Does ‘Video Producer’ Experience Count for Anything?
Elsa writes in: I’m a long time TAPA reader, first time question asker. I’m a video producer for a media company with 2 years of experience. I’m trying to move into film production, but I’m having a hard time figuring out what roles I should be applying for. Does my experience with pitching/producing/directing/writing/editing videos for […]
Reading Material
I’ve been gearing up for the next TAPA Networking Event (Saturday, March 31st, mark your calendar!). We’ve got some guests lined up, including an Academy Award-nominated animation director. Names and location will be announced as soon as everything is finalized. In the meantime, I thought I’d share some stuff from around the internet that I’m […]
Want to be a Prepared Office PA?
First of all, let me just say I’m super annoyed that Disney is dropping “Be Prepared” from the Lion King remake. Anyway, on to the reader question: What kind of gear would an Office PA need? And what kind of gear would a Set PA need? I have been told once that an Office PA […]
Don’t Spend Your Own Money
It appears an old scam is circulating again. The gist is, someone offers a job to a PA (who is, presumably, fresh-faced and naive), which sounds great. Then, they say they’ll give you a check, which you’ll deposit into your bank account. You’re to take your pay from that check, and also make some sort of […]
How to Choose Your Credit
Larry writes in about choosing the proper credit: I just worked on a show as a PA and the director said I could have an AD credit instead if I wanted, because the crew was so small (6-7 people) that’s what I ended up actually doing. This is the second show where I’ve been hired […]
Should I Finish My Degree Or Just Go to Hollywood Now?
Tessa writes in: I’m currently studying Chemical Engineering in New Mexico and I really hate it. I no longer wish to pursue this degree even though I only have one and a half years left. I already know every career choice it opens for me, and I don’t want to do those things. My resume […]
6 Essential Traits Of A Production Assistant
Our friends at FilmToolKit wrote this inspiring post about working as PA. You should check out their site; there’s lot of great info. If you’ve read this blog for very long, you’ve probably realized that being a production assistant is not for everyone. Anyone can be hired, but in order to continue working in the […]
How to Order Pizza
Pizza is like sex– it’s best cold, first thing in the morning. Wait, that’s not how that saying goes… Anyway. No matter how big or small the budget, pizza is one of those things you’re going to find on any set eventually. Adequate Pizza is a go-to second meal because it’s cheap, readily available, and […]
What is a Low Budget Movie?
I often write about the difference between working on a low budget or big budget production. But I realized, I’ve never defined the terms. If your understanding of the film business comes from entertainment websites, you might be under the mistaken impression that, say, a $12,000,000 film is “low budget.” When you’re comparing it to […]
7 Proven Hacks & Tips to a Great Night’s Sleep Before a Shoot
[Ed. note: Yes, this is a guest post, but A) no one’s paid me for it, and B) they’re not asking you to buy anything. I get a lot of requests to post irrelevant shit on my site just so they can scam my readers. This is honestly the first time someone outside the industry […]
Trust Your Instincts
I reader wrote in about an odd job interview she obtained through my site: I got an interview for [company], but it’s in an apartment and no one signed their name on the email so I can’t even confirm the company or producer. I’ve generally only been to interviews in offices and am unsure whether […]
Call (Sheet) Me, Maybe
As an office PA, one of your jobs is to email the call sheet to the cast and crew. This is not a difficult or complicated task, but it is an important one. In fact, you cannot make a mistake on any part of it, or it could screw up the entire production. So, it […]