‘Produced By’ Confab: Production Assts

COMMENTS (11)

• Of course a producer made this comment. Writers observe and write down the crazy things actors do so they can put it in a script someday. Casting directors and other actors hob knob with actors and tell them how great they were in this or that. And producers create fires that they can later put out.

  If a PA asks an actor how they can help on their first day on set they will get fired by the AD. Immediately.

  Comment by Ex-PA — Saturday June 6, 2009 @ 3:09pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Ex-PA is damn right!

  And as the son of legendary producer Howard Koch, Hawk, even as a PA, could have said anything to anyone – the stars, the director – without the fear of losing his job.

  Just try that sh*t if you’re some unknown PA straight off the bus from Peoria with none of the Hollywood royalty nepotism that pervades the young actor & production ranks these days.

  Comment by PA in spirit — Saturday June 6, 2009 @ 3:36pm PDT  Reply to this post

• I totally agree with Hawk. As a producer, I can spot a PA who will make it….they are on time, willing to do whatever is asked of them, with a smile and enthusiasm and they do NOT step in where they are not wanted or needed. The AD tells the PA what to do. If you, Ex-PA, went to an actor on your own, then yes, you should be fired. Immediately.

  Comment by Brooklyn Gal — Saturday June 6, 2009 @ 3:52pm PDT  Reply to this post

• agree with ex-PA. if they ask the 2nd ad if they can help, yes, that works but talking to talent, they are sooooo gone. wonder why hawk would say something soo silly.

  Comment by Anonymous — Saturday June 6, 2009 @ 4:04pm PDT  Reply to this post

• reminds me of a story where a girl PA went up to spielberg on a tom hanks film and gushed how much she “loooooooooooved Schniders List”, and right in front of her spielberg told his AD to fire her on the spot, very cold….. ha ha ……..

  Comment by Mr Big — Saturday June 6, 2009 @ 6:42pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Mr Big….What the PA did with Steven Spielberg is grounds for firing. Hard lesson, but hopefully the PA learned what is proper behavior and what is not. A set is a working place. People are doing jobs. It is inappropriate to engage producers, writer, actors, directors, etc. in idle chit chat while they are working.

  Comment by Brooklyn Gal — Saturday June 6, 2009 @ 7:22pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Quote Brooklyn Gal @ 3:52 pm:

  “[A good PA does] NOT step in where they are not wanted or needed. The AD tells the PA what to do. If you, Ex-PA, went to an actor on your own, then yes, you should be fired. Immediately.”

  Perhaps you should read Hawk’s quote again, Brooklyn Gal. He said the PA’s who are going to make it are “the ones who ask the actor what they can do to help.”

  The ex-PA’s here — and you — are saying Hawk is dead wrong. And yet you contradict yourself by saying you “totally agree with Hawk.”

  Attention to detail, Brooklyn Gal, attention to detail.

  Comment by Pointing out the obvious — Sunday June 7, 2009 @ 4:49am PDT  Reply to this post

• Pointing out the obvious, maybe you should get some sleep? Or maybe I just walked into a conversation half way, because I don’t get what you’re saying.

  She didn’t say “I agree with EVERYTHING Hawk said, she seems to agree that you can ‘spot’ a good PA–with her own account.

  Yes, PA in spirit, totally agree with you. It’s like the kid your boss brings to the office and your own kid, they’re both cute, but one of them comes with a sense of entitlement, and they will never know the difference. They actually think they have to work ‘harder’. Ha, ha, ha.

  Comment by maybe not so obvious? — Sunday June 7, 2009 @ 7:25pm PDT  Reply to this post

• As a PA on a tv special I was quickly ‘promoted’ to casting assistant, and when the time came to take talent to and from the stage, the daughter of the producer was placed that day to do the job, never mind she had no clue who any of the talent was being that it was a Latino cast. She was also ‘hanging’ with the talent when show wrapped, TRUST, no other PA was doing that.

  Comment by Anonymous — Sunday June 7, 2009 @ 7:33pm PDT  Reply to this post

• Who the hell wants to ‘make it’ as a PA anyway? It all depends on the set, on some low budget pig-fuck a PA can ask an actor what he or she needs and it will be appreciated. On most sets with a budget a PA’s best bet is too only be noticed on the walkie-talkie.

  Comment by Steve Hunt — Monday June 8, 2009 @ 6:55am PDT  Reply to this post

• @ maybe not so obvious?…

  Yeah, perhaps I’m being too fine or ticky tacky with my criticism of Brooklyn Gal’s comments. I’ll give you that.

  It’s just that I find it annoying the way she feels a need to present herself as an authority here.

  If you have half a brain and are hard-working and resourceful, you’ll do fine on a set. A good disposition helps, too.

  Comment by Pointing out the obvious — Monday June 8, 2009 @ 2:57pm PDT  Reply to this post