Paperwork PA (NYC)

Your Ultimate Goals: 

  • Be organized and efficient
  • Keep your 2nd AD happy

The right-hand to the 2nd AD, you likely will work in the same office as the 2nd AD for the run of your show. This position’s intricacies can vary based on your AD’s preferences, so get to know them and how they like to operate. Overall, you will be in charge of distributing packages and deliveries (distro) that come to set to the various crew they’re addressed to, and sending set items to the production office when needed. This will afford you the opportunity to get to know everyone, so lean into that.

Your other responsibilities will include but are not limited to: getting manpower for the next day from the various departments, chasing down answers to questions from the office, keeping the AD office neat and organized, making sure PAs turn in their correct startwork in a timely manner, keeping inventory stocked on office supplies, paper, blank start work for union and non-union crew members, forms, and all other documents that may be needed throughout the course of the filming day. The “paperwork” of the Paperwork PA job.

Your most important responsibility will be doing the Production Report (PR) at the end of each day and submitting it promptly to the office, along with filling out timecards for your AD and PA staff.

Things You Will Need

  • A 4-color pen
  • A pocket sized notebook
  • A legal sized paperwork tin
  • A computer with Microsoft Excel on it
  • Extra copier toner

Below is a general guide for your responsibilities as a Paperwork PA in the NYC area. This will vary show to show. You’ll want to check in with your ADs for specifics and items which might not be listed here, or items listed that they don’t need you to do. These also aren’t listed in an order that necessarily must be followed. There is some autonomy that can come with the PPW role, so you’ll learn what to prioritize day to day as you find your way with your new crew. You can find a condensed version of this list on our PPW PA (NYC) checklist to print out and carry with you for reference throughout your day.

  • Print copies of last night’s PR to give to any EP, UPM, or AD that wants one. Keep one for yourself.
  • Print today’s call sheet for your own notes and changes. You’ll use these notes when doing today’s Production Report (PR).
  • Check your email for any questions from the office about the previous day’s PR.
  • Gather distro and hand it out. This will happen multiple times a day. Distro needs to go out in a timely manner and not just sit in the AD office.
  • Start your rounds at crew call. PRs to the people that want them, get office questions answered, get corrections to last night’s PR to send to the office, hand out distro, check today’s manpower with dept heads for any changes that happened overnight and note for today’s PR, get tomorrow’s manpower from Depts for the 2nd AD.
  • Respond to the office emails. Send in any answers or corrections you’ve gotten. This will also happen multiple times a day.
  • Prep today’s PR. Use any notes from dept heads that differ from today’s call sheet that you got during your morning rounds.
    • USEFUL TIP 1: Open the most recent PR from last night and IMMEDIATELY “Save As” today’s PR. If you do this before you start clearing cells or making changes, you’re less likely to erase all of yesterday’s work by accident.
  • 1 hour before lunch, check in with the 2nd AD if they think lunch will be on time. Communicate with the caterers throughout this process.
  • 30 minutes before lunch be in catering to update on food readiness and to get “last man“.
  • Confirm last man and back-in times with the shop steward. Once you’re both in agreement, announce the back-in time in catering and over walkie. Write it in your notes to put on the PR.
  • Get the lunch report from the caterer.
  • Print & Distro prelims once the 2nd AD gives you the go ahead.
    • USEFUL TIP 2: Hand one to the 1st AD and 2nd AD first, and don’t forget the teamster captain(s).
    • USEFUL TIP 3: Proofread the prelim. Try to find snags ahead of time for your 2nd AD.
  • Prep weekly timecards for the ADs and PA staff
  • Do a weekly inventory of the AD office. Check what you’re running low on and order it from the office. You especially don’t want to ever run out of toner or paper. You’re the mobile production office and need to stay well stocked.
  • Print Call Sheets if the 2nd AD oks it. These are NOT distro’d until the 1st AD has called wrap and the 1st or 2nd AD says “Fly the sheets”. Instead, hand stacks to the Key PA and the 1st Team Runner, and keep a stack for yourself in the office. Once you all hear those words you can get the call sheets to the entire crew quickly. Again, don’t forget the teamster captain(s).

COMPANY WRAP:

Ideally, you’ve spent your day prepping your PR and setting yourself up for an easy wrapout of just adding out times and notes as they come in over the walkie from around set.

(It’s rarely this calm and easy, so don’t panic when things get chaotic. One cell at a time).

  • Input all of the necessary data from crew paperwork (Exhibit G, Camera/Sound rolls, Scripty notes, BG Breakdown, etc) into the PR
  • Input all out times on the back
  • Add notes to the bottom on the back (varying lunches, any injuries or delays, loss and damage, safety meeting times, etc.)
  • Calculate and input meal penalties for each crew member (Why this doesn’t fall to accounting, we’ll never understand, but it’s on our department for now).
  • Make sure the football is full
    • Sound logs
    • Camera logs
    • Script report
    • Any L&D reports from the day
    • Exhibit G
    • Lunch Report
    • BG Breakdown & Vouchers
    • Daily timesheets from every department
    • On Fridays: Timecards for the entire company, usually turned in with daily timesheets
    • Any other paperwork turned in to you but not sent to the office yet
  • Send the Football and PR to the office. The full football usually goes ahead with transpo while the PR is finished separately and emailed in. Once it’s with the office, all PR edits will usually be done by the office and you shouldn’t touch that day’s document again unless specifically directed to. You will, however, be sent to get answers from the crew for the office on any PR questions they have.
    • USEFUL TIP 4: You’ll need to email the PR to predetermined crew and office staff. This group should be established in prep. Email the excel file along with a pdf of the document.
  • If you want to save time tomorrow, print your PRs and call sheet for the morning now, before you leave, and set them on your desk where no one will take or move them.

Resources

  • Find useful checklists and templates for the Paperwork PA position on our GoFor Resources pages
  • Check our GoFor Community pages for ways to connect to shows that are hiring

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