Production Assistant

From Bootcamp to Beyond: Ready to Dive into the Film & TV World

**Tarelle Butts working as a camera operator during a Santa Monica College volleyball game**

CONTEXT
Driven by a passion for film and television, I actively seek opportunities to learn and refine my skills. This eagerness led me to participate in two intensive production assistant boot camp workshops hosted by Group Effort Initiative at Netflix in Hollywood, CA.

These workshops laid the foundation for my technical skills, from walkie-talkie communication to set etiquette. Eager to put theory into practice, I volunteered as a PA for Santa Monica College athletics, navigating the fast-paced world of live sports. My passion for storytelling extended to a class project where I co-created a mockumentary short, gaining hands-on experience in film production. This combination of boot camp training, volunteer work, and personal projects fuels my ambition to gain hands-on experience and climb the ladder in film and television.

Production Assistant Boot Camp

In partnership with Netflix, the GEI Production Bootcamp is a daylong workshop that provides entry-level production assistant training, and insight into various aspects of production. I have honed my on-set skills through the Group Effort Production Bootcamps at Netflix. These intensive programs equipped me with essential PA fundamentals, including walkie-talkie communication, C-stand construction, and set etiquette.

**Group Effort Initiative 2023 Production Boot Camp Netflix - Hollywood, California.**

**Tarelle Butts at Netflix - Hollywood, CA**

Production assistant training

Sumi Parekh, Executive Director at Group Effort Initiative
welcomes guests and introduces the first guest speakers, Alex Duffey, DGA, and Mike Visencio, ASC Associate.

**Alex Duffey, DGA, What is a Production Assistant**

**Mike Visencio, ASC Associate,** **Duties of a Grip**

**Mike Visencio, ASC Associate,** **Rolling Up Cables**

**Alex Duffey, DGA, Discussing the Director’s Team.**

**Alex Duffey, DGA,, Info on a Call Sheet**

**Mike Visencio, ASC Associate, Production Assistant Tools**

**Shari Page, Jessica Gaitan, Ciara Ray, Emily Lerner Garlick, Mike Vanderlinde, Tiara Muhammad, Interpreter**

Keynote Speaker

Paris Barclay gave the keynote speech at the 2023 Group Effort Initiative Production Assistant Bootcamp.
Paris discussed the dos and don’ts of being a great production assistant as well as his top three qualities of a production assistant.

Humility

You’re not the boss.
You’re there to help.
You’re there to make life less difficult for others

Be Reliable

Solve problems.
Answer questions.
Always looking for something to do.

Be Discreet

Keep the focus on the job.
No inappropriate conversations.
No criticism of others.

Production Assistant at Santa Monica College Athletics

I possess excellent communication and time management skills, honed through my volunteer work as a Production Assistant at Santa Monica College Athletics. There, I facilitated a smooth event flow, provided technical assistance with camera operation, and even identified players on the field for accurate announcer commentary, contributing to a lively and engaging atmosphere.