An Unusual Route to Becoming a Writers’ Assistant
Reader Andrew writes in: There’s a small independent film company looking to break into TV. I know the producer, and she’s offered me a writer’s assistant position while they develop a pilot. So it’s really more of a development assistant position, but she calls it “writer’s assistant.” This makes me very nervous. On one hand, […]
Make a Good Last Impression
First impressions are important; they go a long way towards determining whether you land the job. But last impressions are almost as important; they determine whether you get the next job. People are busy. They’re not going to remember every little thing you did or didn’t do over the course of a season. Your boss […]
Animator Jason Bierut
It’s the final episode of Crew Call for the year! Today’s guest is an experienced animator, and now technical director. Jason Bierut has worked on The Powerpuff Girls, Mucha Lucha, and most recently, Jake and the Never Land Pirates. He talks about the state of modern animation, and what it takes to break into that […]
Motherhood
Is it possible to make it in the business while still being a good parent?
“I’m Not Negative, I’m Just Honest”
You’ve probably heard this, or something like it, from jaded old crew members. (Or young ones who like to think they’re jaded.) And whatever it is they’re being negative about, odds are they’re right. But in the words of The Dude– Outside of the context of discussion with a very good friend, “I’m just being […]
Resume Paper
Eric writes in: When I go to an interview, should I print out my resume on nice resume paper or is regular copy paper okay? In the past, I used nice resume paper because I had a lot, but now I am out. I’m wondering if I should spend the money when they usually print […]
How to Book a Food Truck
A coffee truck (or food truck or ice cream truck) is a great treat for the crew. It’s a nice excuse to get away from the stage and mill about with your co-workers, without actually having to do anything. But finding the right truck can be kind of a pain in the ass. Luckily, Diana […]
Final Meet Up of the Year
It’s almost time for winter hiatus! Which means I’ll get to go back home and remember what real cold is like. Before I go, let’s have one more PA get together. This time, we’ll meet at Q’s Billiard Club in West L.A. to shoot some pool. Festivities begin at 2:00pm on December 14th. 11835 Wilshire […]
Mail Boxes
Here’s a weird conversation I had recently. A teamster came in and asked to check his [glossary]start work[/glossary]. He wanted to make sure his paycheck was going to his P.O. box, rather than his home. Curious, I asked, “Why don’t you want it going to your house?” “The jerks won’t deliver to our house.” “Really? […]
Aiming for a Specific Company
Krithika writes in: I am based in India. At this point, I do not have a US work permit. But I really want to work with a few specific companies in the US, Shondaland being the top of the wishlist. How should I go about this? I have no more experience than previous TAPAs when […]
The Importance of Variety
No, not the magazine. I mean variety in food. As a PA, food will unfortunately take up quite a bit of your brainspace. It can be frustrating, because you didn’t go to film school to become a caterer, right? Often times, this means you’ll go into auto-pilot when it comes to crafty, second meal, or […]
Music Video Shoot
No post today, because I’m PAing on a music video for the first time today. I’m actually kind of excited. Anybody have any advice for me for once?