He's not wrong.

https://reddit.com/link/1vt0v78/video/wqd8mivjqekh1/player

The plot thickens. Unions sitting on opposite sides of this thing should be interesting… Too bad the billionaires could care less.

We just recently released “Production Assistant 101: Your Guide to Thriving on Set”. Hoping to help film students bridge the gap between film school and what sets are actually like.

If you’ve ever stayed through the credits of a blockbuster and wondered how thousands of people coordinate to make magic happen- or if you’ve ever dreamed of being one of them- my wife Anne and I wrote something for you.

We’ve spent years on major TV and Film sets in Los Angeles, working alongside the best in the field. We noticed a huge gap: there’s plenty of film school theory out there, but very little "boots-on- the-ground" advice for how to actually survive and thrive on a professional set. When you’re just getting started, it can be overwhelming. The most common starting place? PA.

That’s why we wrote Production Assistant 101: Your Guide to Thriving on Set.

What’s inside?

This isn't a textbook; it’s a tactical manual. We cover the stuff they don't teach you in film school:

Set Etiquette: How to handle yourself around A-list talent and high-pressure producers.

Lingo: Understanding "Lock it up," "Martini shot," and everything in between.

Networking: How to turn a day-player gig into a long-term career.

The Reality: The long hours, the hustle, and the absolute thrill of seeing your name in those credits.

The industry can feel like a "members-only" club, but it shouldn't be. We wanted to lower the barrier to entry and give aspiring filmmakers the confidence to walk onto any set (whether it’s an indie short or a network drama) and look like a pro from Day 1.

It’s kind of surreal, but we’re officially live for order on Amazon and B&N, and we’d love for this community to check it out!

I have been filming a super small scale feature film with the worlds tiniest crew (I op camera/load film, one sound guy, one light guy and whatever friend is available to PA/firewatch). Single actor.

So far so good, 80% shot, no hassling from police.. But are the chances of the city getting pissed and coming after me when the film is distributed?

Is there anything I can do to prevent this? Maybe get filming permit for one of the final days?

I'm majoring in Creative Producing, but I'm not really interested in becoming a filmmaker. I'm much more interested in the business side of entertainment, especially TV/film development, distribution, acquisitions, production companies, studios, and eventually working in an executive role. I'm considering adding Business and/or Communications if I can, and eventually getting an MBA. For current students/alumni or people who work in the industry, how good is Dodge for getting into these areas? Does the Creative Producing program actually give you opportunities to get internships and connections in development and distribution, or is it mostly geared toward people who want to produce/make things themselves? Would you recommend Creative Producing for someone with these goals? And if you went to Dodge, did you feel like the network actually helped you get into the industry? I'd especially like to hear from people who went into development, distribution, studios, networks, or the business side of entertainment rather than filmmaking. If all else fails, there's still time to try to transfer, but my freshman GPA is 3.6 so its unlikely

THOUGHTS?

Curious how agencies go about it when clients fall behind on payments and don't seem particularly concerned with getting up to date. Any reliable legbreakers in the business, or are you basically stuck with "pretty please?"

After all the other oligarchs scrapping our industry for parts this threat is just kind of hilarious to me. The poor rich boy doesn’t get to make his illegal deal. Honestly at this point in our industry shutdown my reaction is “take your best shot bitch”.

Anybody else just shrugging this bullshit off?

I’m 28 and still relatively early in my film/TV career. I’m currently working at runner level and trying to establish myself properly within the Production Department.

Something I’ve noticed about myself is how badly I want to land one of the “big” jobs. Big-budget feature, major studio, established production company, huge crew, recognisable project, all of that.

This year I’ve had 3 or 4 opportunities like that come frustratingly close. I’ve had referrals, conversations with UPMs/coordinators and potential interviews, but each one has fallen through for one reason or another.

Most recently, I was speaking to someone about potentially joining the Production Department on a larger project shooting out of a major studio. It sounded like exactly the environment I wanted to get into, but the position ended up being filled before we could even meet.

Meanwhile, I’ve now landed another Production job. I should be happy that I’m working and actually getting Production Department experience, but part of me is still disappointed that it isn’t the bigger project.

It’s made me wonder when that feeling eventually disappears.

Do you eventually work on enough productions that you realise a job is a job? Does the excitement of the big studio, recognisable title and huge budget eventually stop meaning much, and you start caring more about the crew, conditions, your actual role and whether you’re progressing?

There is also a practical reason I’m drawn towards bigger-budget features.

At my level, the bigger the production and the more departmental infrastructure there is, the more likely I am to actually be positioned in and around the Production Office. On smaller TV productions, there often isn't the budget or infrastructure for a substantial Transport Department, so runners can end up doing a lot of cast driving.

I hate cast driving.

I want to be in the Production Office. I want to be around Production Secretaries, APOCs, Coordinators, UPMs, etc., learning how the department actually operates and gradually taking on more responsibility. That's ultimately where I want my career to develop.

So I think my obsession with getting onto a big-budget movie is partly about genuine career development, but I’d be lying if I said there wasn't also some prestige attached to it in my head. There's something exciting about being able to say, “I’m working on that.”

For those who have been in the industry for a long time, when did that feeling wear off for you?

Did you eventually realise that the glamorous projects are ultimately just another workplace?

And particularly when you're starting out, is it better to chase the biggest productions you can get onto, or take the less exciting jobs where you might actually get more responsibility and have a better opportunity to move up?

I’m shooting some podcast ads for a client, I’m looking for somebody 20-35, with a very aspirational physique, who can read lines and appear natural on camera. It’s just some back and forth conversations with him and another actors. I pay 75/hr, it’ll be a pretty short shoot.

So far I’ve tried backstage, posted and promoted it. I’ve gotten no luck. And all the gym guys I know are not very articulate. Any advice on how to find this would be helpful, I’m on a tight deadline.

I had to watch a good friend go through severe burnout and depression working there and deal with very low pay of just thirty an hour doing like 4 jobs at once and deal with bad management. The Glassdoor review is very accurate from what he told me. Terrible hours, no overtime pay, they don't do union rules at all, only on site in LA for low pay, etc.

I see King Bach just announced he was making a feature film. Please don't be fooled here. The film in question likely will come out in like five years and be revised like 100 times. Their higher quality stuff, and that's relative, almost never escapes post-hell.

So yeah, stay away, I think it's one of those unspoken things that this place really sucks but don't be fooled. Really.

Can I ask how freelancers manage to pay rent or a mortgage without a fixed, steady income? Based in Atlanta and not in a position (6 years in the industry) to move to LA or NY to fight for the same little crumbs of gigs available .

I’ve tried freelancing, and honestly, I’ve found the financial uncertainty really stressful. I’d love to hear from people who have been doing it successfully, especially those with kids or other major financial responsibilities.

What do you do when a project ends and you don’t immediately have another one lined up? How do you handle those periods when there’s little or no income, especially in this market?

Would really appreciate hearing how other freelancers make it work long-term. Any advice or experiences would be helpful!

I know that AI is literally the enemy and working for a green screen only production would be stabbing yourself in your own back...but...if one were to get in on the ground level of an AI film studio, do you think that would bring more job security than relying on union work? For instance there is a studio with an aggressive shooting goal and I wonder if the perk of taking a position there may be beneficial later. For reference,,it seems their stuff will mostly be for TUBI and similar platforms

I have a scene for a music video where a guy is floating in space. Can anyone recommend any soundstages that have this for like a 1 or 2 hour rental for cheap? Thanks!