When You Don’t Know Their Name
Steph writes in: I am in the process of sending over my cover letter and resume to an open crew call for a new series. I am putting my name forth to be a Set PA. My issue right now is that I am unable to verify if the AD or 2nd AD that worked […]
Assistant Production Coordinator Jasmine Barceló
Today’s guest is someone most of my readers would like to meet– an assistant production coordinator. Jasmine Barceló started out as a PA on Dexter, just like you or me, and has worked her way up to a position of authority. (At least, as far as PAs are concerned.) If you’re the kind of person […]
What’s a Base Camp PA?
Justin writes in: Recently I was on a passion project as a PA with a very knowledgable 2nd AD. I told him I was interested in being an office PA, and he showed me paperwork that office PAs have to work with, like something called an “[glossary]exhibit G[/glossary]” and getting out times and such. He […]
Twelve Hours Not Guaranteed
In the last year or so, I’ve noticed a trend among the bigger studios– no 12 hour guarantee for production assistants. Technically, the law took effect on January 1st, 2013, but not every studio has pressed the issue. Others, like Warner Brothers, have realized that they can save money by not guaranteeing a twelve hour […]
Cinematographer Joaquin Sedillo
You guys, Joaquin Sedillo shot Veronica Mars (the series, not the movie). Do I really need to say anything else? Oh, he’s the director of photography on Glee. So, he’s pretty much awesome. Listen in on a great conversation that covers the beauty of Kristen Bell, making marriage work between entertainment industry professionals, and brewing […]
Gun Safety
This is a story from a few years ago, back when I was a set PA on shitty indie movies. And by “indie,” I really mean “Skinemax.”{{1}} The movie was described as an “erotic action thriller.” It was about a team of women who were spies by night, and strippers by… other nights? I’m not […]
Guest Posts – The Trials of Being a PA
I wrote a guest blog post for Staff Me Up! Check it out. And since I wrote for them, here’s a guest post from one of my more experienced readers: 1. Let’s assume you, the PA, are asked to take orders and deliver lunch for five people. Boring, demeaning, pointless work, right? WRONG! This is […]
Production Listings
Nash writes in: I have been considering paying for a subscription to the Production Alert service. I just wanted to know if you thought it was worth it for someone looking to get more PA work? I’ve never found a job through listing services like Production Alert or Production Weekly. The Hollywood Reporter apparently realized […]
Property Master Jim Falkenstein
Today’s episode features a very enthusiastic prop master, Jim Falkenstein. He talks with TAPA about on-set dressers, brain cheese, unscrupulous prop masters, and Val Kilmer’s cigarette lighter. Check out Jim’s website, including the prop mistake of the week. The producer of today’s episode was Chris Henry, who also wrote the theme. If you like the […]
How to Dress for a Studio or Network
Evelyn has found herself in a fortunate position: A family contact has arranged for my son to have lunch with a VP of Production at a major studio. This may not lead to a job, but hopefully he will end up having a valuable contact. Lunch will be in the studio cafeteria, with a tour to follow. How […]
So You Work at a Studio, But You Want to Work on a Show
Ira{{1}} writes in: I am currently interning at one of the bigger studios in the industry right now. I was curious, is there anyone who works here (in the offices) that I would be able to network with in hopes of getting connected with a PA job? There seems to be more chances of networking with […]
Script Coordinator & Writers’ PA Eddie Quintana
Today’s guest is in a position that I know a lot of my readers want to hear about: script coordinator and writers’ PA. Eddie Quintana tells us about his journey from office PA on films to script coordinator on TV series. Along the way, Eddie touches on such topics as stocking the fridge, finishing The […]