Personal assistants are the heroes behind the Academy Awards
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.
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.
While there are many award shows in the entertainment industry -- Emmys, Grammys and the like -- no award show garners the attention like the Oscars, which reaches one billion audience members globally.
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 isn't uncommon. 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, post production and then marketing. So it's a big payoff for the movie to get made, and when it become a hit and wins an Oscar, the assistants can pat themselves on the back because nobody else will.
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.
While there are many award shows in the entertainment industry -- Emmys, Grammys and the like -- no award show garners the attention like the Oscars, which reaches one billion audience members globally.
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 isn't uncommon. 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, post production and then marketing. So it's a big payoff for the movie to get made, and when it become a hit and wins an Oscar, the assistants can pat themselves on the back because nobody else will.
Assistants Behind the Oscars
