From Knoxville to NYC: Alumni Spotlight on Key Production Assistant Delaney Phillips
Ever watched the hit Hulu original series Only Murders in the Building? Or snuggled down during the holidays for a heart-warming Hallmark Christmas special? There’s a chance that alumna Delaney Phillips (UTK ’21) helped make those productions happen. Currently a key production assistant for a new television show from A24, Delaney has worked for a range of production companies based in New York City, managing the many behind-the-scenes logistics for popular films and television shows.
We sat down with Delaney, who double-majored in Cinema Studies and Photography at the School of Art, to ask about her dynamic, fast-paced career and how her time at the University of Tennessee shaped her path.
What are you up to now?
I moved up to New York City shortly after graduating from UTK in the hopes of starting to work in film. I got my foot in the door and have been working as a Production Assistant since fall of 2021. I’ve been bouncing from show to show since I moved here. My first job was Blue Bloods, a cop show based in New York. I’ve done Law & Order, did a Hallmark Christmas movie, Pretty Little Liars, and the most recent season of Only Murders in the Building, which was a very fun job. I just did A House of Dynamite, which was a Kathryn Bigelow movie that just came out recently. It was very, very cool to work with the first female director to win best director at the Oscars.
I just finished a rom-com called One Night Only. I’m very excited for it because I got to do the most that I’ve ever gotten to do on a movie. I got to be right in the middle of the action—quite literally, at one point they gave me a little background cameo in it. It was so fun to be right there with all of the decision-making and seeing that process firsthand.
What does a Production Assistant do?
It can mean a lot of different things. There are staff positions like a key PA , the background PA who helps with the extras, and the first team PA helps with the cast, making sure they’re in makeup and wardrobe at the right time and stuff. There are also walkie PAs, who manage the walkie-talkies on set, which is a really important job. I’ve done just about all of them at this point.
Right now I’m a Key PA, which means that I’m kind of a manager of the PAs. So I look at the schedules and what we’re shooting that day and what the location looks like, and work with the assistant directors to make sure we have PAs where we need them to be. And then paperwork, lots of paperwork!
How did your time at UTK help prepare you for working in the film industry?
I was a student during COVID, and the way that we went about continuing classes was a helpful experience of adapting to new environments and situations. Most of my classes that were supposed to be studio classes had to convert to Zoom, so it was a helpful, real-life learning opportunity: things will get thrown at you, but you can still find ways to do what you have to do. I’ve taken that lesson with me, now that I work on film sets—every day involves getting all of these problems thrown at you and having to find creative ways around them.
Also, the faculty at UT were incredible. I would like to shout out Bruce Cole and Paul Harrill specifically. I really appreciated all of their support. I’ve still kept in touch with both of them. I think that that is what makes UT so special – these professors, even after I’ve graduated, still believe in me and support me and check in with me. I was very lucky to have Bruce and Paul as my teachers.
That is what makes UT so special – these professors, even after I’ve graduated, still believe in me and support me and check in with me. I was very lucky to have Bruce Cole and Paul Harrill as my teachers.
How did majoring in Photography, as well as Cinema Studies, help you in your current career?
My goal originally was to work in the camera department, but that was before I knew what the assistant director department was. The AD department is much more about planning and logistics and making sure everything is running smoothly. Once I started working in film, I realized that that was something that I really liked.
But I’ve always been very interested in camera. Knowing what goes into it and understanding the technical language about camera work, even though I’m not in that department, helps me understand what they need or are trying to do for shots, so I can support them.
Do you have any favorite stories from your time working on film sets?
During the filming of A House of Dynamite, there is a scene in a basketball arena where the president, played by Idris Elba, gets pulled away and they run to the motorcade. I had to cue the actors for the “alert” in the middle of the scene, but we had three cameras that day and they all moved around the entire arena, seeing 360°. In order to not be seen on camera, I had to hide under the bleachers with headphones on, listening to the president say his lines and waiting for the line I cue them off of. Once it was time, I popped out of the bleachers and whispered “action” to the actors to initiate the evacuation. Then they ran onto the court and I ran the other way to avoid being seen by the cameras. It was a lot of fun to coordinate the hiding, cueing, and running every single take.
I’ve had to cue actors in lots of different scenes and shows, but this one was the most exciting.
Do you have any advice for prospective Cinema Studies or Photography students who are interested in working in the film and television industry?
I would say don’t be afraid to take risks and put yourself out there and talk to people. A big part of the film industry is the people— everyone is so interesting and nice. Talking to people and making friends is the best way to build lasting connections.