If It’s Not Where It Should Be, Then It’s Where It Shouldn’t Be
Things get lost. Like, all the time. Especially when you’re on the move. Often times, we office PAs are sent to a previous location (or stage, if the crew is on location) to find lost items– a portable hard drive full of important files, someone’s glasses or cell phone, an important but small piece of […]
Not Getting Overtime
An anonymous reader writes in: I’ve just been told my show doesn’t have the budget to pay for OT, even though I’ve already had an hour and a half of it. The producer claims that no one gets OT. Even worse, my call time was 7:00 am to load gear and such from the rental […]
Not Just For Golf, Anymore
Driving around the studio in a golf cart is way more fun than it has any right to be. I drive to work at 70 miles per hour. Or possibly 5mph, depending on traffic. In any case, I have air conditioning, a stereo, comfortable seats. Basically, my car is a superior vehicle in every way. Yet […]
Change of Venue
I am just overwhelmed by the response to my networking event. I genuinely wasn’t sure if anyone would want to show up, but over a hundred people have RSVPed on Facebook. Turns out, this is too many customers for the Federal.{{1}} So, I had to move the location down the road to Maeve’s Residuals: 11042 […]
First Contact
Cara writes in: What are your thoughts on business cards, especially for a young person just starting out and looking to make contacts? I am planning on coming to your meet-up next Sunday. Are business cards appropriate there? What about just in general? Is having (and giving out) business cards standard, or will it make me […]
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 […]
Which Schedule?
I’m often surprised at the number of people who don’t know that ADs create more than one kind of schedule. Frequently, experienced crew members will come into the office and ask for “the” schedule, only to be baffled when I ask, “which one?” So, here’s a quick primer on what’s what: The most common schedule […]
The Stage is Dark, and Full of Terrors
If you’re new to the business, two things about lighting will probably surprise you: night exterior scenes are actually really bright, and sound stages are really dark. In the second case, the reason is control. You don’t want light leaking onto the set from open doors or anything like that. Electricians will, of course, set up […]
Where to Find a Job
One of the most common questions{{1}} I get asked is, “Where do I look for jobs?” The first and best option is: people you know. Every week or two that you’re out of work, you should email (or text, as appropriate) people you’ve worked with, and let them know you’re available. That’s not just former […]
Meet Other TAPA Readers in Los Angeles
This blog has been around for a while, now. We’re proud to have so many friends, followers, and readers from all over the world. But today’s post is primarily for those of you who live in Los Angeles. As much fun as the comments section can be, I think it’s time that some of you meet […]
You Are Not a Teamster
When a regular driver license just doesn’t cut it.
“Balance”
Dave asks: I’m about to graduate from college, move back to my home town, then get married all in the next year. Compounded with needing a real (read: paying) job, I’m finding my self worried about making ends meet and still making it in the business. What would you say is the right balance between […]