Tales from Lock Up
The other day, I tweeted out the above image, from Movie Set Memes, about lock up. I got some interesting responses: @TheAnonymousPA I was in New York City when they were filming I AM LEGEND. There was a lone PA “locking up” ped traffic near Madisen Ave. — Anthony Robinson (@antoniusrex) December 30, 2016 On […]
Confirm Your Schedule
The turning of the calendar got me thinking about dates, and scheduling. This is always a major headache in Hollywood, because you’re working with a lot of busy, important people who want to prove they’re important by pretending to be busy. As an assistant or a PA, scheduling a meeting can be difficult, especially when […]
Two Sides to Hollywood
When someone contacts me about my resume service, the first thing I ask is, “Do you want to be a PA, or an assistant?” Because, you see, there are two sides to Hollywood: the business side, and the production side. Here, I’m using “production” in the broadest sense, encompassing every department from art to editorial. […]
What To Do When You Don’t Get Paid
Ginny writes in about what to do when you’re not paid on time (or at all)– Hope all is well. I’ve got a question. So I worked on a production a month back in Atlanta. I still haven’t gotten paid (for the day), and now I’m hearing that the production was shut down. Accounting and […]
No Entertainment Industry Experience
Sally, one of my Patreon supporters, writes in about lacking entertainment industry experience: Thank you again for this week’s list! If you don’t mind and have a minute, would you please comment on my question for you? I want to be in the office and I have administrative experience, however, about 95% of the positions […]
To Whom It May Concern
Laura writes in about the proper salutation for a cover letter: One quick question: Should I address the letter to the person who is collecting the resumes or the person hiring? This is an easy one: the person who’s hiring. That’s who you’re trying to impress with your experience and accomplishments. For most readers of […]
The End of Year Slowdown
I was talking with producer Chris about an episode of Crew Call he recorded last night{{1}} One of the topics that came up was the holiday slowdown in Hollywood. Some of my newbie readers may not be aware of this phenomenon, so I thought now would be a good time to explain. Nothing Happens Between […]
The One Time Being a Fan Got Me a Job
Generally speaking, it’s not a good idea to talk about being a great big fan of the show you’re applying for. This business attracts a lot of weirdos, which makes people extra cautious when deciding whether or not to hire someone. They’re going to be working with you 12 hours a day for the next […]
Reconnecting Just to Ask for a Job
Fred writes in about reconnecting with an old boss: So, a field producer I worked for a couple years ago (I was a PA) recently started working on a show that I like. I haven’t actually spoken to him in maybe a year or so, but I want to ask him if he could pass […]
“But What I Really Want to Do is Direct” Or: How to Guarantee You Won’t Get the Job
Right now, on the TAPA job board, there is an opening for a Production Technical Assistant. A few hours after sharing that job post, I received this email from the employer– We have been getting a bunch of resume’s from people who “want to direct” or are “really writers”. I’ve had a bunch of people […]
Crew Call is Back!
Crew Call, the below-the-line podcast, is back for another season on iTunes!{{1}} Some of you may recall that TAPA created a podcast a couple years ago, wherein I interviewed below-the-line crew–DPs, editors, and so on. But because it was so time consuming and expensive, we only made one season. I was saddened by that, because […]
Your Resume Should Match the Job You’re Applying For
Replying to last week’s post about resumes, Talli writes: I’m actively looking for a job (trying to move from production company to a show) and my immediate supervisor knows I’m looking to move on (and is actually encouraging it–“don’t get stuck here.”) While I’m technically the office PA, I’ve been doing the job of production […]