Ready, Set, Go! PA Class
5 p.m. August 25, September 1, & September 8
WANT TO GET STARTED IN THE FILM INDUSTRY?
Are you ready for a job in film? Then this is the course for you! One of the questions we receive most frequently is how someone can get their start in the movie industry, and almost all answers lead back to one role: Production Assistant (PA).
Film sets are highly integrated eco-systems where specialization and efficiency are emphasized. And for most, being a PA is a critical step in understanding how a set, and the functions within it, operate.
The Robinson Film Center presents its Ready, Set, Go! PA Class just as the region prepares for an increase in film production. Now is your chance to get in on the ground floor and learn some critical tricks of the trade so you can become Set Ready. You will learn about key aspects of set life, including general PA duties, set etiquette, who does what on set (and why), gear cases and rules, conflict resolution, running talent, call sheets, working around cameras, and much more. Our classes are taught by industry professionals with decades of experience in film and television.
The Ready, Set, Go! PA Class is $100 for 3 sessions and will be held upstairs in the event space at RFC on Aug. 25, Sept. 1, & Sept. 8 from 5 - 6:30 p.m. Sessions are not sold separately.
WHAT IS A PRODUCTION ASSISTANT?
Production Assistants, known commonly as PAs, form the backbone of any film or television production. It’s also the job that provides the most common entry point into the entertainment industry, as well as serving as many beginning filmmaker’s “film school” – one which allows them to see how experienced filmmakers work up close, while being paid for it. With many key positions on shows being flown in from other states, PAs also – fairly or not – often provide the lens through which producers view their local hires. A good set of PAs will be remembered and provide a positive outlook for the area. Bad PAs live in infamy; most anyone that’s worked in Film/TV long enough has their stories about the worst PAs they ever had.
This 3 Session PA Course at Robinson Film Center will help get new PAs trained and ready to work on productions coming to town. Taught by working producers – people that hire and manage PAs, and started as PAs themselves – the course offered will focus on set, office, and walkie etiquette, the gear needed, attitude, and skills.
WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH WHAT YOU LEARN?
Those graduating RFC’s Ready, Set, Go! class will have the knowhow to begin an entry level role in the Entertainment Industry. We’ll cover general and industry specific etiquette, rules, and technical knowledge, from how to lock up a set to how and when to use a walkie - and when not to! Along with common terminology and a guide to who does what on a production, these classes will also offer Q&A sessions and role-playing to help ensure that any graduates are ready to work, to impress, and to move on from being a PA and into higher paying positions as quickly as they can.
"The class helped me gain the knowledge I would need when first starting out in the film industry. I used the skills I learned through the class on my first pa gig, which then led me to getting more jobs and improving upon the skills the class taught me." - Lukas Harville - PA Class Graduate
YOUR INSTRUCTORS
RFC film instructors are industry professionals with decades of combined experience in film and television. They include directors, producers, executive producers, production managers, and cinematographers. Their credits include feature films, documentaries, scripted and unscripted television, and animated content.
Rich Hansil
Rich Hansil is an award-winning filmmaker with experience in shorts, features, and television. He worked across multiple departments in the industry before finding his niche as a showrunner, director and director of photography. His credits include Netflix, Discovery, NBC, ABC and Fox along with multiple film festivals.
Rachael Hansil
Rachael Hansil was born and raised in Shreveport, went to college in East Texas, and started working in the film industry the week she moved home from college. Her work on feature films in Shreveport led her to Los Angeles where she worked as both a producer and a production manager. After moving home to Shreveport she worked with on projects such as the Rational Middle documentary series, Unexpected Modernism: The Wiener Brothers Story, and the upcoming series The Power of Pickleball.