so it was suggested to me that because of my eye for detail and pointing out things like "the cup starts in this hand, now it's in that one from a diff angle, now it's sitting on the table when it should be in her hand..."

i was wondering if anyone has ever worked as a PA or in continuity. what do the duties entail? what were your experiences like?

i've worked on a few tv show sets here in NYC and i must say, i've worked with several of the same PAs and i have nothing but the utmost respect for them. wow. they work sooo hard, which i do know upfront, having seen it.

i'm just wondering what others may know about either kind of work?

not looking for a career change, just to maybe be a filler or only work on short projects inbetween busy audition weeks or jobs. maybe commercial work, or short films.

anyway, just looking for input, if anyone has any.

thanks in advance!

thanks for the question. It sure was getting lonely monitoring this board.

LOL.

Anyway. PA work on a small scale could be filler income but on a larger scale the hours tend to be very long and inflexible. Not good for acting. As far as learning how to do continuity on set, it's a skill that each person does slightly differently. The continuity person works very closely with the director (it's one of the people I rely on most when directing). That person must take exact notes and has a lot of responsibility. They are watching and note taking every single shot. It's an intense job. I suggest you shadow someone who does the job and see if you like it. It would take some training to do it well. It's a career.

A lot of people enter the entertainment industry through acting and end up doing all sorts of jobs, including some of the most important jobs there are. So if this turns out to be a gift for you more power to you. Go for it.

It's a job like a stage manager of the what is being shot on set on steroids.

Let me know if you find this answer helpful .

quote:

so it was suggested to me that because of my eye for detail and pointing out things like "the cup starts in this hand, now it's in that one from a diff angle, now it's sitting on the table when it should be in her hand..."

If those are things you notice naturally, you might really enjoy being a Script Supervisor (sometimes referred to as "Continuity"). This person is the watchdog on the set who makes sure that each shot works with the others. Also watches dialogue, props etc. There are workshops and programs that teach you how to do it. Roz is right, it is VERY intense and you have to note every detail. You could not pursue this career and acting at the same time, but it's a cool job and you get to be right in the thick of every shot of the film.

Let us know how it goes!

thank you both for the info! i wasn't quite sure how it worked, really.

i keep seeing ads for short films, like, a few days to a week or two, looking for these types of crew positions. might work inbetween acting gigs, you know? just no auditions or anything then.

but i'm not yet ready to "give up", so maybe i'll start by finding these day-long shoots, see if i like it, and go from there.

thanks to you both!

I don't think it's giving up at all. It's going with the flow of the universe...er...sorry.

It's doing what's right for you. Think about it. I do lots of things in addition to acting. I don't feel at all like I have given up on acting. It's using all my talents and experiences that enrich my acting.

I wish you the best. It's a long life (hopefully) and there are many things that we will do. It would be a shame not to do other things because we love to act.

Take care.

Agreed. Don't feel like you're "giving up". Most of my money is made through commercials, hosting and VO. But I also get to do a movie now and then, some TV and a live show. One of the great things about crew work is that it teaches you about the WHOLE machine, not just your little part. It's a great way to learn. I say try it.