This week's episode is a mini-ep of outtakes from other episodes, which is obviously very meta and deep. Talk to My Assistant is on hiatus! TALK TO MY ASSISTANT HAS A WEBSITE AND BLOG: www.talktomyassistant.com CONNECT WITH TALK TO MY ASSISTANT ON INSTAGRAM: @talktomyassistant CONNECT WITH RACHEL ABRAHAMS ON INSTAGRAM: @rachelbabrahams
A TV Comedy Writer who has sold multiple pilots into development shares the elation and, often, heartbreak of that process--from a successful pitch to not getting picked up to pilot. She first fell in love writing through a college sketch group and moved out to Los Angeles after graduation to pursue a career in television. She worked a few assistant jobs, and talks about how she knew it was time to quit assistant-ing and write full-time. She shares the highs and lows of development from the writ...
This week's guest shares the importance of asking for what you want, even if the answer is going to be no. The episode is full of awesome advice. Hollywood career advice! Life advice! Advice on how to secretly apply for a job across the country while pretending you're already an LA resident! Her mantra is to just say yes, so she's done a variety of jobs in the biz. She started her career in New York working in production, talent management, and more before moving to Hollywood to work in TV devel...
This episode's guest applied for 40 (!!!) jobs before getting her current gig as an assistant in television development. That works out to over a hundred interviews. She was ready to leave her post as an agency assistant, but did not realize how challenging it can be to land the next thing. She walks us through the do's and dont's of interviewing, shares some cringeworthy stories, and reassures us that it all works out. If you're struggling with the job search, check out my website! I can help. ...
This episode's guest worked on the production side of animation before transitioning to comedy writing. She currently works as a writer's assistant/script coordinator on an animated show, but her live action pilot script was recently honored by a festival. So she does both! She shares how to successfully pivot career tracks, what it's like to take general meetings with television execs, and, of course, the time(s) cried along the way. Also, this week's blog post shares tips and resources for wri...
This episode's guest is not an assistant anymore! I sit down with a newly minted television development executive at an independent studio. We talk about his zigzagging path to promotion, his biggest mistake (a typo), and the time an executive kept calling him the wrong name in a job interview. Warning: there are a fair amount of F bombs in this episode. Talk to My Assistant will now release a new episode every other week. Subscribe to get the next episode delivered right to your queue! TALK TO ...
This episode's guest spent a while figuring out what she wanted to pursue before landing on television producing. She gives advice on finding your path, tips gleaned from a long tenure as an agency assistant, why she doesn't hate the mailroom, the time she got called a scared puppy dog, and the trials of sharing a desk next to mine. Plus, after we recorded this, she got promoted to creative executive of television at a comedic production company. Killing it! TALK TO MY ASSISTANT HAS A WEBSITE AN...
This episode's guest is a coordinator of current programming at a television network. She explains what "current programming" is, what it's like to be a woman of color in entertainment, and her aspirations to be a TV producer like "the Asian Betsy Beers to an Asian Shonda Rhimes." She shares her career thus far, from her very first gig as a camera operator at a Filipino event, to doing a million internships, to working at a talent agency, to landing a job at a network. She's had a boss who was a...
This episode's guest started her career as a production asssistant (P.A.) in her hometown of Atlanta before taking the plunge and moving to Los Angeles. She talks about life on set (free food and the magic of movie making), starting again at a talent agency in Los Angeles, and the differences between production and working in an office. She also shares how to deal with harassment and some insane agency stories. We go in depth on the nitty gritty of moving to LA, which you can read about further ...
Talk to My Assistant's first episode kicks off with a writer & director who jumpstarted her career in an agency mailroom. She shares her experiences moving from New York to Los Angeles, working as an agency assistant, working as a showrunner's assistant and script coordinator, doing a TV Writing Fellowship, and how she got her first professional directing job! We talk about the "assistant car dent," where it's okay to cry in the office, and the ridiculous importance of a restaurant reservati...
