How to Run a Production Office
Watch the latest Call Sheet interview with UPM Jennifer A. Haire and UPM Gilana Lobel
Book Reports
Two great books everyone should read: Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino and Keys to the Production Office by Gilana Lobel and Jennifer A. Haire.
What Can (Or Should) You Put Up With?
Avoiding crappy directors isn’t as easy as you’d hope.
Gun Safety And You
How to keep yourself safe on set.
From Agent’s Assistant to Series Creator – an Interview with Merigan Mulhern
You’ve heard the story: start out as an intern, become an agent’s assistant, then a PA, a writer’s assistant, staff writer, and eventually create your own show.
Well, today’s guest LIVED that.
When Do We Start?
A reader wants to know when call time will be three weeks from now.
How to Avoid Eyelines
I’m re-reading Making Movies by Sidney Lumet for, like, the fifth time. It’s a great book, and I highly recommend it for any aspiring filmmaker. Some of the terminology is dated (and a lot of the technical stuff is dated), but there’s no better way to learn than at the foot of the master who […]
Should You Drop the Accent?
When I talk with someone about rebuilding their resume, one of the first things I ask is, do you speak any foreign languages? It never ceases to amaze me how many people don’t include this info on their resume. It seems that multilingual folks don’t realize how impressive this skill is to us monolingual plebs. […]
“Are you doing anything right now?”
Pam writes in: I have a question about something that happens to me on sets and in offices sometimes, but I never know how to answer. What should I do when someone gives me something to do, that isn’t that important, and then someone else asks if I’m busy and can help them? I know […]
Fire Watch With Me
Lauren tweeted a question at me: @TheAnonymousPA Hey TAPA this might be a dumb question but I’m just starting to get more professional gigs. When I’m on fire watch do I count as available? I.e. if someone asks for something flown in elsewhere I can’t leave my post right? Even if everyone else is on […]
One Simple Tool Every PA Should Have
As a PA, you have to remember a lot of things: people’s names, directions to set, the producer’s favorite brand of liquor. It can be a bit overwhleming, especially if you don’t have an eidetic memory. So what do you do? There’s an Easy Solution Get a notebook. Not a notebook computer. Not The Notebook. […]
When Your Boss Gives You Work That’s Not Your Job
Samantha writes in: I work as an office PA, but cover also as a runner and as our Post PA too. I have a quick question to ask if I’m getting taken advantage of or not in my workload. Now, the question I have pertains to a Sr./ Co-EP Story Producer asking me to go […]