TV director Andi Armaganian (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Supergirl, Stargirl), who cut 100+ episodes before directing 30+ episodes, explains how entry-level crew actually get hired and, harder still, asked back. She covers the differences between PA roles, how referrals really happen, the on-set habits that quietly end careers, working around a director without overstepping, and turning one job into the next. For anyone chasing their first PA job — no experience needed — you'll leave knowing what "reliable" means to the people doing the hiring. Free for all Members.

This workshop is for ALL MFJF Members. You do NOT need to be a PRO Member to join this workshop.

When: Thursday September 24th at 7:00pm EDT
Where: Online Zoom Video Call
Who: Open to all Members
Cost: Free!

Andi Armaganian is a television Director and Producer with more than thirty episodes to her name across network, cable, and streaming — including Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Starfleet Academy, Dead Boy Detectives, Rescue: Hi-Surf, Supergirl, Arrow, The Flash, and DC's Stargirl, where she also served as Producer/Director on Season 3.

She came up through the cutting room, editing more than 100 episodes of television before moving into the director's chair — an unusual path that shapes how she works. Andi directs with an editor's instinct for what a scene actually needs, and she plans her days around what will hold up in post. That combination has made her a reliable hand on effects-heavy, high-volume episodic television, where the schedule is unforgiving and the visual bar is high. She is a committed mentor to emerging talent and joins us to talk about how episodic television really gets made — and how to build a career inside it.

Career Snapshot

• We meet the incredible episodic Television Director, Andi Armaganian.
• No two career paths in this industry are the same.
• Andi shares her journey from the Editing Bay to the Director’s Chair.

Getting the Gig

• Understanding the entry-level position you’re pursuing
• Set PA versus Office PA, Writers’ PA and Director’s Assistant
• What actually helps someone land that first opportunity
• How recommendations and referrals happen behind the scenes
• What to do when you don’t already have an industry connection

Keeping the Gig

• What “Don’t F*ck Up the Coffee” really means
• The behavioral expectations of an entry-level crew member
• What directors and department heads notice about PAs
• Anticipating needs without overstepping
• Understanding hierarchy, timing and set etiquette
• Common mistakes that prevent PAs from being asked back
• How a great PA becomes someone the team requests by name

Working Around the Director

• The relationship between the director and the Set PA team
• When a PA should communicate directly with the director—and when they shouldn’t
• How to observe and learn without getting in the way
• What an emerging director can learn while working in another position
• How Andi identifies promising people on set

Building Towards a Promising Career

• Being realistic about your start
• How long a reel should be and what viewers are looking for
• When your work is ready to share
• Creating material when no one has hired you to direct/DP/Edit yet
• The role of short films, independently produced scenes and other visual samples
• When a spec script is useful—and when it isn’t
• Screenwriting and episodic directing programs worth pursuing
• How to determine whether a program is worth your time

Career Momentum

• What to do between jobs
• Building a genuine peer community
• Staying visible without constantly asking people for work
• Following up after a job without becoming a nuisance
• Turning one opportunity into the next

Director Q+A

• What do you want to ask Andi
• Andi answers your questions and provides some useful tips on getting the gig your built for.

Any MFJF Member can attend regardless of prior film industry experience or knowledge. No experience is required, if you are simply curious about a career in film or are a recent film graduate, we welcome you to join us.