What’s in a Title? – II
It’s already a demeaning job; do we have to call them “extra,” too?
What’s in a Title?
Lyric writes: I am a new PA with big goals and I was called by a production company to be an Assistant Coordinator for a video game commercial. I am not too sure what the job entails but they know and I know that I can handle the workload. I wanted to know if you […]
The Inverse Relationship of Seriousness and Gravity
I met a former Las Vegas police officer, and he told me the following story: We got a call for a suicide. Self-inflicted gunshot to the head. You could see the victim from the front door. He was sitting at the kitchen table, kinda in profile. The entry wound was on his temple. The gun […]
I Get Passes
I’m a dumbass. This fact is reasserted to me at irregular intervals. Today, for instance. There are free movie screenings all the time in Los Angeles. You can sign up for them with LA Weekly, Campus Circle, Screening Exchange, and many, many other places. The one hook is, they won’t let you in if you […]
More About Honorifics
Yesterday’s post generated a surprising number of comments, considering I didn’t once mock the PA Bootcamp. Readers proposed several theories regarding the Sir/Mr. dichotomy, but here’s one I didn’t think about until late last night– it’s all Walt Disney’s fault. Back in film school, our stage manager (and my old boss), Herb, was a retired […]
Feed Me!
There is always food on set. Always. It took some getting used to, for me. My first day on set ever, the AD told me I should go grab some breakfast before things got hectic. I approached the catering truck sheepishly. I only had five bucks in my pocket, but I wanted to fit in […]
Oh, Canada!
AQBemp writes: I’m in the UK and just about to finish uni (nothing film related). There is a scheme here where you can get a work permit/visa for Canada for a year once you’ve graduated as long as you get there by January 2010. At the moment I am really considering going to Vancouver. One […]
Taking a Risk
Danny writes in: I have been interning for a distribution company for the past 2 years. Now that I am graduating, I am stuck between making the moves to become full time where I am, or moving on. My goal is to join the DGA ultimately, so I know that taking on as many PA […]
How to Contact a Production Company
Reader Don writes (boy, I’ve gotten a lot of e-mails this week): How would I go about finding contact info for movies in pre-production, specifically Marvel’s “Captain America”? I’d love to work on the film in some capacity… There are a number of ways you could go about finding the company. Variety and the Hollywood […]
Can You Be a PA and a Student at the Same Time?
Reader Leah (I know she spells it with an “h,” but I’ve been told I don’t use enough pictures) writes: I’ve been corresponding with a producer at a big company in my city (Turner Broadcasting in Atlanta) regarding being a PA (a set PA, I believe). She said I could either be a volunteer for […]
On Adaptations; Plus, a Prediction
I’m working for a writer who is adapting a book. I’ve never adapted anything, and it’s a strange process to watch. He’s taken the story in a strange new direction; the entire book is basically just the first act of the film. He’s also renaming character willy nilly, for no reason whatsoever. I don’t really […]
Sympathy
I’ve found a distinct lack of sympathy for my current joblessness. In the business, you’re in and out of work all the time. You get used to it pretty quickly. But when you’re friends and family hear that your show just got cancelled, you get barraged with, “Oh, I’m so sorry! Do you have another […]