Scam Alert: Production Assistants Needed
There is a hiring scam in the film industry aimed at production assistants. Their ideal target? Someone who is new and eager to the business, with little experience how the hiring process works. This isn’t a new scam — it’s been going around for at least six months. The Anonymous Production Assistant mentioned it a few months ago, but the scammers haven’t stopped. It breaks my heart because their target is the kind of person who reads this blog: a hard worker with nothing but a dream and the desire to just get their one chance. And it’s disgusting. One variation of the e-mail reads: Company profile: Good Clean Fun’s state-of-the-art production facilities are where the magic happens. Our seasoned professionals oversee each and every part of the process. From creative development, to production and post, it all happens under one roof. Every project is driven by our vision and branded with our unique point of view. Responsibilities include the following: Good Clean Fun LLC, will be producing a TV commercial to promote our new show *Barely Famous* and your assistance will be needed. Below are the job duties: Operate Studio Camera, Audio, Graphics generator or teleprompter Organize studio sets, cameras and monitoring Maintain studio and lighting Use microphones, IFB receivers, and audio facilities Setup and review graphic elements Perform other job-related duties as assigned Note: The production will be done in San Francisco between 10-21-2015 to 10-24-2015 in Blast Digital Studio, Toland Place, San Francisco, CA but you’ll be needed here in San Francisco from 10-19-2015. Both travel/hotel expenses will be covered by the company. Instruction: Please respond with your contact information such as your full name, address and cell number where a check will be mailed out to, it is for your traveling and lodging expenses (more information will be provided as we progress). You will also be provided an itinerary by the designated travel agent arrangement. How to Tell This is a Scam Very rarely is anyone hired so quickly and impersonally with zero mention of who referred you. When you’re at the entry level of any industry, there’s a lot of people vying for jobs because the barrier to entry isn’t very high. You’re usually hired based on (1) experience, (2) word of mouth, (3) your own persistence, or (4) applying to a job on Staff Me Up. Typically, when you get offered a job, they production coordinator or producer will make mention of how they found you. If you get approached for a job through email, it’ll read something like this: Hey M, so-and-so recommended you for a PA position. Can you shoot me your resume? Thanks, PC...
How to Be an Awesome Set Runner
One of the most important jobs on a film set is that of a Runner PA, or “Set Runner”. The set runner/runner PA is the link to the outside world while filming is going on. It may not feel glamorous to spend all day in your car going to grocery stores and rental houses when you could be working on set, but without picking up that piece of gear, lunch, or important prop… production could not go on! Also, here’s the reality: You’re being paid your day rate plus mileage to drive around and listen to music. It could be worse. Clarification: In Europe, a “Set Runner” is the typical title for a production assistant. In the US, it’s a type of PA associated with going on runs, and that is what this post will be about. The Set Runner position is entry-level, but it’s a foot in the door. Prove your competence with a little, and you’ll be entrusted with more responsibilities and opportunities. This guide definitely overstates the obvious — but it’s an attempt to keep you from making the same asinine mistakes that I did. Keep track of your mileage. Productions will reimburse you for miles you incur doing pickups. Keep track of all of the places you drive to, and the mileage between them. If this sounds like too much work or you’re in too big of a hurry, write a list of where you go (in the proper order) and figure out the mileage using Google Maps after the fact. As of 2016, the current reimbursement rate in the US for business miles is 0.54/mile, but the IRS adjusts the rate annually. Write down every item you’re asked to pick up. This is pretty basic, but I’ve asked PAs to pick up 4-5 items, and they smile and nod — only to return with 3 of the items, and sometimes it’s a variation of the right item, but not the right item. Write everything down, including any helpful descriptors. Make sure your phone is not on silent/vibrate! This is the biggest problem that I run into when I send PAs on runs — I’ll try to call them and they never answer because their phone is still on silent! When you’re on set, then yes, your phone is supposed to be on silent/vibrate. But when you go on a run, switch that ringer back on. 90% of the time, someone will need to get in touch with you to pick up something else, or to alter the initial order. NEVER pay for anything out of pocket. You should NEVER EVER pay for anything out of your own pocket or put anything...
Travel Tips for Doing Comic-Con on a Budget
I’m a little bit of a closet nerd, and I’ve secretly always wanted to attend Comic-Con in San Diego — but I could never justify the cost. Last summer, I ended up planning a trip to San Diego during the middle of Comic-Con, less than 2 weeks before the convention started. It was a little tricky– but in the end, I spent less than $500 on travel and accommodation. Since my trip was so last minute, I was unable to purchase a badge, but I still loved roaming the streets and absorbing the atmosphere. If you’re looking to go to Comic-Con without spending thousands on airfare and accommodation, here are a few easy tips. Fly for EXTREMELY cheap by signing up for an airline rewards credit card. We’re still far out enough from Comic-Con where you have time to sign up for an airline credit card, meet the spending requirement, and use the mileage benefits to purchase your ticket. How to meet the required spend? Easy. Pay all monthly expenses with your new credit card. Cell phone, cable/internet, electric, car insurance, health insurance, gasoline, groceries, etc — you should be able to hit the the spending limit in less than two months. Southwest is currently offering two promotional deals: Spend $1000 and receive 25,000 bonus miles, or spend $2000 and receive 50,000 miles. Cost: $69 OR $99 annual credit card fee + $5 fee to cash in miles with Southwest. Fly into Los Angeles (not San Diego). I despise LAX with the fire of a thousand suns (if purgatory exists, LAX has to be it), but it can offer substantially lower airfare options than San Diego. And, if you use tip #1, it could mean cashing in fewer of your precious miles. Additional Tip: If you do fly into LAX, drive to San Diego early in the morning or late at night. Traffic before Comic-Con on I-5 is a nightmare, or park in a town just north of San Diego and take the train in. For car rentals and last-minute flights, use Priceline’s name your own price tool. For car rentals, like most people, I find pretty good deals through price comparison sites. For last minute flights, if I don’t have any miles to spend, I look at current roundtrip flight prices via Kayak or Momondo, and then try to buy a ticket for 40% less using Priceline‘s Name Your Own Price tool. It requires extreme flexibility — the caveat is you can’t choose your arrival or departure times, or airline– but I’ve saved a TON of money booking last minute travel. If naming your own price makes you nervous, Travelocity has bare-bones flight...
Ways to Make Money Without a Part Time Job
You want the dream job, but you need to make money in the interim. One of the tricks to finally landing a gig in production and film (or most creative fields) is to have wide open availability. If you need 100% availability, you cannot have a part-time job. Even waiting tables requires a set schedule and can be limiting. A lot of people trying to get into a competitive industry means not everyone will make it– at least, not at first. It saddens me to receive messages that read, “I read your blog, followed your advice, and I’ve been trying to get jobs for months, and still nothing. I have to make money. Now what?” I can’t give any kind of helpful answer other than one of sympathy. I don’t know why you aren’t getting hired, but it may be that you just need more time to meet the right people in the right situation. Looking back at my own long journey into the industry, trying to get a PA gig (and failing) for months wasn’t due to lack of effort at my part — there simply weren’t any gigs available. If that’s the case with your situation, this post is for you! How to Make Money Without a Part-Time Job Thanks to the internet and smartphones, there are a few solid options today for generating income in unique ways, and best of all, they don’t tie you down to a schedule. I’m in a mid-market town and work will slow to a crawl, sometimes for 2-3 months. When this happens, I’ve been able to make money in other ways. Become a Lyft or Uber driver. Perhaps the most flexible of all gigs! You set your own hours and turn on your app whenever you want to work. Do your research and make sure Lyft/Uber is offering a sizable signing bonus in your city. Become a Favor or Postmates driver. If you have an older car that doesn’t fit the parameters for Lyft/Uber, try shuttling goods instead! Download the Favor or Postmates app, set your own hours, and pick up and deliver items on demand in exchange for a percentage and tips. Work for Amazon Flex. Amazon is slowly taking over the world, and with Prime Now delivery offered in several cities, they’re hiring even more employees to be delivery drivers. I don’t know the details about how many hours per week you have to work, or if you have to sign up for shifts — but it’s worth looking into. Use Ebates. For whatever reason, I was an Ebates contrarian for years. “Cash back while shopping online? Pffft,” I always thought when I saw the commercials. Recently, a colleague explained how it...
Is it Too Late for Me to Get a Job in Film?
Over the past few months, several of you have discovered this blog because you’re looking to make a career change into the film industry. Here are a few excerpts from emails I’ve received: Brittany asks: Currently, I am an Executive Assistant for a creative tech company in NYC. I have a background in Communication Design and find myself increasingly interested in moving my career towards media and entertainment. Do you think it’s too late in the game? Richard asks: Recently, I was reminded how quickly life goes by. I have always loved films and their storytelling process and in my younger years thought of getting involved but nothing ever came out of it. Now at my Mid 40’s I am feeling pulled to get involved in the film industry, I live in New York City and the productions in films have increased dramatically […] am I too old for going in as a production assistant in films/TV? Film as a Second Career — Is It Possible? YES! Almost a third of the people I’ve worked with in film and television had an entirely different career first. They were waitresses, accountants, insurance salesmen, employees at Blockbuster… Now, they’re DGA assistant directors, directors of photography, television producers, and electricians. Several of them didn’t even step onto a film set until they were in their late 20’s or 30’s. But Am I Too Old to Start Working in Production? I started my junior year in college, so I turned to my colleagues for their experience on starting in production later in life. As always, they provided great insight: “I started when I was 27 and I think it benefited me. I had a drive and sense of urgency that I felt some other people didn’t. I just think they need to know that they need to fully dedicate at lease 3 years where every waking day is about building contacts.” -Ian, DGA 1st AD. “I started as a PA in my thirties. I had a second job to keep money coming in & I was single. I had a huge advantage over some of the younger people in that I had a strong work ethic because life had taught me a few things. Life experiences can be valuable in developing set awareness!” -Maxx, electrician. “I started professionally in my thirties as well. I had a logistics management career before I got into production, and those skills, and adult work ethic moved me along more quickly than some of my contemporaries in production.” –James, assistant director. “Age isn’t so much a factor as your circumstances. Young people might not be at the place where you have to worry about a...
Freelancing: Is it Right For You?
Working in film and television is a cool job. It’s unique. It’s creative. It’s challenging, and every day is different. Occasionally, people send me an email with a brief synopsis of their situation and if they have a chance of success in the industry. There are so many different personalities, skill-sets, and roads that lead to a career in entertainment, I’m not one to deter anyone! But there is a major point that hasn’t been addressed, and that’s the freelance aspect of working in production. Nearly all on-set positions are filled by self-employed individuals. I recently told a friend she’d be great at production. Her response? “Maybe, but I couldn’t handle the instability.” Ask yourself: Is Freelancing Right For You? Freelance means work-for-hire, where you’re hired for x amount of time, whether that x equals days, weeks, months, episodes, or seasons. Beyond x, there are no guarantees, there is little security. Ultimately, the only person consistently looking out for your well-being is you. How do you know if you can handle freelance if you’ve never been freelance? Let’s explore a handful of real-life scenarios of being a freelance employee in film or television production. Freelancing means being okay with the unknown. You won’t always know when your next job is, how long your current job will last, or if the show gets picked up, if you’ll be asked back. Sometimes, a project can’t pinpoint an end date, or they’ll release you earlier than you’d planned. Jobs come, but sometimes, they disappear. You’ll get booked on a gig one day, completely change all your plans– only to have it evaporate the next. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been in the business 5 days or 15 years; jobs always come and go, and rarely will a company compensate you for the inconvenience of having a job cancel at the last minute (it has happened one time in my 6+ years). I’m a little superstitious– I won’t even mention I have a job until I’ve signed the deal memo and/or I’ve been given a start date. Freelancing means always hustling and networking. Consistently doing good work while working hard is the best way to get hired again, but that employer may not have another gig for a while. Sometimes, you’ll agree to a project that lasts several months, and it take you out of the loop with your other employers. It’s up to you to get back in touch, and it needs to be genuine. One blanket e-mail that blind copies everyone in your address book isn’t personal– it’s lazy. Take the time to send personalized emails, or offer to meet up for lunch or coffee to reestablish those connections. Freelancing means constant rate negotiations. Towards the...
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I'm Laryssa, and when I'm not working in film or television, I'm attempting to travel -- or I'm here, providing resources for working in film or travel. Read more Elsewhere on the internets
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