The Anonymous Production Assistant

Sympathy for the Departments

Every morning, the office receives a [glossary]production report[/glossary] in [glossary]the football[/glossary]. And every morning, the production report is wrong. A PR, for those who don’t know, is a bizarro call sheet. Instead of telling you what you’re going to do tomorrow, it tells you what you actually did yesterday. It lists the scenes that were shot, in […]

How to Get Coordinator Contact Info (This Title Is Very Misleading)

Jackie writes in: Any advice on how best to get the contact info for a production coordinator of a specific show? Generally, it’s a know-someone-who-knows-someone kind of deal. Think about it. If you have something that a lot of people want (a job to offer), would you publicize your email? Coordinators would get millions of […]

Tell Me About Yourself

Carlos asks: On an interview, what do you say when they ask that question: “Can you tell me about yourself?” Should I be brief and just talk about what I want to do (be a producer) and go over my resume, or you should mention where you studied, skills, etc. Whats the best way to […]

Your Rate Quote

Rob asks: I’m working on getting a PA position, and the coordinator wants me to give her my last 3 weekly rates. She says it’s studio policy. I’m wondering if this is a normal practice or is this a trap? Am I allowed to stretch the truth a little here, in order to hopefully get […]

Think About It

Just about every time I post a new joblist, someone emails or tweets me, “Hey, TAPA, are all of these jobs for LA?” or something to that effect. Also on almost every joblist there is a section with the header, “NON-LA POSITIONS (All Locations/All Positions)”. In big, bold font, just like that. Now, I realize […]

Reporting Overtime

Reader Joe called my attention to this article on Deadspin, about a leaked memo to the crew of the X-Games in Brazil. In it, Severn Sandt, senior TV operations person for the X-Games Remote,{{1}} tells the crew to dress appropriately, don’t make fun of the locals (who he all but calls “lazy”), and remember that […]

Be A Morning Person

The production office is one of the few departments that works in shifts. Because we’re one of the few departments that can, and because we kinda have to. On days when the production is shooting late, you still need to open the doors at around 8:00am. Business needs to be taken care of during business […]

Post-Interview Thank You Note

Bianca asks: I just had an interview with a coordinator. What are your thoughts on sending a post-interview note? Is that appropriate and what would I want it to say? Yes, it’s perfectly okay to send a quick email after the interview. In my experience, it probably won’t do much good one way or the […]

Get Your Head in the Game, Rook

One of the PAs in the office is on the chopping block. Every day, he’s working to keep his job – fighting to keep his spot on “the team.” He doesn’t know it, but I hope he senses it. Over the last few weeks, I hope he’s noticed that the office has grown more frustrated […]

You’re Not On the List… Sorry

I see, through your blog, that it is typically the AD or 2nd AD who hires set PA’s. My question is how do I get the contact info for the AD or 2nd AD (for a particular production), and what is the appropriate amount of time, prior to production, to first contact them? I live […]

Other People Work Hard, Too

I saw this video on a couple friends’ Facebook pages recently: I can definitely sympathize with the coordinator in this video. All day long, the only thing we in the office hear from the ADs are stupid requests for things they already have, or things we don’t even have yet. Of course, from their perspective, […]

Overheard in the Production Office

I was filling out my mileage form yesterday, and I wondered how much it was going to be worth.  The current rate is 50.5 cents, and that extra half cent threw me off. “Goddamn it, why can’t they just use whole numbers?  Decimals just screw me up.” Without looking up, the coordinator said, “Use improper […]