Film Production
Melanie Morgan - Summer 2021
What I didn’t know when Dr. Sirianni sent me the email on July 5th, 2021, about being an intern on an upcoming film production in Buffalo was that it was actually my golden ticket into the film industry. My goal for that summer was to find a film related internship but with COVID still lingering, I didn’t know how productions were working and if any were even in or coming to Buffalo. Answering Dr. Sirianni’s email almost instantaneously, I was put in contact with Gene Smith, the second unit assistant director, who then put in me contact with Matt Prokopeck, the key set production assistant.
For the next two weeks, we shared information and spoke on the phone until it was time for my first day on set on July 20th. My call time was 8:00am but since the location was about 45 minutes away, I got up at 5:00am to be extra prepared. My backpack was packed with a few snacks, pencils, pens, gum, tissues, a multi-tool, sunscreen, bugs spray, sharpies—and no I did not guess all this stuff, the night before I googled what every good PA should have in their bag of course. Right when I arrived onto set, I followed the crowd and checked in through the COVID tent before finding my way towards the AD, Assistant Director, trailer where I patiently waited for the walkie PA. A women stuck her head out the door and asked me unexpectedly if I knew anyone who worked with costumes. This woman happened to be Alisha Silverstein, the head costume designer. I told her, yes actually, that I knew someone, remembering my good friend, Morrin Jermyn, from high school who worked with costumes. I made sure to put Morrin in contact with Alisha immediately and few days later, I saw Morrin on set and was so happy to have helped her. After that conversation with Alisha, I got my walkie and headset all configured out and was brought to set where I finally met Matt face-to-face. I was surrounded by all these small, dilapidated wooden structures, mud everywhere, condors holding large lights up above our heads and a crane pushing the camera in towards a structure which I later found out was the orphanage set. My film senses were on overload, and I was certainly smiling under my mask.
Matt had put me in a lockup right inside of a doorway leading to set, which I was not mad for at all. As a PA, a production assistant, we pretty much hold the set together. We talk to everyone on set, crew, and talent, run coffee and food orders, have everything in our grasp at a moment’s notice, collect wrap out dailies, and hold tight lockups so no one walks onto set while we are filming. My lockup was prime on my first day as I met so many people, from grips to electricians, to the Kathryn Sigismund, the VFX supervisor, Lukas Behnken, the unit line producer, and Romana Vergano, the actress who played Vittoria. Everything a PA should know and do, I learned on my very first day which turned out to be a 14-hour day. From that day up until the end, my experience on set only became more and more exhilarating and rewarding.
During my days on set, I tried to talk to everyone I could, and for the people I became more familiar with I always said hi to them using their first name, pro tip right there. Having introduced myself to the screenwriter and the script supervisor on my second day, unknowingly at the time I will add, I was able to walk up to them freely throughout the shoot and ask them questions about their professions and they were always more than happy to speak with me. Jodi Domanic, the script supervisor, even gave me her email and pressed that I keep in contact with her. When Matt would release me from a lockup, I would venture over to Jodi and ask if I could watch over her shoulder at her computer screen. She always said yes and was even able to teach me a few things sometimes. For the most part I remained a set PA, but on our heavier days I would turn into more of a first team PA or a background PA. First team PA watches exactly that, the first team aka the main cast. We make sure the cast is on set on time, gets their lunch first, are through hair and make-up promptly, and call out for last looks on set. So, I helped the first team PA a few times, transporting cast and stunt men to set before I got the opportunity to watch cast and stuntmen on second unit, twice, all by myself. Midway through our production, the crew was split up into two units, main and second. This allowed for more scenes to be shot around Buffalo within the time frame the production had. I was fortunate enough to work on both units and see how each director and DP, Director of Photography, worked. I will say, the Director and DP on the second unit actually spoke to me and remembered my name because we were a smaller crew compared to the main unit set which had the main director and DP.
The days leading up to the wrap shoot were a little bittersweet. On Tuesday September 14th, we got to shoot at Hotel Niagara in Niagara Falls and it also happened to be my 21st birthday. As the little kid that I am, I brought in cookies and baked goods for some other people and even shared a shot of fireball with Storr Todd, the 2nd Camera AC to commemorate my birthday. Earlier in the day, Doug Tuner, the 1st AD, called for an available PA and I was right on the task. I was asked to be just off to the side of the camera and help one of the actresses drag a curtain directly in front of the camera lens. It seemed to take forever to get the shot and my arm was hurting in the end, but I was told that I did a good job and that is always rewarding to hear on set. I also got to spend the entire day with my now good friend, Scott Burik, who was the stunt coordinator for the film. Laughs were shared with everyone, and I can honestly say that my 21st birthday was one for the books and will be hard to top.
Another fun instance occurred on second unit one day towards the end of August when I had to pick up the second actress on the call sheet from a Target on Delaware Ave. It was a wild adventure and I had actually met this actress on my second day, so we were familiar with each other and just chatted the entire way back to set. As wrap day ended with an overnight from Wednesday the 15th to Thursday the 16th, that 19-hour workday really took a toll on my body as I was crying and hugging everyone that I could. Most of our crew is local but the ones that I got especially close with are from out of town and even out of state. But thankfully I made sure to share contact information and each asked me to keep in touch with them which I most definitely will.
To sum things up from my experience, these next 5 points are crucial for any new set PA. 1. Always have a smile. No matter what your day is like, no matter if you feel like you’re not doing anything right, someone will see that smile and recognize your dedication and applaud you for that. Plus, it’s just more fun to smile—makes you more inviting and approachable for people. 2. Always carry the necessities on you—a call sheet, a few hot bricks, some pens, sharpies, etc. PAs are supposed to have it all so make sure you’re prepared while also being hot on your feet for the next task called for. 3. Don’t be afraid to walk up to someone and introduce yourself. Self-introductions can go a very long way in someone’s eyes, especially if they are spoken with confidence and sincerity. Always remember that. 4. Never say ‘I don’t know’. Just. Do. Not. Do. It. Instead say, “Let me find that out for you right now”. Be on your game, know where everything is from catering to the restrooms, to where an actor or a crew member stepped away to. Use those PA senses! Finally, 5. Have fun. Sounds silly, right? But there are some days that will physically and emotionally be more tasking than the next, and you must make sure you have fun. Even though you may just be a PA and not in that camera or that cinematographer position like you would wish so much to be in, there are so many reasons to be happy as a PA. I always found it so fulfilling to memorize a coffee order for someone and being able to bring it to them when they looked low on energy. Or when someone would let their walkie chirp so I could hear and run a hot brick over to them. Just, breathe, pull apart the tough instances, have fun, have confidence and be oh so thankful that you can do what you love day in and day out because it will never feel like work.