Focus
Jared commented on yesterday’s post: I generally pick favorites and cater to them. There’s just no way i’m going to make everyone happy, so why try? When lunch is in my hands I cater to my bosses (POC, APOC,) and the ADs wants and needs. Those are the people who hire PAs in the future […]
Lunch “Break”
I’m a people pleaser, which is why ordering lunch is very stressful for me. On most shows, the office will eat off the catering truck, like the rest of the crew. But that only works if the company is on stage, and shooting daylight hours. If the crew is shooting a split day, you can’t […]
We Were Driving, Driving in Your Car
Colin commented on the bus story: I’ve been living & working in LA for almost 2 years now, car-less… Yes it can be more complicated, but as a working cinematographer/director on small projects, I find people either give me transportation, (or you fly to another city) or I’m on a 2-day shoot and then editing […]
PA vs. Intern
Haley commented recently: Thanks for your Blog of awesomeness! So, I just got an interview to be an Art Dept. intern on a new Showtime series (yay!), and I had two questions for you. 1) What is the difference between a PA and an Intern on set? Legally, it means you can’t work. No, really. […]
It’s Not All About You
Not long ago, I was working casting on a reality show. It’s very different from (read: “less professional than“) a scripted show. In scripted, the actors have scheduled appointments; they have scenes that they’re supposed to have prepared; they’re polite, but focused on the task at hand. For reality shows, it’s basically a cattle call. These […]
Other People Work Hard, Too
I saw this video on a couple friends’ Facebook pages recently: I can definitely sympathize with the coordinator in this video. All day long, the only thing we in the office hear from the ADs are stupid requests for things they already have, or things we don’t even have yet. Of course, from their perspective, […]
Let It Never Be Said That I Can’t Change My Mind
A couple of sound points came out of yesterday’s comments section. From Galen: Don’t forget that actors often have to go through hair and make up after the blocking during the lighting set-up. This takes a fair bit of time and it saves production money to have a [glossary]stand in[/glossary]. I’m all for efficiency on […]
Money Can’t Buy Happiness
…but it can buy not-unhappiness. (I’m paraphrasing Adam Carolla, here.) (Yes, really.) (No, I’m not some kind of misogynist. I just think he’s funny, okay?) (Shut up.) Anyway. There are rich people who are sad. There are poor people who are happy. To a large degree, our ability to put up with things (or not) […]
Maybe I Should Quit
Here’s how I tell if someone is smarter than me– when they tell me something, I think to myself, “That makes perfect sense, and I never would have thought of it.” Case in point: I suspect a lot of people aren’t sure what’s the top idea in their mind at any given time. I’m often […]
We Don’t Need No Education
Commenting on yesterday’s post, Tom asked: Correct me if I am wrong but… Nobody cares if you have a college degree in the industry anyway. You are not wrong. Being a filmmaker, from the biggest producer to the lowliest PA, is not like being a doctor or engineer. If we screw up, nobody dies. You’ll just […]
Business Cards
Jake writes: You mentioned business cards in your latest post, “I made a few connections, had nice conversations, exchanged business cards (I carry one purporting to be a writer; there’s no need for a PA to have a business card).” Back in October, an AD told me to get business cards stat, in order to look more professional and […]
Who Would Want To Be A PA? (Revisited)
It’s still a great place to start.