The Anonymous Production Assistant

First Person Singular

Department heads often speak of themselves as if they are the entire department. I ACed for a DP once who was continually saying things like, “I’m going to put the crane over there,” or “I’m gonna set the camera here.” No, you’re not. You’re going to tell the grips and ACs, and they’ll do it. […]

More Like Children Than Cats, Really

Since I had so much fun bagging on actors yesterday, I thought I’d do it again today. I’m petty like that. Really, since I’m Anonymous, this blog is about the only place I can vent my feelings about actors. Everyone treats actors like small, fragile children. They’re never allowed to hear any bad news, under […]

How To Succeed in Hollywood by Really, Really Trying

If, by “succeed,” you mean get a job as a PA. Beyond that, I can’t really help you. Lisa Klink had a post yesterday about what us assistants look like when you’re a big time TV writer. (Okay, she’s not J.J. Abrams-type big time, but she’s certainly more impressive than me.) She wrote that she […]

Shh… Don’t Tell Anyone.

I was delivering a script over the hill (killing trees and generating about 31 pounds of carbon dioxide). The actor’s house was in Venice, and I could literally smell the ocean breeze wafting through my open car window (with gas prices what they are, I sure as hell can’t afford to use the air conditioning). […]

With No Power Comes No Responsibility

I’ve worked on some horrible shows. (One of the quaint anachronisms from the days when everyone in Hollywood was a former vaudvillian is the fact that everything, be it a movie, a TV series, or even a music video, is called a “show.”) I worked on a horror movie about giant eels. I worked on […]