Central New Mexico Community College is working with the New Mexico Film Office to train new Mexicans with its Production Assistant Bootcamp, which is free to new Mexicans. (Courtesy CNM)
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The New Mexico Film Office plans to train new Mexicans to be production assistants.
The Production Assistant Bootcamp is a collaboration between the Film Office and Central New Mexico Community College to provide free training.
Production assistant is an entry-level position that offers entry into the industry. Tasks include office work, running errands, setting up and tidying up. Strong organizational and communication skills are required.
“Working as a production assistant is like a rite of initiation and a great way to get to know the different departments of a film set and see what you want to do and if that’s the career for you,” said Amber Dodson, director of the New Mexico Film Office. “This job is the entry point for anyone interested in a career in the film and television industry.”
The film office brought Alton Walpole – a long-time filmmaker from New Mexico – to head the program.
Walpole has worked on many productions over the course of his 30-year career, including the New Mexico-based projects “Crazy Heart”, “The Book of Eli”, “Longmire” and “Godless”.
The free one-day online boot camps run until April 22, 2022.
The first will take place on Saturday, November 20th, via Zoom.
The following dates are planned: December 4th and December 17th; January 8th and January 22nd; February 3 and February 19; March 5th and March 19th and April 1st.
According to the film bureau, entrants must be a New Mexico resident of at least 18 years, interested and ready to start.
The bootcamps are a partnership between the NM Film Office and CNM Ingenuity.
Tracy Hartzler, president of CNM, said the partnership with the film bureau will help meet the growing labor demand in the state.
“CNM has trained film production technicians for nearly 20 years to support New Mexico’s growing film industry,” said Hartzler. “We are excited to expand our human resource development support for the film industry by offering this new opportunity for those interested in quickly becoming a production assistant as an entry point into this important industry.”
Dodson said the program will provide new Mexicans with opportunities within the growing industry.
“As New Mexico continues to see production growth and a need for a trained and skilled crew in our state, this new production assistant boot camp will provide a pipeline of trained New Mexicans for the PA entry-level positions required by productions,” said Dodson.
For more information and a link to register, visit cnmingenuity.org and click on Props and Film Resources.
Places are limited and places are allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis.
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