The Anonymous Production Assistant

Does ‘Video Producer’ Experience Count for Anything?

Photo by Steven Van on Unsplash

Elsa writes in: I’m a long time TAPA reader, first time question asker.  I’m a video producer for a media company with 2 years of experience.  I’m trying to move into film production, but I’m having a hard time figuring out what roles I should be applying for. Does my experience with pitching/producing/directing/writing/editing videos for […]

Should I Finish My Degree Or Just Go to Hollywood Now?

Chemical Engineer

Tessa writes in: I’m currently studying Chemical Engineering in New Mexico and I really hate it. I no longer wish to pursue this degree even though I only have one and a half years left. I already know every career choice it opens for me, and I don’t want to do those things. My resume […]

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 […]

Share Your Ice Cream Sandwich

When you’re a PA, it can be easy to feel separate from the higher ups. They’re older, more experienced, higher paid. It’s understandable that you might think of them as different or somehow special. While respecting aged wisdom is a good idea, don’t forget that producers, directors, and star are still people. Case in point: […]

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 […]

Why Does the Schedule Count Pages Per Day?

Anyone who’s read a screenwriting book knows that one page of screenplay is equal to one minute of screen time. Anyone who’s spent anytime on set knows this isn’t true.{{1}} So why do the schedules and callsheet refer to “pages per day”? Shouldn’t we be counting the minutes we’ve shot? Well, to start with, no […]

That Special Connection

Aaron writes in:  I work for a writer (I walk her dogs), and she knows that I want to be a writer, as well. She used to work at one of the major networks, and has sold several scripts. She has told me that she will look around for PA jobs, and specifically writer PA […]

The One Line Day Player

Okay, today’s episode is a little outside my usual PA mandate, but it keeps coming up on the show I’m on, and I want to rant somewhere.{{1}} A “day player,” for those who don’t know, is someone who works on the production for only a day. This can be because we have a big scene […]

Show Me Your ID

Esteban writes in: I’ve been a PA for a while in the reality tv circuit and today was actually my first coffee run something that I imagined would be smooth and a little late coming. The production coordinator handed me the company card with his and the company’s name on it. The barista said it […]

How Am I Supposed to Do That?

A producer came into the office today, and asked that someone remove the arms from the chair in his office.{{1}} The other PA’s immediate response was, “How are we supposed to do that?” Wow… Now, can anyone in the class tell me what he did wrong? First of all, don’t ask the fucking producer how […]

You Don’t Have to be a Jerk

I’m traveling today (long story), so I don’t have time to write a post. Instead, here’s a copypasta from a comment left on a really old post yesterday: So, as a production manager and line producer, I can say, from personal experience, being an asshole is simply a crap choice the ADs, Producers, or UPMs  […]