On the Ground at Cannes with Crucial PA

The 78th Cannes Film Festival was exactly what you'd expect: pure cinematic spectacle. With stars like Robert Pattinson, Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, and Dakota Johnson commanding the red carpet, the energy was electric, but behind the scenes, alongside our clients, the experience was just as intense, though far less visible.

Cannes has a gravitational pull, and when you're here with clients, you're fully in its orbit. Every moment matters. From last-minute wardrobe fixes to surprise itinerary changes, it’s a constant dance of logistics and discretion. Days blur into nights, and nights into calls, confirmations, and quiet course corrections.

While the spotlight was on the premieres, we were managing call sheets, coordinating transportation through jam-packed streets, smoothing out press commitments, and making sure everything, from hydration to headspace, was exactly where it needed to be. You don’t see the prep in the headlines, but it’s there in every calm arrival, every smooth appearance.

Being a personal assistant during Cannes means staying ten steps ahead while staying invisible. It’s the emails that go out before anyone wakes up, the quiet “we’ve got this” texts just before go time, the ability to anticipate a need before it’s voiced. The schedule might look glamorous, but the job? Its structure and flexibility are equal parts. It’s knowing when to push, when to hold, and when to completely rewrite the plan.

And yet, amid the chaos, there’s a kind of artistry to the calm. Holding space so your clients can shine, while the behind-the-scenes support stays quietly in the background. Making sure that when the flashbulbs go off, everything is seamless.

It’s not about being seen, it’s about making everything work so that others can be.

Because in this industry, timing is everything. And when you’re at Cannes, every second counts.

Love, Team Crucial PA

Photos: Getty Images