Production Assistant Resume Example & Tips for 2024

Production Assistant Resume Example & Tips for 2024

Though it's an entry-level job, it's also an on-the-job training program to the film industry. To use the learning opportunities, nail your production assistant resume. Here's how.

Michael Tomaszewski, CPRW
Michael Tomaszewski, CPRW
Certified Professional Resume Writer, Career Expert

You help bring magic to life on the screen. You do the legwork that makes everything fall into place. You’re the film industry’s jack of all trades (and master of most!).

So why aren’t you landing your dream gigs? Well, I happen to know. Your production assistant resume isn’t up to scratch. But that’s about to change.

In this guide:

  • A production assistant resume example better than most.
  • How to make the perfect production assistant resume job description.
  • How to write a TV or film production assistant resume that stands out.
  • Expert tips and examples to boost your chances of landing a PA job.

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If you're looking for other resume guides related to the film industry, though, here's a list of our other guides:

Production Assistant Resume Example

Contact Info

Frank Wynne

Production Assistant

(519) 978-4733

frank.wynne@me.com 

linkedin.com/fancisjohnwynne

Personal website: filmmatters.io

Professional Summary

Efficient, detailed-oriented film and TV production assistant with 4+ years of experience on various types of sets. Skilled in record-keeping, creating schedules, constructing sets, and preparing research templates. Cut XYZ Studios quarterly costs by 25% through negotiating new catering contracts for the crews across 4 locations. Looking to join ABC Production to help optimize day-do-day production processes.

Work Experience

TV Production Assistant

XYZ Studios, Los Angeles, CA

Jun 2017–Present

  • Organized and executed mass orders for promotional materials, gifts, and studio equipment.
  • Successfully negotiated $10,000+ contracts with vendors.
  • Maintained Artist Library through ordering and logging new titles and keeping track of check-ins and check-outs. Boosted efficiency by 15%.
  • Managed demo reels requests from artists within the studio.
  • Collaborated with production leadership to effectively manage the changing of schedule priorities and communicate to all involved parties.

Key accomplishment: Negotiated new catering contracts for 4 crews, cut quarterly cost by 25%.

Assistant

Disney, Emeryville, CA

Sep 2015–Apr 2017

  • Coordinate production schedule requests with the executive team and corporate departments.
  • Created and support a friendly and professional atmosphere within the team and production offices
  • Booked all travel and created detailed itineraries for 15+ filmmakers and executives. Frequently commanded by efficiency and attention to detail.
  • Set up for meetings and conferences with drink and food trays, tables, and audiovisual equipment.
  • Assisted with the event preparation and the execution of TTF events.
  • Setting up for meetings and conferences with drink trays, etc.

Education

BA in Content, Media, and Film Production, 3.9 GPA

California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA

2015

Relevant coursework: Assistant Directing, Introduction to Cinematography, Production Design, Project Production & Development

Key Skills

  • FileMaker Pro
  • MS Word, MS Excel
  • Photoshop
  • Google Drive Suite
  • Camera Boom, Light Boom, Mic Boom
  • Highly-Organized
  • Good Communicator
  • Able to Work Under Pressure

Additional Activities

  • Non-profit blogger at filmmatters.io
  • Volunteering every 2 weeks at the American Heart Association in Los Angeles.

That’s a killer resume, isn’t it? Soon, yours will be equally great. Here’s how to write your production assistant resume in 5 simple steps:

1. Start With the Best Production Assistant Resume Format

Few work environments are as chaotic as a film set. Everything happens at once. Unexpected problems pile up. No one seems able to control the chaos… Enter: You.

You’re organized. Dependable. Always on top of things. So—let the formatting of your production assistant resume reflect that. Follow these steps:

Production Assistant Resume Format

  • Reverse-chronological order: last or most recent job first, followed by the one before it, then the previous one, and so on.
  • Good font for a resume: an all-time classic such as Cambria, Calibri, Georgia, or Verdana. No Times New Roman, please, we’re not in the 80s anymore.
  • Single-inch resume margins on all 4 sides.
  • Plenty of white space.
  • One-page only if you have less than 5 years of experience. More than that? A two-pager will work fine.
  • Legible resume sections with big headings: Contact Info, Resume Profile, Work Experience, Education, Skills, Additional Activities.

Once done, save your resume for production assistant jobs as a PDF file to keep the layout intact. Just remember to double-check with the job posting. Some companies will only accept resumes in DOC.

Expert Hint: While employment in broadcasting, in general, has plummeted in the US in the past 20 years, jobs for directors’ and producers’ assistants are on the rise and projected to grow further. The industry might feel to be in decline, but your niche is safe. What does it mean for you? Don’t settle for less. Wait for the perfect opportunity—you should be spoilt for choice.

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2. Write a Stunning Production Assistant Resume Objective or Summary

It’s that paragraph at the top of a resume—called a resume profile. Think of it as a trailer for the rest of your resume. It has to convince the producer to read the whole document. 

How to make sure your production assistant resume profile delivers? By offering value.

Got relevant experience in film or TV production? Write a summary statement.

  1. Start with an adjective followed by your job title (e.g. Dependable TV production assistant).
  2. Add 2–3 skills and achievements.
  3. Promise to help achieve their goals.

See these examples for reference:

Production Assistant Resume Example: Summary

GOOD EXAMPLE
Efficient, detailed-oriented film and TV production assistant with 4+ years of experience on various types of sets. Skilled in record-keeping, creating schedules, constructing sets, and preparing research templates. Cut XYZ Studios quarterly costs by 25% through negotiating new catering contracts for the crews across 4 locations. Looking to join ABC Production to help optimize day-do-day production processes. 
BAD EXAMPLE
Production assistant with over 4 years of experience. Have been responsible for administrative and support tasks in 3 TV studios. Scheduled meetings, ran errands, escorted cast members and performed other duties as assigned.

The first example says “I’ve delivered solid results and I’ll help your team achieve your goals.” The second one? It’s so generic it could just as well read “I’m a production assistant.”
Little to no experience in the field? Take heart. Make your production assistant resume stand out with a nicely-phrased career objective.

The key to success? Don’t just write about what you want out of the job. Instead, show them what skills you’ve mastered so far and how well you’ll fit in. See how it works in practice.

Sample Entry-Level Production Assistant Resume Objectives

GOOD EXAMPLE
BA in Film and Media Production graduate (3.9 GPA) with a solid background in pre- and post-production, photography, and industry research. Looking to join Acme Studios’ team to ensure a smooth flow of all stages of production.
BAD EXAMPLE
Recent graduate in Film and Media seeking to gain first-time job experience with a big, LA-based studio. Well-organized and dependable. Able to work under pressure.

Not awful. But the second candidate failed to provide any proof of his production assistant skills. Anyone can claim to be “well-organized.” And everyone wants to gain experience. That’s just not enough to convince the hiring team you’re worth getting a shot.

Expert Hint: While this section comes at the top of your resume, write it last. Create the rest of your production assistant job application first, then pick the best bits and compile them into the resume profile.

3. Write a Perfect Production Assistant Job Description and Skills Sections

There’s no such thing as a “typical day” in the work life of a production assistant. The pace of your work would make Fast & Furious feel like a psychological drama.

Your work experience section has to show you are:

  • Able to tackle multiple problems at once.
  • Versatile and dependable.

Here’s how to craft a strong production assistant job description for a resume:

  1. Read the job ad carefully and spot the most important requirements.
  2. Think of your experience that matches those. Highlight it on your production assistant resume.
  3. Instead of just listing things you did, illustrate how well you did them.
  4. Quantify your achievements whenever possible. Numbers pop!

In every entry, include: your job title, name of the company, dates worked, and bullet points describing your duties and accomplishments. Check out these two, very different, excerpts from production assistant resumes.

Production Assistant Resume Example: Work Experience

GOOD EXAMPLE

TV Production Assistant

XYZ Studios, Los Angeles, CA

Jun 2017–Present

  • Organized and executed mass orders for promotional materials, gifts, and studio equipment.
  • Successfully negotiated $10,000+ contracts with vendors.
  • Maintained Artist Library through ordering and logging new titles and keeping track of check-ins and check-outs. Boosted efficiency by 15%.
  • Managed demo reels requests from artists within the studio.
  • Collaborated with production leadership to effectively manage the changing of schedule priorities and communicate to all involved parties.

Biggest accomplishment: Negotiated new catering contracts for 4 crews, cut quarterly cost by 25%.

BAD EXAMPLE

2017 - Now

XYZ Studios

Production Asst.

Responsible for:

  • Flight scheduling.
  • Conducting extensive research.
  • Assisting with various on-set duties as assigned.
  • Scanning scripts.
  • Maintaining paperwork.

One more thing—While the work history section on your production assistant resume has to provide evidence of your varied skills and talents, you should still include a selection of skills for a resume with a snapshot of your key areas of production expertise.

Just don’t cram your resume with production skills you think you have in whatever order you deem right. Focus on the job ad. List only those skills that are relevant to this particular gig. For reference, here’s an extensive list you can pick from.

Production Assistant Skills Examples

Hard Skills:

  • Clearing Copyrights
  • Budgeting
  • Scheduling
  • Walkie Talkies & Earpieces
  • Physical Fitness
  • Operating Equipment: Mixers, Lighting Rigs, Teleprompters, Microphones
  • Software: Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro X, MS Office, Avid
  • Computer Skills

Soft Skills:

Expert Hint: Considering a major career change, or simply a transition to a specific industry? Think about digital marketing! Your skills are very much sought-after by digital marketing employers. Studies have revealed most marketing companies are planning to expand their budget for video creation in the upcoming years. Sound like a hot prospect? Browse our collection of sample resumes for other positions to seek inspiration!

4. Turn the Dull Education Section into a Reason to Hire You

Listing education on a resume is easy, most of the time. Especially if you’re an experienced production assistant. If such is the case, limit this section to:

  • Degree
  • University Name
  • Major
  • Minors (if applicable)
  • Graduation date

Writing an entry-level resume for production assistant jobs? No experience to showcase? It’s time all those courses you slaved over started paying off! Expand your education section by adding extra details:

  • Relevant coursework
  • Favorite fields of study
  • Academic achievements
  • Extracurricular activities

Expert Hint: What about your GPA? Include it only if it’s higher than 3.5. Also, you don’t need to add it if you’ve had more than a year of full-time experience. Your work history is more important than grades.

5. Add Extra Sections to Make Your Resume Shine

With all the above sections filled out, that’s a decent production assistant resume you’ve got there. But you don’t just want a decent job. So let’s punch your resume up a notch. If you have additional information, add a few “additional” sections to your production assistant resume.

Here are some ideas to consider:

Anything that shows your drive and a sense of purpose in pursuing a career in TV, film, or other areas of entertainment.

Expert Hint: Once done with your resume, create a short and sweet cover letter too. Depending on the source, between 20% and 50% of employers expect covering letters for resumes. You can learn how to write a cover letter in our guide.

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Key Points

For a job-winning production assistant resume, follow these steps:

  • Use the reverse-chronological resume format with lots of white space, big section headings, and elegant layout.
  • At the top, put a carefully-crafted resume profile: a summary or an objective.
  • In your work experience section, highlight achievements over daily duties. Quantify whenever you can.
  • List skills that are relevant to this position, not just any production assistant skills.
  • Add extra sections: conferences, solo projects, certifications, industry awards.

And there you have it. Everything you need to know to write a resume that lands Hollywood-level jobs. If you have more questions or need help, let me know in the comments section—I’ll get back to you straight away.

About ResumeLab’s Editorial Process

At ResumeLab, quality is at the crux of our values, supporting our commitment to delivering top-notch career resources. The editorial team of career experts carefully reviews every article in accordance with editorial guidelines, ensuring the high quality and reliability of our content. We actively conduct original research, shedding light on the job market's intricacies and earning recognition from numerous influential news outlets. Our dedication to delivering expert career advice attracts millions of readers to our blog each year.

Michael Tomaszewski, CPRW

With vast expertise in interview strategies and career development, Michael is a job expert with a focus on writing perfect resumes, acing interviews, and improving employability skills. His mission is to help you tell the story behind your career and reinforce your professional brand by coaching you to create outstanding job application documents. More than one million readers read his career advice every month. For ResumeLab, Michael uses his connections to help you thrive in your career. From fellow career experts and insiders from all industries—LinkedIn strategists, communications consultants, scientists, entrepreneurs, digital nomads, or even FBI agents—to share their unique insights and help you make the most of your career.

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