Picky Picky
Whether you’re on set or in the office, lunch is always provided (unless you work on a cheap-ass reality show; then all bets are off). Of course, if you’re somewhere else, as I am right now,{{*}} you might miss out on the food. If you’re lucky, someone will remember to set aside a plate for […]
You Outta Be in Pictures
There’s a great big photo hanging in our office of the entire crew, save for two people. The set photographer (obviously), and me. They gathered everybody on stage, but of course, the producer couldn’t leave the office completely unattended. What if somebody called to, you know, ask when episode ten starts shooting? (Agents do this […]
Pet Peeve
Scripts change in TV. They change a lot. The first draft distributed to department heads is usually just a rough guide. You know, so location managers can start scouting, construction crews can start building, casting directors can start casting. That draft will be rewritten at least a half dozen times before filming begins. Sometimes these […]
Brave New World
A friend of mine is working on a game show, and he related to me the following story: We have a lot of contestants on our show. Like, a LOT. Casting has more PA’s than production just to keep track of them all. When the contestants check in, we give them all name tags. Along […]
Time Lords
When you work in Hollywood, whether in features or TV, your time is not your own. For starters, a normal day is twelve hours. And that’s twelve hours of filming. Several departments (production, make up, locations, transpo) have to come in before call or stay well after wrap. So, half the day gone just working. […]
DGA Trainee Program
If you want to be an AD, the DGA Trainee Program is a pretty good deal.
I Use an Electric Stapler
Nathan over at Polybloggimous is experiencing a problem so epic, he’s confused the X and Y chromosomes. (If something has no Y chromosomes, it’s female.) Apparently, he can’t get his stapler to work. I have no idea how to help the poor guy, because I work in the 21st century, where the copy machine does […]
Stupid Amounts of Money
I recently rediscovered Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip on Hulu. If you don’t remember the show, it’s basically a funny version of 30 Rock, except that it’s an hour long and doesn’t star a cute writer who vaguely resembles the former governor of Alaska. As much as I enjoy Studio 60, I must admit […]
Reality, TV
I had a strange experience yesterday. I saw someone I know on TV. Now, when you work in television, of course you see people you know, particularly if you watch the show you work on. But this wasn’t a show I’ve ever worked for. What was strange is that I knew this guy before I […]
Overheard in the Catering Line III
Set Decorator: “What did the bosses say when you went over budget on that set?” Construction Coordinator: “Budget? Budgets are for wimps.” This is everything both right and wrong with Hollywood.
Loose Lips
The other day, Michigan PA commented on a post: I live in MI and will be working on my first major film later this month. My question is, can I psot on my facebook page about my experiences while working on set? Yes and no. Yes, you can say, “My boss is awesome,” or “This […]
Demanding
On the subject of long weekends, yesterday the studio folks decided to play catch up. We had an early call, and imagine my surprise when the phone rang at 7:30. 7:30! This is a TV show. I’ve never heard the phone ring before ten. A Big Studio Exec was on the other end of the […]