I Didn’t Know I Didn’t Know
Every boss wants you to be proactive, to take care of things without checking with them every five minutes, to figure things out for yourself. Except, of course, when they don’t. Every once in awhile, I run into a situation like the following: the set PA called and said they needed a stand-by painter on […]
Some Animals Are Less Equal Than Others
What is about people not getting paid lately? An anonymous reader wrote in: I’ve heard it is common for independent films to not pay their PA’s, but is it weird if some PA’s are paid and others are not? When I started I was told that the film I am on is not paying their […]
My Favorite! – Comic
This has happened more times than I care to admit.
Other Jobs
Sometimes you just have to take another job outside of production.
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 […]
What the Hell Are Purchase Orders?
A PA who shall remain nameless (for soon-to-be-obvious reasons) writes in: I’m PAing for my first big production, and my coordinator just told me that since we don’t have open accounts yet, I should use POs for the stuff we order. She already had taken some time to show me some stuff that needed to […]
Amateur Resume Mistakes
Mark writes in: I came across your blog while searching for tips on CV-s and cover letters. I found a lot of helpful advice, but none about putting your photo in the CV. I know it’s not common to embed photos in your resume for the production intern positions, but it seems to me that […]
Crafty Service – Comic
This story is 100% true. [glossary]Craft Service[/glossary] really is required to pick up horse manure. This comes up less often than it used to, when every other movie was a Western, which is why it always comes as a surprise.
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 […]
Gratitude
Kara writes in: I recently got offered a small PA gig and found out I had been recommended for it by a PM I worked under last month. I’m not in regular contact with her, so would it be appropriate to drop her a email, or maybe a message on facebook, thanking her for the […]
Perks of Being an Assistant
Sasha writes in: Can you talk a little about the following, in regards to PAs AND Director/Producer assistants for a mid- to big- budget feature? – Box rentals/kit fees – Vehicle costs/mileage reimbursement – Cell phone usage – Meal allowance – Overtime when working on a weekly rate For those of you who are new […]
How to Get on The List
Korey writes in: I was curious about how to go about contacting productions directly to be added to their “available list” for PA work. I know that a lot of productions operate under several different companies, and the information available on IMDb Pro isn’t always accurate. I live in Hollywood and have worked on some […]