PAbootcamp????

G

Greg_E

Veteran
So, have any of you heard of this place and have experience? PAbootcamp dot com (no I don't want to give a direct link because I know they will come in this thread and defend it rabidly)

Now take this for what it's worth... We are in the middle of the State of NY, far. far away from the movie production capitals, and about 5 hours from NYC. One of our colleague colleges sent us an email asking if there would be any students in our program that might want to drive down for a $200 weekend boot camp. The real chances of any of our students getting work here in the middle of NY is pretty close to zero. Those few driven enough to move and succeed, probably won't need this bootcamp. But does it help? Or is it a scam by people that aren't getting enough work in the business to support themselves?

Why I'm really not sure, take a read through their website at all the grammatical errors... Did spell check not catch the spelling mistakes? While my own website (mostly a blog) may have the occasional grammatical error, I do try to catch them before publishing the article (I'm far from perfect). But I'm also not selling anything, not even a single google ad.

Anyway, if it is useful, we'll hang some posters. If not (especially if it is really a scam) then we won't expose our students to the possibility of wasting money.

Thanks, Greg
 
Grammatical errors in a professional organization's materials are never a good sign. To me, being a PA has always been a "learning on the job" kinda thing. Everyone expects you to be a doofus. . .for a short while. Then you learn etiquette, protocol, etc. etc. Ideally within a few days you're a much better PA, in a few months you're a STELLAR PA. Either way you have to break in and get that first "real" job on a budgeted, properly run movie/show/commercial/etc. That's the hardest part. . .getting someone to take a chance on you in the first place. You would be trained anyway, so I'm not sure I see the point.
 
Down in Houston there was a paid PA workshop at a local studio. Its a nice thought, but really a total scam. PA is about learning on the job. You won't be expected to do anything mission critical until you prove yourself.
 
Spent a summer doing stand in work on a couple of features in New Mexico when I was young. One low budge action the other Hollywood big budget. Was a great intro. Starting getting calls to do p.a. Work after that. P. A. School, I don't see much value .
 
They claim to put you on some kind of preferred list, like that might get you work. It just seems very much over the top.
 
Many times very qualified applicants are over looked unless they have an in. Sometimes it's just someone walks in at the right time that they need to fill that position and they look eager and reasonable. One less thing to do for the person doing the hiring. This is for the less skilled entry positions. Also can't imagine they are teaching how to work as an office pa or a casting assistant/associate /pa? Those jobs many times are clerical and gopher and once shown or told how they want it done only require a little common sense and sometimes a car. 200$ might be better spent networking, volunteering and knocking on doors.
 
I'd prefer if they put $200 into a camera and lenses and make stuff with it.

Typical media student today:

$300 sneakers, new every six month to a year - check.
$800 iPhone - check.
Unlimited cell plan $100+ a month - check.
Grand ideas about being the next Spielberg - check.
Camera and lenses - ... nope.

Contrast:

Straight Talk - $50 a month
Phone for Straight talk - $50 to $100 (depending on sales)
Shoes that will last for years - Still $300 but over 5 years not too much
Camera and lenses - $??? even the phone would be better than nothing if it has a decent camera
Desire to work towards being the next Spielberg by trial, error (and error, and error...), and hard work - Priceless!

Even a lowly GH2 with a couple adapted lenses and a mic. cable would go a long way if they were motivated. But I'm going to far off on a tangent.
 
Greg_E said:
I'd prefer if they put $200 into a camera and lenses and make stuff with it.

Typical media student today:

$300 sneakers, new every six month to a year - check.
$800 iPhone - check.
Unlimited cell plan $100+ a month - check.
Grand ideas about being the next Spielberg - check.
Camera and lenses - ... nope.

Contrast:

Straight Talk - $50 a month
Phone for Straight talk - $50 to $100 (depending on sales)
Shoes that will last for years - Still $300 but over 5 years not too much
Camera and lenses - $??? even the phone would be better than nothing if it has a decent camera
Desire to work towards being the next Spielberg by trial, error (and error, and error...), and hard work - Priceless!

Even a lowly GH2 with a couple adapted lenses and a mic. cable would go a long way if they were motivated. But I'm going to far off on a tangent.
Click to expand...

Sounds like what used to be called(maybe still?) "Rock Star Runners". You know, the kids(20 something's) on the crew that were runners(sorta equivalent to a PA), but they were always dressed like rock-stars/movie stars instead of to actually WORK. It's all about the image... We were just down in ATL for the National Championship (college football) and my audio guy said he overheard this teenage girl talking on her cell to a friend about not doing something, because she didn't want it to negatively affect "her brand". Unfrickin' believable. There is no more "innocence" left at any level, anymore.
 
The two most important things a PA needs is the ability to keep their mouth shut and listen, and to be self motivated. Unfortunately, you can't teach either. And a car doesn't hurt.
 
In my experience, there is no such thing as a stellar PA. They are instantly promoted up the ladder to production coordinator, AP, etc. Every time I find and train a PA and they turn out to be good, they are gone, forever. One I used a couple of years ago is now producing a TV show for Sony.
 
In 2010 I worked on a music video in downtown LA as a PA. One of the other PAs was a guy in his late 40s called "train wreck". He told me he sunk a boat full of production equipment on the last shoot he was on. One of his tricks was to never be available for any tasks while pretending on the radio that he was already busy (while smoking a cigarette). Maybe I should send him the link to the bootcamp, or maybe he is already one of the bootcamp instructors.
 
What I take from that story is that I can sink a boatfull of gear and still get work. Maybe I AM PA material after all...
 
rob norton said:
In 2010 I worked on a music video in downtown LA as a PA. One of the other PAs was a guy in his late 40s called "train wreck". He told me he sunk a boat full of production equipment on the last shoot he was on. One of his tricks was to never be available for any tasks while pretending on the radio that he was already busy (while smoking a cigarette). Maybe I should send him the link to the bootcamp, or maybe he is already one of the bootcamp instructors.
Click to expand...

Awesome story and hilarious. Sounds like a character from "Bowfinger".
 
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