I’ve been working freelance in film for about 2-3 years now. Mostly as a production assistant, especially the first 2 years. I’ve been lucky to enough to get in with some of the props people I see from time to time and occasionally I’ve been thrown in the mix with the electrics and grips, but for the most part, everyone knows me as a PA. A really good one at that. When I first started out I was just eager to not be in service anymore and willing to do almost anything for my measly $250 day rate, therefore I’ve established a reputation for myself as a “workhorse.”
This is all good and dandy, I get booked for plenty of work, I make enough to pay my rent and smoke my weed.. except I literally have no time to myself and I’m still living check to check, because often times I won’t get payed for over a month after said work has been completed.
Beyond that, the industry itself has jaded a lot of the higher ups. To an extent where verbal abuse is almost second nature because: “if you were coming up when I came up-blah blah blah.” The pressure just trickles down the line and often times I feel we exist just to blame for the mishaps that happen on set.
We work 14+ hour days. We clean up after everyone at the end of the day. We hold the hands of the ADULTS who make literally 4 times as much as us or more simply so they feel important. We deal with constant dangerous driving conditions and sleep deprivation, all to be told how lucky we are to be making movies and television for a living.
I know some awful PMs (production managers) who are constantly hounding me for more of my friends who also work in the industry and it’s gotten to a point where I feel a moral obligation to deny them access to my Rolodex. Why would I help you find another poor kid to use and abuse until they can’t take it anymore or meet someone who actually does their job well and knows how to run a production?
Sorry guys it’s a long one and it’s probably only somewhat representative of the toxic work environment that is production, just needed to get it all out before my PM finds me and yells at me to get off my phone.
Sincerely,
A very tired girl.