The following is an interview (edited for understanding) with Jonathan Christopher Snyder Key Set PA on Euphoria in Los Angeles talking to Robin Kincade, Owner, Kincade Productions, LLC.
I met Jon Snyder in early May of this year (2020) when the world was sheltered-in-place and we were in the first wave of our new reality with Covid-19. Jon reached out to me on Facebook, then we connected and had an amazing conversation. Jon and I had similar experiences breaking into the film business; initially our motivation wasn't to make films. In fact, he fell into the business on a tip from a friend.
He started in 2016 as a background extra and then had a chance to move into working as a production assistant in pre-pro (pre-production).
While living in San Francisco, Jon was working jobs in the music/tech business for social media and was a part-time chef. He was in-between jobs and started working in the film industry for some extra cash. Four years later he has an impressive list of sets he’s worked on including the movies Tenet (2020), Ad Astra (2019), and Bright (2017), and television’s Euphoria (2019-2020), Sharp Objects (2018), The Affair (2018), and Sense8 (2016-2017), along with many other titles!.
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What follows is Part I of a two-part interview about how Jon became a known entity in the film industry.
Robin: Tell me, what are you doing now?
Jon: Right now, I’m the Key Set PA for Euphoria Season 2. That means I’m in charge of all the other PAs. I make sure that everybody is doing their job and that I’m available to help everybody. I work closely with the First Assistant Director (1st AD) and make sure that they have everything they need on set. If there’s any communication that needs to go to the other departments while the 1st AD is on set, I help with that. I help with the overall coordination of the shoot. I’m just finishing up my days to turn in my book to join the DGA (Director’s Guild of America) commercial qualification list, which is what one needs to do if they want to be an Assistant Director in the DGA.
Robin: Let’s talk a little bit about that because I think that’s important.
Jon: Okay, if you want to be an Assistant Director for any of the larger union films or TV shows or commercials, you need to join the Guilds. It provides certain rates for jobs, it provides health insurance, and it works as a system. It’s a union, but it’s also a guild so it’s beneficial for someone who wants to be in the industry to choose the route that they want to take. You work your way up from:
Key Set Production Assistant
The lead person in the PA world and typically working on set or with talent
Second-Second Assistant Director
Supports the 2nd Assistant Director and handles background extras and crowds
Second Assistant Director
Writes the call sheets and keeps the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and crew paperwork for the company on set
First Assistant Director
Keeps the Director, talent and crew on track and on time
Unit Production Manager
Manages the budget and often has a say in who is hired and what equipment is used
Want to know some of the super-secret film terms? Check out my website, Kincade Productions, and for a complete glossary of terms used on a film set go to go to Language of Production.
It takes 600 days as a Set PA under the AD department working on union TV shows, films or commercials to submit your book which is a collection of all your call sheets with your name highlighted on it, your pay stubs for that show, and all the production reports. You turn that in to the DGA, with the log of 600 12-hour days. The DGA will review it and let you know if you are able to join their commercial qualification list which is also known as a Third Area AD. If you’re a Third Area AD you can be an Assistant Director on commercials in Southern California, and only certain TV shows or films in Southern California as you complete your Third Area AD days. You won’t be able to work any of the larger union features or TV shows. It takes a little bit of time and it’s taking me three-and-a-half years as a Production Assistant to get up to 600 days.
Camera, PAs, Actors, and other film crew on video shoot in Sacramento, CA with Robin Kincade as Location Scout | Producer.
Robin: But it’s worth it. Right?
Jon: Absolutely. Some want to join the DGA because it’s a guild and what it does is it provides support for the job, provides better pay, and a consistent career track in the film industry. You can grow in your career; there’s a clear path to do that. You’ll have support from the Directors Guild and people inside. You can get health insurance, you can get residuals, you can be a part of the growth of the industry, as well as have a say in the things that change.
Robin: Let’s talk a little bit about how you got in.
Jon: How I got into the industry is a funny story, In 2016, I was living in San Francisco working in sponsorship development and marketing, then as a chef in between. A friend of mine said, “Why don’t you sign up for this casting site, you can make some extra money and it’s pretty fun!” It was SF Casting where you can do some background work in-between regular jobs and earn some money. I’m thinking, okay, sure why not? So, I started doing background work on a show. I did maybe two days and on the second day I was pulled aside by the woman who had cast me to do background work. She said, hey would you be willing to do this role for the show, you will get two days as a principal actor. At the time I didn’t know that I was going to get lines, I didn’t even know what a principal actor was, but I was just like sure, why not?
I ended up doing two days as an actor on Sense8 and after I had shot the first scene she called me again and said hey, since you can’t do any more background work because you’re doing this principal actor role, why don’t you come work with me in the production office casting Extras. I was thinking, sure, why not I don’t have anything else to do so that was how I was introduced to the production side of the industry.
Extras on Goliath Shoot, Downtown San Francisco (2020)
My first experience in the production office was casting background actors to come and be on the show. I had to be on the set and check these actors in. I was just like a sponge; I absorbed and learned everything that I could, and it was a lot of hard work, but also very interesting. From that point on I stayed in contact with the producer who hired me and she was able to give me another job in Los Angeles about six months later. It was for the Disney movie, Magic Camp, and I started meeting people on set, worked diligently, and just learned as much as I could. I saw what I liked and enjoyed about being on set. I thought about how I could be more involved and with my skill set, what I would be able to offer. One thing led to another and I just kept meeting people, building relationships with them, and maintaining a positive attitude.
I was ready to work hard and people were receptive to that
I initially had no idea that I could get involved in this industry; I didn’t even know how much actually went into production. I was ready to work hard and people were receptive to that. It just sort of compounded after that. I’ve gone from show to show and have kept building relationships. I’m really grateful for that small window of opportunity that opened and exposed me to something that is now an amazing career and something that I really enjoy.
Robin: Fantastic, I have a similar story, I had no idea that my first job would lead to my career. I don’t know what your life is like, but my life has been adventure after adventure after adventure. I’ve been embedded with the border patrol, with the cops in Las Vegas, with Dream Builders all over the U.S, with John Walsh for America’s Most Wanted, and interviewing so many celebrities I can’t remember them all.
Working and having fun with Kathy Griffin at an event in the Bay Area
Hanging with NBA Deandre Ayton, Summer League. Las Vegas, Nevada 2018
Planet of the Apes Premier
Helicopter over Texas Border for Documentary
Filming with John Walsh, Set of “America’s Most Wanted” USS Hornet, Alameda Naval Station
Robin: It seems to me that it wasn’t hard for you to break in. You got your next job from your last job, is that right?
Jon: Yes, the way that I was able to get more work was that I developed relationships with people. If I didn’t get job offers from someone that I worked for, it often came from people that I worked with. They noticed my attitude and they noticed my willingness to roll up my sleeves and do the work regardless of what it was. So, I think that’s an important part of growing in the industry.
you’re a cog in a wheel of a much larger machine, But even the opportunity to be that cog is important!
Once you have your foot in the door, it’s about being available, saying yes and just being willing to participate. Sometimes you’re a cog in a wheel of a much larger machine, but even the opportunity to be that cog is important because the wheel wouldn’t turn if that cog weren’t there. We are the behind-the-scenes support of the film industry that people don’t know exist. The industry wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for people like production assistants and all the different departments that put their heart and souls into this thing.
Robin: Absolutely, let’s talk a little bit about that, I think that’s super-important for people who are coming into the industry to understand that they’re not going to be the center of attention, that they’re going to have to check their entitlement at the door. Talk a little bit about what it means to be part of a team.
Jon: In production, you are definitely part of a team. It’s a whole machine and there’s a lot of moving parts. You could be asked to do a number of different things and you have to be willing to stretch what you think is important. Maybe you don’t think moving chairs is important, but those chairs need to be moved so that the day can flow properly; so that the shots can get done on time and there’s no stopping points.
There’s a saying that an actor gets several different takes to do it perfectly, but the crew must get it perfect every time.
There are a lot of aspects to a production, small and large, in pre-production and on the day of shooting. All the pieces have to fit into place. There’s a saying that an actor gets several different takes to do it perfectly, but the crew must get it perfect every time. Preparation and just a willingness to do what is asked is extremely useful. The thing that I’ve noticed in my experience is that I was never asked to do something completely ridiculous or that wasn’t important to the overall goal. Everyone is there for the same purpose. We are creating something and the end result is the finished product like a movie or a television show. I’m grateful to even be a part of something like that, it’s amazing.
Robin: Let’s talk little bit about pre-pro. A lot of PAs don’t get into the pre-pro action, it’s hard to get in. Tell me a little about what pre-pro is, your experience working with pre-pro, and working as a production assistant.
Jon: My initial introduction into this industry was through pre-production. I was working in the office casting Extras. This often doesn’t get done with production assistants doing it. A lot of the time for TV shows and films in Los Angeles it will be central casting doing it. I called people, I put them in to an Excel spreadsheet, and then I used that Excel spreadsheet to check people in on set. The more organized it was alphabetically, union or not, the faster it was to get all the background actors in. If I didn’t have that the background actors wouldn’t be going through hair, makeup, and costumes in a timely fashion. Something like that, even as small as that, having an organized sheet at pre-production can help things go smoothly.
Another way PAs can be involved in pre-production happens is if you are the Walkies and Distro PA for a TV show.
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