The Definition of a Production Assistant
A lot of people asked why I don’t sell TAPA T-shirts. Honestly, it’s because I couldn’t think of anything clever or interesting, like Dollygrippery’s Ascent of Man-style shirt. Well, that’s all changed! Introducing the first TAPA Tee! The Definition of a Production Assistant. The back has the definition that dictionaries are too afraid to give […]
Career Crisis
An anonymous reader{{1}} writes in: I’ve been an appreciative reader of the APA blog for several years, throughout which I also worked in television and film development and production as a production assistant. I originally went into the industry because I was in love with the idea of doing something for a living that was […]
Out of State PA
Morgan writes in: I currently live in the Austin area and for the last few years we’ve had a nice share of TV shows filmed in the area (The Lying Game, Friday Night Lights, From Dusk Til Dawn, etc). I was told by an extra that a lot of studios are becoming reluctant to film […]
How to Dress for a Studio or Network
Evelyn has found herself in a fortunate position: A family contact has arranged for my son to have lunch with a VP of Production at a major studio. This may not lead to a job, but hopefully he will end up having a valuable contact. Lunch will be in the studio cafeteria, with a tour to follow. How […]
So You Work at a Studio, But You Want to Work on a Show
Ira{{1}} writes in: I am currently interning at one of the bigger studios in the industry right now. I was curious, is there anyone who works here (in the offices) that I would be able to network with in hopes of getting connected with a PA job? There seems to be more chances of networking with […]
Where to Network
Last Friday’s post garnered this response: Truth in @TheAnonymousPA‘s How to Write http://t.co/f4MxgX4i5u – but ends on some truly bad advice. — Michael Sullivan (@redrighthand) June 20, 2014 @redrighthand curious what the bad advice is. — TAPA (@TheAnonymousPA) June 20, 2014 @TheAnonymousPA To not attend writer meet-ups. Not everyone at a meetup is a delusional […]
Experience is a Terrible Teacher
There’s an old saying: “Experience is the best teacher.” That’s stupid.
How I Spent My Summer Hiatus
It’s hiatus, which means I have a lot of time on my hands. If you’re in the same situation, I thought I’d offer some suggestions of what you could do with your time. First of all, I’m trying to catch up on some reading. During production, I never have time to actually sit and read […]
The Future of Cinema
Wow, you guys! The Kickstarter campaign is DONE. People contributed $2512, which is 136% of what I asked for. And now, the real work begins.{{1}} As promised, I’ll be interviewing people from all over the crew list. For my younger readers, you’ll get an overview of what each department is like. For my more experienced […]
Recommended Day Jobs
Sam writes: Do you have any recommendations for day jobs that a new PA might take? I’m talking about jobs that are super flexible, and allow for last minute schedule changes, as many PA gigs are short notice. Preferably something besides waiter or minimum wage slave. Might seem like a dumb question, but I’m having […]
How’s My Hosting?
TAPAlooza III: Season of the Witch{{1}} was last night. Considering it was a weeknight at a wine bar, the vibe was a lot different than the last two meet-ups. The problem with most networking events is that the people who go are people who need jobs, which is why they’re attending the event in the […]
A Link to the Past
It’s finally hiatus! So, instead of writing a post, I’m just going to recommend a bunch of links. First up, some fellow below-the-line bloggers have plugged my Kickstarter campaign for Crew Call: The Below the Line Podcast.{{1}} Mike Taylor was kind enough to be the first test-case guest. He seems to think he didn’t do […]