Set Savvy: A Day on Set

Join us for the second event in the Set Savvy Series! Throughout this three week workshop, industry insiders will walk you through all of the fundamentals of working as a Production Assistant.

You'll hear from Alexis Doan, Rachel Murphy, and Lauryn Zimmerman plus other industry pros as they cover what a day on set looks like. Through hands-on learning, you’ll be exposed to equipment, best practices, and personalized scenarios to problem solve. Get familiar with (or refine) your knowledge with the equipment you’ll be working with on set. Hone your skills in a low stakes, collaborative learning environment.

Thanks to Moxie Films, you'll be immersed in a real-life set environment so you can get your bearings on the inner workings of a film set.

What You’ll Learn:

• What a typical day on set actually looks like, from call sheet to wrap
• How to safely handle and identify production equipment
• Radio etiquette, walkie lingo, and set protocol
• How to read the room, anticipate needs, and become indispensable
• Practice real-world scenarios in a supportive, collaborative setting

Why It Matters:Experience is the best teacher—this session simulates the pace and pressure of a working set without the stakes, so you can build confidence and get comfortable fast.

This Series is Ideal For:

• Aspiring PAs looking for their first set experience
• Early-career filmmakers wanting to round out their knowledge
• Students and creatives exploring behind-the-camera roles
• Anyone seeking a foot in the door in Indiana’s growing film industry

Rachel Murphy is a seasoned production professional with over 20 years of experience in commercial and film production. She began her creative journey with a degree in Fine Art Photography from Indiana University’s Herron School of Art, later discovering her passion for motion storytelling.Rachel has produced national, regional, and local advertising campaigns for two decades. In the past ten years, she has expanded her focus to narrative filmmaking, driven by a deep love for storytelling and a strong desire to take on the creative and logistical challenges of film.Her recent film credits include line producing the features Runner, Between Waves and So Cold the River, as well as several short films including Hide & Seek, The Passenger, Through the Window, and As We Begin. She has produced commercial campaigns for brands including State Farm, Meta, IU Health, and others.

Alexis Doan is a production assistant and visual creative with over three years of experience in photography, videography, and commercial production. Based in Indianapolis, Alexis has worked on sets for national campaigns with brands including State Farm, Gatorade, and Nike. Prior to entering the production industry, Alexis spent two years in corporate sales and marketing, bringing a strong foundation in brand strategy and client communication. Alexis holds a B.S. in Marketing and International Business from Indiana University and combines creative execution with business acumen to support directors, producers, and crew with adaptability and professionalism.

It takes a strong person to deal with high schoolers on the regular. Lauryn Zimmerman did it for four years. And even when she did leave the education world, it wasn’t the overly involved parents that drove her out but rather a creative longing that guided her toward video production. Which, to be honest, wasn’t that surprising. The truth is, Lauryn grew up as an “industry kid.” While some of us were dragged to corporate offices for Take Your Daughter to Work Day, Lauryn headed to her dad’s video production studio to hang out with other professionals, cameras, and learn a lot of creative jargon. Over the next summer, she dove even deeper into video production and never left. “The combination of organization, scheduling, and creativity in video production was perfect for me. I could not have made a better decision to change my life path.As someone who’s not afraid to take charge, people and clients like working with Lauryn." Clients like Apple, Microsoft, MasterCard, IU Health, Sony, Gatorade, the NFL, and Indiana’s favorite sitcom Parks and Recreation, to name a few.

The Set Savvy Series is workshop series presented by Pattern in partnership with Studio Lex and Moxie Films.

This series is supported by Herb Simon Family Foundation and the Samerian Foundation, and is part of Pattern’s Strategic Plan for the Advancement of Creative Entrepreneurs (SPACE) program.

Upcoming workshops in the Set Savvy Series include:

• A workshop with industry pros to earn how to get invited back, grow your business, navigate set paperwork, and network with industry leaders from every department, on August 26, from 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Host or Publisher PATTERN