By investing two days of their time next month, area residents could get a whole new lease on a career.
 
The North Carolina Film Office has teamed up with two veteran film producers to offer a workshop on becoming a film Office Production Assistant. The workshop, held Oct. 14 and 15 at Wilmington’s Dark Horse Studios, is currently open for applications.
 
“We are excited to offer this opportunity and give North Carolinians a chance to learn more about a specific part of the film production industry that they were likely not aware existed,” Guy Gaster, director of the North Carolina Film Office, said in a news release. “Opportunities like this highlight that this industry is more than just actors and camera folks and that there is a need for different kinds of skill sets throughout the industry.”
 
The workshop will examine how the Office Production Assistant (P.A.) supports the process of creating a show by assisting the production staff and crew and handling the practical day-to-day operations of the production office. The session will also help participants explore ways to develop a career in the film and television industry.

Gaster said workshop facilitators Jennifer Haire and Gilana Lobel “literally wrote the book” on being a P.A. Their work, “Keys to the Production Office: Unlocking Success as an Office Production Assistant in Film & Television,” will be used in the workshop and a copy will be given to each participant.
 
Haire and Lobel combined have worked on more than 50 productions, Gaster continued. Their credits include "Killers of the Flower Moon," "Schitt’s Creek," "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "The Americans," "Russian Doll" and "Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom" as well as North Carolina-filmed features "Abundant Acreage Available," "Careful What You Wish For" and "Shifting Gears." The pair are graduates of the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem and are members of the Directors Guild of America (DGA) and Producers Guild of America (PGA).
 
Space is limited, so interested individuals should apply now, Gaster said, adding that people from under-represented populations are “strongly encouraged to apply.”
 
Participants must be able to attend both days of the intensive program, which runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. There is a $25 registration fee, which covers lunch and all supplies, including the workshop leaders’ book. More information and the application are available here.

“We look forward to having this event at Dark Horse and hope to see many of the participants back at the Studio working on new projects in the very near future,” Kirk Englebright, owner and CEO of Dark Horse Studios, said in the release.