Want To Be in a TAPA Video?
The new season of Crew Call is fast approaching, which means the Kickstarter campaign is approaching even faster. And what Kickstarter campaign would be complete without a video? That’s where I could use your help. If you’re a fan of the podcast (or just really like the blog), I could use your help. Shoot me […]
What Kind of PA Was I?
Jo asks: Does one usually specify the department they PA’ed in? For example, I just PA’ed on a TV show pilot, but it was in the costume department. Do I need to specify that in my resume? Or just list it as PA? The great thing about sending your resume electronically is, you can change […]
Living at Home
Alexandra writes: I am a graduating senior in college, and I have plans to move with another student to LA after graduation. I wouldn’t be relocating far (my family is in north Orange County). My mom has been very supportive, but she worries. She advises me to stay home for a year and save money, […]
Dogs at Work
I love my dog. She’s great. She’s adorable and fun and a very good listener.{{1}} We spend hours at the dog park every weekend, then she curls up in my lap and we watch Transparent together. She even sleeps in my bed, and if she doesn’t approve of a date I bring home, he’s gone. […]
Motherhood in the Industry – Part III: Working after Childbirth
This is the last of a three-part series, written by a guest TAPA who has some actual life experience that I don’t. I would advise you to be physically strong to help get you through childbirth. Childbirth is a very crazy thing. Truly, you are just happy to get through it alive and with a […]
Motherhood in the Industry – Part II: Pregnant and Working
This is the second in a three-part series, written by a guest TAPA who has some actual life experience that I don’t. If you plan to work through your pregnancy, my “let’s get real” advice is this: do not announce your intention to start a family and if you become pregnant, hide it as long […]
Motherhood in the Industry – Part I
This is the first in a three-part series, written by a guest TAPA who has some actual life experience that I don’t. I am a twenty-something married woman who is a new mom with a three-month-old. I live in SoCal and am currently “living the dream,” AKA somehow managing to make it month-to-month while I […]
Managing Your Time
Ashley writes in: I’ll be moving to LA in the next few months to chase my dream of becoming a screenwriter. I’m also interested in production, though, and have thought about working on set starting as a PA. I’ve read that as a PA there’s usually little to no time outside of work, and I […]
Can They NOT Hire Me?
A soldier who wishes to remain anonymous writes in: I am a soldier of the US Army Reserve. I am obligated to give one weekend per month and two weeks a year to the Army. I am also an experienced set production assistant. I’ve never had this issue before, so I thought I’d ask you. […]
How Many Languages Do YOU Speak?
I had a coordinator once who was Vietnamese. She’s been in America for a couple of decades, so she didn’t have much of an accent, but she still occasionally got colloquialisms wrong. For instance, she would say, “Do you grab my drift?”{{1}} I understood what she was saying, obviously, but it still bumps you for […]
What to Do About Sexual Harassment
A reader who would like to remain anonymous writes in– Actually, you know what? To preserve this reader’s anonymity, I’m not going to copy-and-paste the email, like I normally would. There’s too great a chance of somebody figuring it out. Everyone with more than a couple years’ under their belt has experienced some sexual harassment.{{1}} […]
Set Life Versus Office Life
Brianna writes in: My life goal is AD. I was just told by a PA as green as I am that I should take a job as an office PA because I didn’t go to film school and the office is a great classroom and that everyone should do it once. I know that being […]