What TV Does Best
Last night, I watched an episode of How I Met Your Mother called, “The Wedding Bride.” If you don’t watch the show, that title is probably meaningless to you. It may be meaningless even if you do watch the show. See, “The Wedding Bride” was a throw-away joke from an episode last year, “As Fast […]
Full Time Work in a Freelance Industry
I know, I know, it’s been a while since I’ve posted. Sorry. I do have an excuse, though. The show I’ve been on lo these many months has “stopped production.” A nice euphemism for “cancelled.” We’re done. Needless to say, I’ve been spending a lot of time looking for a new job. Considering the luck […]
Pet Peeve
Scripts change in TV. They change a lot. The first draft distributed to department heads is usually just a rough guide. You know, so location managers can start scouting, construction crews can start building, casting directors can start casting. That draft will be rewritten at least a half dozen times before filming begins. Sometimes these […]
Reality, TV
I had a strange experience yesterday. I saw someone I know on TV. Now, when you work in television, of course you see people you know, particularly if you watch the show you work on. But this wasn’t a show I’ve ever worked for. What was strange is that I knew this guy before I […]
Simple Etiquette
First of all, let me apologize for not posting in a while. Rexwas almost right. Nobody’s found out that I write this blog, but that’s only because I’ve been very, very careful of late. One of our set PAs fell sick, and I had to fill in for him. (The other office PA had no […]
No Jerks
Yesterday, Desiree said: His outburst was cocky and out of the map. But when you say “astonishingly, this outburst did not get the operator fired” I get a little scared. Everybody must also be allowed to have an own opinion, a freedom of speech and by all means a bad day. Maybe I didn’t properly […]
The Inverse Relationship of Seriousness and Gravity
I met a former Las Vegas police officer, and he told me the following story: We got a call for a suicide. Self-inflicted gunshot to the head. You could see the victim from the front door. He was sitting at the kitchen table, kinda in profile. The entry wound was on his temple. The gun […]
Titles
There’s a curious inconsistency I’ve noticed in the way film industry address each other. No one is ever called “Mr. Spielberg,” or “Ms. Ephron.” It’s “Steve” and “Nora.” Even if you’ve just met the person, you’re instantly on a first-name basis. This is particularly hard to get used to for a polite boy from the […]
Feed Me!
There is always food on set. Always. It took some getting used to, for me. My first day on set ever, the AD told me I should go grab some breakfast before things got hectic. I approached the catering truck sheepishly. I only had five bucks in my pocket, but I wanted to fit in […]
On Adaptations; Plus, a Prediction
I’m working for a writer who is adapting a book. I’ve never adapted anything, and it’s a strange process to watch. He’s taken the story in a strange new direction; the entire book is basically just the first act of the film. He’s also renaming character willy nilly, for no reason whatsoever. I don’t really […]
Who the Hell Watches NCIS?
My parents, apparently. One of the great mysteries for those of us who make television (and if you’re feeling generous, that would include me) is who the hell watches those procedural dramas that take up a good chunk of the Neilson’s weekly top 20. I literally don’t know anyone who watches them. Then, just today, […]
Oh, Goody! My First Reader Question!
Reader Brian sent me a question, proving once again that “expertise” is a meaningless concept on the internet. I really enjoy your blog — thanks for all the info and frequent posting. That’s not actually part of the question. It just made me feel good. I just applied for a PA position at a network […]