Tales from Lock Up
The other day, I tweeted out the above image, from Movie Set Memes, about lock up. I got some interesting responses: @TheAnonymousPA I was in New York City when they were filming I AM LEGEND. There was a lone PA “locking up” ped traffic near Madisen Ave. — Anthony Robinson (@antoniusrex) December 30, 2016 On […]
What To Do When You Don’t Get Paid
Ginny writes in about what to do when you’re not paid on time (or at all)– Hope all is well. I’ve got a question. So I worked on a production a month back in Atlanta. I still haven’t gotten paid (for the day), and now I’m hearing that the production was shut down. Accounting and […]
The End of Year Slowdown
I was talking with producer Chris about an episode of Crew Call he recorded last night{{1}} One of the topics that came up was the holiday slowdown in Hollywood. Some of my newbie readers may not be aware of this phenomenon, so I thought now would be a good time to explain. Nothing Happens Between […]
Your Resume Should Match the Job You’re Applying For
Replying to last week’s post about resumes, Talli writes: I’m actively looking for a job (trying to move from production company to a show) and my immediate supervisor knows I’m looking to move on (and is actually encouraging it–“don’t get stuck here.”) While I’m technically the office PA, I’ve been doing the job of production […]
Can a 2nd 2nd AD Hire Me?
Jessica writes in: Do 2nd 2nd ADs have authority to hire PAs? I saw that a mutual friend of mine was a 2nd 2nd on a pretty big TV show and I’ve been thinking about reaching out to her for a PA job when the time comes. Some of my readers may be wondering what […]
Bringing Your Significant Other on Location
Ashton wants to know if it’s okay to bring her significant other on location— I have a 3 day gig coming up next week – the shoot is taking place 3 hours outside my city so I’m getting put up for the duration. My husband works from home and thought it would be fun to […]
Why Does the Schedule Count Pages Per Day?
Anyone who’s read a screenwriting book knows that one page of screenplay is equal to one minute of screen time. Anyone who’s spent anytime on set knows this isn’t true.{{1}} So why do the schedules and callsheet refer to “pages per day”? Shouldn’t we be counting the minutes we’ve shot? Well, to start with, no […]
What a Script Supervisor Does
Shannon writes in about becoming a script supervisor: I love the work you do, just LOVE. Right now I’m a proud PA but like all PAs I want to grow. I work in the office which I quite enjoy but my heart is in scripts. What is the path to go from where I am […]
How Do I Tell My Boss His Script Sucks?
I found this question over on r/screenwriting about giving notes, but I thought the answer might be useful for my readers, as well– I’m a recent film school graduate, and like every film school graduate – I’m desperate to work. I saw an ad for a script supervisor on a local filmmakers page and jumped […]
A PA’s Guide to Film Festivals
Will writes in about attending film festivals: Are film festivals useful in terms of networking for film crew/PAs? Or are they mainly for aspiring directors and writers? What are film festivals for? Film festivals are for anyone who likes to watch movies. Seriously, buy a weekend pass to virtually any fest, and you’ll get to […]
Choosing Between Gigs
Ryan writes in about being forced to choose between jobs: A predicament that I had earlier this summer was that I was offered an Additional PA gig on a TV show for one day at the time, but with the opportunity for more days; but I was simultaneously offered a six-week Set PA gig on […]
What’s Your Name?
Your name is pretty important. It’s how people know you’re you, and not someone else. And since, nowadays, we often introduce ourselves via email, your name in your email is very important, too. I received an email from a reader who shall remain nameless because… I have no idea what their name is. Their email […]