Production Control Assistant Job Description

The Production Assistant Job Description

A field PA is used to support the physical production. The PA's duties can change each day, but in general they are the support staff for the production team. An office PA is an entry level position in the production office of a film, television show or commercial.

An office PA is a part of the production team and handles paperwork, phone calls, and other tasks. Office PA's are often involved in supporting the writer's room. Your job is to support them, and their job is to keep the set safe and secure, to make sure union and employment guidelines are followed, and to ensure the production stays on track so everyone leaves on time.

You can help them out, but remember that your job is to support the production team. If the production manager asks you to help a department that already has their own PA, you might have to bail on them to go on a supply run. In areas with oil spots, sets will be on outdoor ranches.

It may rain, snow, or be windy, so your clothing should be able to deal with that. If you are the PA who will be taking coffee orders, you will need a pen and notebook. Production will be impressed if you bring your own.

Arrive fifteen minutes early to the production office, and there is a 90 percent chance you won't make it to set which increases your chance of being asked to not come to set at all. It is not personal. If the production asks you to pay for something out of your own pocket, stand up and say that you can't do that.

Can-Do Production Worker Bees

The worker bees of a film or television production are called PAs. They are given the task of doing many of the small jobs other crew members don't want to do. They learn about the production and meet many of the people involved in it.

PAs can work in a production company's office or on the set, assisting any of the departments. Your previous work experience may help determine where you end up. PAs can work long hours.

The hours of set-based PAs are more erratic because they are tied to the production schedule. Office-based PAs work 10 or 12 hours a day. If you can demonstrate the "can-do" attitude production companies are looking for, you can include it on your resume or in your interview.

Production Management System

The production manager is responsible for producing the required quantity of product in time for the delivery date. The quantity to be produced depends on the demand the time by which the product should be completed. The production manager has a duty to use the resources at his disposal in a way that will allow for the delivery schedule to be maintained.

It is done by the production process. The production manager is responsible for manufacturing goods and services that are within the specifications. It is better to use measures to minimize the likelihood of producing faulty items than to inspect finished goods.

The cost of production can be affected by the physical arrangement of manufacturing components and equipment. The material handling system and plant layout should be the most efficient. Work measurement and method study can be used to find a relationship between output of goods and services and input of human and material resources.

Training Production Control Specialists

If you have a bachelor's degree industrial engineering, manufacturing operations management or production and inventory control, you can get a job as an entry-level production control specialist. To get a promotion or come up through the ranks, you need a master's degree industrial management. You can get a production control job in a large manufacturing plant with high-volume production operations if you have advanced education and vast work experience.

Because jobs in the United States are getting more complex and employers are looking for professionals with higher command of job skills, attending training workshops can improve your problem-solving and time-management skills. The American Society for Quality offers training for production control specialists in pharmaceutical manufacturing companies to improve their knowledge of best practices. You can use the certificates of participation from the training workshops to get a promotion if you want to.

Obtaining production control credentials is a good way to achieve success in the workplace. Adding a string of initials to your business cards enhances your credibility and makes you more attractive to employers. The Association for Operations management has a number of certifications, including the Certified Supply Chain Professional and the Certified Fellow in Production and Inventory Management, which demonstrate the holder's skills in handling the procurement aspect of production control.

The Stage Managers of a Dark Production

The success of a production is dependent on a small army of people who don't appear on stage. They build the set, design the costumes, and provide for lights to make sure the show is seen. Without them, the cast would not perform in the dark, on a bare floor, in an empty room.

They are called The Prodstaff. In a show with a large cast, one or more assistant stage managers can make the task much easier. The rehearsal stage manager job is split between several people, which works well if they keep in close communication with one another.