Production assistant

Production assistants cover a wide range of duties within television and radio production. They provide administrative support, organise team meetings and help with recording.

Also known as:

Broadcast assistant
Production assistant – broadcasting
Radio production assistant
Television production assistant

Work activities

Production assistants, known as PAs, help television and radio producers to do their job. Their particular tasks depend on the type of programme, its budget and the size of the production team.

PAs have administrative duties. For instance, they deal with the producers’ letters, emails and phone calls, type scripts and take notes at meetings. PAs are also usually responsible for getting permission to broadcast material that is covered by copyright. In preparation for filming or recording, PAs book studios and organise and attend planning meetings. The meetings include the producer and others involved in programme-making, such as scriptwriters, designers, costume, make-up and technical crew. PAs record decisions, prepare and circulate schedules and co-ordinate tasks with different departments.

For certain types of programme, such as dramas, PAs liaise with agents and make practical arrangements for actors and actresses. Quiz shows and programmes with a studio audience require interviews with contestants and preparation of travel details. After a show, the PA organises the payment of expenses to contestants, presenters and performers. Other planning and organising work can include sorting out transport and accommodation for the crew, and equipment needed to film/record on location. During studio recording, PAs work in the control room with the producers/directors. In television, they operate controls to record the shots called by the producer/director. They provide the countdown and other time cues to presenters and floor managers during the recording or broadcast. After a recording, PAs compile and write up timings ready for editors and producers in the cutting room.

PAs may also take continuity notes during filming. For example, they may keep a check on the weather conditions or character details to make sure they stay the same throughout one scene. Work for some programmes will involve travel overseas and time away from home.

Personal qualities and skills

As a production assistant, you need:

To be well organised.
Good IT skills.
To be energetic and versatile, as you will have a wide variety of tasks to do.
The ability to remain calm under pressure and to react quickly when things go wrong.
The ability to find creative solutions to problems.
A friendly personality and good communication skills.
An interest in broadcasting.

Pay and opportunities

Pay rates for production assistants depend on the type of production they work on, duration of the project and whether they are employed or self-employed. The pay rates given below are approximate. According to jobs site Jobted, production assistants earn in the range of £17,000 to £28,000, averaging around £21,000 (November 2023).

Evening and weekend work is often required. Sometimes you’d be expected to work long, irregular hours, especially as deadlines approach.

Employers include the BBC in national and regional television and radio. ITV and independent production companies, cable and satellite television programme makers and independent radio also recruit broadcasting production assistants. It is possible to transfer between jobs in radio and television and also between companies. Opportunities for broadcasting production assistants occur regionally in towns and cities throughout the UK, and in major broadcasting production centres such as London, Birmingham, Manchester/Salford and Leeds.

Self-employment opportunities occur for broadcasting production assistants to work as self-employed, freelance broadcasting production assistants, usually on short, fixed-term contracts.

Where are vacancies advertised?

Vacancies are advertised:

On employers’ websites such as BBC Careers or ITV Jobs.
On job boards such as Broadcast Jobs or Grapevine Jobs.
In The Stage and on the Stage website.

Entry routes and training

Entrants come from a range of backgrounds, and include graduates, those with higher national awards, and industry training scheme students. Relevant courses have titles such as:

Film and television studies
Radio and television production
Media production.

Many entrants to this job have experience of office-based/secretarial work. Some people join a television or radio company as an office junior or secretary, gain experience and then apply for internally advertised production assistant posts. For all entry routes, practical experience is important. This can be gained through unpaid work experience or involvement in student TV productions.

Training for production assistants is mostly on-the-job. Employers may also organise short off-the-job courses for trainees. You may be able to enter this career via a level 3 (advanced) apprenticeship in the role of production assistant – screen and audio.

This type of role is often seen as a route into other broadcasting and media positions. With experience and further training, it is possible to move into other production roles, such as researcher and producer.

Qualifications

Most production assistants have administration/secretarial qualifications and have a good typing speed. Shorthand skills can be useful. Entrants often have GCSEs, including English (grades 9-4), A-levels or equivalent qualifications, or a higher qualification, such as an HND or degree.

To take an advanced apprenticeship, you will need GCSEs in English and maths, although you may be able to complete these alongside your programme.

Adult opportunities

Age limits: It is illegal for any organisation to set age limits for entry to employment, education or training, unless they can show there is a real need to have these limits.

Qualifications in media production, media practices or related subjects are particularly useful. Skills and abilities gained from working at a student/local radio station or video production company, for example, are useful for entry to this career.

If you don’t have the qualifications needed to enter your chosen degree or HND course, a college or university Access course (e.g., Access to Media) could be the way in. No formal qualifications are usually required, but you should check individual course details.

Related careers

Administrative assistant - civil service
Broadcasting researcher
Personal assistant
Presenter - broadcasting
Secretary