Script Coordinator: A Way Out of The PA Doldrums

I have no intention of being a PA forever. As I’ve said before, I’d ultimately like to write and direct.

Every path out of PA-hood is unique, but one way out that doesn’t get enough attention is the PA –> Script Coordinator route.

A Script Coordinator is the keeper of the script. He or she makes sure that the most recent version of the script has been distributed to the cast and crew. It’s more than just loading the copier with paper and hitting ‘Start.’ Script Coordinating involves keeping track of the revisions, inputting those revisions into the script, and managing the mind-numbing system of color-coded pages. On the show I’m on, the Script Coordinator has the added bonus of dealing with about a dozen people at the studio and getting their approval on each draft.

When the Production Coordinator and AD were trying to figure out who would be the keeper of the script on this show, I leapt at the opportunity. (In actuality, I was the only person in the office who knew how to work Final Draft, so the job naturally fell on my shoulders.)

Now, I spend my days passing up high-mileage runs so that I can sit in the office and wait for the Oscar-winning, shotgun-riding director to finish his latest set of revisions.

My goal, though, is to work the rest of the show as an Office PA / Script Coordinator hybrid. Then I’ll be able to throw it on my refined resumé and feel comfortable applying for Script Coordinator jobs on TV shows. From there, the Script Coordinator to TV Writer path is well-established. Doesn’t mean it’ll happen, but at least I’ve got a plan.