The Anonymous Production Assistant

Watch our interview with writer/director/showrunner Billy Ray

Today we’re talking with Academy Award-nominated writer/director/racanteur Billy Ray! Mr. Ray takes us through his entire career, from assistant to producer/showrunner. He gives not only great advice, but inspiration for aspiring writers everywhere. And, of course, we discuss COVID, because how could we not? To watch the full interview, subscribe on our Patreon page. Billy […]

Two Sides to Hollywood

When someone contacts me about my resume service, the first thing I ask is, “Do you want to be a PA, or an assistant?” Because, you see, there are two sides to Hollywood: the business side, and the production side. Here, I’m using “production” in the broadest sense, encompassing every department from art to editorial. […]

Reconnecting Just to Ask for a Job

Fred writes in about reconnecting with an old boss: So, a field producer I worked for a couple years ago (I was a PA) recently started working on a show that I like. I haven’t actually spoken to him in maybe a year or so, but I want to ask him if he could pass […]

Crew Call is Back!

Crew Call, the below-the-line podcast, is back for another season on iTunes!{{1}} Some of you may recall that TAPA created a podcast a couple years ago, wherein I interviewed below-the-line crew–DPs, editors, and so on. But because it was so time consuming and expensive, we only made one season. I was saddened by that, because […]

How NOT To Make a Microbudget Film

Last week’s post about why movies are so expensive got some interesting responses. The Burger King (probably a burger king, not the burger king) wrote– Most of this is very true, but you are wrong in implying that independent filmmakers can’t make movies unless they have $98,000. Dead Hooker in a Trunk, $2500, sold to IFC […]

The Final Stretch

The good people at Bebee lights have decided to sponsor Crew Call at the studio level. That puts us at slightly over halfway to our goal! If you live in Los Angeles, you’ve seen Night Lights by Bebee, even if you didn’t know what they were called. They’re the massive lights mounted on trucks, used […]

How to Run a Production Meeting

Dax asks: I’ve experienced several different production meetings. Two seem to be the most common. The first AD reads through the script in scene order and then through the one liner in schedule order. if this is correct? If so, should the AD just read the slug lines for each scene and then summarize the […]

Errors and Omissions

There were quite a few good comments this week; in case you missed them, I thought I’d point them out. Regarding internships and college credit, WireMonkey said: I found this strange but I interviewed at a few significant companies for internship positions. I always casually dropped that I could earn college credit for the reasons […]

You Can Help Bring Crew Call Back

The first season of Crew Call was pretty great. We got advice from producer Ryan Murphy, heard hilarious stories from prop master Jim Falkenstein, and learned how to get a job as a writer’s assistant from Stuart Friedel. If you want more below-the-line interviews, we can use your help. The first and most direct way, […]

Where Should the Next TAPArty Be?

So far, every TAPA networking event has been at places I like to hang out.{{1}} But I don’t want to repeat myself, so now I’m reaching out to you, dear reader, for advice. Where should the next TAPArty be? Is there a laid-back neighborhood bar you like? Or a cool tavern down the road? Maybe […]

Wrap Party Invitation

Marcus writes in: I was a day player on something recently and didn’t get invited to the wrap party. Do you think the primary reason might be because they didn’t feel like I was a part of the crew enough, or because I am under age? Someone that was also only on the project for […]

Crew Call Season 2

That’s right, Crew Call is coming back! What’s Crew Call, you ask? It’s just about the only place you’ll hear interviews with below-the-line crew. You know, the people who actually make the TV shows and movies you watch? You can hear the entire previous season on iTunes, or right here on the TAPA website. This year, […]