The director hired an assistant.

He didn't go with any of the people my boss and the others interviewed.

He went with someone his sister recommended.

The majority of the time, it is all about who ya know - whose cock you suck in this biz - but I've been lucky.

I got this job without any political jockeying.

I got my jobs on two major tv shows and two major studios all on my own.

Not that I haven't gotten jobs through the political loop-de-loop.

The production coordinator on one of the shows I worked got me my next job on a pilot, the post supervisor on that pilot brought me with him to the next pilot he was working on. My jobs at two other NYC based shows were due to the same person - a former college chum.

So I'd say its about split down the middle. I like knowing though that in this difficult industry - I don't always have to rely on others to keep myself employed.

Nice.

I just saw the preliminary crew list for this feature on my boss's desk.

Decided to take a look at it.

Lists the director, the producers, and the few other misc. crew that have been hired as of this moment.

There's even a section for assistants.

Is my name there?

No.

The only assistant listed is the one for the executive producer/co-president of the production company.

My name isn't fucking on there.

If he's not having me work this stupid fucking movie - why can't he have the decent common fucking courtesy to tell me?

I mean am I out of a job forever with this guy come the end of September or what?

Livid is the best way to describe my mood right now.

I'm just meant to look like an idiot today.

First there's the email snafu.

Then it turns out the script I have for the feature my boss is producing is not current. The draft my boss gave me is out of date. Not a problem if it was only in my possession. But it is this out-dated copy I've been giving to people like the location manager, assistant directors, etc at the request of my boss.

Its not until today, when the location manager is in with the director who also happens to be the writer that this mistake comes to light.

Now the director's brother - who is also the editor - is here to see my boss. But I don't know this. The office production assistant comes to me and simply says the guy's name. What he normally does when someone is on the phone for my boss. So I go and tell my boss - X is on the phone. But there's no LINE BLINKING. Which means he isn't on the phone.

I go up front and sure enough - he's standing there pacing. I bring him back and show him to my boss's office.

Can I just be the proverbial ostrich and shove my head in the ground - five seconds will suffice.

I mean it isn't like the executive producer/co-president of the production company is here to witness all these snafus.

Oh wait! She is.

Ughhhh......

That email my boss had pre-written in his head for me to send.

Apparently I fucked it up.

I wrote everything down as he dictated it to me.

I repeated it back to him to make sure I got it right.

But I got one of the meetings wrong.

He initially told me 2:30P with himself and Colleen. I assumed he meant the only Colleen in our office - Colleen the POC (Production Coordinator).

Then he changed it to 2P - same players.

Turns out the meetings is at 2:30P and with a different Colleen. The executive producer/co-president of the production company. The one I didn't know was flying out until after this email was typed up and sent out.

Cause of course I'm supposed to be omniscient and have known he meant someone who works 3,000 plus miles away. Who I had no idea would be in the office.

Or that he meant a different time.

Regardless, I can't help but feel/know that ultimately it was my responsibility to print out the email and have him approve it prior to sending it.

The one task he's given me all week and I manage to muck it up.

Sigh.

The director's meetings tomorrow were set up by my boss.

I would have expected to call all these people for him.

All I did was send an email my boss already had pre-written in his head out to the director, himself and the executive producer about who was meeting with who and when.

I can't help but think that is odd behavior.

The executive producer/co-president of the production company is coming into the office tomorrow.

Her flight lands bright and early at 6:20A.

My eavesdroping paid off. Woohoo!

The director of the feature comes in tomorrow. He's meeting with the production designer, the location manager & the costume designer.

Thankfully the director seems to be a genuinely nice person. Although I'm still working on my radar that distinguishes between those who act like your friend and those that really are your friend. The dang gremlins keep mucking up the radar's mechanics.

The girls being interveiwed for the director's assistant are coming in today. I really don't understand this whole process.

You'd think I'd be in the loop that my boss was meeting with these people today, but that is not the case.

If I didn't eavesdrop, I'd never know anything.

My boss is in today. Miracle of miracles. If I'm lucky he'll give me some work to do.

Right now he's in with the UPM and Production Supervisor going over resumes for director assistants.

I've never worked a feature before. In fact I'm not sure I'm even going to be working on this feature my boss is working on.

But I never knew these guys had their hands in deciding who helps out the director. I'm wondering when the actual director is called in to help decide who will be his right hand man.

I'm not sure how my own boss picked me out.

I sent my resume in blindly. My former employer was moving to follow a promotion he'd been granted. I was more than welcome to come - as long as I paid my own way and didn't expect a raise.

I declined this generous offer and stayed behind.

I decided I wanted to get back into production and out of the corporate world I'd been slaving in the last eight months. So I sought out the few shows still hiring.

I faxed my resume in. I followed up with a few phone calls. The production coordinator liked me enough to strategically place my resume in the pile on my soon to be boss's desk. I was called in for an interview, it went well, and here I am.

He comes from post-production as do I. He likes go-getters and when he found out I wasn't being recommended by anyone - well that sent him over the top and around the bend.

We finished filming middle of August. I spent three weeks wrapping out my work on the show and waiting for word on whether I was being kept around for this feature and further still if I was being brought back for next season on the show.

As of last Thursday, the day before my supposed last day, I was told I would be kept on till the end of the month.

Past that he still doesn't know.

At least I have a job, but I'd like to know if I should start stocking up on mac & cheese now or later.