The Future of Cinema
Wow, you guys! The Kickstarter campaign is DONE. People contributed $2512, which is 136% of what I asked for. And now, the real work begins.{{1}} As promised, I’ll be interviewing people from all over the crew list. For my younger readers, you’ll get an overview of what each department is like. For my more experienced […]
Recommended Day Jobs
Sam writes: Do you have any recommendations for day jobs that a new PA might take? I’m talking about jobs that are super flexible, and allow for last minute schedule changes, as many PA gigs are short notice. Preferably something besides waiter or minimum wage slave. Might seem like a dumb question, but I’m having […]
Should I Text or Call?
Henriette writes in: Thanks again for explaining how POs work, you saved my green PA ass! I’m writing because a couple of months ago I had an interview with the Designer and the Art Director for a show, which went great, but the show never actually started. The Art Director called me and gave my […]
The Reality About Reality
Last week, I wrote some not-so-nice things about reality television. Full disclosure: I’ve worked on more than a few reality shows, and had some bad experiences. However, I received some emails and comments that take exception with what I wrote. A reader who asked that I not reveal her name or the show she works […]
The Real Cause of the Earning Gap
The Real Cause of the Earning Gap In which our intrepid blogger explains why there is a wage gap, and offers no good solution whatsoever… On this week’s episode of Scriptnotes, John August and Craig Mazin discussed the WGA Writers Report. They made a lot of good points, and you should totally listen to that […]
How’s My Hosting?
TAPAlooza III: Season of the Witch{{1}} was last night. Considering it was a weeknight at a wine bar, the vibe was a lot different than the last two meet-ups. The problem with most networking events is that the people who go are people who need jobs, which is why they’re attending the event in the […]
Reality Television is Very Different
D writes in: I have a few friends in the industry who have told me to NEVER work in reality production. I recently moved back to LA from Atlanta and have a lot of experience producing independent film and TV. I know the game is bigger in LA and am happy to start off working […]
A Link to the Past
It’s finally hiatus! So, instead of writing a post, I’m just going to recommend a bunch of links. First up, some fellow below-the-line bloggers have plugged my Kickstarter campaign for Crew Call: The Below the Line Podcast.{{1}} Mike Taylor was kind enough to be the first test-case guest. He seems to think he didn’t do […]
Some Paperwork Matters
If you’re wondering why I haven’t posted in a bit, it’s because I’ve been spending may days buried in binders. Which is unfortunate, because some cool things have happened. (More on that in a minute.) Mostly it feels like picking up diamonds on a deserted island, saving them in case we get rescued. The majority […]
What So Good About Friday? Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love Union Holidays
Today is Good Friday, the day Catholics and Mainline Protestants commemorate the death of Jesus. Good Friday is always the Friday before Easter, which is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox. Why does this matter to you? Because Good Friday is a union holiday. So is Easter,{{CORRECTION}} but seriously, […]
You Need To Learn How To Write
I don’t mean you need to learn how to create believable characters and craft interesting stories. I mean, you need to learn how to write legibly. Even this late in the season (three days to go!), we get new crew members almost every day. Usually they’re day players, but it doesn’t matter if you’re here […]
A High Class Problem: How to Choose Between Two Offers
Nick writes in: I recently was called by a Production Coordinator I’ve worked with previously for an Office PA position on a TV show. He mentioned the show’s producer/writer was also in need of an assistant, and if I preferred I could take that position. Which position make the most sense to take from a […]