Personal Assistants Are the Heroes Behind the Oscars
When you watch the end credits after the movie is finished, most people wouldn't give a second thought to the hundreds of names that scroll by. But as these personal assistants in Hollywood tell you, they are the glue that holds it all together. They have a great deal of responsibility, and they are often overlooked. Sometimes, unfortunately, they don't even get their names in the end credits.
VIDEO: Assistants work magic at the Oscars
Assistants are trying to make a difference, and they aren't getting paid much in the beginning. If they are an intern, there may be no salary at all. But the reward in getting to work with A-list stars. And sometimes, if the stars and planets line up, the movie you worked so hard on may go on to win Oscars at the Academy Awards ceremony.
While there are many awards shows in the entertainment industry -- Emmys, Grammys, and the Golden Globes to name a few -- no award show garners the attention like the Oscars, which reaches one billion audience members globally.
While there are many awards shows in the entertainment industry -- Emmys, Grammys, and the Golden Globes to name a few -- no award show garners the attention like the Oscars, which reaches one billion audience members globally.
Personal assistants are the glue guns that hold together the Oscars
One of the most exciting things about being an assistant in Hollywood is that every day is different. It would be pretty difficult to write a job description because they handle all things from A to Z. Some of which include research, rolling calls, script coverage, assist in casting if their boss is a director or producer, being a liaison to agents and the studios, and even working with the crew. In short, a personal assistant in Los Angeles must be a Jack (or Jill) of all trades and must master all of them.
You name it, they do it. And it's usually all done under great pressure and long hours -- very long hours. Pulling an 18-hour day is common. Some PAs who work for Hollywood heavyweights will even tell you that "everything goes through me." That, my friends, is the ultimate gatekeeper. The assistant wields incredible power.
You may have heard the famous expression in Hollywood: Every movie is a small miracle. And you may not know that it takes 7 to 10 years to get a movie made (from inception, development, screenwriting, financing, casting, filming, postproduction and then marketing. So, it's a big payoff for the movie to get made, and when it became a hit and wins an Oscar, the assistants can pat themselves on the back because nobody else will.
You name it, they do it. And it's usually all done under great pressure and long hours -- very long hours. Pulling an 18-hour day is common. Some PAs who work for Hollywood heavyweights will even tell you that "everything goes through me." That, my friends, is the ultimate gatekeeper. The assistant wields incredible power.
You may have heard the famous expression in Hollywood: Every movie is a small miracle. And you may not know that it takes 7 to 10 years to get a movie made (from inception, development, screenwriting, financing, casting, filming, postproduction and then marketing. So, it's a big payoff for the movie to get made, and when it became a hit and wins an Oscar, the assistants can pat themselves on the back because nobody else will.
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