Working Life

The Gallery PA works in the Studio Control Room (Gallery) and is responsible for ensuring live programming runs to time.

Role and Responsibilities 

• Liaise closely with senior editorial and operational staff. 

• Count down time-to-transmission aloud to the crew via the studio microphone.

• Count down the time remaining for different sections of a programme. These may be advertising breaks, interviews, or pre-recorded inserts. 

• Prior to a live production, the PA is responsible for timing the script, marking up where pre-recorded inserts – and any other elements – need to be played in. 

• Take care of a range of administrative duties that are part of every busy studio control room. These may include producing rosters for more junior gallery staff, filing any music returns necessary, archiving running orders, and any other related administrative tasks.

• The role also requires the skills necessary to work with the major Gallery workflow systems, as well as shared logging tools and systems.

Gallery PAs need to be good at working as part of a team, and enjoy working under pressure, and to very precise and multiple deadlines. They need to have great attention to detail, be good communicators, and computer literate. The role requires a broad and general knowledge, whether of current affairs, sports, celebrities etc.

Works with

• Director
• Producer
• Schedule Planner
• Vision Mixer
• Runners
• Production personnel

This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:

 Creative

Creative people are drawn to careers and activities that enable them to take responsibility for the design, layout or sensory impact of something (visual, auditory etc). They may be atrracted to the traditional artistic pursuits such as painting, sculpture, singing, or music. Or they may show more interest in design activities, such as architecture, animation, or craft areas, such as pottery and ceramics.

Creative people use their personal understanding of people and the world they live in to guide their work. Creative people like to work in unstructured workplaces, enjoy taking risks and prefer a minimum of routine.

 Enterprising

Enterprising people like situations that involve using resources for personal or corporate economic gain. Such people may have an opportunistic frame of mind, and are drawn to commerce, trade and making deals. Some pursue sales and marketing occupations. Many will eventually end up owning their own business, or in management roles in larger organisations. They tend to be very goal-oriented and work best when focused on a target. Some have an entrepreneurial inclination.

 Administrative

Administrative people are interested in work that offers security and a sense of being part of a larger process. They may be at their most productive under supervisors who give clear guidelines and while performing routine tasks in a methodical and reliable way.

They tend to enjoy clerical and most forms of office work, where they perform essential administrative duties. They often form the backbone of large and small organisations alike. They may enjoy being in charge of office filing systems, and using computers and other office equipment to keep things running smoothly. They usually like routine work hours and prefer comfortable indoor workplaces.

Education Route: A degree is not necessary, but high levels of literacy and computer skills are needed.  Journalism or Humanities may provide good educational platforms.

Career Path to Gallery PA: Gallery PA will usually have followed a route that has included general production runner duties in a TV studio.

Career Path from Gallery PA: Assistant Producer, Script Supervisor/Production Coordinator, Studio Director.