NFTS Certified CraftSkills Qualification
Production Assistant
This course offers an insight into the many roles and responsibilities as a Production Assistant. You get an overview of all of the departments on a set and often work under the 1st AD. You will often see a project right through from concept to post production and therefore work alongside a whole range of crafts and disciplines. The purpose of this course is to develop and assess the competence and underpinning knowledge of individuals working in the Production department.
Semester 1
The course will start with 6 weeks of specialist training from our own tutoring team and from visiting industry professionals. This training block is designed to give the course participants a thorough grounding in the role of the Production Assistant; for instance, what work each department undertakes, on set etiquette and the structure of the production department.
This module will also, through practical exercises, enable participants to create key role deliverables such as call sheets, and give an overview of industry health and safety practices.
There will then be a bootcamp delivered by industry professionals focusing on career development before you begin your first 5 weeks of production practice, either working with a client on a live brief or onset with a production partner.
Semester 2
You’ll then come back to ESA for your second semester where you will get more training to further develop your specialist skills and knowledge.
In this block, you will continue to learn the role of the Production Assistant, and expand your knowledge to include budgeting, scheduling and the wider role of the production team.
Leading film professionals will bring a wealth of real-world, industry experience to the course, and you will gain insight into the regulations which govern the actions of the production department.
With real-world film set experience behind you, we will look in detail at creative problem solving and working with creative contractors. You will be trained in industry-standard budgeting and scheduling software, and given real-world case studies to work through.
Course Availability
This course is only available to students who are 18 years old at the start of the course. We will admit a maximum of 12 students onto the programme. Please also be aware that this course is supported by VOCAT (Vocational Education and Training for the Creative Industries) - this course is a practical traineeship which places students on-set in real industry environments as much possible. The highest levels of professionalism are expected of students.
