Where to Begin…
Reader Robert has a few questions– I have no experience in the entertainment industry – do productions ever consider or hire candidates with absolutely no experience? Having no experience is one of the key qualifications of being a PA. If you had experience, you’d find a better job. But the truth is, you do have […]
Life Cycle of a Show (Act II)
Now you’re on the job! What happens next?
Life Cycle of a Show (Act I)
Step One: Hear About the Show When you’re looking for a job, anything sounds good. “They’re strippers who are also spies? That’s totally plausible, and I wouldn’t be at all ashamed to tell my mom I worked on that movie.” Step Two: Research Once I decide to apply, I immediately IMDb everyone involved in the […]
Save Your Money
When I worked at an agency, a good fifty percent of our clients were out of work at any given time. Those clients called almost every day, asking if my boss had work for them. I don’t know why they thought he wouldn’t call if he’d found work. He only gets paid if they get […]
Can’t Find a Job
I’ve called up everyone I know, even the ones I hate and swore I’d never work with again. I’m cruising all the usual websites, even my old alma mater’s job board (which never has anything good, despite being the oldest film school in the world). I finally resorted to a tactic I absolutely loathe. I […]
How to Move Up from Reality TV to Real TV
Reader Kelly writes: I love your blog, just wanted to say that. Thanks for writing it. Awwww. Well, that’s it for today! …Oh, wait, no. She also had a question: I have been working more and more in production, specifically most recently in reality. How do I get into being a P.A. in features or […]
Oh, Goody! My First Reader Question!
Reader Brian sent me a question, proving once again that “expertise” is a meaningless concept on the internet. I really enjoy your blog — thanks for all the info and frequent posting. That’s not actually part of the question. It just made me feel good. I just applied for a PA position at a network […]
Updating IMDb
I’m trying to update my IMDb page because, even though everyone knows it’s totally inaccurate and completely unreliable, everybody uses it. It’s weird, I know. Updating is a pain in the ass. They expect you to update your TV credits episode-by-episode. That’s just bad web design. I’ve worked on more than sixty episodes of television […]
Job Search Update
Apparently, the Craig’s List ad I referred to in my last post has already been flagged. I’d like to think one of my readers took it upon themselves to mark it inappropriate. Yup, just doin’ my part to clean up Craig’s List. On a side note: while searching for other inappropriate ads to make fun […]
Job Search
I’m on a job hunt right now, much sooner than I’d expected. While perusing Craig’s List, I came across this ad. After the usual rigmarole about being diligent and hard working, the ad ends thusly: Please send a RESUME (with contact info)and a PHOTO. Wow. I like how he staunchly avoids using the feminine pronoun, […]
How to Get Your Script Read By Someone Other Than Your Mom
Okay, more detail may be required than that last post. Here’s what DJ actually asked: Can you describe how the process went with the writer reading your script? Did you ask or did he offer? How well did you know him? How long did it take for him to get back to you? Did he […]
Memo To Anyone Sending in Your Resume
If you’re sending in your resume, please keep the following in mind: Your resume does not need to be six pages long. Steven Spielberg’s is not that long. I used to work for an agency that represented Oscar and Emmy winners, and no one’s resume was more than a page. If you just graduated from […]