How to Navigate Temptations of Career and Life

By Gary | Published: March 6, 2014
Hello New and Old Readers,

I’ve realized it’s been over 2 months since I last posted.  Life at work and at home has been grand, busy, and so much fun.  I love getting comments and hearing that people are enjoying the previous posts.  Today, I wanted to take a holistic view of career.

I know many EAs are not lifers and are using the EA role as a stepping stone to other roles or careers.  And if you are an EA lifer, I predict that in general, most of my readers are smart, go getters, and proactive.  We are constantly looking to better ourselves, get promoted, and juggle our personal life against a demanding career.  

1. Do more of what you love (paid or unpaid) for the fun of it and tangentally good things will come

It’s a struggle to write consistently on this blog because I like writing when I am really passionate about a topic or a question someone asks me.  Inspiration is hard to come by, making a difference, and having an eye-opening response is not something that happens every day.  Knowing this, it’s why I write for free on my blog and jobstr.com column and write only when I truly feel like it (and not feel bad when I don’t).  I always WANT to write, I just want to write an insight that hasn’t been over explored.  I would rather write something very meaningful and helpful versus churning out a post because too much time has lapsed.  Quality over quantity.  

When you do something with love, passion, and excitement, it shows and it pays off.  Through this blog, I’ve heard from readers saying how helpful a piece of advice was, or that they felt heard and validated.  I’ve also been offered the chance to be a guest speaker at both national and international conferences.   Just recently, I received a fun, interesting offer for work.  I feel extremely blessed that my love for being an EA is being recognized with positive feedback, monetary gain if I accept, and great experiences.  

2. Say no to great opportunities

While these great opportunities aren’t frequent, every time it happens, they take me by surprise, throw me for a loop, and have me pause and re-evaluate my life, goals, and plans.  If you’re a long time reader, you know I love Penelope Trunk.  She says the sign of a great career is having great opportunities and saying no.  What’s truly difficult is saying no and NOT regretting all you are missing out on:  great pay, fun projects, great people, challenging work, and a once in a lifetime opportunity.  In general, most people do not like saying or hearing no.  On the surface it sounds INSANE to turn down such a great opportunity.  At times it may sound or be perceived as insulting, ungrateful, or rude.  However, if you know what you want, the decision should be very easy and there should be no regret.

For the first time in a long time, I am questioning my decision to say no.  The project interests me, it’d be a great add to my resume, it could open a lot of other doors, and it’s not a long term commitment.  However, the realist in me and my gut feeling tells me I am doing the right thing by saying no.  I am extremely happy where I am in my life and I don’t need more money, more work, or even more fun new things to explore.  So what trumps all of the great things I’d supposedly gain?  A lot actually – things that money and secondary career advancement can’t buy – more sleep, more rest, more relaxation, more personal time, more breathing room, more scheduled unstructured time, more balance, and more things that fall into the category that the best things in life are free.

Here are some questions to ask yourself in case you struggle with temptation as well.

1) Why do I want to say yes?
2) If I say yes, what are possible negative consequences, if any?
3) If I say yes, how will that alter my life as I know it now?
4) What do I want more of in life?  What do I want less of in life?  What do I value?
5) How will this decision affect me 5 min, 5 days, 5 months, and 5 years from now?
6) How does this decision help or hurt my goals, plans, and overall life trajectory?
7) Is this really the only and last opportunity that can come along?
8) How will my decision benefit/affect others in my life?
9) If I am very successful or completely fail, what will my next step be? 
10) Have I given this enough thought and soul searching time (72 hours, a week)?  

3. Guard your happiness and path

So  here’s today’s lesson.  Say no in the beginning if you have no expectation and are absolutely sure you are not going to say yes.  Saying no instinctually comes with practice and knowing exactly what you want and don’t want.  If you have no clue what you want or who you are, google the Myers-Briggs personality test and you’ll learn what you value, enjoy, and what career you’d excel at.  This is my plea to you to be confident in your decision and to not get sidetracked by shiny, sparkly things just because they are shiny, and sparkly.  Know your path; stick to it.  Everything else in life is filler.  I’ll leave you with the below quote.

“Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don’t, you will leak away your innate contentment. It’s easy enough to pray when you’re in distress but continuing to pray even when your crisis has passed is like a sealing process, helping your soul hold tight to its good attainments.”   

-Elizabeth Gilbert


***New “rule” – when you ask me a question for anonymous advice and I answer it, could you write an anonymous comment so I know you read the post?  You can just write “Thx!” or something!  :)  

As always, I usually tweet any new posts I have. And anyone can email me questions and I respond only via this blog, not to your personal address.

I also write over at Jobstr.com under Hollywood Executive Assistant. 

http://jobstr.com/threads/show/4303-hollywood-executive-assistant

Musings of a High-Level Executive Assistant

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Coming Attractions

By Gary | Published: March 4, 2014

Last week’s PA support group was so successful, I’d like to make it a regular thing. I’m inclined to hold it at a different location every month, so if it’s not close to you this time, it might be next time. What do you think? Where should we go next?

Also, I’ll probably be starting the podcast Kickstarter campaign on the 23rd. It’ll be a combination launch party/networking event. (I’m hoping the intoxication will make it more likely that you’ll donate.)

I’ve already got some interesting guests lined up. They come from different departments, with a range of experience. It should be informative for both newbies and old timers.

I hope you’re as excited about Crew Call as I am. It’s going to take a bit of work cranking them out on a weekly basis, but I’m definitely up for the challenge.

I’m working on creative rewards for backers, as well: a limited edition “Who Is T.A.P.A?” t-shirt, which you can only get through the campaign; a TAPA USB drive, loaded with an entire season’s worth of unedited interviews; I’ll even let you pick the guests!

What sort of rewards would you like to see?

The Anonymous Production Assistant’s Blog

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Say No

By Gary | Published: March 3, 2014

I really didn’t know how to write this post. I still don’t.

I don’t know if there’s anything I can contribute to the memorials and reflections that have already been written. I don’t know what I can say that can help. I don’t know that anyone can say anything that will help.

For those of you who aren’t aware, Sarah Jones died on set this weekend.

I didn’t know Sarah, although by all accounts, she was a lovely person. Which is not to say that if she hadn’t been, she would deserve to die on a movie set. No one does.

See what I mean about not knowing how to write this post?

I want you to be safe. I want you to be willing to say “no” when you don’t feel safe.

But I don’t want to imply Sarah should have known better, or that this is in any way her fault. She is the victim. I don’t know who, if anyone, is to blame. I don’t know if that even matters, because Sarah is dead.

As a fellow blogger wrote, we’re just making movies. No one should die for their art, much less this one.

Many of you are young, and the biggest problem with youth is not that you’re inexperienced, but that you don’t understand the breadth of your inexperience. Neither do I.

I’m going to tell you a story that happened to me a few years ago. I debated telling this story, because this post should be about Sarah, not about me. But I want you to understand how close we can come to terrible accidents, how close we are to being the next Sarah.

I was PAing on an independent film. The scene in question was a character running down a street. The director wanted a shot tracking along beside her. As we did not have any kind of motorized dolly, he wanted to shoot from the open door of a van.

We did not have a permit to film in the street. We did not have the street locked down. Continuity, screen direction, and the fact that the van only had a door on the right dictated that the character should be running from right to left.

This meant the van would be driving on the wrong side of the road. A public road. Which, again, was not blocked off. And also curved blindly to the left on the next block.

The 2nd AC, who the DP had asked to drive the “camera vehicle,” refused to have anything to do with this shot. I decided to step up, as a dutiful PA, and say yes.

On the very first take, a car came around the aforementioned blind curve.

Because of the quick reflexes and more than a little luck, I am still around to write this blog. But it could have easily gone another way. I could have noticed the other car a little later, or he me. Or, he could have panicked, swerved, and run into the actress. The cameraman could’ve fallen out, and under my wheels.

But none of those things happened.

And then the director said, “Let’s do it again.”

That’s when the DP came to his senses (became an “adult,” as Dolly Grip puts it), and said, simply, “No.” The director didn’t understand; nothing bad had happened, we were all fine.

“This time,” the DP said.

Suppose the 2nd hadn’t refused to drive the van. Suppose I had taken just a moment later to start the van. Suppose any tiny number of minor adjustments, and the timing of that car coming around the corner goes from “almost hit” to just plain hit.

This is what happened to Sarah, and all those injured in the senseless accident last weekend.

I want you to understand: your ability to calculate the odds of danger is very flawed. Your youth, your inexperience, your eagerness to please your superiors, your drive to make the best possible film you can– all of these count against you.

Don’t think, “What could go wrong?”

Don’t think, “If it was dangerous, someone else would have said something.”

Don’t think, “The producers and director are looking out for us.”

Here’s what I do, instead. I think to myself: If I told my mother about this later on, would she be worried? Honest to God, that’s what I do. Because no one is more concerned for your safety than your mother. Not your department head, not the location manager, not even you.

I don’t want to frighten you. Most film and TV sets are safe, and crewed with conscientious, sensible people. I sincerely hope you’ll never even face a situation where you’ll have to go against your every instinct and say no.

Sometimes I lie awake at night, think back on my not-all-that-long career, and remember all the times I was almost Sarah. I’ve been lucky, or blessed, or whatever you want to call it. Even experienced crew like Michael Taylor have stories like the one I just told.

I’m extremely sorry this happened to Sarah. I wouldn’t want it to happen to anyone. I don’t want it to happen to you. Please be safe.

Please learn to say no.

* * *

Many people have written more eloquent tributes to Sarah than I have. Here are just a few:

Sarah

Trains

Sarah Was All of Us

We’re Just Making Movies

The Debt Has Been Paid

Slates for Sarah

The Anonymous Production Assistant’s Blog

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Spring Break Travel Tips from eni’s Work/Life Experts

By Gary | Published: March 1, 2014

beach ocean resized 600

With spring rapidly approaching, eni’s Work/life experts have provided a few travel tips to help you get the most out of your spring break!

Expect Large Crowds and Plan Ahead
Late March and early April are times when a lot of college students get time off for Spring Break. Therefore, you can expect travel to be crowded during that time. Get to the airport earlier than you normally would in anticipation of longer lines at check in and security. American Airlines suggest for Domestic flights and flights to Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands to arrive a minimum of 90 minutes prior to check in, and two hours ahead for international flights (http://www.aa.com).

Pack Smart
Toiletries are often much more expensive at a resort or on a cruise ship than they are from your local drug store. Remember to bring your essentials – tooth brush, tooth paste, shampoos and conditioners (many hotels are no longer providing these items) etc. If you are going somewhere tropical, don’t forget the sunscreen and after sun lotion.

Fly Healthy
Blood clots become a risk on long flights, so be sure to stand up and stretch every so often to keep the blood flowing to your extremities. Remember that when you are flying you’re in a confined space with many other people and little air circulation. Reader’s Digest suggests taking Echinacea and Vitamin C starting three days before your trip to boost your immune system (http://www.rd.com); no one wants to be sick on vacation!

Know Your Budget and Stick To It
You’ve already shelled out big bucks to get to your destination and stay while you’re there, but don’t forget about the extras including food, souvenirs, airport parking if necessary, baggage fees, etc. Plan ahead what you are able to spend on these items and don’t go outside your budget. Visit your airport’s website for parking fees. Fare Compare has a great table of baggage fees for the different airlines: http://www.farecompare.com/about/worldwide-baggage-fee-chart/

eni’s work/life experts available to assist our members with all aspects of travel planning!


Dynamic Work/Life Solutions Blog

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Company Move

By Gary | Published: February 28, 2014

Reader Andrew writes in:

There’s a line on the latest one-liner that says “company move.” Why would this be in the schedule? Wouldn’t moving the production offices take all day? Why is it happening in the middle of a shoot day?

Ah, the company move. Not quite as terrible as “EXT. NIGHT,” but in its way, even more insidious.

First of all, Andrew is interpreting “company” incorrectly. Like calling every movie a “show,” the term “company” is a hold-over from the bygone era, when everyone working in Hollywood had also been a vaudevillian at one time. We’re talking about the shooting crew and the cast, as if they were a theater company.

“Company move” means that company is moving. Not your offices. You get to sit still.

There’s actually more than one type of company move. The smallest is the “stage move.” As you might imagine, this is when the crew moves from one soundstage to another, on the same lot.

Typically, sets are pre-lit by the rigging electrics and grips, or at least well on their way to being so. Most of the gear the set G&E team needs is already there on stage, or near at hand on the trucks. Moving from one stage to another is as simple as walking, for most departments, save for camera and sound.

Next is “push move,” which is like a stage move, but on location. If you’re shooting in the same general area, or building, but the next scene calls for another “set,” the crew has to push all their gear to that room, floor, or whatever. While the riggers have, again, done as much pre-lighting as possible, locations don’t tend to have lights and flags and such, like a stage. Now everyone has to push their gear from one set to another.

A little further than that is the “stakebed move.” This typically means the location is close to the stages, or at least close to the basecamp, if they’re on location. This is what you do if the location only requires a minimal amount of equipment. Everything you need is loaded onto a couple of stakebeds, while the crew and cast are loaded into passenger vans.

Then there’s the full-on company move.

This is when every bit of gear is loaded onto the trucks, and it’s all hauled to a new location– the cast trailers, AD trailer, make-up trailer, costume trailer, camera, grip, electric trucks, and more. Around a dozen semi-trucks transporting thousands of pounds’ and millions of dollars’ wroth of equipment.

On a typical location day, these are packed up at the end of the night, and the teamsters either drive them to location after everyone else is wrapped, or drive them incredibly early in the morning, so the trucks are in place, open, and clean when everyone else arrives.

If you ever see a teamster talking a quick nap in the middle of the day, it’s probably because he’s been up since 3:00AM!1

Bad as that is, what’s worse is when there’s a company move in the middle of the day. ADs (who create the schedule) will do their damnedest to avoid this, but sometimes, it’s just unavoidable with the way the script is written.

What essentially happens is that the crew must wrap twice. After shooting whatever scenes needed to be done in the first location, you have to pack everything up (which can take an hour or more), drive to the next location (which might take days, depending on traffic), and then unload again. After shooting those scenes, you have to pack it all up yet again.

God help you if you have more than one company moves on a single day. You’ll be lucky to get two pages in. At a certain point, I feel like the UPM should be allowed to go to the writers and say, “Guys, this is a ridiculous number of locations. Let’s do a little re-writing to make it more reasonable.”

Yeah, right. Like the writers will ever worry about practical considerations.

Footnotes    (↩ returns to text)

  1. To be fair, they also get paid incredibly well for their long hours and short turn-arounds.↩

The Anonymous Production Assistant’s Blog

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Not Getting Overtime

By Gary | Published: February 26, 2014

An anonymous reader writes in:

I’ve just been told my show doesn’t have the budget to pay for OT, even though I’ve already had an hour and a half of it. The producer claims that no one gets OT.

Even worse, my call time was 7:00 am to load gear and such from the rental place, but we didn’t arrive to set until 8:30 am. So the producer is claiming on paper our call was at 8:30 am, in which case, we wouldn’t be over 12 hours anyway. I’ve never heard of this before. Any thoughts?

Oh, so many thoughts.

First of all, I’m pretty sure1 California labor law says they must pay you overtime, unless you’re a salaried employee (with benefits and such), or a union worker whose union has negotiated away that right.2

That being said, this is not uncommon in the low-budget world. It’s called a flat rate. Better than “intern PA,” but not much. On a show of the size Anonymous mentioned in his unredacted3 email, this is not common practice and probably not okay on the same level as Black Swan interns doing PA work for Fox wasn’t okay.

If this is what you’d agreed to, however, I’d say you made your flat rate bed, now you have to sleep in it.

Except you hadn’t agreed to this. That’s not cool, either. We all go in with basic assumptions: the day will last twelve hours; we get fed at lunch;the AD will yell at someone; we shoot within the 30 mile zone; after twelve hours, we get overtime. Any deviation from these expectations should be agreed to in advance of shooting.

Unfortunately, as a PA, you’re not really in a position to argue. If you kick up a stink, you can be replaced, quite easily. There are plenty of qualified PAs who want your job. Even worse, it’ll be that much harder for you to find another job, because of the aforementioned glut of PAs.

Even worse is this call time situation. Let me be clear: your call time is the time you begin doing work for the show. If you have to be somewhere, anywhere, even if it’s not the location, at a specified time, that. is. your. start. time. Period, the end.

If you have to pick up doughnuts for the big meeting, the moment you arrive at the doughnut shop is your start time. If the producer wants you to stop by his house on your way in to pick something up he forgot, when you ring the doorbell, that’s your start time. And if you are loading equipment into a truck the day of the shoot, guess what? That is your start time.

But if you’re working for a flat rate, well, the point is moot.

And so we come to the question that we face we more often than we should in this business: Is it worth it? The shitty pay, the lack of overtime, the unscrupulous producer, the working conditions that will undoubtedly deteriorate?

Here’s some more questions: Do you need the money? Is this a bridge you’re willing to burn? Do you have another job to run to? Do you have enough savings to live on if you don’t?

Because I don’t know Anonymous’s specific situation, I can only offer general advice, which is this: keep the job, unless you have another one lined up. The corollary to which is: look for another job. In between setups or when you’re on a run, search the job sites for other work. Email your contacts, tell them you’re available.

This producer does not care about you. Don’t care about him in return. If you find a job, jump ship. If it leaves him in the lurch, all the better, because fuck him.

But if you don’t find another job, or until you do, keep doing the best you can on this show. Even though the producer is an asshole, not everyone else is. It’s worth demonstrating to the world that you’re the best PA around. And if they remember you in the future, they’ll also remember the shitty working conditions on this show, and remember that you were a trooper. That’s an impression worth leaving.

Footnotes    (↩ returns to text)

  1. I can’t find a citation for this. If anybody can, please let me know in the comments below.↩
  2. Why would anyone want to negotiate away from overtime? I have no idea. Ask the coordinators’ union.↩
  3. If you have a question for me, but are afraid that even asking it publicly could lead to trouble in your workplace, don’t worry. I will cut out any identifying information; I’ll even change stuff around, to make the situation more generally applicable to readers, and less traceable to you.↩

The Anonymous Production Assistant’s Blog

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The Magic of Performance Agreements: Seamlessly Integrating Your Employee Benefits

By Gary | Published: February 25, 2014

Welcome to eni’s BalanceBenefits … we are expert designers of integrated benefits solutions, individually tailored to meet your unique and evolving benefit needs!

We’ve introduced our integrated benefits model, which includes a Benefits Information Line and Web Portal, explored our Needs Assessment surveys, and detailed how our Integrated Benefits and Human Capital Design teams assist us in designing a customized integrated benefits model for your company!

Just recently, we discussed how benefit integration results in a real ROI (return on integration) for your company.  

Today we are going to talk about how we integrate benefits using performance agreements:

Performance agreements are a defined way to contractually work with your vendors.  These agreements will define the vendor’s responsibilities as well as the processes required to work together with other benefit vendors.  By utilizing performance agreements, we require the benefit vendors to communicate with us and to work cooperatively with other benefit vendors.

Performance Agreements very clearly define the performance expectations and standards regarding how the vendor must perform on service delivery as well as their willingness to integrate with other vendors on issues such as cross referrals, benefit package education and presenting of data/utilization to show how the benefit works in conjunction with the entire benefit package to produce the highest possible return on investment.  Vendors must provide all utilization information in a readily accessible format which, in turn, may be combined with other vendor utilization information to produce one integrated benefits utilization report. 

A performance agreement further defines the process of seamlessly replacing vendors who do not abide by the terms of the agreement.  If a vendor does not meet the expectations outlined in the performance agreements they will be systematically replaced with no interruption of service by a best in class vendor who has agreed to meet the needs of your organization.    Vendors are contractually required to work with both the employer, the integrated benefits designer, and the new vendor during the transition period.  

In summary, using performance agreements, benefit vendors work to meet your human capital needs, support your strategic goals and work together to provide the best possible benefit experience for your employees. 

Learn more about our integrated benefits solutions by reviewing BalanceBenefits on our website. Download our complimentary Integrated Benefits e-book, or simply request more information.   

We look forward to helping you with your benefit needs!

 


Dynamic Work/Life Solutions Blog

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Notes for Sunday’s Get Together

By Gary | Published: February 22, 2014

Holy crap, you guys! Somewhere between a hundred and two hundred are going to the TAPA readers’ convention1 on Sunday!

The official start time is 2:00pm, but I see no reason everyone should arrive right on time. I mean, seriously, you won’t even fit through the door if 200 people show up at the same time.

"So what you're saying is, I'm indestructible." "Oh, no, no, in fact, even slight breeze could..." "Indestructible!"

We call it Three Stooges Syndrome.

With that many people, I imagine this will turn into an all-day affair. Which is good news for Residuals! (Less good for The Federal.)

Also because of the crowd, it’s going to be pretty hectic for the bartenders. Remember to tip well.2 I know you’re an assistant and make almost no money, but neither do they.

Don’t go in there expecting to find someone who will hire you for your next job. Everyone else is in the same position as you. You’re there to make friends, create relationships, and have fun. Shop talk is okay (after all, we only have one business to mind), but please do not bring your resume.3

There is some chance that unsuspecting bystanders will get caught up in the throng of PAs. I’ll put out special name tags for attendees. My gift to you.

Lastly, take plenty of pictures! If you share them on Facebook and Twitter, along with the #TAPArty, there might be a special surprise in it for you.

[[3]]Business cards are okay.[[2]]

Footnotes    (↩ returns to text)

  1. With that many people, I’m pretty sure it’s officially a convention.↩
  2. Especially Eric. He helped me arrange this whole thing.↩
  3. ↩

The Anonymous Production Assistant’s Blog

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Post-Graduate Degrees & Another Kickstarter Movie

By Gary | Published: February 20, 2014

Jaelin writes in:

What is your opinion of the PhD in regards to Film, Cinema, Production, and the like? I know I do not need one for my personal career aspirations but I have always wanted one because one of my family members I look up to since childhood has one but I am frightened that having a PhD and trying to enter the Entertainment Industry might actually hurt me rather than be conducive. Am I just being ridiculous?

You’re not being ridiculous for considering all avenues that might lead to your dream.

A PhD will certainly not help you land a job, you’re right. If film school doesn’t matter, a post-graduate degree will matter even less.

But will it hurt? Possibly. There is certainly an anti-film school bias among certain members of the crew. With good reason, by the way. Many film students enter the workforce assuming they know everything. They’re pompous, pretentious, and utterly unaware of their own incompetence.

“The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie is the greatest illustration of banal, post-modern ennui ever committed to film. Everyone else is just following Buñuel’s footsteps.”

“Yes, that’s true, but where’s my coffee?”

“I spilled it down the front of my pants.”1

While you, dear reader, may not be That Guy, a lot of Those Guys exist. As a PA, many people aren’t even going to learn your name, much less anything about your personality. Tell them you’re a film school graduate, and they’ll immediately put you in the same box as those other morons.

The usual caveat applies: there are plenty of reasons to go to film school; you really have to decide for yourself if they’re worth the cost for you. But those benefits do not include instant job security.

In short, don’t put “Jaelin Lastname, PhD” on your resume’s header. It won’t help, and it can hurt.

* * *

Here’s a clever Kickstarter video:

I don’t know these guys, and they didn’t contact me about promoting their campaign. I just stumbled across their self-promotion on Reddit, and enjoyed it.

It’s not the most technically proficient video I’ve seen, but it’s pretty good. More than that, it’s interestingly creative. You can buy professionalism,2 but you can’t buy creativity.

For that reason alone, I think they deserve your support far more than some people I could name.

Footnotes    (↩ returns to text)

  1. This is an actual conversation that I heard in real life.↩
  2. A post for another day.↩

The Anonymous Production Assistant’s Blog

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First Contact

By Gary | Published: February 17, 2014

Cara writes in:

What are your thoughts on business cards, especially for a young person just starting out and looking to make contacts?  I am planning on coming to your meet-up next Sunday.  Are business cards appropriate there?  What about just in general?  Is having (and giving out) business cards standard, or will it make me look silly?  Lastly, if you are pro-BC, what specific information do you suggest putting on them (or leaving off)?

It’s been a while since TAPA addressed this, so here’s a quick refresher.

You should most definitely carry a few business cards with at all times, but especially if you know you’re going to be making new industry contacts. It’s a lot easier to give someone a card than say, “Here, let me get out my phone, and you get out your phone, and I’ll text you my number.” If you’re dealing with someone over the age of 40, there’s a 50/50 chance that text will be lost, anyway.

Your business card should be simple: name, number, email. Anything more than that is kinda pointless.

You’re a PA, sure, but you probably want to be something else, like a director or producer, right? Suppose you’ve got a great spec script, and you meet a manager. It’s probably not a good idea to hand him a card that says “production assistant.”

Conversely, maybe you meet a coordinator who tells you she wants to hire a new PA. Don’t give her a card that reads “writer/director/auteur.” She’ll roll her eyes and drop the card in the trash.

(Ignore this advice if you actually are a working director. Why are you reading this blog, anyway?)

In short, keep your business card simple and unpretentious. It should reflect who you are, as well as who you want to be.

For those who missed the original announcement, here’s the information for the TAPA meet up on February 23rd. Hopefully I’ll see you there!

The Anonymous Production Assistant’s Blog

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Run Your Business Well

Every individual tries their best to achieve success. They adopt every profession with some passion and then they do their best to carve a niche in that. It is always difficult to run a particular business as competition is increasing day by day. It is generally seen that most of the business houses hire some professional people so that they can keep on getting regular professional help. A professional assistant has been a very sought after profile as business assistance is in a great demand. The readers who are also under the same category can ease their burden with professional help. Many online links can be clicked for this purpose. There are many professional identities that relay help in this aspect and then they have been registered as the most reliable resource.

Professional Assistant is that pillar that can be depended on during the time of crises. There are many situations that require instant decisions and then there is a need for those who are well versed in decision making tendency. The professionals can be the only option in that situation. The search for those assistants can be made from those job searching sites where the resumes are uploaded by the aspirants only. These sites can be subscribed at by paying a nominal amount and then regular alerts can be received in that aspect. The suitable one can be hired as per the requirements of an organization. They are made clear about the rules and regulations and the conditions are also put forth. It is the time when they are told about the future aims of an organization so that regular steps can be taken in that regard. The aspirants who are hired are considered highly important to achieve those goals. This is the reason that every decision taken by them is given prime consideration so that the business can run successfully. Facilities management companies such as Fidelis Contract Service at 197-201 Streetly Road, Birmingham, B23 7AJ (Phone: 0121 683 6933)

The professional assistance is also provided by private organizations that provide a facility to hire their candidates. They have an expertise in training their candidates so that quality stuff can be ensured and good decisions can be taken at the time of need. These candidates have a great experience in the same stream and their professional career is justified by their career profile only. The kind of assistance that they provide is relevant enough and their decision can be worth spending time upon.

The contact details of professional assistants can be grabbed from the respective sites so that an instant help can be assured. It's also worth mentioning that to assist a personal assistant's operations, some sort of unified communications service may be needed, similar services are offered by Aitch Telecom, found at; Regus Building, Central Boulevard, Blythe Valley Business Park, Solihull B90 8AG. Telephone: 01564 330 802. Thus, last but not the least, it can be stated that there are many avenues in a business that need urgent care and attention and that attention can only be assured by those who have a deep insight for the same. It’s not just about doing hard work but this modern era is more focused on smart work. The individuals that are hired should be competent enough to handle the pace of competition so that a constant rate of success can be made sure for a particular business entity.