Anderson suggests reading the book The Film Director's Team by Alain
Silver and Elizabeth Ward.
Advice for Someone Seeking This Job
To get hired on a production you need to know someone, which
can be a daunting task for someone with no contacts in the industry.
Volunteer to work on student films and nonunion projects so you can
meet people, and hopefully impress someone with your work ethic. Save
up money and be prepared that once you start looking for entry-level
work, you may have to live for the first six months on little or no salary.
Most first assistants begin their careers as a production assistant. "The
greatest thing about being a PA when you start out is that you don't have
a lot of responsibility and you get to see everything that goes on. Pay
attention to what all the people are doing on set." Anderson attributes his
advancement to the fact that he looked to be a hole-filler: "When I saw
something that wasn't being done, I would volunteer to do it. I would
listen to the ADs, to what was going on, and be there to help them."
For anyone considering a job in the film industry, Anderson's advice is:
"If you don't really have a passion to make films, don't do this. It's very
stressful, in terms of the insecurity of having periods of unemployment.
When you're working as a first AD on a big action film, you usually work
16 hours a day and your weekends are consumed with getting ready for
the next week's adventure. It's hard on your family . . . "
Professional Profile: Arthur Anderson, Assistant Director/Co-Producer
Born and raised in the Bible Belt, Arthur Anderson attributes the
source of his success to his strong spiritual upbringing and belief. During
his senior year of high school, he prayed frequently to discover his
mission in life. One day, while driving a tractor plowing fields, an inspi-
ration told him, "I want you to go to Hollywood to make films." He
laughed at the idea, knowing he had no Hollywood contacts and no
money to pay for film school, but a series of events over the next few
years would point him in that direction.
Growing up in rural Charleston, South Carolina, Anderson often used
his imagination to entertain himself. When he was five, his parents got a
television set and he saw his first movie on that little screen. He first
became interested in making films after his father bought an 8mm camera
to photograph Christmas and other family events. "I would take the 8mm
camera into the kitchen and shoot stop action, a frame at a time, of pota-
toes fighting each other."
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