Postings for Writers’ Assistants
Kathleen writes: I am about to graduate in this lovely economic recession with hopes of landing a job in an already competitive industry. I have literally done everything. I even tried finding old UTA joblists and emailing actually people on it trying to sell myself. The one type of job that is virtually impossible to […]
Who Hires Someone With No Experience?
Megan, who wrote in last week, has an interesting follow-up: You were right, I don’t have much experience. So far just one 3-day shoot for a low budget independent film and a few other things I did on my own while in school. Are there specific types of projects that are more likely to hire […]
Welcome to Los Angeles
Jeremiah writes: I’m moving to LA in 2 weeks to do the PA thing and possibly do some extras work with Central Casting (while I pursue writing and directing). I know, it is ill-advised to move out there right now but I’m doing it anyway. I was wondering if you could tell me your thoughts […]
Lucas, Spielberg, & Kasdan… Racists!
A few weeks ago, Mystery Man wrote about a transcript that’s been floating around the internet. It’s a story conference involving George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, and Lawrence Kasdan discussing Raiders of the Lost Ark. Should be fascinating to an aspiring screenwriter like me, right? Meh. Reading normal people talk the way normal be talk makes […]
Is PA Bootcamp Worth It?
A few days ago, Sophya asked if I’d heard of PA Bootcamp. I hadn’t, so she directed me to PABootcamp.com. I looked around their website and, to be perfectly honest, I’m not sure I see the point. It costs $285, but I tell you about most of the information in their course guide for free! […]
Think Positive
(Short post today, as I am busy in a casting session for a short film.) One particularly blustery day, the wind kept knocking over a reflector board, sitting atop a combo stand, sitting atop a high hill. The key grip sent a PA up to the top of said hill to hold the […]
Taking a Risk
Danny writes in: I have been interning for a distribution company for the past 2 years. Now that I am graduating, I am stuck between making the moves to become full time where I am, or moving on. My goal is to join the DGA ultimately, so I know that taking on as many PA […]
What Time of Year Do Shows Hire?
Linda asks: If a television production is nearly done shooting for the season, would this be considered a poor time to contact the production office to inquire about open positions for a production assistant? If so, when is the appropriate time to contact a television production office? Most shows are nearly done by now, if […]
A PA in Oregon
Megan asks: I’m living up in Oregon at the moment, trying to work out how get down to LA and really dive into the job hunt for a paying PA gig. Recently, however, it was announced that a cable TV show is relocating to Oregon and, from what I’ve heard, production is supposed to start […]
How to Contact a Production Company
Reader Don writes (boy, I’ve gotten a lot of e-mails this week): How would I go about finding contact info for movies in pre-production, specifically Marvel’s “Captain America”? I’d love to work on the film in some capacity… There are a number of ways you could go about finding the company. Variety and the Hollywood […]
Can You Be a PA and a Student at the Same Time?
Reader Leah (I know she spells it with an “h,” but I’ve been told I don’t use enough pictures) writes: I’ve been corresponding with a producer at a big company in my city (Turner Broadcasting in Atlanta) regarding being a PA (a set PA, I believe). She said I could either be a volunteer for […]
Office PA Vs. Set PA
What is the difference between the two main types of production assistant?