So this morning I receive a rando call from a film producer who tells me that I’ve been recommended by one of my former colleagues to be his assistant on the set of a new Hollywood film shooting in the area. This hasn't been the first call of its kind. Last year I was recommended by a colleague for the same type of key position on a Robert DeNiro movie. Both are extremely legit, though these fly by night, once in a lifetime opportunities come with a cost.
The job of a creative assistant is steady (which is one of its upsides). Every other week you get a check and your employment is definite (as long as you’re neither fired nor killed). The job of an "On Set" assistant to a producer on the other hand, is not. You'll be paid a bit more BUT you'll be asked to work holidays, weekends, and 14 hour days, around the clock. The film will shoot for about 3-6 months and then you're out on the street again. Hence comes the dilemma. To leave my life as a creative assistant completely for a new IMDB credit and another chance to see my name up there on the big screen or stay in steady employment and hope I’m promoted shortly?
What would you do? Not an easy position to be in. I'll most likely NOT leave life as a creative assistant for the circus again anytime in the near future (been there, done that), but nevertheless, I’ve decided to meet with the producer this evening simply to make a connection. It couldn't hurt. At least I’ll gain another linked in connection who may get my next script to Spielberg.
I'll let you know how it goes...
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I just stumbled across your post a few days ago, and have read through the whole thing. I love it, and look forward to hear about your experiences to come.
ReplyDeleteI'm still a student of the unpaid internship variety, so I'm not in much of a position to say what I would do. I do think that you should read this though:
http://anonymousassistant.wordpress.com/2009/03/18/taking-a-risk/
Since you blog about working in the industry, I wouldn't be surprised if you're familiar with that site. It's written by a PA in Los Angeles. In the post above he talks about a situation similar to the one that you're in... unsteady PA work vs. a steady paycheck.
I swear I'm not trying to plug someone's blog, I really just thought it might be relevant to your situation.