{"id":3822,"date":"2016-05-10T20:25:29","date_gmt":"2016-05-10T20:25:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theswitch.us\/blog\/?p=3822"},"modified":"2016-05-18T15:43:10","modified_gmt":"2016-05-18T15:43:10","slug":"try-on-the-hat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/try-on-the-hat\/","title":{"rendered":"Try on the Hat: Production Assistant Tips from a Newbie"},"content":{"rendered":"

Working as an administrative coordinator at Switch can have you wearing many hats. These hats (your everyday ball caps, if you will) can have you invoicing, setting up a client meeting, proofreading, calling vendors, working on tedious projects in Excel (this could only be described as a day when your ball cap is pulled just a little too tight) and basically being the go-to for multiple managers in your department to assist them in a variety of tasks. On a rare, special<\/em> occasion, you could be presented with an unfamiliar hat. One that is completely out of your comfort zone and perhaps, a little showy. In my case, it can be best described as a sequin fedora. The rare, special occasion where I received my sequin fedora is when I signed on to be a Production Assistant for my first Switch show. Cue panic.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"fedora-sequined\"<\/p>\n

It was a no-brainer for me to accept the offer despite my fears. One, the required attire is all black so my inner Goth was screaming yaaaaaas. <\/em>Two, in my position\u2014you should take every opportunity to learn more about what our agency does. Sure, I\u2019ve set up the Purchase Orders for this project or managed the calendar but being a part of the actual production is something else entirely. So, in my short time here, I\u2019ve been able to trade in my ball cap for the fedora on quite a few occasions. Enough times now that the sparkly fedora is easing its way into the comfort zone. With each show comes trial-and-error \u2026 and an opportunity to learn.<\/p>\n

It would be unfair for me not to share what I\u2019ve learned so far \u2013 to not only document and demonstrate my growth, but to also pass along my know-how to another budding PA. So without further ado, here are 10 tips for first-time Production Assistants:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Wear Comfortable Shoes! <\/strong>I cannot stress this enough. Although those new ballet flats look awesome with the new black ensemble, about a quarter way through the show \u2013your pinky toe will be screaming to you \u2018What have you done!?\u2019 You won\u2019t be much help to the team in shoes that slow you down. Invest in a comfortable pair \u2013 because trust me, there will be a lot of walking.<\/em><\/li>\n
  2. Get Hip to Technical Stage Terms! <\/strong>Having zero theater background can be a small\u00a0speed bump\u00a0when\u00a0working on a show with seasoned pros. I found myself quickly googling terms like \u2018Gobos\u2019 and \u2018Spike Marks\u2019 and panicking when trying to find where the heck Stage Right was. My advice: Don\u2019t be afraid to ask. They\u2019re here to help. And really, the more you know \u2013 the more helpful you become. Also, Google.<\/em><\/li>\n
  3. Don\u2019t Stand Around!<\/strong> There might be some lull time before a show. Whether it\u2019s an open time between set up and rehearsal, or even a magical moment when everyone\u2019s ahead of schedule, you might be looking for something to keep you occupied. Reach out to the producer of the show and see where you can help, even if it\u2019s grabbing coffee for the crew!<\/em><\/li>\n
  4. Get to know the Crew!<\/strong> I try to memorize the name of every person on set and use their name when speaking to them. Not only is it a polite notion, It\u2019s also helpful for when you\u2019re communicating through headset. Most of the crew is usually familiar with one another from working together on past shows \u2013 so if they\u2019re on a first name basis, you should be, too. Nothing is scarier than the technical director asking you to look for \u2018Brian\u2019 backstage in the dark for a microphone when you have no idea who Brian is. <\/em><\/li>\n
  5. Listen and Learn! <\/strong>Working at any Switch event, you\u2019ll find yourself working with a crew with decades of experience. Generally speaking, it\u2019s best to keep your ears open and your mouth shut. It\u2019s easy to miss something important that was said over headset, but staying attentive and responding quickly will make you a much better PA and crew member. <\/em><\/li>\n
  6. Stay Caffeinated!<\/strong> Show days are long days. Period. Load-in for a show can start in the wee hours of the morning taking you through the dark of night for Load-out. I\u2019d like to give a personal shout out to Starbuck\u2019s Venti Iced Chai Tea Lattes for prepping me for any tasks on show days, from taking down Step and Repeats to grabbing late night dinners for the crew. Always be ready.<\/em><\/li>\n
  7. Be that Shining Light of Positivity!<\/strong> Do as you\u2019re told with a smile. Keep yourself approachable and with hands out. If someone asks you something but you don\u2019t understand what they want or need, don\u2019t be afraid to ask. Be helpful and have a good time; working on site can be fun, so try to not let stress overwhelm you.<\/em><\/li>\n
  8. Determine your Role!<\/strong> Make sure you know exactly what you\u2019re there to do. Remember that not every show requires a Production Assistant, so if you\u2019re there, it\u2019s because there is a task that needs help accomplished. Before you even get on site, determine why you need to be there \u2026 and own it. <\/em><\/li>\n
  9. Learn to Use the Headset!<\/strong> Headset etiquette is still something I\u2019m trying to perfect. I\u2019ve found myself a few times giving hand signal confirmations rather than relaying a \u2018Copy\u2019 over the headset like the big dope that I am. So, if you don\u2019t want a giant arrow about your head with the word \u201cNEWBIE\u201d flashing in neon, learn to use the headset. Show productions are fast-moving, well-oiled machines, and when close to thirty people are spread out, headset communication is vital. Get a quick, 30-second tutorial by the stage director, and it\u2019s up to you from there. Paying attention to your headset and \u2018copy\u2019-ing when you\u2019re spoken to will earn you a gold star and your peers will never guess it\u2019s your first day on site. I promise. (<\/em>NOTE:<\/strong> So, there\u2019s no gold star, but being headset savvy is an easy way to showcase you\u2019re not worthless.)<\/li>\n
  10. Learn from Your Mistakes!<\/strong> It isn\u2019t the end of the world if you forget a Sharpie or spend 5 minutes on the wrong headset channel. Mistakes may happen. What\u2019s important \u2013 and what will make you a stronger professional \u2013 is that you learn from mistakes and avoid repeating the same error. <\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    So, that sparkly fedora may still look totally out of place with my outfit and I might not be singing along to Jackson Browne\u2019s \u2018The Load Out\u2019 with the crew just yet \u2013 but I\u2019m getting there. It\u2019s eye-opening to experience your company\u2019s capabilities firsthand and to see a show go from brainstorming to stage. My final bit of advice: try on that hat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Working as an administrative coordinator at Switch can have you wearing many hats \u2013 and sometimes those hats are a tad outside your comfort zone. In this post, Emily Heath shares some advice she’s learned back stage as a Production Assistant.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":3840,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,1,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-featured-home","category-how-to"],"yoast_head":"\nTry on the Hat: Production Assistant Tips from a Newbie - sw:tch blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/try-on-the-hat\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Try on the Hat: Production Assistant Tips from a Newbie - sw:tch blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Working as an administrative coordinator at Switch can have you wearing many hats \u2013 and sometimes those hats are a tad outside your comfort zone. In this post, Emily Heath shares some advice she's learned back stage as a Production Assistant.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/try-on-the-hat\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"sw:tch blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-05-10T20:25:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2016-05-18T15:43:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/PS-assistant-tips.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"575\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Switch Marketing Team\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Switch Marketing Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/try-on-the-hat\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/try-on-the-hat\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Switch Marketing Team\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3faa6a5ff850b9c26f73be6015a7367c\"},\"headline\":\"Try on the Hat: Production Assistant Tips from a Newbie\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-05-10T20:25:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-05-18T15:43:10+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/try-on-the-hat\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1155,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/try-on-the-hat\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/05\\\/PS-assistant-tips.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Featured\",\"Featured Home\",\"How To\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/try-on-the-hat\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/try-on-the-hat\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/try-on-the-hat\\\/\",\"name\":\"Try on the Hat: Production Assistant Tips from a Newbie - sw:tch blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/try-on-the-hat\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/try-on-the-hat\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/05\\\/PS-assistant-tips.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-05-10T20:25:29+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-05-18T15:43:10+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3faa6a5ff850b9c26f73be6015a7367c\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/try-on-the-hat\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/try-on-the-hat\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/try-on-the-hat\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/05\\\/PS-assistant-tips.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2016\\\/05\\\/PS-assistant-tips.jpg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":575,\"caption\":\"Doobie Brothers Concert\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/try-on-the-hat\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Featured\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/category\\\/featured\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Try on the Hat: Production Assistant Tips from a Newbie\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"sw:tch blog\",\"description\":\"sw:tch board\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/3faa6a5ff850b9c26f73be6015a7367c\",\"name\":\"Switch Marketing Team\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c4ce5dddb626bbcc8dec5cc96b438437ae47f1530f70a3fe6cb428480a662909?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fswitch.us%2Fblog%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F07%2Fcropped-dots-150x150.jpg&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c4ce5dddb626bbcc8dec5cc96b438437ae47f1530f70a3fe6cb428480a662909?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fswitch.us%2Fblog%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F07%2Fcropped-dots-150x150.jpg&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/c4ce5dddb626bbcc8dec5cc96b438437ae47f1530f70a3fe6cb428480a662909?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fswitch.us%2Fblog%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F07%2Fcropped-dots-150x150.jpg&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Switch Marketing Team\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/switch.us\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/switch\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Try on the Hat: Production Assistant Tips from a Newbie - sw:tch blog","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/try-on-the-hat\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Try on the Hat: Production Assistant Tips from a Newbie - sw:tch blog","og_description":"Working as an administrative coordinator at Switch can have you wearing many hats \u2013 and sometimes those hats are a tad outside your comfort zone. In this post, Emily Heath shares some advice she's learned back stage as a Production Assistant.","og_url":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/try-on-the-hat\/","og_site_name":"sw:tch blog","article_published_time":"2016-05-10T20:25:29+00:00","article_modified_time":"2016-05-18T15:43:10+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":575,"url":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/PS-assistant-tips.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Switch Marketing Team","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Switch Marketing Team","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/try-on-the-hat\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/try-on-the-hat\/"},"author":{"name":"Switch Marketing Team","@id":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3faa6a5ff850b9c26f73be6015a7367c"},"headline":"Try on the Hat: Production Assistant Tips from a Newbie","datePublished":"2016-05-10T20:25:29+00:00","dateModified":"2016-05-18T15:43:10+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/try-on-the-hat\/"},"wordCount":1155,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/try-on-the-hat\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/PS-assistant-tips.jpg","articleSection":["Featured","Featured Home","How To"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/try-on-the-hat\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/try-on-the-hat\/","url":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/try-on-the-hat\/","name":"Try on the Hat: Production Assistant Tips from a Newbie - sw:tch blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/try-on-the-hat\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/try-on-the-hat\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/PS-assistant-tips.jpg","datePublished":"2016-05-10T20:25:29+00:00","dateModified":"2016-05-18T15:43:10+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3faa6a5ff850b9c26f73be6015a7367c"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/try-on-the-hat\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/try-on-the-hat\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/try-on-the-hat\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/PS-assistant-tips.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/PS-assistant-tips.jpg","width":1280,"height":575,"caption":"Doobie Brothers Concert"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/try-on-the-hat\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Featured","item":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/category\/featured\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Try on the Hat: Production Assistant Tips from a Newbie"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/","name":"sw:tch blog","description":"sw:tch board","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/3faa6a5ff850b9c26f73be6015a7367c","name":"Switch Marketing Team","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c4ce5dddb626bbcc8dec5cc96b438437ae47f1530f70a3fe6cb428480a662909?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fswitch.us%2Fblog%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F07%2Fcropped-dots-150x150.jpg&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c4ce5dddb626bbcc8dec5cc96b438437ae47f1530f70a3fe6cb428480a662909?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fswitch.us%2Fblog%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F07%2Fcropped-dots-150x150.jpg&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c4ce5dddb626bbcc8dec5cc96b438437ae47f1530f70a3fe6cb428480a662909?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fswitch.us%2Fblog%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F07%2Fcropped-dots-150x150.jpg&r=g","caption":"Switch Marketing Team"},"url":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/author\/switch\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/19"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3822"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3822\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3853,"href":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3822\/revisions\/3853"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/switch.us\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}