Breaking Into the Film and TV Industry

New Yorkers learned from industry veterans about how to break into film and television production on Jan. 18.
Breaking Into the Film and TV Industry
A TV camera man shoots the game between the Houston Texans and the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2012 AFC Wild Card Playoff game at Reliant Stadium on January 7, in Houston, Texas. Thomas B. Shea/Getty Images
Zachary Stieber
Updated:
<a><img class="size-large wp-image-1793126" title="Wild Card Playoffs - Cincinnati Bengals v Houston Texans" src="https://www.theepochtimes.com/assets/uploads/2015/09/136822989.jpg" alt="" width="587" height="385"/></a>

NEW YORK—New Yorkers learned from industry veterans about how to break into film and television production on Jan. 18.

Almost everyone starts out as a production assistant (PA), an entry-level position, according to a release detailing the “frank [panel] discussion about what people can expect when they’re just starting out in their careers.”

Graduates of the Made in NY PA Training Program—a free program of intensive hands on training for four and a half weeks held by the mayor’s office of Media and Entertainment and Brooklyn Workforce Innovations—talked about what the job entailed and what makes a good PA.

Nick Thomason, the production coordinator for the HBO series “Boardwalk Empire” said a strong work ethic, being self-motivated, and understanding that being on time—you'll be fired if you are late—means being early is crucial to both being a good PA and rising in the industry.

Film and television shoots start and end quickly, and sometimes PAs have to find other jobs during breaks. “You have to be prepared to not work for four months,” said Thomason, according to the release. “You have to budget your money.”

The next free discussion of the Made in NY Industry Series will highlight stage and music careers on Jan. 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the Apollo Theater.

 

Zachary Stieber
Zachary Stieber
Senior Reporter
Zachary Stieber is a senior reporter for The Epoch Times based in Maryland. He covers U.S. and world news. Contact Zachary at [email protected]
twitter
truth
Related Topics