Alumni Spotlight: Chastity Hill
Posted on June 27, 2023 by Dept. of Communication
Chasity Hill received a call that would allow her to work a job of which she had only dreamed. Months earlier, she applied for a position as a production assistant for a movie that would be filmed in Mobile, “Jesus Revolution.” Hill was confident in her ability to do the job. However, she was more worried she would not get the opportunity to try.
She was wrong. Hill was offered the job as production assistant for the film, and she said the opportunity was a life-changing experience.
“Working on set as a set production assistant was an incomparable experience,” Hill said. “There are several different roles and responsibilities that a set production assistant can take on — cast production assistant, background production assistant, base camp production assistant, etc. For my experience, I was the communications production assistant. My main responsibility was to ensure seamless communication between departments. Because of this role, I was able to gain connections with all the crew on set and gain references to use on my resume in the future. I was able to learn various aspects of how a film is brought together from the different departments on set.”
During the production phase, Hill oversaw the distribution of radios used on set by each crew member. To do this, she created a spreadsheet to help her keep inventory of each radio and what crew member was assigned to the radio. She was also tasked with ensuring batteries were always available for the radios.
“It did not take me long to realize the value of this position,” Hill said. “When a director has a dead radio and cannot communicate with the camera crew, it is a noticeable problem. I thoroughly enjoyed having a role that allowed me to meet and connect with everyone on set.”
Hill quickly learned that the role of a set production assistant is vital to film production.
“I realized that [my] small tasks can make big differences on set. Each task, no matter how small, played a part in making a more efficient set, which is essentially our job.”
Hill said she was the last person to eat when they were on set. She had to ensure the directors and crew had eaten before she could start eating.
“I started lunch as soon as the last crew member got in line,” said Hill, while chuckling. “It was my job to start the clock when lunch started and when it was time for lunch to end. This task helped me appreciate how important it is to stay on schedule on a film set. I was one of the last people to leave the set at night, or early mornings, because I had to retrieve timesheets from all the other departments. Essentially, I was there to assist every crew member that needed my assistance.”
One of the biggest highlights of the experience for Hill is that she met and assisted the cast throughout production.
“I did not receive any autographs, but I was able to hold conversations with actors I have enjoyed watching in other movies and shows.”
Jesus Revolution showed in AMC Movie Theatre in Mobile, Alabama, and most cinemas across the country. Hill attended the movie premier. She said it was surreal to watch a film in the movie theater in which she was able to see “the magic happen and see the scenes unfold from the camera’s lens as it is happening.” The film is currently available for rent or purchase on most streaming services.
Hill graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration in 2018 and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a concentration in digital cinema and television in 2021.