Being an inexperienced intern is expected, but showing up empty-handed to a film set is just asking for the pink slip. Here are the top ten items every P.A. needs to have in order to be taken seriously (a.k.a the top ten items I wish I’d brought on my first day as an intern):
- Sharpies – Everybody loves a good sharpie. Seriously. When you’re making sides and the assistant director wants you to cross out scenes, she doesn’t mean with a pen – she means with a thick, black, good old-fashioned sharpie. The last thing you want is for a war to break out on set because there’s only one sharpie left in the production office and everybody is claiming it as their own. (True story, in my case).
2. Laptop – Even if you aren’t an office P.A., it’s always good to have a laptop on hand in case you need to offer it up to a higher-ranking person whose laptop has just died in the middle of printing a call sheet. Just be wary not to leave it near the coffee machine.
3. A Phone Charger – I was given this advice by numerous people on set – always bring a phone charger, not only for yourself but for anyone else that needs it. You’ll be liked, appreciated, trusted and remembered, especially if you’re saving the dying phone of a director or producer.
4. Running Shoes – A movie set is not the time or place to be glamorous, however ironic that may sound. If you’re a P.A., chances are you’ll be running around set 90% of the time and you can’t afford to be blistering or bruising. I wore the same vans every day of my internship and I never had a problem. So don’t worry about looking stylish. You can look stylish at the screening.
5. Jackets – I don’t care if you’re filming in Hawaii or Vancouver – bring layers. Chances are it’ll be freezing in the morning and blistering hot by noon, so having a jacket, sweatshirt and hat on hand is always a good idea.
6. A Grungy Backpack – And by grungy, I mean the filthiest, dirtiest, smelliest backpack you have decaying in the back of your closet, because as a P.A., you aren’t going to have the luxury of having space to put your things. I made the mistake of bringing a brand new Kate Spade purse to set, and by the end of my internship, it was covered in coffee stains and grime. Again – you can look stylish at the screening.
7. Water Bottle – You want to be seen organizing craft services, not leaning up against it with a blueberry muffin in your hand. That’s not to say you aren’t allowed to eat as a P.A., but if you’re lounging around craft services, it had better be on lunch break. So make sure to bring a water bottle to carry with you at all times – that way, you’ll look professional without having to die of thirst.
8. A Car Full of Gas – Never uber to a film set. Always, always, always drive a car, and keep your keys on you in case your A.D. needs to send you out for supplies. I was sent out to gather everything from sharpies and box cutters to batteries and ice; one time, the makeup artist sent me out to get a special type of blush in Studio City, but the store didn’t have it, so I ended up driving all over Los Angeles for about an hour. If I’d had less than thirty miles of gas, I wouldn’t have gotten back in time. So make sure you have a car, and make sure it’s at least fifty miles full, because you never know how far you’re going to be driving.
9. Pants – This may sound like a strange item to list, but in my humble opinion, it’s one of the most important. Pants are life. Pants are the holy grail of film sets. Always wear pants, all day, every day. This has to do with wearing a headset, which all P.A.s and basically all crew members have to have on them at all times. I made the mistake of wearing leggings on my third day, which, unlike pants or jeans, lack any sort of pockets or belt loops. Headsets and walkies are heavy items of machinery, and if you wear leggings, they will pull them down relentlessly. I eventually just had to take the headset and walkie off because it was weighing me down too much and I wasn’t able to carry as much or run as fast. So wear pants. Never leggings, and absolutely never a dress.
10. Smile – Yes, it’s cheesy, but I’m absolutely going to go there. The most important item to have with you is your smile. Making a movie is stressful, and that stress takes a toll on cast and crew members. Most of them spend their time smoking, popping Advil or sipping on their fourth cup of coffee in-between takes. Everyone has a headache, everyone is exhausted and everyone doesn’t have time to worry about being friendly. So do yourself and everyone a favor and be the ray of sunshine on set. Smile, be gentle, be helpful and never appear hostile or stressed out. It’ll be a nice reminder to the crew that, however tiring or excruciatingly difficult the process may be, making movies is just about the coolest job in the world.
