Is It Okay to Call a Stranger?
Beth writes in about calling a complete stranger: I’ve recently moved to LA and while I have been networking I don’t want to wait around for that to be the only way to get a job lead. I found the phone number of the AD on a tv show called [redacted]. I found it using […]
When Do You Start Day Playing?
Elizabeth has a question about day playing on an old post: How early do you call for a day playing position? For instance I work a full time job as a PA at a VFX House but sometimes I have week days off. Should I call the day before? That day? Day playing is, by […]
What If the Pilot I Worked on Never Airs?
Vashti writes in: I was a PA on a pilot last month, but I still haven’t been told if it will become a series. What happens if it doesn’t? Will I get to work on a different series? If not, can I even put it on my resume? There isn’t even an IMDb page for it. Most […]
Hustle
Ahoy TAPA readers! My name is Kate Lupo and I want to talk to you today about a very important word here in Hollywood. Hustle. That’s right: pure, sparkling, brilliant HUSTLE. I got off the phone today with the head of HR at one of the top management companies in the industry and we discussed […]
No Entertainment Industry Experience
Sally, one of my Patreon supporters, writes in about lacking entertainment industry experience: Thank you again for this week’s list! If you don’t mind and have a minute, would you please comment on my question for you? I want to be in the office and I have administrative experience, however, about 95% of the positions […]
To Whom It May Concern
Laura writes in about the proper salutation for a cover letter: One quick question: Should I address the letter to the person who is collecting the resumes or the person hiring? This is an easy one: the person who’s hiring. That’s who you’re trying to impress with your experience and accomplishments. For most readers of […]
The End of Year Slowdown
I was talking with producer Chris about an episode of Crew Call he recorded last night{{1}} One of the topics that came up was the holiday slowdown in Hollywood. Some of my newbie readers may not be aware of this phenomenon, so I thought now would be a good time to explain. Nothing Happens Between […]
The One Time Being a Fan Got Me a Job
Generally speaking, it’s not a good idea to talk about being a great big fan of the show you’re applying for. This business attracts a lot of weirdos, which makes people extra cautious when deciding whether or not to hire someone. They’re going to be working with you 12 hours a day for the next […]
“But What I Really Want to Do is Direct” Or: How to Guarantee You Won’t Get the Job
Right now, on the TAPA job board, there is an opening for a Production Technical Assistant. A few hours after sharing that job post, I received this email from the employer– We have been getting a bunch of resume’s from people who “want to direct” or are “really writers”. I’ve had a bunch of people […]
Your Resume Should Match the Job You’re Applying For
Replying to last week’s post about resumes, Talli writes: I’m actively looking for a job (trying to move from production company to a show) and my immediate supervisor knows I’m looking to move on (and is actually encouraging it–“don’t get stuck here.”) While I’m technically the office PA, I’ve been doing the job of production […]
Can a 2nd 2nd AD Hire Me?
Jessica writes in: Do 2nd 2nd ADs have authority to hire PAs? I saw that a mutual friend of mine was a 2nd 2nd on a pretty big TV show and I’ve been thinking about reaching out to her for a PA job when the time comes. Some of my readers may be wondering what […]
Three Common Resume Mistakes
After cleaning up a couple of hundred resumes, I’ve found some common resume mistakes pop up over and over. These are really easy to fix, and you don’t even need to hire me to correct them yourself. Where are you? Most resume templates have a line for your physical address. I have no idea why […]