions may also need to go to the network for approval before hiring takes place. This is especially true for creative positions like Editors, Colorists, Mixers, and Composers.

Pay Scale

Pay rates can vary depending on a number of things like feature vs. TV, studio, network, project scope, and budget. A typical pay rate for a Post PA can range from minimum wage (location dependent) to approximately $22 an hour with a daily or weekly guarantee.

Breaking into post-production takes persistence, but the opportunities are out there. Stay visible, stay connected, and be ready when the call comes. Your first Post PA job is the beginning of a career that can take you anywhere in the industry.

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.