Caragnarok
As everybody probably knows by now, the 405 will start closing at 7:00pm tonight, and will continue to be closed until early Monday morning. People are reacting like it’s the end of the world… It’s not. First of all, this is happening on the weekend. People aren’t going to and from work. Yes, folks in […]
The No-Experience Resume
Chris is experiencing a common problem: I’m about to start hunting for PA jobs in NYC after a 4 years as a reporting analyst. After a lot of thought I have decided that I would like to work in film/tv, eventually if I’m lucky and good enough as a writer or director. I have been writing […]
What’s the Point of the UTA Joblist?
First off, there’s a new UTA Joblist on the TAPA site, dated 6/21 (thanks to the readers who sent me the new one). I don’t know why some people get the list earlier than others. If you ever happen to get a more up-to-date one than you see here, please send me a copy, so […]
How to Quit
Michael writes: I am a creative assistant for a feature film director. I like and respect the director, but, because of an array of circumstances, I am seeking employment elsewhere. My question is this: how do I quit without completely ruining the contact and relationship I have with him? Keep in mind it’s not going to be brutally ugly for […]
UTA Joblist on TAPA
I’ve blogged about the joblist before, but for those of you who don’t know, it’s a basically just a list of job openings, compiled by assistants at the United Talent Agency. There are a number of places online to find the UTA Joblist, but lately, they all seem to be updating way too slowly. These […]
Email Cover Letters
Elysia asks: When a production, indie or major, asks for applicants to send a resume via email should you attach a cover letter as well or write it in the body of the email? Absolutely include a cover letter. Without a cover letter, people will assume you just don’t care about the job, and you’re […]
Big Move
As you may have noticed, there’s been some changes around TAPA. I found a replacement TAPA, who is an excellent writer and very knowledgeable about the business. I may pop in every now and then to write a post, but I’m guessing you won’t even notice the change. The other change is… we’ve moved! TAPA […]
Beach Party Summer
In honor of Memorial Day: One of the best things about the entertainment industry being planted in LA is the gorgeous pacific coastline that offers such breathtaking scenery. It’s pretty much an unavoidable filming location. I love the beach (though I try not to think about where the city’s sewage goes) and you’d think that […]
How Old Is Too Old?
Barbara asks: I had a question about age – I looked through your posts but was not able to find any posts about it – how old is ‘too old’ from what you’ve seen in the work field? Are people willing to hire inexperienced PAs only in their early 20s? I’ve met at least two […]
The Name Game
Last week, I started working in a new production office, which means lots of new show anxiety. New show anxiety means frantically digging through my room, looking for my social security card in order to prove my identity for my I-9, telling myself over and over, “I should really invest in a filing cabinet.” New […]