Trick Question
It’s less common than “What’s your biggest weakness?” but I’ve had several interviewers ask this– “What’s the worst experience you’ve had on a show?” This is one of those times when honesty is not the best policy. You see, what they’re really asking is, “Are you a complainer? Do you get along with people? Do […]
Are You a PA? Do You Want to be Anonymous?
It’s that time again. Time to pass the TAPA torch. I’m not going to go away permanently, but the month of October is going to be really busy for me (in a good way!). If you’re an experienced PA with a point of view (and maybe some writing skill), then now’s your chance to share […]
Line Producer Ryan Murphy
Today’s guest is Ryan Murphy. No, not the creator of Glee and American Horror Story. He’s above the line. Our Ryan Murphy is a line producer, with Danger Close Media. Don’t let the word “producer” in the title fool you. He’s not the kind of producer who wears slick suits and shows up on set […]
Should I Stay in Los Angeles?
Ken writes: I just graduated from film school and moved to LA like various people advised me to do. Now, I’m here and looking for nearly any PA job I can find (yay having little to no experience…) and what I keep hearing is how people don’t really film features in LA much anymore. I […]
Asking Too Many Questions
Tara writes in: I just graduated from college and got my first job as a Production Assistant for a talk show. I’ve done some freelance PAing and the biggest problem I seem to have is that I can’t find the balance between making sure I get everything right and asking too many questions. I understand […]
Editor Scott Powell
_ Our guest today is an Emmy-nominated editor: Scott Powell. Scott has cut such shows as 24, Person of Interest, and Hawaii Five-0 (the new one; he’s not that old). There’s still time to enter the CAPS Payroll contest! They’re giving away two pairs of tickets to Crew Call listeners for their VIP suite at […]
The Future of Networking Is Here
People often write in that they’ve just moved to Los Angeles, and they don’t know how to meet people. Well, first of all, you should come to the TAPA Networking Event this weekend! But there’s not a TAPArty every weekend, you say? Luckily for you, the Internet exists. There are plenty of Facebook groups, Meet […]
#NotAllDirectors
There’s still time to win box seats at the Staples Center, thanks to CAPS Payroll. * * * Evan G decided to respond to a six-year-old post about an asshole director. I wasn’t around at the time, but as the current keeper of the TAPA flame (and no big fan of directors myself), I feel […]
The Thermostat
It’s that time of year, at least in Los Angeles, when it’s a hundred and fuck degrees outside, so all the guys in the office decide to set the thermostat to 67.{{1}} It sounds like I’m complaining, but I’m not. I’m from the “purple mountain majesties” part of this country. Growing up, I didn’t see […]
Should I Start as an Office PA or a Set PA?
Raisa writes in: I just started interning on an independent film and the producer has asked me whether I want to be on set or in the office. This is my first time working in the industry so I don’t know anything about anything. I think I eventually want to be a producer or an […]
Production Supervisor Kelley Sims
Our guest today, Kelley Sims, has had a long a varied career– from actor to accountant to production supervisor to, most recently, co-producer. These are the kinds of jobs you don’t necessarily dream about when you’re in film school, but they’re vitally important to the running of a show. And, as Kelley points out, working […]
10 Mistakes New Production Assistants Should Avoid
If you want to know what a PA does, you’ve come to the right place. Various TAPAs have been telling you what to do for a long time. You can still buy the TAPA T-shirt with the definition of a PA. But it’s not often that I tell you what not to do. So, as […]