Production assistants assist the production team with administrative duties and the setup of equipment for shoots while working on TV show and movie sets. Running errands for the production team is another duty of the production assistant. The ideal candidate for a production assistant position should exhibit enthusiasm for the field and be open to working in various departments when being interviewed. Candidates with weak communication abilities and low energy levels should be avoided.
- Question #1: Can you tell me about a time you failed something, either in school or at a job? …
- Question #2: How did you land in this particular field? …
- Question #3: What do you hope to gain from this experience?
INTERNSHIP Interview Questions And Answers! (How To PASS a JOB INTERN Interview!)
6 Production Assistant Interview Questions and Answers
Why do you want a career as a video production assistant?
The applicant should reveal their value to the employer with their skills and abilities. It helps you determine what drove them to enter film or video production. If they don’t volunteer a specific event that spurred their interest in film and video, prod them for this personal anecdote. The event and its context give insight into their career motivation.
What to look for in an answer:
- Share a personal anecdote
- Discuss career goals
- Discuss creativity and organization
What was your typical workday like as a production assistant?
While you may decide to hire an individual with little experience, you need to know that they are aware of what the job entails. This question ascertains their knowledge of a film or video set. They should discuss picking up and distributing sides, transportation, extras, the craft table and set lingo.
What to look for in an answer:
- Scripts/sides
- Scheduling
- Managing extras
You’re provided with a list of 20 different items to procure for the five principal actors and actresses in a production.How would you handle finding the items overnight to be ready for production start at 5 a.m.?
This question helps you determine their planning and organization skills. It also determines how they handle pressure under tough time constraints.
What to look for in an answer:
- Organizational skills
- Retail knowledge
- Handling pressure
Can you tell me how you deal with high-pressure situations?
This question lets you know the applicant’s ability to handle stress and their coping techniques. They should exhibit planning skills, good time management and flexibility.
What to look for in an answer:
- Planning and organization skills
- Time management
- Stress coping techniques
How do you make sure you are efficient at work and maximize time?
A candidate’s response to this question can help you determine their priorities at work and their organizational skills. Additionally, it can reveal their critical thinking capabilities and how well they work under pressure.
The candidate’s response should emphasize:
- Ability to prioritize and organize
- Problem-solving skills
- Effective use of time
A response to this question may look like this:
What responsibilities have you had in past production assistant positions?
This question helps you determine the applicant’s actual understanding of the job. Many people think that every position on the film set is glamorous, and those who work in the film industry know that a production assistant must work hard and be responsible for multiple tasks. This ensures they know that they’ll be working long hours in rain, sleet, snow, cold, heat and mostly standing. It ensures that they know the proper hierarchy of management.
What to look for in an answer:
- Show awareness of actual work conditions
- Communicate willingness and ability to work as a team member
- Willingness to put in long hours
What is the most difficult production problem you had to solve?
Candidates could list a variety of issues, such as being late or going over budget. Look for instances where applicants identified a problem, came up with a novel solution, and took something to heart as a result.
Give an example of a time when you successfully multitasked.
Demonstrates an ability to multitask.
You have to prepare a budget for a new project. How would you ensure its accuracy?
Tests the candidate’s ability to create accurate budgets and quotations.
Edit: Thanks for the feedback, everyone. The interviews will be tomorrow afternoon, and if anything significant happens, I’ll try to update.
An interview with a post-production/visual effects studio has been scheduled for me. I’m an aspiring film student (but I’m not in school yet) with little set experience. Although I am well-versed in interview protocol and etiquette, does anyone have any advice or pointers that would be helpful to a prospective film intern? Also, can anyone anticipate any potential questions that they may ask, aside from the conventional interview questions?
The truly bizarre questions are impossible to effectively prepare for, but you can for the more typical tricky questions. Try these, to get a head start.
Every internship is a two-way street, just like full-time employment. You must gain more from it than just a paycheck. Consider the challenge and growth you can experience by completing an intern program, especially when it comes to an internship. You will pick up business procedures and techniques “on the job,” but you will also develop the soft skills that employers really value. Have an idea of the areas you want to grow in and how the internship process might help you do this. This demonstrates your self-awareness and initiative, which the recruiter is looking for!
If you’re struggling to come up with a convincing response, go around and systematically ask others to describe you. This question is frequently coupled with one asking you to describe your own strengths and weaknesses, and it’s no easier to answer. Ask your family, friends, college tutors, and teachers to give a brief summary of your strengths (and, if you’re feeling brave, your weaknesses) in front of your loved ones. This is not only helpful in answering the question, but it also offers incredibly insightful criticism for one’s own personal development.
Businesses value the new ideas and insight that interns can bring their business. Because you have a different take on the company and industry, without the burden of knowing how things have always been done, you can share a genuine new viewpoint here. Focus on this as part of your research into the business, broadening out to look at the potential challenges arising as a result of competition, but also changes in the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental landscape. Read more about PESTLE analysis here.
Research is your answer here. Although a quick look at the company website can reveal a lot, you should not limit your research to this one source. Look for industry news in publications, websites, and blogs as well. Follow business leaders on Twitter and read their blog posts or LinkedIn profiles for personal information. Consider the direct competition the company faces from other businesses in the industry as well. What sets this company apart from the others?
Why are you interested in this internship?
Along with that, what do you hope to gain from this experience, and how will this experience help you achieve your career goals?
The employer needs to be aware that you’re not just participating for the sake of your resume’s line or the credits.
When answering this question:
Here’s an example:
RIGHTSince I plan to work as a marketing analyst in the SAAS industry, it would be fascinating to learn how a top company like yours conducts its research and consistently outperforms the competition. I’d adore the chance to put my predictive analysis and Salesforce expertise to the test and gain as much knowledge as I can from leading professionals in the field. Additionally, I’m hoping I’ll be able to improve my presentation abilities, gain more STATA experience, and pinpoint the areas where I need to concentrate my studies in my senior year.
Conversely, avoid answers that show you’re not all the way convinced this is the right choice for you. Yes—an internship is an opportunity to see if a profession suits you, but your interview is not the time to bring up those doubts.
WRONGI would like to gain some practical experience and begin building my career. Additionally, I’m not entirely certain that this is the field I want to stay in after I graduate, so this would be a good chance to determine if it’s the right job for me.
FAQ
What questions do they ask in an internship interview?
- #1: Tell us a bit about yourself.
- #2: Why have you applied for this internship?
- #3: What motivated you to apply for an internship with our organization?
- #4: Why do you want to work in this industry?
- #5: What are your strengths?
- #6: How do you prioritise your work?
What are the 10 most common internship interview questions and answers?
- Tell me about yourself. …
- Why are you interested in this internship? …
- What attracted you to our company? …
- What skills can you bring to the company? …
- Do you work better alone or with a team? …
- How would others describe you?
What are the top 5 questions to ask an interviewer for an internship?
- Can you tell me about the onboarding process? …
- Can you describe the company’s culture? …
- What are the main day-to-day responsibilities involved in this internship? .
- What are some essential qualities for successful interns?
How do you prepare for a film interview?
Demonstrate that you can listen to others and “engage in a give and take that constitutes conversation,” according to Walter. Since you’ll be working in a group, be amiable, fascinating, and entertaining. Be ready, but also be ready for any unforeseen inquiries and difficulties. “Stay spontaneous,” Walter says.
