In Appreciation of Hair and Make Up Artists
I’ll be honest, I never really respected hair and make up artists all that much. I didn’t get why it should take two hours to make an already attractive woman appear attractive on camera.{{1}} The on-set hair and make up artists made even less sense to me. I can see the actors with my own […]
Can a Writer Help a PA?
Felecia writes in: So there are some people that I’ve worked with before who now write on other shows. I was wondering if I sent them my resume and they forward it to whoever does the hiring on their show, does the fact that it came from one of the writers matter? Or would it […]
Asking For Help
Kristen writes in: I’ve spent the better part of today reading your blog. First off, thank you. I learned a lot and the honest, tough-love from a veteran is appreciated (and more palatable in text than in a cynical tone to one’s face).{{1}} I’m still pretty new to freelancing and film in general. Most of […]
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 […]
Fired for Doing the Right Thing
I had planned to write an entirely different post today, until I saw this comment from Pete on an old post: I was just fired from a shoot after the AD’s placed me in back-to-back dangerous situations. The UPM declared that a PA is easier to replace than an AD, so they fired me. Oh, […]
Helpful Connections
Felix writes in: I had a question about calling POs after emailing them my resume. Is it necessary? Does it make a big difference? I was talking to a friend of mine who works at a production company and she says she gets calls all the time from people about shows, after getting their info […]
You’re Dating Wrong
I’m not talking about your romantic life. Although, that could be a mess, too. It’s hard to date when you’re on a show. But that’s neither here nor there. No, I’m writing about how you write dates on documents. Most Americans write the month, then the day. Today is 11/02, for instance. That’s how we […]
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 […]
It’s Not a Secret
Mandy asked (and Jess seconded): When asked if we found the job opening on the UTA list, what do you advise us to say? If we say yes will employers ever ask how we have the list? or do you think they will leave it at that. Just curious. The joblist isn’t a state secret. […]
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 […]
Distro List
When you work in the production office, one of your major jobs is distributing paperwork, commonly referred to as “distro.” You’ve got scripts, pages, schedules, one-liners, prep calendars, crew lists, vendor lists, call sheets, and a bazillion other things that vary from show to show. The thing is, not every crew member gets every single […]
You Have to Take Risks
Eric writes: I’ve been seeing a lot of postings for part time assistant positions. Is this the new wave of employment/new way of business since the economy is still in the crapper (articles writing about how the unemployment level is not at 5.5% more like 9%) and Hollywood tightening the belt everywhere? That being said, […]