Joining the DGA
Madeline writes in: I have a lot of questions and they relate to DGA so I apologise if they aren’t the right questions for this blog. I did try to do my own DGA research but I’m very confused. Once your in the DGA, are you allowed to have multiple titles? e.g be a UMP […]
Should You Leave a Series Mid-Season?
Gary writes in: I’ve been a PA for over a year and thankfully have had some long runs on shows. I recently started a show for a 3 month run, but I was just offered a position on a feature film in another state that I have been trying extremely hard to get on. My […]
How to Get Your First Job as a Hollywood Assistant
I recently discovered the website Any Possibility, mostly because they linked to TAPA on a recent post. It’s written by Sam Wilson, an experienced assistant at several literary{{1}} agencies. I know of lot of readers, like me, want to be represented by one of those agencies some day. She offers a very insiders view of […]
Open Crew Calls
Steph writes in: I was wondering if it was a bad idea to submit an Office PA resume/cover letter to an open crew call that says all positions welcome to apply. Or are they only wanting Set PA, Art PA inquiries? Keep up the amazing blog! Truth be told, when you see an open call […]
The Anonymous Production Assistant Book
The Anonymous Production Assistant has been around for eight years. Eight years. That means, if you’re graduating from film school now, this blog has been going since you were in junior high. In that time, there has been over a thousand blog posts, hundreds of answered questions, two score podcast episodes, a half-dozen TAPAs, and […]
Kit Fee, Kit Rental, Box Rental
Dwayne writes in: I’ve just been hired to do crafty for a set where there might be 100 people on the heaviest days. My instructions are: we could have 100 people at our heaviest days 21 day shoot (maybe 20) there is a $50/day Kit Fee your budget is small for crafty – just keep […]
Consistent Work
Pat writes in: I really enjoy your site and it has given me many tips that really have been helping over the past few months. I am a PA working in New York. I have gotten a decent amount of jobs, but really not a sustainable amount. A few months ago, I went to the […]
That Special Connection
Aaron writes in: I work for a writer (I walk her dogs), and she knows that I want to be a writer, as well. She used to work at one of the major networks, and has sold several scripts. She has told me that she will look around for PA jobs, and specifically writer PA […]
Using Your Car for Production
Jenny writes in: I just wrapped a production where I had to drive 60 miles to location each day in order to set up breakfast before the crew van arrived, and now it’s time to invoice for all that hard PA work. Should I charge anything for using my car? Just bill for the gas? […]
The Best Book on Directing I’ve Ever Read
First of all, if you haven’t been to the library since you graduated, you’re missing out. They’ve got millions of book, and they just give them away. For free! And if you’re having flashbacks of the card catalogue and Dewey decimal system, don’t worry. The LA library’s website has a search engine, just like you’d […]
Nothing to Do
Hillary writes in: On the last shoot I was on, after helping unload I was told to go and ask around to see which departments needed my help. Nobody needed anything done and for the rest of the one day shoot I was rarely given a job to do. I tried to help out when […]
You Don’t Know What Happened in Post
I love Movie Set Memes; it’s always good for a laugh. But sometimes the conversations there are toxic. It very often sounds like people who don’t know how movies are made yelling at other people who don’t know how movies are made about how little they each know about how movies are made. What really […]