What If This ISN’T What I Want to Do With My Life?
Laura responded to yesterday’s post: I don’t want to be the one comment here that sh*ts on your point,{{1}} but I have been in this reader’s position for at least 4 years now and have come across some additional problems after taking a step back and making a decision. My choice was that I’d be […]
Career Crisis
An anonymous reader{{1}} writes in: I’ve been an appreciative reader of the APA blog for several years, throughout which I also worked in television and film development and production as a production assistant. I originally went into the industry because I was in love with the idea of doing something for a living that was […]
Good Enough Is Not Good Enough
It’s a little sad to think about, but the basic minimum requirements of a PA are easy to meet.
But not everybody can do it well.
Grip & Inventor Steve Cardellini
If you’ve spent any time around grips, you’ve very likely heard our guests’ name: Steve Cardellini. He is the veteran grip who invented the eponymous Cardellini Clamp. If you haven’t heard that term, you’ve definitely seen it– Not only will Steve tell us about the day-to-day life of a film grip; he also discusses gripping […]
Out of State PA
Morgan writes in: I currently live in the Austin area and for the last few years we’ve had a nice share of TV shows filmed in the area (The Lying Game, Friday Night Lights, From Dusk Til Dawn, etc). I was told by an extra that a lot of studios are becoming reluctant to film […]
What I’ve Been Up To
Dear Constant Reader, I want to apologize for the dearth of regular programming here at The Anonymous Production Assistant. I’ve been on location{{1}} for the past month or so, because runaway production is still a thing. The only reason Crew Call has been going up on a regular basis without delay is the hard work […]
Personal Assistant Stuart Friedel
On today’s episode, you’ll actually get to hear the voice of Stuart Friedel, assistant to John August and producer of the podcast Scriptnotes. The job of a personal assistant is a multifarious thing. He assists (as you might imagine) John not just in writing, but also in the creation of apps and, of course, producing […]
On the Subject of Subect Lines
Yesterday’s post was on the topic of when to move on. Here’s the subject line from the original email: To Grow My Hair, Or Chop It Off And Start Fresh? Now, that’s a lovely metaphor and everything, but seriously, this does not tell me what the email is about. I actually thought she was asking […]
When To Move On
S. writes in: I started out as an intern last year on [redacted tabloid show]. Before my internship was over, I was offered a freelance Set PA position. The season ended in May, and I stayed on in the summer to work in the office. A few weeks ago, the EP asked me into her […]
Two Resumes
Scott writes in: The NBC Universal Careers twitter tweeted this link about the automated systems that scan resumes for keywords. I’ve applied to a lot of jobs through these horrible portals such as Brassring and I’ve never gotten a call back. This infographic is interesting, but whenever I see these types of tips I always […]
Post Production Coordinator Zach Moss
Today we hear from post production coordinator Zach Moss, who is recently off the first seasons of Red Widow and Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. He’ll tell us about stock footage, post production security, and the many uses of the back of the actors’ heads. (No, really!) The producer of today’s episode was Chris Henry, who […]
Awkward Conversation
An anonymous reader writes in: Recently, the 2nd AD kinda said something inappropriate and made me feel uncomfortable. I kinda just told him I wasn’t comfortable with what he said, and we moved on. So I thought. After that incident, I haven’t really heard anything from him as far as work was concerned. When I […]