Promotions- who knew?

In the last entry, I was talking about some PA work. Well, this is a continuation of that, but I want to bring you more up to date with current day. I last left you leaving my internship in February. For the next few weeks after that, I had been job searching, and I was able to work the Hall of Game Awards.

Well at the end of February I was able to work for another top company in their promotions department. I was hired on as a temporary PA to help out with some promotional shoots for the upcoming season of a recurring dancing show. This shoot was a big deal because it was to reveal the cast for the new season, which was all confidential information.

I was happy to get work again, and it was through an old contact I had over the last two years. She was willing to give me a chance. I was working and making money again, and it felt great. I was an office PA, and on the day of the shoot, I was also the set PA.

The shoot was a great experience because it was broadcast live throughout the country during The Bachelor. Even for the short hour that it lasted, it took over a month's work to sort out all of the details.

Working on the set was great. I was able to meet a few of the new cast members as well as the hosts of the show. All were very, very nice. During the live broadcast, I moved around as an audience member to being needed in the control room. I worked with dealing with making production packets, talent escorting, and travel booking. Because this show is so "shiny" in its production value, the set was bright, the costumes were bright, and the shoots were dramatic in energy. I also too notes for the director during the "opening credit" shoot of each take he took with the camera. Overall, the production went really well.

Seeing the promotional side of the industry was very interesting. Not many people think of on-air promotions as a possible career path, but it really is its own genre of work. For every 30 second clip of learning what's going to happen in next week's episode takes as much time to make as a commercial. In fact, they are commercials. I never really got to understand this side of the industry until my experience here. Although I do not want to work in on-air promos, I can certainly appreciate it.

Unfortunately, after those shoots were completed in early March, I was let go shortly after. Even in my three weeks there, working for that company and department allowed me to gain some money to survive another month's rent, and exposed me to something new, and for that I am grateful for the experience. I just look forward to where I will land next. Until then...