Max writes:
Do you ever get what I call PA dreams? What happens to me is that during weeks with particularly high levels of stress, I have reoccurring dreams in which I’m aware that it’s 3AM and yet also aware that my Coordinator or Production Manager wants me to get out of bed and bring them a coffee. I once woke up dressed in my bath robe and opening my bedroom door so I could go let the extras in. It freaks me out.
That is the most frightening thing I’ve ever heard. Thank God I don’t have dreams about my job. If I did, I might move to Malta and become a clam fisherman (or whatever they fish in Malta).
Sure, I get anxiety dreams, but I try to make sure that work is never a high source of anxiety for me. I stress out about finishing the next draft of a script or falling into abject poverty, but I’ve never been haunted by visions of buff paper and gargantuan lunch orders attacking me during my slumber.
I guess I’m lucky.
It’s important that PAs keep their work in perspective. A balanced diet of exercise and TV-watching can take the edge off of a hectic day. When all else fails, have a beer.
Take back the night, Max.
9 Responses
I don’t have nightmares, but boring work dreams. Like lockups and such. I am working on the same show as my boyfriend right now. He’s the key grip. I rolled over the other night and asked him for an out sheet for the grip department. Lol.
I totally have PA dreams. I think it has something to do with the walkie chatter in my ear all day. Not all of them are bad. A lot of dreaming about lockdowns and coffee.
During one particular show, I was having those dreams nightly. One of them had me yelling, “WHERE THE ‘F IS MY WALKIE?!,” when I was being called on radio in the dream. As I’m reaching for my hip (subsequently elbowing my boyfriend really hard in our sleep).
Ah, yes, work dreams. As a script supervisor my work dream/nightmare is that I am on a film job going through the day but then at wrap I look down at my book and realize I have not taken any notes! I hate that one!
Work dreams? Oh yeah, probably one or two a week — more if I’m working my ass off under stressful circumstances. They’re not nightmares, but just dreams of being on a stage or location set where everything seems normal in the surreal reality of dreamland, but is actually very, very strange. Much as I’d rather escape from work in sleep, I wouldn’t mind so much if I got paid for this dream-labor, but I’m not sure where I’d be able to spend those dream-dollars anyway…
When I started my first full-time job (an internship that turned into work), I was having a work-related nightmare every night for the first week. Luckily it’s been fairly stress-free since then (going on week #5) but I’m scared they’ll return once our show starts filming in late November!
Oh, man, this happens to me ALL the time. I often wake up my wife in the process, and demand to know the location of the TPS reports. 🙂
If you haven’t had any work related nightmares, you’re lucky. They suck.
I’m definitely prone to work-related stress dreams. I’m up to 3 this week. It’s not fun.