Try Harder
On my way to interview for my first job in Hollywood (as a PA, natch), I got a flat tire. I was just cruising along Ventura Blvd., listening to KROQ, thinking about how I finally had a chance to put my film schooling to good use, when BAM! Flat. You can imagine my consternation. I […]
Waiting for Scripts
Sheila writes: I’m the third PA on [show]. When I started, it was great – I felt like I have a leg up by having a gig in the first place. Plus, we almost never shot nights, and I was only working about 10 hours a day. But… in the last few weeks, we started […]
Dream a Little Dream of… Production
Max writes: Do you ever get what I call PA dreams? What happens to me is that during weeks with particularly high levels of stress, I have reoccurring dreams in which I’m aware that it’s 3AM and yet also aware that my Coordinator or Production Manager wants me to get out of bed and bring […]
I Don’t Know Where I’m Going… Is That Okay?
L. writes: I’ve been PA’ing on sets for a while now and it’s gotten to the point where I have PM’s or producers asking me what area I want to PA in. Does it look bad if I’m not sure and just tell them wherever they need me? Or should I have a clear idea […]
Why Are You Terrible at Everything?
In response to yesterday’s announcement of a new UTA Joblist, Deran asked: I don’t see anything in this post besides the title…am I doing something wrong? Yes. You are doing many things wrong, most of which are beyond the scope of this blog. The link to the UTA Joblist is at the top of the […]
No iPhone, No Job
David writes: I’m fresh out of college, I’ve worked a few unpaid PA gigs here and there, but today I almost got a five day gig at Day Rate! The problem came when I was asked if I had a smart phone. I said I have a older cell phone, I have a GPS, and I have an […]
Just Because It’s Free…
…doesn’t mean you have to eat it (ALL). I’ve gained twelve pounds on this show. Considering my size, that’s put me over the edge into the “overweight” territory. I’m not someone who obsesses over their weight, but the last thing I need is to be catching heat for being the tubby PA. The PA lifestyle […]
Connecting
Mr. Hart replied to a post from earlier in the week: Ok so lets say you have a well written screenplay or you are in the process of writing one, how does one go about selling it? For example, I am a PA on a television series and what if I wanted to write a […]
Where References Go
Man, I have been letting the mail bag pile up. Here’s an email from October 5th: I sent in my resume [to a production company] but in hindsight should have added a much better cover letter not my generic one. I have gone and read everything I can find on them and emailed just about […]
Going International
This week, the show I’m on leaves the friendly confines of Los Angeles for the unpredictability and authenticity of Eastern Europe. This means that for the last week, the entire crew has been running around like a bunch of toddlers, fearing “the move” like it were the pending apocalypse. I’m sure if these same people […]
Act Like You’ve Been There Before
This week, our #2 actor started, so we sent him a bouquet of flowers to congratulate him. (It wasn’t until I typed that last sentence that I realized how stupid of a Hollywood tradition it is to congratulate an actor for starting a show. The only thing they’ve done up to that point is sign a […]
Saving Money
A friend of mine got a new gig recently. When introduced to the producer, the producer said, “Really? I wanted the nicer walkie talkies, but I can’t afford them and your rate, too. Fuck. Well, good for you.” This is not to say those walkies were expensive. It’s ridiculous to suggest a production couldn’t afford […]