Toilet Wars
My production office is small. It’s really just big enough for the office staff itself; the writers, accountants, and everybody else are in other bungalows elsewhere on the lot. We don’t even have space for separate women’s and men’s bathrooms, just two, regular ol’ house-type bathrooms that everyone shares. And therein lies the problem. Some […]
Contacts & Lists
There’s around 150 to 200 people on any given film or television production. It’s a safe bet they’re not all Facebook friends. So, it’s up to the production office to create various lists with names and contact info. This begins, as with most things, with the [glossary]start work[/glossary] packet. Along with the I9’s and payroll […]
Please Don’t Vote for Donald Trump
This isn’t a political blog, so I usually eschew politics. But, the Oscars{{1}} are over and today is Super Tuesday, so that’s all anyone is talking about in the office. I’m not going to write about policies or issues, since I don’t know enough to intelligently debate such things. What I do know is celebrities. […]
How to Order Lunch for the Production Office
Chester writes in: I have my first PA gig next week, and I’m super nervous. I wanna come off looking like I know what I’m doing and not an amateur. One of my duties is handling lunch for the days I’m working. How do you go about taking lunch orders? Do you hand out menus […]
March Mixer
It’s that time, again– time for another TAPArty! Bring your friends, and make some new ones, at Seventy7 Lounge in Culver City. It’s pretty much across the street from Culver Studios and spitting distance from Sony, so that’s handy for some of you.{{1}} We’re meeting up Sunday, March 13th, starting at 5:00pm. (That’s when the […]
First Shot, Lunch, and Wrap Reports
If you’re working on a network show or studio film, there are three reports that are almost always the purview of the office PA. They are: the first shot, the lunch report, and the wrap report. This is one of those times where the little details matter a lot.{{1}} Everyone does them a little differently, […]
A Concise Explanation of How To Make It in Hollywood
I woke up the other day with the most amazing comment on the UTA joblist page. It’s short, but amazingly helpful. I’m a little mad I didn’t write it myself. As someone who moved to LA in 2010 from another state who has: 1) No film or entertainment related degree (BA in Political Science) No […]
As If PAs Didn’t Have Enough Problems, Now Scammers Are Targeting Us
Ugh. Some people are just assholes. A few weeks ago, I answered a question from reader Brian about per diem. Something that stood out to several readers was the phrase “$500 per diem.” That’s a ridiculously high per diem, so I assumed either the job posting in question was ambiguously worded, or the PA misunderstood […]
I Am Not A Lawyer
Various people have been pointing me towards this story about PAs suing for abuse. Unlike the Black Swan interns, these people were at least paid, but that’s probably little comfort. The suit says the workers were not allowed to take breaks for meals or to use the restroom, leaving them to instead use their cars […]
The One Line Day Player
Okay, today’s episode is a little outside my usual PA mandate, but it keeps coming up on the show I’m on, and I want to rant somewhere.{{1}} A “day player,” for those who don’t know, is someone who works on the production for only a day. This can be because we have a big scene […]
Incorrect Credits
Ryan writes in: My first feature film I ever worked on was recently released. After seeing fellow friends and crew members post pictures of their name in the credits, I noticed mine was there, too. It was listed wrong on two accounts: my title was incorrect as well as my name. They originally signed me […]
Per Diem
Brian writes in: Love your blog…it’s so helpful and I really appreciate the info! A little about me: I am a new-ish PA with a few local, unpaid shoots under my belt. I recently got hired as a paid PA, and I am super excited about it! They are covering travel and hotel for sure, […]