An Amazing Program Builds Success Stories for Productions and Students

by Christine Purse

When Createasphere Entertainment Technology Expo in New York launched in 2008, it was a new city, a new venue, and the team arrived armed with an endless list of things to do. It was obvious there was a need for reliable, short-term local staff that understood the industry. A call to the New York Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre, and Broadcasting led Createasphere to an innovative program supporting production in New York, the “Made in NY” Production Assistant Training Program.

 

Createasphere has returned once again to New York at The New Yorker Hotel and taken advantage of this amazing program.

“Made in NY” was developed in a partnership between the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting and Brooklyn Workforce Innovations, a nonprofit organization.  Katy Finch is the program’s director.

 

CREATEASPHERE: The Createasphere team called upon the young men and women that were part of the “Made in New York” PA Training Program and it paid off handsomely.  They were bright, polite, on-task, and ready for the real world.

 

KATY: Being a PA is hard work.  The same punctuality, attitude and responsibility are expected from the students as if they were paid production assistants.  There’s no hand-holding and no coasting in these programs.

 

CREATEASPHERE: Can you give us an overview of the PA Training Program?

 

KATY: The “Made in NY” Production Assistant Training Program provides free job training and career development services to unemployed and low-income New Yorkers who are committed to starting a new career in TV and film production. Trainees receive over 160 hours of classroom and field training that’s immediately applicable to working as a production assistant, on set or in the production office.  The month long, full-time training curriculum starts early and ends late just like production does.  During the training, PA's must master walkie-talkies, petty cash, lock-ups, filling out location permits and most importantly problem solving, set etiquette, and being of use on a set.

 

CREATEASPHERE: The force behind the PA Training Program is Brooklyn Workforce Innovations.  What is that, and how does it interface with MOFTB?

 

KATY: Brooklyn Workforce Innovations (BWI) is a nonprofit organization that helps jobless and working poor New Yorkers establish careers in businesses that offer good wages and opportunities for advancement.  The mission of the PA program is to promote diversity in New York’s production industry and create new career opportunities for New Yorkers in need.  Since the PA Training Program’s launch in 2006, BWI has trained more than 149 production assistants who have gone on to work on more than 22,000 days of local area productions. Our programs are free to participants and include at least two years of job placement and career development services.

CREATEASPHERE: Working on a production, especially as a PA, is often a fast moving target.  How do you train young people to be flexible and able to think on their feet?

 

KATY: Constant role-playing keeps them abreast of the many different circumstances they may encounter on set.  They also have hands-on experience reading road maps and navigating NYC streets and subways, which can be a big part of a PA’s duties. During the third week all trainees are required to intern on an actual production.

 

CREATEASPHERE: Who are the instructors for the PA's?

 

KATY: Our instructors are all working industry professionals.  They include Assistant Directors, Production Coordinators, Location Managers, Gaffers, and Producers who instruct students on a variety of department skills and key crew roles.  PA’s also receive training from MOFTB staffers.  I am the Lead Instructor and Program Director, and I was a former A.D.  My goal is to run the classroom the way a set is run.

 

CREATEASPHERE: How do trainees and potential trainees learn about the program?

 

KATY: We recruit our trainees from all five boroughs of NYC. We attend community events, post the opportunity on the web, place ads in newspapers and on the radio, do online job postings, directly reach out to the community through flyers and posters and have a network of organizations which refer people to us.  MOFTB also provides bus shelters throughout the five boroughs that advertise the program and utilizes its electronic newsletter.

 

CREATEASPHERE: Does everyone who applies to the PA Training program get in?

 

KATY: No. Our selection process is intense. Last year, for example, we received more than 1,000 applications and accepted fewer than 80 students. Trainees must be at least 21 years old, have a valid driver’s license and be unemployed or low income.  They must complete a multi-page application that includes a personal statement in addition to work history, income, etc.   After that, if they are deemed eligible, they are invited in for an interview.  These interviews can be quite intense and have sometimes lasted as long as two hours.  If all goes well, we ask the candidate to do a free day of outreach under the supervision of a graduate of the program as a sort of a “tryout.”  If all continues to go well through the tryout stage, the candidate is offered a place in our program.

 

CREATEASPHERE: What has been the production community’s response to the program and its graduates?

 

KATY: The NYC film community has been extremely supportive. We’ve had great success getting the word out that our PA’s are hard working, punctual and positive crewmembers.  I Am Legend’s 2nd AD, Joe Aspromonti emailed to say this, “Things are working out great with the graduates we have on our film.  The entire production is very impressed with your group. We're ready for the next group... let me know when I can have them all.”

 

CREATEASPHERE: Could you share with us any individual success stories?

 

KATY: As our grads have worked and moved up in the industry they have been hired as Camera Assistants, Best Boys, Wardrobe Supervisors, Production Coordinators, Assistant Location Managers, Boom Operators, Script Supervisors, Assistant Directors and more.  Recently one of our graduates, Nelson Quinones, was accepted into the DGA Trainee program and is on his way to becoming a union AD.  Another one of our grads, Tsahai Wilson, has just field produced her first segment for cable TV.  Tsahai had worked for Law & Order as a production secretary and as an assistant coordinator on features after graduation.

 

CREATEASPHERE: How can businesses and productions take advantage of this program?

 

KATY: Hundreds of productions and companies have taken advantage of BWI’s PA placement services.  Simply call our Production Hotline (718-757-5816), it’s answered by a staff member 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  You can give us a week’s notice or a moment’s notice.  Either way we will act on it immediately, and ask all the questions that will help us find the right person for the job.  A list of productions that have hired “Made in NY” PA’s is available on BWI’s website: www.bwiny.org.  Our goal is to find the best candidates to fill your open positions.  We will put the PA’s in contact with you, or you can contact them directly – whatever works best for the production.

 

CREATEASPHERE: Congratulations once again, Katy, on an outstanding program and thank you for a great group of PA’s.  We’ll see you next year - September 20-21, 2011 at The New Yorker Hotel!