Girl Talk Thursday: How to Eat on Set.

This week's Girl Talk Thursday is about food and cheap meals and eating under $10. Which is pretty much what I always do when I'm working. I'm a big fan of the one pot meal. Sunday happens and I throw a bunch of stuff in a pot. The end result is a chili or a stir fry or stew or soup or something that reheats well and can sit in my fridge for a week. I do a lot of stir frying when I'm cooking for myself. Some veggies, tofu, rice if I'm ambitious. It's all pretty simple and meat isn't involved so generally it stays low cost.

This week however I am not cooking. I'm currently working and therefore I'm being fed. Lunch is a big deal on set. People LOVE their food. I've already had to do two lunch runs today alone. First was for some stunt guys with an early call. Went to a local restaurant, picked up some burgers and a couple of Arnold Palmers, and that was lunch. Second was a McD's order for an actor. Big Mac, no onions. Easy.

My lunch today came off of a truck. Veggie burger topped with guac, side of french fries. Most amazing Mango & Mint smoothie ever. Actually, I think I have more smoothie in the fridge. Mmmm... smoothie...

My lunch was actually the crew's breakfast. Working in the office I'm on a different schedule than everyone else. While we may be shooting nights, all of our vendors still have normal business hours. The office needs to be open when they are. Our staff of four is currently working split shifts. Our coordinator and other PA are on the early shift working 8 AM to roughly 8 PM. The assistant coordinator and myself are on the late shift. Our call is 10 AM and we've been going until 11 PM or so (last night was nuts and we didn't finish until after midnight). Crew call however isn't until 5 PM and catering works around that. They started serving "breakfast" at 3:30 and that's when we had our lunch (minus the other PA who I made order something at 1 when I was grabbing the stunt guys orders). I was almost there until they served "lunch" tonight and considered staying. But I was tired. And not really hungry. Bed sounded like a much nicer option.

I was also eating from crafty all damn day. Fruit, nuts, the smoothie, chocolate... I had a bagel in the morning... COFFEE. So. Much. Coffee.

I didn't need anymore food tonight.

This show is a little different than a lot of the shows I've worked on in that our office is right next to the stage so we do have access to craft service and catering. On a lot of productions the office will be located somewhere other than where shooting is taking place. When that happens we're on our own for food. We stock our own kitchens, buy our own lunches. I'm getting spoiled here. I like it.

Oh man, yesterday at lunch they had this cucumber and dill salad... It was so damn good. The veggie options have been a little sparse on this show but they're doing okay. I'm eating plenty. And a lot of it has been YUM.

I'm going to gain twenty pounds by the end of this week. I know it. Ah well, isn't that like storing fat to get through the winter or something? After this week I'm back to unemployment and fending for myself. My meal options will be getting much slimmer. Back to the toast and hummus for me!

High Points

I'm not really sure which was better. The hour + myself and the other PA spent moving seven not so light folding tables and thirty folding chairs from our stage to our production office. Or when, 45 minutes before we were supposed to leave for the night, that stage manager came over to tell us that we had to move them all back... Yeah... That happened.

I'm working!

Two weeks on some reshoots, I got the call on Sunday, started yesterday at 8 AM, and that's how this industry works. (Ironic as I just put something similar in a short story and my character made a point of saying that this is NOT how the industry works. Really, I should know better)

It's busy! Super! And I'm tired! Super.

Actually, it kind of hurts to stand up right now. So I stopped doing that. I blame the chairs. The ones I carried, not the ones I sat it. Right.

We're also working in the ghetto. The part of LA you never enter. Unless the production space is cheap and then yeah. Just, um, don't go out alone at night? Or something like that.

I'm enjoying myself. It's exhausting and I'm a little bummed I've had to put some of my own writing projects on hold but it's so super nice to be back doing a little feature work. And to have a job for two solid weeks.

I'm not going to think about how sad it is that I now consider two weeks a long time... Also figures that someone else I know called to see if I was available to work on another thing this week. It comes in waves.

Right. On that note. I'm going to bed. I need sleep. And did I mention that my feet hurt? They do.

We'll see if the next two weeks bring me any stories to share. No promises. Sometimes you take what you can get.

Hopefully all of this work I've been getting lately means things are picking up. It's actually starting to kind of feel like it.

Production: What's for Lunch?

Again, lack of updates! I know! The short version of things to play catch up: I've been working for the last week and a half on some additional photography for a feature up at Warner Bros. in Burbank. Since it's only additional photography it's a super short job. We prepped last week, we shoot four days this week, there's probably a little bit of wrap next week, and then I'm done.

I was all determined to cook myself a lunch for tomorrow but I just got back a little bit ago from watching True Blood at L's and at this point I think it's just going to be a sandwich. Oh well. I have all kinds of exciting, tasty things from the Whole Foods I'm anticipating the eating of.

I love Whole Foods btw. I'm so underwhelmed by most of the groceries out here. We have access to such fabulous local produce and yet the Ralphs and the Pavillions et al manage to stock the worst stuff. That's probably not local and is definitely not fresh. What up with that?

I do like all the farmers market stuff but it really does get pretty expensive. And none of the markets I've been to can compare to what I was used to back east. Farmers markets in NYC? Lovely. If anyone has any LA suggestions for a good one, I'm all ears. Suggest away.

But the Whole Foods! They stock local and fresh and not hideously expensive! Plus, the stores are so awesome people just have to start making out on top of the apples! Those are some seriously exciting apples. (I swear I witnessed just that while shopping for Passover veggies with G. It was the Whole Foods in Manhattan Beach. If you were looking for someone to make out with amidst produce, you might want to try there...)

Do I really have to wake up at 5:30 again tomorrow? I love that I'm working and I am enjoying this job. But damn. Much more than three weeks of this would be exhausting. And would it not be nice to have another PA in the office? Oh you have no idea...

I am really enjoying being up on the lot at WB though, I've really got to say. I absolutely adore zipping along the back lot in the golf cart. Our golf cart is so zippy! Heh, and all the tourists on the studio tours totally stare at me. It's the "Look! Someone making movies!" stare that's a half curiosity, half envy, full of excitement stare. I know it well because I've done it plenty myself. And this is my industry. I'm silly.

Okay, I'm going to make a sandwich for tomorrow, set the auto on the coffee pot (most brilliant feature ever), and get some sleep. We start shooting on Tuesday and I feel like this is going to be a very, very long week.

Thoughts: My Weekend in Film 12/9

Before I say anything about anything, can I mention that yesterday was completely ridiculous? Because it was. Completely. It was busy from (literally) the second I walked into the office. Maybe I'll go into the details later but it included everything from an incredibly stupid mistake by me (try booking a car in the wrong city) to having a bird shit on my head. No kidding. That was awesome.

Okay, enough of that.

The first thing I want to mention (or would this be the second? Whatever...) is that the film that was once called Kids In America (and is now apparently called Young Americans) seems to have finally gotten a release date. KIA was my first gig as an Office PA. We shot out in Phoenix back at the beginning of '07 and for a long time there's been no word on when the film would actually be released. Until now. Now, according to IMDB, Kids In America aka Young Americans will be coming out on January 30, 2009. Of course, this is IMDB and therefore not always 100% reliable. And these things are always subject to change. But it's exciting and maybe it's even a little bit true. I'm not sure I really want to give them money to let me in the theater to watch it, but I am curious. We'll see I suppose.

Onto the weekend.

Friday PM:

We wrapped a little on the late side and by the time I got home I barely felt like dinner, let alone going out anywhere. So J and I parked in front of the TV, grabbed some drinks, and wandered through the oh so interesting programming that occupies the Friday night schedule. Luckily IFC was there to rescue us from the other mediocre options we were presented with.

They were totally showing Reefer Madness.

J and I decided that this crazy guy is awesome.

J has more of a relationship with the flick than I do, having once owned it on VHS. The only time I've seen it has been streaming online (I once watched it over the course of two days during a particularly boring stretch at ANTM). The reefer madness never really entered my life until I was a little older.

Reefer Madness is a riot. It's "scare tactics" really only serve to glorify the use of Marijuana. Those "awful" parties the kids go to look like a blast to me. Dancing, drinking, making out with strangers... what's so bad about that??? I guess there is always the madness, murder, and mayhem that eventually ensues. Eh, whatever!

The transfer on IFC looked not horrible but man oh man did that sound bad. I guess Reefer Madness isn't the kind of fare Criterion is going to pick up and restore anytime soon. Can't say I blame them. It's entertaining, maybe even subversive, and definitely exploitative but yeah. It's Reefer Madness.

And being that it's in the public domain, it's available online for watchin'.

After Reefer Madness I actually attempted to give The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake a chance. Um. Bad call. Not only is it awful (it's really awful) it's just plain, straight boring. After 40 minutes I just could not take anymore of Jessica Biel's stomach. I mean sure, it's a nice stomach, but come on.



And that guy who plays her fiance? So trashy! Why do movies and television always stick the absurdly hot girl with the really gross guy? It's so not fair. I mean, I know it's playing into a male fantasy, letting your regular Joe guys imagine for a second that they could ever have a chance with a girl like that (yeah right). But come on. NO FAIR. Chicks watch these movies too. If you're going to give Jessica's stomach that much screen time, at least give me a comparable set of male abs to stare at too.

TCM 2000 sucks.

*It's also bad beyond her stomach. It's just more of the same, slicked up Hollywood Horror. It has none of the grittiness or raw energy of the original. It looks horrible. It completely fails at building tension. And it's boring. I'm not really sure which offense is worse.

Saturday Afternoon:



After a lazy morning and moderately productive early afternoon, I finally got into my Friday Night Lights marathon. I watched the first four episodes of season 1 and I love it. It's so good! The show shot in what's very much so Peter Berg's style so it looks incredibly cinematic. Which is to say it looks good. Beyond the visuals though, what really makes the show great, is the story telling and the character treatment. The writing is just brilliant. These people come across as "real"; their relationships, the plot developments, the depiction of life in a small football town, it's all believable. I'm completely hooked.

I hear season 2 isn't as good but after what I've seen of season 1 I will watch all of it and be glad for it.

Sunday:

Another reason why I love TCM (Turner Classic Movies not Texas Chainsaw Massacre): all day Sunday they were doing a Disney movie marathon.

I started with:

Swiss Family Robinson



I adore Swiss Family Robinson. What kid wouldn't love that story of adventure? fighting Pirates, chasing off tigers, wrestling giant snakes, and living in the coolest tree house imaginable. No wonder they all decide to stay on the island. I wouldn't want to leave either!

Followed By:

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea



This movie was always one of my favorites as a kid. Personally, I think it shows my good taste. The stellar cast alone is reason to watch. Kirk Douglas, Petter Lorre, James Mason. Damn that's some casting. Sure the effects look a little cheesy now but I can still appreciate how groundbreaking they were for the time.

Kirk Douglas's little song routine is still one of my favorites ever. I'm not a huge fan of musical things, but I love that song.

Followed By

Old Yeller



Is it weird that I never saw this as a kid?

Followed By

The Parent Trap

Which I didn't actually watch because I had to go grocery shopping and eat and run to the airport to pick-up K.

Followed By

Pollyanna



It's been YEARS since I last saw Pollyanna. I still think the "Glad Game" is silly but I like the movie. I'd still really like to see the silent version starring Mary Pickford.

I'd also really like to see Happy-Go-Lucky. An apparently modern take on the story. It's been getting pretty good reviews and sounds fun.

***

Apologies for the brevity, but it's another busy day in the office. We wrap shooting today so probably needless to say, there's a lot going on. Moving all of the wrap gifts from the office to our cars not being the least of it. But yes, enough slacking for me. Back to work.

***

On the Slate:

I honestly don't really know. Haven't had time to think about it.

Production: On Confidence

Confidence is a funny thing. It can be so hard to have and so easy to lose. You can be confident when you should be careful, fearful when you're really fine.

Normally I'm fairly confident in my abilities. I know how to do my job. I like to think that I do it well. However, I have moments where I'm not so sure. On the first day of a new job, at moments when I have to talk to new people (especially "Important" people), in the occasional interview, if I've made a mistake. I'm certainly not infallible, I do make mistakes. But then again, who is and who doesn't?

There was this thing that happened today that made me feel not more confident per se, but it did make me realize I need to be a little less hard on myself.

First, back track to a year and a half ago. I had just moved to LA and was just wrapping on my first big feature (Kids in America now apparently Young Americans). It was my last week in the office and that week I was working with Accounting since Production had all ready wrapped. I had been working on the show since January and I knew all of the ins and outs, all of the little quirks. However, that last week as the sole Production person left, I found myself increasingly nervous that I was making mistakes. I would send the APOC (Assistant Production Coordinator) silly IMs about questions I really knew the answers to. I just didn't trust my own judgment. He was mostly patient with me, only giving me a hard time once when I asked him a really silly question about the fax machine ("What am I, a Xerox manual?"). It was just that being alone stripped away a measure of my confidence.

Come back to the almost present. Last week I had a brief interview for my new job. It's a job I know how to do. I know how it works. It's my first time officially doing it but there really isn't anything that's new to me. Doesn't mean I wasn't nervous during the interview. There was a lot riding on it. I was exhausted, having been well past the point of sleep deprivation, but mostly I was desperate. Desperate to get away from my previous place of employment where things had gotten so bad that I was ready to quit without having another job lined up. Regardless of whether or not the balance in my bank account would support me. Thankfully my interview panned out, after an incredibly awkward first fifteen minutes that stemmed in part from my lack of confidence. Lack of confidence can cost you jobs and has cost me one or two (House and Entourage come to mind. House I would have loved, Entourage wasn't really a position I wanted which I think came through in the interview as well). Luckily this time I was able to pull myself together and by the end of the interview everything was gravy.

Jump up to yesterday. My first day. Nothing major happened but I found myself taking two to three times longer to complete tasks than I normally would. Because of confidence. Insurance Certs? No problem! But... did I fill it out right? Am I sending it to the right person? Do I need to make X number of copies? It was all just first day jitters and now today I'm rolling right along. I feel confident :)

What happened this morning though that made me think of all this? Well, at my last job it was my responsibility to book cars for the talent to and from set during production. At some point in the late afternoon or evening the 2nd AD would call me or text me or IM me (or I would bug the shit out of him) and he would give me the times that the cars were needed for the next day. I would then book them and email everyone who needed to know the confirmations. It was a little bit of a process but not rocket science by any means.

My last day at the old place was Monday and to get them going I booked the cars for Tuesday and CC'd the 2nd AD (and several other people) on everything so he could see how it went. He's a smart guy, it's nothing he can't handle. Yesterday went fine and I didn't hear from him. Until this morning.

8:45 AM I miss a call from him. I call him back about ten minutes later.

"Hey, what's up?"
"Yeah, I was trying to avoid this, but..."

He then went into a list of questions and concerns (mostly just concerns) about the car service. It really wasn't anything he couldn't figure out for himself. He called me because I knew what was going on. Because I could tell him right away if he made any mistakes. He called to be reassured. He called me for the exact same reason that I called my old APOC about the fax machine. Sometimes you just need a little back-up.

The last two days have just had me reflecting on where I've been and where I've now gotten. I remember naively thinking during that last week on Kids In America that I was ready for everything LA had to throw at me. That I would be on a new film in a matter of weeks (as it turned out it was a matter of months before I found my next job and even longer until I got another feature). That I would be promoted in a show or two. It took me longer for all of that, I learned so much more than I even realized there was to learn, I've had a million and one different experiences and grown professionally as well as personally.

There's still a lot more of all of that to be done but now I've actually made it to where I wanted to go. I've reached my first short term goal. It didn't happen yesterday. It happened today. I now officially have that title that is the first on a short list of titles I'm working to have. More importantly, people are trusting me. They're asking me the questions I used to ask others. And now, I'm the one with the answers (or at least a lot of them! Can't be too cocky here, I still have plenty of my own questions).

Don't get me wrong, the last months, the last weeks especially, have been incredibly hard. Again, both professionally and personally. There are several very good reasons why I haven't updated this blog more in the last few months. I don't know if things are turning around now but in the optimistic atmosphere that I seem to be finding myself in (due in part to the historic election results from last night) I feel like maybe I can start to relax. Maybe things are heading back up.

Either way, this is pretty rad.

Production: Effect Inaction

A picture a friend of mine took last week in front of Disney Studios in Burbank, CA.

The show I am currently working on is looking for a PA. My APOC sent an email out to the coordinators' email list asking for resumes. This was yesterday. Ever since that email went out, she's been inundated with resumes from PAs. There have been phone calls. And in every conversation, in every message, there is a note of desperation.

Please, help me, I'm out of work.



Fox announced yesterday that it was going to go ahead and air new Family Guy episodes even though show creator Seth MacFarlane is on strike. Which is an interesting choice considering the fact the MacFarlane not only is involved in the writing of the show, he does several of the voices as well.

Last Sunday Fox aired the last completed pre-strike episode. Starting this Sunday, every new Family Guy airing is being produced without MacFarlane. While Fox does technically have the right to go ahead without MacFarlane's involvement, I agree with his assessment that it's "a dick move."

To quote him directly:

"It would just be a colossal dick move if they did that,"

So what's the big deal really? Family Guy is Seth MacFarlane's show. It's been a huge success for Fox and you know it's made a ton of money. Especially on DVD sales. Family Guy is famous for being resurrected after it's tremendous performance in the DVD market.

DVDs. One of the issues of this strike. Residuals that writers receive from DVD sales. Is this starting to come together for you yet?

Fox made a huge amount of money off of Family Guy when it was released on DVD. Fox continues to make a huge amount of money off of the show with new episodes, continued DVD sales, etc. And not only do they refuse to even consider sharing the profit with the creative talent behind the show, rather than respect the creator of this show that has turned them a substantial profit, the network and studio execs choose instead to go on without him.




So now I sit here in my office, look out over LA, and listen to the desperate phone calls.

"I heard you need a PA? Did you get my resume? Where can I send it?"

For one of these people there may be a job. For the rest? There will be uncertainty and frustration as they watch their job prospects fade away. The longer this strike lasts, more productions will shut down, and more PAs will being making these desperate phone calls to the few shows still running.

I am incredibly glad that I made the choice I did when I was offered this job I now I have. It wasn't my only option but it is the only one that currently still exists. If I had chosen differently I would be the one making the desperate phone calls rather than listening to my APOC answer them.

It all goes beyond money. It's about respect. It's about dignity. Right now, there's not much of any of that going around.

Article about Fox Airing Family Guy without MacFarlane

Production: Changing Toner

I spend a lot of my time playing with copy machines. Making copies, unjamming paper, dealing with staples, and adding toner.

I just finished adding toner to our machine and my hands were black. My nails still are.

Oh toner. Do you have any idea how many times I've found myself covered in toner? So so many. Hands, face, clothing. Head to toe. The worst are the toner cartridges like the one pictured above. No matter how careful you are, they make a mess. And if there happens to be a problem where the toner goes in, a broken copier, you're just screwed.

Yes, I have a toner story.

It was my first week on my first feature as a PA. I was attempting to make copies of script pages and the copier decided to give me an "Add Toner" message. I figured this was something I could handle, how hard could adding toner to copy machine be really? I could totally do this.

I ask the Production Secretary where the replacement toner is and I get to it. I pull out the cartridge, follow the instructions, so far so good. There is some shaking, some patting, and I'm ready to go.

Er, right.

I try to dump the toner into the machine. It doesn't seem to be going anywhere. You're supposed to be able to see the level of toner in the cartridge decrease. I see no such thing. So I'm thinking maybe it's emptied and I just don't know what I'm looking for.

Oh boy am I wrong. When I pulled that cartridge off of the copier... toner everywhere! Crap.

I clean up the mess and try it again. Still no luck but at least this time I know what to expect when pulling the cartridge off and manage to not make another mess.

Two goes and the copier is still out of toner. It's time to ask for help. The secretary joins me at the copier. The two of us together still can't get it to go but we at least manage to keep the mess to a minimum. Of course at this point, between my first spill and the subsequent failed attempts we've managed to waste about a quarter of the toner.

As the secretary and I are about to give up and call the maintanence guy, the APOC happens to walk by on the way to the restroom. He sees us struggling with the toner and decides that he can make it work where we have failed. Whatever. We step aside. The secretary returns to her desk to finish whatever she had been working on.

He goes through the shaking and patting and dumping. He has the cartridge on the copier, he starts to pull it away, I see what he's doing...

"Wait! That's going to spi..."

Toner. Everywhere.

He takes one look at the mess, looks up at me, laughs, and runs away.

"What the hell? I'm telling everyone you made this mess!"

He spares me one glance over his shoulder and grins.

"You go right ahead honey." And he disappears into the men's room.

I get to clean up the mess. At least ten people walk by and see me knee deep in toner.

"What did you do to the copy machine??" I get that question more than once.

"It wasn't me!"

Once the mess is cleaned up I call the service guys and make a sign warning people that the machine is out of service.

OUT OF SERVICE.
THE APOC EXPLODED THE TONER.
SERVICE COMING MONDAY.

Done and done.

Production: Climbing the Fence

First I must apologize for the lack of posts over the last week or so. As happens, when I'm working I just don't always have the time or energy for things like this blog. And in the case of last week, there were several things going on that made posting not happen.

That being said, on to a story. I love the stories that I have to share. Production work leads to some wacky, ridiculous situations that even those outside the production world can enjoy. Here's one of them.

I know I've mentioned several times that runs are a big part of my job as a PA. We go on a lot of runs for a lot of different things and the ones that I hate the most are the deliveries to people's homes. Finding residences is always a pain in the ass. Navigating neighborhoods, finding apartments, parking, it just takes forever and it's so incredibly easy to get lost. Plus half the time people live out in the middle of nowhere. As an APOC I worked with once put it, I don't want to drive to f*in Cartegena.

This particular run was a script delivery (we had revised script pages for the following day) to an actor's home. This particular actor happened to be out that evening at an Emmy dinner so the plan was to leave the envelope with the new pages at his door. He would get them whenever he got home and be able to prepare for the following day.

Good plan. Except.

I arrive at his apartment complex around 8 pm on a Saturday night. It's a completely gated complex. There is no guard, there are just lots of gates. And they are all locked.

Great.

My first thought is, well, maybe there's some sort of lobby area with mailboxes and I
could leave it there. I walk all around the complex. No luck. There's nothing.

My second thought is, well, maybe someone will come home and I can sneak through behind them. About five minutes go by and someone does indeed return home. I oh-so-stealthily walk up behind their car and get into the driveway area. However, the very clever designers of this particular complexforesaw the possibility of this sneakiness. The driveway area was completely separated from the rest of the complex. It got me to people's garages but nothing else.

I briefly contemplated climbing up the fire escape on the roof. But where would that have really gotten me? Other than on someone's roof...

Defeated, I left the driveway area and made my way back to the pedestrian gate. After staring at the gate hopelessly for around ten minutes, seconds away from admitting defeat and calling my boss, thought three occurred to me.

My third thought is, well, I could totally climb that fence.

Other than one jean ripping incident as a kid I've always been a pretty good fence climber.

Keys and cell phone safely secured in pockets, script clutched firmly in hand, I begin my ascent. It was actually a pretty easy fence and I made it to the half way point pretty quickly.

But of course this story can't end that easily. Before I start to climb over the top, I hear footsteps. Someone is approaching. Now that is exactly what I need. To be arrested for breaking and entering while trying to just deliver these stupid script pages.

I quickly climb down and hope that whoever it is that is approaching has maybe not seen me and that if they have that they are, pretty please, not a cop (I really didn't want to deal with even just a rent-a-cop. Not on my Saturday night!).

Through the shrubbery I see a little grey haired head making it's way towards me. It doesn't turn, it doesn't even pause, it just comes straight at the gate.

This guy is either leaving or he's definitely witnessed my fence climbing antics. With my luck I'm guessing he's seen me.

He walks up to the gate and stops. In an incredibly thick Russian accent he asks, "Oh, is the gate not working?"

Really?

"Um, actually, I'm just trying to make a delivery and the person I'm seeing isn't home."

"Oh, Okay, I can let you in."

And with that he opens the gate. And walks on his merry way.

I waste no time in delivering my script pages and getting out of there. It is a Saturday night after all. And at 9pm, the night is not over yet.

Production: Studios, Boredom, and Ambition

One of the coolest things about all of the runs I have to do is that I get to visit all of the studios. I've been on Warner Brothers, Universal, Sony, Fox, Paramount. I worked on the Universal lot for two weeks and yeah. Golf carts are awesome. Free tour of the backlot anyone?

Universal is huge. Sony is smaller, I've actually been able to walk rather than drive around there. There is a lot of construction going on there right now. It's craziness. Paramount and Fox I've seen less of. WB I like a lot. It's nice, it's easy to get around once you figure out where the buildings are, and it's pretty. I'm a fan of trees.

I still get a kick out of telling people that I get to work on the lots. It's neat.

There is the coolness of the lots. And then there is boredom. Oh boredom. Being a PA can be so incredibly boring sometimes. When there aren't runs to do or copies to make... there can be a lot of down time. I hate the boredom part of my job. It seems that with these last couple of shows I've worked on there has been a lot of the boring. I'm ready for something more exciting and challenging.

Which I will hopefully find soon. I'm ready to work on something bigger, something huge and crazy and complicated. I have a possibility. It's just all a matter of timing. And whether or not the coordinator liked me. But I will find out in a couple of weeks. Maybe then my problem of boredom will be solved.

Either way, I'm just about ready to not be a PA anymore. Which may sound like a weird thing to say. Because really, who ever wants to be a PA? Why would you want to be at the bottom?

Being a PA isn't all bad though. It's a great place to learn. I have learned an enormous amount about production these last eight months. Being in the production office is also a great way to meet everyone. I get to meet the heads of all of the departments, the producers, sometimes the director and writers, and even the talent. I get to see what everyone else does and that helps me to figure out what I want to do.

For example, I know I definitely do NOT want to be an AD (Assistant Director). That is one crazy stressed out department right there.

Meeting people opens doors. It gives you opportunities to work in different departments, people will recommend you for jobs, someone may even want to buy your script (ok, that's maybe not so likely. But stranger things have happened).

We've said it before and we'll say it again. It's all about who you know. That "who" can be anyone though, it doesn't have to be someone big and famous and powerful. It just has to be someone who maybe has another job coming up and likes you.

I've learned. I've met. Now I'm ready to grow. Make the move up. Get that promotion. Hopefully that will happen soon. One or two more PA jobs I can deal with. Beyond that, I think the boredom may actually drive me insane.

Not that I'm not already insane. I am trying to work in the film industry after all. Where's the sanity in that?

Production: Saying No (and Speaking Too Soon)

Sometimes you just have to say "No."

It just sucks when you have to say "No" to a job offer. Especially when you don't necessarily have another job.

Yesterday I recieved a call from an APOC (Assistant Production Office Coordinator) about a job. Unfortunately, they needed someone to start today. I don't finish this pilot until tomorrow. You're probably thinking, "but you gave up almost a month's worth of work for two days??" Yes, yes I did. Even if it would have meant working for another few weeks, I have an obligation to my current production. I started here with the understanding that I would work until we wrap. We don't wrap until tomorrow so I am obligated to work here until tomorrow.

Sure, my coordinator may have understood (I'm actually sure she would have), but leaving a job early is just bad form. It is not a habit you want to get into. And leaving with no notice, that's just not cool. I mean, sometimes a better opportunity comes up and you would be insane not to take it. There is a correct way to go about that though. And given a decent amount of notice is key.

Getting called at 4 pm to start the next morning... that's not really enough time to give proper notice. It's just unfortunate that they couldn't have waited until Monday. I easily could have started on Monday.

In a case like this, I just have to suck it up and figure that it wasn't meant to be. It sucks but what can you do? I like the people I'm working with, I might like to work with them again, and I don't want to be a jerk. Especially two days before we finish.

Oh well. Maybe I'll get a job on the new GI Joe movie they're making instead.

[Edit] Only hours after writing this post, I get a call back from the Coordinator. Apparently they decided they could wait until next week after all. I start with them on Tuesday. How excited am I? Oh very. And bonus, a crew member I was just working with on this pilot will be on this next feature as well. He's an awesome guy and I'm really looking forward to seeing him around set again. You really can speak too soon.

Production: Wrap of a Pilot

The office I've been working in for the last month is wrapping. We've finished shooting so now we're taking inventory, boxing stuff up, finishing paperwork, clearing the place out. What I'm doing... mostly nothing.

There really isn't much for me to do at the moment. I've taped up a few boxes. I've gone on a few runs. Yeah...

After today there are only two days left. Which is good and bad. Good in that I'm a fan of having some time off. I've been working for the last two months and spent the two months before that incredibly stressed out while trying to find work. And then before that I was working, a lot. And now I feel okay about taking a break, mentally at least.

Bad in that I can't really afford to take the time off. I need to keep working, or at least start working again soon. Especially if I want my plans for the fall to work out. So hopefully I'll get a good phone call in the next week or two. Hopefully. Something will come up.

But back to wrap. Wrap is boring. Wrap can be hell (it was on the last show I wrapped). Wrap in the office is the part of production that you just don't look forward to and can't wait to finish. Even if all that waits for you at the end of it is unemployment. And personally, I hate packing boxes.

Countdown to Unemployment: 2 days 2 hours 30 minutes (more or less)

Production: In Which We Shoot A Pilot

Today was again fairly slow for the production office. I sat around a lot, I talked to people, I sent some emails. I did a little bit of work. There were a few runs, one script delivery, I made sides and copied call sheets. I dropped stuff off for accounting at Entertainment Partners here in Burbank.

This all sounds terribly exciting, doesn't it?

Looking at the bigger picture though, today was great. We made our day, we wrapped on time. People were happy. That's a good thing. Being that this is such a tight schedule not making our days is a bit of a problem. If we don't shoot a scene on the day that it's scheduled... well, there's not really anywhere else to put it. That's why we ended up going so late last night. We had to make up for the scenes we missed on Monday.

But now we're all caught up. Hopefully tomorrow and Friday will go well. And then we'll be done. Shooting at least. And next week the production office will be done. And all that will be left will be post.

This is so fast. Really.

I still don't have another job lined up yet. But there are possibilities now and I'm talking to people who can possibly employ me at some point in the near future. So I'm stressed out but not freaking out. Yet. We'll see what comes up. Ideally I'll find a feature to work on. I really am ready to get back on a film. TV is okay, working is great, but film is what I love.



To get completely off topic for a second, my roommate and I adopted two kittens last weekend and they finally came home from the vet today. They are adorable and I absolutely love having them here. It's fabulous having pets again. I know, nothing to do with film. But kitties are cute! So there.

Production: Life of an Office PA

On a run in my car Holly. I spend a lot of time with my Holly.

I am an office PA. At least, at the moment I am. Being freelance my job title is subject to change on a regular basis. For example, on my last job I was the Production Secretary.

But here, now, at this moment, I am a PA. PA. What does that even mean?

Production Assistant.

Office Production Assistant. To be precise. There's a difference between an Office PA and a Set PA. Or any other type of PA for that matter.

PAs are at the bottom of the food chain in the world of production (or almost, there are always interns after all). We basically do whatever needs to be done. Depending on the project and the department and a million other variables, our job can entail a wide variety of responsibilities. Or lack there of.

That's all generally speaking. I want to go a little more specific than that. Dive a little deeper if you will. Tell you what it's like being an Office PA. Not any other kind.

In film and television production, jobs differ greatly from department to department. Each has it's own responsibilities, requires its own skill sets, basically has its own things going on.

And the Production Office is where it all comes together. Every other department comes to us for their needs, we solve their problems, we make sure everything that needs doing gets done. We order equipment, we distribute paperwork, we handle insurance and travel and housing. All of the little details, they come to us.

As an Office PA, I'm part of the production team. I'm here to do whatever random thing may need doing. What kind of things are those? Let's make a list, shall we?

1) Runs - I drive around, I pick stuff up, I drop things off. I get the actor from his hotel and bring him to set. I take him back to his hotel. I drive sixty miles to deliver scripts to Executives homes. Runs kind of suck.

2) Phones - Answering them. Fast. On the first ring. Everytime. And taking good, detailed messages. Every time.

3) Copies - Scripts, call sheets, crew lists, travel movements, deal memos, petty cash reciepts, production reports, etc. The list goes on forever. I fight with copy machines, a lot. I also get to know the service guys very well. And how many times have I found myself covered in toner? Too many.

4) Distribution - Everybody needs to get everything. Or maybe not exactly, but it is incredibly important that people get all of the things that need to get to them. It can be a pain in the ass, but bad distro creates havoc. Better to just get it right the first time.

5) General office duties - these vary by office but can include things like keeping office supplies well stocked, shopping for craft service, making coffee, taking out trash, whatever else needs to be done.

6) Whatever else. There are so many random things that come up on a day to day basis. I can't even begin to cover it all.

And on that note, I need to go. Things in the office just got busy.

On the agenda for tonight:
-make copies of the script
-make sides
-distro the script

Only three things and yet. It's going to be a long night.