Author Archives: The Anonymous Production Assistant

Resume Basics

Posted on November 29, 2012 by The Anonymous Production Assistant

Received a few resumes from some youngsters. (When did I get so old? Oh God, am I The Old PA?! Nooooooo!) They were rife with rookie mistakes. I’ve said all these things on the blog before, but for those of you … Continue reading →

Posted in Finding a Job | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Not ‘Till You Book It

Posted on October 15, 2012 by The Anonymous Production Assistant

When I was first starting out, I told my parents about every interview I went on, every potential job offer that came my way, every good parking space I found on lunch runs.
Oh, how years in Hollywood have jaded me.
Now, … Continue reading →

Posted in On the Job | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Fred Savage and CBS Can Go to Hell

Posted on October 11, 2012 by The Anonymous Production Assistant

I know what you guys are thinking. You read the story on Deadline about CBS buying the rights to a blog about life as a Hollywood assistant, with plans to turn it into a pilot. By now, you know that … Continue reading →

Posted in About Me, Off-Topic | Tagged | 10 Comments

One Big Happy Family

Posted on August 6, 2012 by The Anonymous Production Assistant

When you work in a production office, you spend long hours with the same people for months. You get to know each other. You learn their favorite and least favorite foods. You  talk about dating and relationships and your families … Continue reading →

Posted in On the Job | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

The N-Word

Posted on July 30, 2012 by The Anonymous Production Assistant

Maybe it goes without saying, but considering that one of the PAs on my show said it to me last week, I’m going to go ahead and say it explicitly. It is never, ever, EVER okay to say the N-word … Continue reading →

Posted in On the Job | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Always Bring Candles

Posted on June 28, 2012 by The Anonymous Production Assistant

Production offices celebrate more birthday parties than Chuck E. Cheese. And they’re usually spontaneous. Someone notices on Facebook that the creepy girl from accounting is celebrating a birthday. Quick! Send a P.A. to CVS to buy a funny, unoffensive card. … Continue reading →

Posted in On the Job | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

For Those of You With Aspirations

Posted on June 27, 2012 by The Anonymous Production Assistant

For those of you who dream of getting paid to write (or direct or production design or shoot or whatever else), I highly recommend reading Kelly Oxford’s recent Tumblr post.
A little background info: Kelly Oxford is a super-smart writer whose … Continue reading →

Posted in Writing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

No Crying in Baseball

Posted on June 25, 2012 by The Anonymous Production Assistant

You’ve got problems. Your girlfriend dumped you. Your little sister ran away from home. Your parents got a divorce. A family member died. You sliced your finger open. The kitchen ran out of your favorite kind of yogurt.
But you know … Continue reading →

Posted in On the Job | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Send Button Anxiety

Posted on June 15, 2012 by The Anonymous Production Assistant

“Hey, TAPA, can you send out tomorrow’s call sheet? The email is already saved in the ‘Drafts’ folder.”
That’s how it starts. Pretty soon, you’re drafting the email yourself. After that, the 2nd AD is emailing them to you directly instead … Continue reading →

Posted in On the Job | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

It’s Always About the Food

Posted on June 13, 2012 by The Anonymous Production Assistant

On my new show, I’m responsible for crafty in the morning, lunch midday, and coffee in the afternoon. If it’s a late night, I’ve got to cover dinner, as well. It sounds menial and tedious, largely because it is.
But that … Continue reading →

Posted in On the Job | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments