What does a production assistant do?
Production assistants are employees in show business, working behind the scenes. They work in film, television, or even theatre sets primarily to provide support. They usually work directly under directors or producers. Production assistants are responsible for ensuring that the day will run smoothly, be it for a television or film shoot or a performance at the theatre. They should be familiar with all the scenes, ensure that the cast and crew are ready, and cue them when it is their time to go on. They should also be able to anticipate needs that may arise and should be able to quickly mitigate any challenges. Production assistants should be flexible and have quick decision-making skills.
Production assistant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real production assistant resumes:
- Manage customer accounts using Quickbooks.
- Manage cross-departmental communication and collaboration to increase ESPN viewers.
- Manage QA process including test/debug cycles and platform compliance/compatibility testing.
- Manage all office aspects including general administrative duties and assisting with staff payroll.
- Manage client photography house accounts and submissions, including calculating usage rights and licensing royalty-free and rights-manage images.
- Manage and refine the metadata system for a photography database -communicate with customers over e-mail with regards to advertisement proofs
- Respond to incoming comments from listeners on twitter, instagram and snapchat.
- Produce ERP, MRP, software by project, on an ongoing basis and on completion of the project.
- Perform daily ERP functions for inventory control and write technical procedures to support manufacturing activities.
- Review weekly factory WIP reports and update production reports; communicate daily with overseas factories/agents.
- Harvest wire prior to vehicle being crush.
- Assist on-field camera operator with cable grip.
- Edit in-house video material for instagram and YouTube and the web.
- Used DSLR camera to shoot fan experience videos at basketball games/events.
- Work in all aspects of the creation of films and PBS television programs.
Production assistant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 18% of Production Assistants are proficient in Video Production, Teleprompter, and Audio Board. They’re also known for soft skills such as Organizational skills, Customer-service skills, and Leadership skills.
We break down the percentage of Production Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Video Production, 18%
Collaborated closely with inter-departmental teams to meet all deadlines and complete tasks quickly within a fast-paced video production environment.
- Teleprompter, 7%
Experience in studio and floor production Operated switchboard and teleprompter Microphone and lighting preparation Camera work with Sony HD video cameras
- Audio Board, 7%
Directed newscast segments and cut-ins-Operated audio board and video players-Shot video with studio and field cameras-Ran teleprompter
- Purchase Orders, 4%
Generated purchase orders for domestic and import factories while managing an order tracking system to provide timely delivery of merchandise.
- Production Equipment, 4%
Promoted to more technical positions as a camera operator, operating various production equipment, and assisted in technical producer duties.
- Photography, 4%
Freelance Commercial Photographer & Production Assistant: - Commercial Interior Photography : Working with designers to photograph architectural interior spaces.
Common skills that a production assistant uses to do their job include "video production," "teleprompter," and "audio board." You can find details on the most important production assistant responsibilities below.
Organizational skills. The most essential soft skill for a production assistant to carry out their responsibilities is organizational skills. This skill is important for the role because "general office clerks file and retrieve records." Additionally, a production assistant resume shows how their duties depend on organizational skills: "handled all organizational aspects of company's incoming and outgoing purchase orders by designing excel spreadsheets. "
Customer-service skills. Many production assistant duties rely on customer-service skills. "general office clerks often provide general information to company staff, customers, or the public," so a production assistant will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways production assistant responsibilities rely on customer-service skills: "equip guests with proper audio equipment. "
Detail oriented. Another skill commonly found on production assistant job descriptions is "detail oriented." It can come up quite often in production assistant duties, since "general office clerks perform many clerical tasks that require attention to detail, such as preparing bills." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day production assistant responsibilities: "produce and package bright endeavors candles with the utmost attention to detail, maintaining commitment to high quality standards. "
The three companies that hire the most production assistants are:
- The Salvation Army70 production assistants jobs
- Deloitte68 production assistants jobs
- Nexstar Media Group38 production assistants jobs
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Compare different production assistants
Production assistant vs. Line up worker
The Responsibilities of a Line-Up Worker varies upon the organization or industry. Still, most of the tasks revolve around doing manual work such as loading and unloading heavy shipments, operating various devices and machines of different sizes, assist in maintenance and assembling, and coordinating with teammates and reporting to supervisors. Furthermore, the duties of a Line-Up Worker may involve climbing up and working at high platforms, monitoring inventory of items, and maintaining a well-organized and neat working environment.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, production assistant responsibilities require skills like "video production," "teleprompter," "audio board," and "purchase orders." Meanwhile a typical line up worker has skills in areas such as "line assembly," "pallet jack," "safety procedures," and "perform routine maintenance." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Line up workers tend to make the most money working in the automotive industry, where they earn an average salary of $44,764. In contrast, production assistants make the biggest average salary, $33,794, in the manufacturing industry.On average, line up workers reach similar levels of education than production assistants. Line up workers are 3.2% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Production assistant vs. Packing line worker
A labour worker is responsible for performing high-quality operations, depending on the chosen industry. In most cases, construction businesses employ labor workers to do physical tasks that involve utilizing machinery, carrying materials, inspecting sites, analyzing blueprints and plan specifications, and ensuring the structures' safety and security. A labour worker also monitors the quality of the materials used for the production, suggests materials that would fit the budget goals, and escalates concerns to the management. Labour workers must adhere to safety regulations and procedures to prevent accidents and injuries within the premises.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that production assistant responsibilities requires skills like "video production," "teleprompter," "audio board," and "purchase orders." But a packing line worker might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "defective products," "pallet jack," "individual packages," and "lunch meat."
Packing line workers earn a lower average salary than production assistants. But packing line workers earn the highest pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $31,354. Additionally, production assistants earn the highest salaries in the manufacturing with average pay of $33,794 annually.In general, packing line workers achieve similar levels of education than production assistants. They're 3.5% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Production assistant vs. Labour worker
A Generator Worker is in charge of operating generator systems on a daily basis, ensuring efficiency and smooth workflow. Their responsibilities include performing installations and adjustments, understanding blueprints and schematics, and performing regular maintenance checks to ensure efficiency. There are also instances when they perform clerical support tasks such as answering inquiries, organizing files, and preparing progress reports for managers. A Generator Worker must maintain an active communication line with staff for a safe and smooth workflow.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a production assistant is likely to be skilled in "video production," "teleprompter," "audio board," and "purchase orders," while a typical labour worker is skilled in "safety procedures," "power drills," "construction sites," and "safety rules."
Labour workers make a very good living in the construction industry with an average annual salary of $33,469. On the other hand, production assistants are paid the highest salary in the manufacturing industry, with average annual pay of $33,794.labour workers typically earn similar educational levels compared to production assistants. Specifically, they're 3.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Production assistant vs. Generator worker
Types of production assistant
Updated January 8, 2025
