A Helping Hand is a short mockumentary following the disasters that can occur in the 10 minutes before "action" is called. Emerie, a young filmmaker fresh out of college, works to direct her first professional shoot. Emerie's success as a director is hindered by her co-worker's disregard for her abilities. As Emerie continues to butt heads with her DP, Ian, she tries to assert her dominance. All film sets deal with unforeseen problems, but Emerie's crew is forced to deal with a power outage that might halt their project entirely. When Emerie's mother unexpectedly arrives on set, Emerie is forced to address the lifelong frustration with her mother's lack of respect for her life. Through a variety of interviews, action shots, and b-roll, Emerie works to gain respect from her crew while handling her helicopter mother. As the set continues to dissolve into chaos, Emerie must find the strength within herself to stick to her convictions.