Production Supervisor Kelley Sims
Our guest today, Kelley Sims, has had a long a varied career– from actor to accountant to production supervisor to, most recently, co-producer. These are the kinds of jobs you don’t necessarily dream about when you’re in film school, but they’re vitally important to the running of a show. And, as Kelley points out, working […]
10 Mistakes New Production Assistants Should Avoid
If you want to know what a PA does, you’ve come to the right place. Various TAPAs have been telling you what to do for a long time. You can still buy the TAPA T-shirt with the definition of a PA. But it’s not often that I tell you what not to do. So, as […]
Visual Effects Data Integration Lead Viki Chan
Today’s guest has a job you’ve probably never heard of– Viki Chan is a Data Integration Lead in the visual effects department. She’s worked on such big film as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Ender’s Game.{{1}} Viki is not a US citizen, and she tells us a little bit about getting sponsored for […]
Show Title or Job Title?
Today’s a good day to buy a t-shirt, don’t you think? * * * Mitch writes in: My current predicament is probably a caviar problem. I got hired to PA on a network talk show earlier this year, which was great, I really enjoyed it. Then we went on hiatus for the, and I began […]
Let Me Get Back to You II
It’s the last week to buy your TAPA T-shirt! Wear it to the next TAPArty. * * * Last week, I wrote a post titled Let Me Get Back to You. Reader Sam (an assistant production supervisor, so you should listen to him){{1}} wrote in– From the title, I thought this article was going to […]
Stunt Rigger Joe Ross
Today’s guest is a stunt rigger, and also a co-owner of Action Factory Stunts. Joe Ross started out as a stunt man at stunt shows (what he calls “Blade Runner meets Cirque Du Soleil,” which is definitely a show I want to see). Now, as part-owner of Action Factory, he coordinates and rigs stunts. Joe […]
Let Me Get Back To You
There’s certain key phrases every PA should know: “Yes.” (Except when the answer is No.) “It won’t happen again.” “It’s Thursday. Yes, payroll checks are coming today.”
Here’s another one to add to your quiver: “I’ll look into that.”
Don’t Move!
I have a hard time getting into the Emmys. Unlike, say, the Oscars, there are way too many nominees for me to have seen everything worth seeing, and to therefore have an informed opinion on who should or shouldn’t win. I mean, I loved Peter Dinklage’s speech in the courtroom in Game of Thrones, and […]
Is It Too Late to Start?
John writes in with a few questions: Should I find out who the production coordinator is before I start sending out cover letters? I graduated film school but have no paying job experience or internships. I’m twenty-four, am I too old to start taking Craigslist listings and no-pay jobs to just get contacts? Where to […]
Stuntwoman Anna Mercedes Morris
Have you ever run at full speed in stiletto heels? Fallen down stairs in a minidress? Been lit on fire? If so, your weekends are a lot more interesting than mine. Or, you’re a stuntwoman, like today’s Crew Call guest, Anna Mercedes Morris. She started out doing stunt shows, and eventually graduated to big time […]
The Definition of a Production Assistant
A lot of people asked why I don’t sell TAPA T-shirts. Honestly, it’s because I couldn’t think of anything clever or interesting, like Dollygrippery’s Ascent of Man-style shirt. Well, that’s all changed! Introducing the first TAPA Tee! The Definition of a Production Assistant. The back has the definition that dictionaries are too afraid to give […]
Non-Union Grip & Electric Chandler Forbes
In Los Angeles, the various departments are very distinct. In smaller markets, the lines can be a lot fuzzier. That’s why we’re speaking today with Chandler Forbes, a grip and electrician from Grand Rapids, MI– the home town of the only unelected US president.{{1}} Despite the relatively small number of productions, Chandler has worked on […]