The Bitch List
I was recently interviewed for LA Women. There’s quite a lot about how women are treated in the Industry, a subject that doesn’t come up on TAPA as much as it should. Here’s a quick snippet: You work for a guy and he doesn’t take you seriously, you work for a girl and she sees […]
Taxes: A Follow-Up
Filed my taxes this morning. NGL: 2011 was a good year. My accountant even remarked, “Wow. It looks like you’ve been working a lot.” Why yes, I have. Here’s what she was able to write off for me: Home office and utilities.{{1}} My iPhone 4 Mac OS X Snow Leopard Gas, oil changes, new tires, […]
My Meeting with the Unemployment People
Two weeks ago, I received a letter from the EDD, telling me that I had an appointment to go in and talk to someone about my job search. On the back of the letter was a worksheet for me to fill in the information for six jobs that I had applied to within the last […]
TAPA at Sundance: Part Two
A few more thoughts on Sundance, for the TAPA readers who are going for weekend #2 or Sundance 2013. The shuttles. It’s tough for a lot of Los Angelenos to go someplace that relies so heavily on public transportation. Nobody at Sundance drives. Everybody walks, everybody takes the shuttles. On the plus side, they’re free. […]
TAPA at Sundance: Part One
On sort of a whim (and an unexpected gift from my parents), I went to Sundance this year. For those tenacious PAs who are heading up to Park City, Utah, later this week or mulling a trip for next year, I thought I’d prepare a handy guide of Do’s and Don’ts for the festival: Dress […]
The Labyrinth of Unemployment (Insurance)
The longer you work in production, the better you should become at filing for unemployment, right? Wrong. I can file. I can order office supplies. I can organize a cast list and a crew list and a non-confidential cast list. I can email out call sheets and schedules. I can keep inventories. I can [glossary […]
No, You Don’t Need to Go to Film School
Lately, several readers have been asking if they need a degree from film school to get a job. No, you don’t. The truth is, the only film schools recognized by the Industry are USC, UCLA, and NYU. Outside of those three schools, no one is going to be impressed. No one’s going to be impressed […]
Does My Degree Matter?
Bumbling British Boy asks: Would a degree somewhat removed from the end product be detrimental or could I, as I hope, not-so-simply segue into the Production Designer pathway with some cunning career feng-sui? When I first got to the Overpriced Film School, I reacted with attitudes typical of any eighteen year old – petulance and […]
Job Postings on TAPA
I just received an interesting email from reader Ashley– Not sure if you do this sort of thing, but can I make a request to post a job on your site? I’m a personal assistant to a lit. film agent at a major agency, and since he just got me a reading job there, I […]
On the Merits of Internships
Last week, EMJ asked, regarding the Black Swan intern lawsuit: Unpaid internships are part of “the game”, but does that justify the way they exploit those trying to get into the industry? Let’s not forget all of the other hiring practices that were once considered fair game in the business world, that no longer are. […]
I Hate Your Work
Recently, I got rejected. Not by a significant other or a friend, or even an employer like this blog usually focuses on. I had a client hate the spec I was commissioned to create for them. It sucks wholeheartedly, of course, but it’s a testament to my progress these past long years that I wasn’t offended, […]
On Set Internship
Amy commented a while back: If I were to enroll in school to be able to take internships, how would one go about getting an on set internship? I’ve watched a few credits that have “art department intern” and other credits listed but I can never find these through production company websites or other job […]