I was lucky enough to have spent the past three weeks working as a production assistant on the set of Sand Castles, a feature film shot in Goshen, Indiana. I had been on short film sets before but this was my first real experience on an actual film set with a unionized crew. Because time is money, film shoots are typically anywhere from 12 to 17  hour days, six days a week. I have never been more exhausted in my life but I have also never been as exhilarated on a daily basis as I was during those three weeks. I learned more than I thought was possible and even though working as a PA on a film set was intimidating, my work at FiveCore really helped to prepare me in ways I didn’t expect.

One of the very first things FiveCore’s General Manager,Kyle Hufford, taught me back in September 2011, was industry language. He refers to external monitors as a “video village,” calls extension cords “stingers,” and relentlessly refers to clothespins as “CP-47s.” At the time I found this rather annoying and confusing. But of course, my first day on set I was asked to set up the video village, and because I knew what it was I was able to quickly get it set up, earning me bonus points on the first day. Throughout the three weeks I learned even more film industry terms that may sound odd but really are used and crew members are expected to know.

One important component to being a good production assistant is the ability to liaison with all departments of a film crew. The production assistants are part of the assistant directors team, but it’s very helpful for PAs to have a good relationship with the camera and lighting departments as well. Before I worked at FiveCore I had absolutely NO clue what the difference between a 85mm lens and a 18mm lens, what a anamorphic lens was, or really anything technical. But Kyle is a camera nerd at heart and he taught me a lot about cameras. So when I saw that the camera set up on Sand Castles, I was able to ask the camera operator relatively intelligent questions. He was surprised that I knew anything about anamorphic lenses (Kyle had ironically just taught me about anamorphic lenses one week early). I continued to ask the camera operator questions throughout the shoot and consequently I built up a friendship with him. That way when I had to be the acting 2nd assistant director, I could rush the camera operator without offending him, or overstepping the departmental boundaries. The camera department respected me as acting assistant director and not just a production assistant. If Kyle hadn’t been relentless in his teaching of the technical side of film-making, I probably wouldn’t have been able to form that relationship.

My overall experience on set of Sand Castles was amazing. I made a lot of coffee runs. A lot. As in, the morning staff of Dunkin Donuts knows me by name. But a well caffeinated crew is a happier crew. I didn’t mind getting coffee, or standing outside a door for five hours just to make sure no one came in because I knew my role. I was willing to do anything they needed quickly and efficiently and even though I started the shoot as the PA who got coffee, I ended as the PA they wanted to stay on set. I made great connections with most of the crew that could potentially lead to more work. But while I was given a great opportunity by the producers of Sand Castles, it was really FiveCore Media that I owe the credit to. My experience working here gave, and continues to give, me invaluable practical knowledge and confidence in my abilities that allows me to be successful in the video production industry.