How to Interview
[Redacted]{{1}} asks: I just got a call to come in for an interview next week on a new show. Over the past decade of my production experience, every significant job I’ve had came from word-of-mouth, friends, people I’ve worked with before, etc. – I’d never even had a resume till recently, and I’ve never actually […]
Working Title
Gabrielle writes in (via Twitter, which is why it’s so short): The movie I worked on is still in pro&working under a mock title does the m.t. or the actual name go on the resume? This is similar to a question Melissa asked a couple months ago, but it still bears addressing. I’m assuming you […]
TAPA Tweets for the week ending 2013-06-01
TAPA Tweets for the week ending 2013-05-25 http://t.co/og5lsLjTVo 13:35:20, 2013-05-26 So, I Have This Weird Idea… http://t.co/UUMQygwVdq 09:01:21, 2013-05-27 RT @commonladybug: This Tuesday has Monday written all over it. 07:20:43, 2013-05-28 RT @BrieCook: The bad part about rolling straight into a shoot day after a long weekend is that I fear today's episode will kick […]
How to Get on The List
Korey writes in: I was curious about how to go about contacting productions directly to be added to their “available list” for PA work. I know that a lot of productions operate under several different companies, and the information available on IMDb Pro isn’t always accurate. I live in Hollywood and have worked on some […]
Defending Yourself
Tuesday’s post about the idiot producer’s assistant on my show generated a lot of feedback. Some of it was violent (I hope they were kidding), but quite a few people suggested I should stand up for myself. It sounds fun in theory, but here’s where I put my practical hat on. While proclaiming your innocence […]
Should I Send My Resume Twice?
T writes in: Omg, I made changes to my resume based on your resume advice and there’s already a huge improvement. Is it a bad idea to resend your resume to a company you just applied too? I know it’s probably a really stupid question but I know the one I have now is soooo […]
Never Good Enough
Sometimes, you just can’t win. Over the long weekend, I had to set up a meeting between my boss and the producer, because the showrunner did a major re-write on the script that changed the budget drastically. I actually thought I got the good end of the deal, because one of the PAs had to […]
So, I Have This Weird Idea…
I was thinking it might be fun to create a TAPA webcomic. Sometimes, words just aren’t enough to convey the craziness and stupidity on set. A weekly or bi-weekly comic would be another way to show future PAs what they’re in for. The thing is, I can’t draw.{{1}} Not even a stick figure, much less […]
TAPA Tweets for the week ending 2013-05-25
Don't forget to listen to 89.9 @kcrw today at 2:30 to hear me ramble. 🙂 07:22:51, 2013-05-20 Job Offer I Don't Want http://t.co/ZPETBogLoK 13:03:57, 2013-05-20 RT @vashte: Oh…so *that's* what a PA does! http://t.co/XwSXtI1j4o @TheAnonymousPA 11:46:54, 2013-05-21 RT @TheFinalFangirl: 26% of new pilots center around a female lead. 6% have people of color as the […]
You Can’t Beat Stupid
Some days, I’ll read a script that’s inspiringly good. “This is how I want to write,” I think to myself. “This well-crafted story, these original characters, these hilarious jokes.” Other days, the writers will turn in a real stinker, and it’ll inspire me in another way: “Shit, I can write better than this.” And then […]
Job Offer I Don’t Want
A Canadian reader wrote in– I recently moved to a big city in Canada to work in the film/tv industry. I graduated from uni last year and I thought I wanted to do editing. Then I did editing at a small company in my hometown and realized that it was not what I dreamed it […]
TAPA on the Radio
I recently visited the studios of KCRW to be interviewed for The Business. I didn’t mention it, because I had no idea when it would air. (The interview is what they call “evergreen,” meaning I didn’t talk about anything time-sensitive, so they’d be able to play it whenever they had some time to fill on […]