PA Rate… and Raises
I’ve talked before about PA rate in a blog post appropriately titled… “PA Rate.” Everything there still applies, but I wanted to talk for a moment about negotiating for a higher rate. On every PA interview I’ve been on, the coordinator will ask either “What’s your rate?” or “What did they pay you on your […]
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 […]
See You on the Next One…
The standard “goodbye” on a film set or production office is “See you on the next one.” It’s not as harsh as goodbye. It’s a little more definitive than a simple see you later. It acknowledges that this is the life we’ve chosen, moving from job to job like itinerant circus performers. But let’s get […]
Parkinson’s Law of Wrap
On almost every show I’ve been on, someone has remarked during production that we’ve been allotted an ungodly amount of time for wrap. You’ll hear, “Can you believe the studio is giving us five weeks for wrap? What are we going to do with all that time?!” Or you might get, “I once had to […]
Production Yak
I’ve talked before about Coordinators 411, which – as you know – is a Google group that includes all of the production coordinators, APOCs, secretaries, and eager PAs working in Hollywood today. It’s a great resource when you need to find an animal trainer before tomorrow morning’s 7am call time or need to unload all […]
Whistle While You Work
Imagine a quaint little production office. UPM knows everybody by name, asks them about their weekend and their career ambitions. The Coordinator is keen on being fair when he doles out overtime and permission to wrap it up each evening. The kitchen is stocked with delicious, healthy food. The PAs hurry to and fro, whistling […]
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 […]
Anonymous Job Postings
Sorry I’ve been lax in posting lately. It’s been due mostly to the demands of production (and the fear of getting caught blogging about the demands of production). Hollywood Juicer has a great post about the back nine. I had something I wanted to comment on it, but I’ve forgotten in the intervening week since I read […]
You’re Fired
Shawn writes: Great “Goldilocks” blog entry and a fine job as always. How often is it that people get fired over such contradictions, especially for infractions like ordering too much food. (I mean, who doesn’t like leftovers?) In my experience, very few people actually get fired. That includes people who deserve to be fired. I […]
The Last PA
At the beginning of the show that I’m currently on, I wrote about the special role of the First PA – the first PA hired, the first PA to endear himself to the hearts and minds of the higher-ups. Now, as this show wraps up, I thought it wise to talk a little about the […]
Another Conversation I Have Nearly Every Day
This happens all the time. If this is you, please, do everyone a favor and stop it.
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 […]