What does a production assistant do?

In the film and television industry, a production assistant or PA handles a variety of tasks on set, from running errands to assisting with equipment setup and break down. As a PA, you perform many essential duties that don’t fall neatly into other crew members’ responsibilities, including making copies of the script, moving equipment, performing light research, helping camera operators set up shots, assisting visitors, and responding to requests by members of the cast and crew. It’s typical for PAs to take food or coffee orders for talent, clients, or other workers on set and facilitate their pickup or delivery. You also may be asked to fulfill special requests. You usually work on film or television sets or in studios, but the job is essentially the same regardless of the scale of the production.