Shooting Location Change
How to handle a production changing their location after you’ve signed on.
Seeking Decent ADs and Coordinators
It’s very easy to complain about your boss. Nobody likes to be told what to do, and the very definition of “boss” is someone who tells you what to do. Sometimes they’re crazy or irrational or just plain mean. But you know what? There are some good ones out there, too. And I’d like to […]
Availability List
Michael, the Hollywood Juicer, made a correction on Thursday’s post: I can’t speak for the other locals or guilds, but 728 (set lighting) and 80 do send members out on jobs. We’re allowed (and expected) to look for our own work, but when your show or day-playing gig ends (but before you apply for unemployment), […]
How Long Is This Gonna Take
Ryan writes in: I’ve seen you answer questions from people asking if they’re too young to be a PA, but I’ve only seen one person who said they’re too old, and they were 24. I’m 28 , soon to be 29, and I’m looking to change careers. I’ve got a little bit of cash saved […]
Unions Don’t Work That Way
Elle writes in: I’m a production assistant on a talk show. I’ve been in Los Angeles since 2012 after my relocation from Florida to pursue a career in the motion picture industry. I’m still very new and learning everyday, but at this point, I’d like to know what the next step should be. My goal […]
Truck Drivin’ PA
Woody writes in: Hi TAPA, I’ve been cruising job boards lately and one thing I occasionally see is some production listing that, as a PA, one of my skills should be the ability to drive a 24′ cube truck. I haven’t work on the biggest of shows (or barely many moderately-sized ones) but the 24′ […]
Never the Right Number of Radios
Joe writes in: I’ve worked on several productions now ranging from commercials to reality shows and feature films. On many occasions I have been assigned to be in charge of the radios. Although it is much easier to manage with small crew reality shows or short gig commercials, I still haven’t found an efficient way […]
Consistent Work
Lucie writes in: I’ve been doing freelance PA work in the Bay Area for about 7 months now, and have fallen head over heels for the industry. However, I don’t get called enough to make a consistent income to help pay the bills at the moment. Do you have advice on how to make work […]
Making the Jump
Andrew writes in: I’ve recently (a month ago) started reading your blog and I’ve got to say it is awesome! It’s such a great resource for information that would otherwise be hidden by the exclusivity of film sets. I also love how personal your stories are! If you’re ever in Georgia, I’d love to buy […]
Hand Delivery
If someone (whether it’s an accountant or a director or one of the camera assistants) hands you something to deliver, but doesn’t expressly state either “mail” or “hand deliver,” always, always ask.
Location Shooting
Unless you work on a multicam show, you’ll probably spend some time shooting on location. If you work in the office, this means printing maps (provided by the location department) and attaching them to each call sheet. For a set PA, the job is more-or-less the same, except everyone will be asking where the honey […]
Some Personal Duties
A typical day for an office PA means fielding a lot of phone calls, copying a lot of scripts, and picking up lunch. Every once in a while, the monotony gets broken up with an unusual request. It’s just that, sometimes, that request is also unusually stupid. Last week, we had a guest star from […]