So I can’t tell you a whole lot about the thing I did today but I can tell you what the thing was: I was an extra in a filmic endeavor.
And it was fun! Totally cool. But I am not allowed to tell you what production it was or what happened as far as the plot of it. Sorry!
I can give you general impressions. The preparation was very stern and formidable and rule-based, and made me very nervous: DON’T BE LATE. DON’T ASK QUESTIONS. YOU ARE A PEON AND DON’T FORGET IT. SHUT UP AND DO WHAT YOU’RE TOLD. OR YOU WILL BE BANNED FROM EXTRA-ING FOR EVER AND EVER AND EVER. The reality….? Not so much. Turns out it was run by real human beings, who were kind and flexible and actually had senses of humor.
There was lots of “hurry-up-and-wait”, but we’d been told to expect that. There was a certain amount of standing around in hot sun, but that was tempered with lots of getting to go wait in the shade, and being given cold water, and sunscreen, and whatnot. There was seeing actors who I actually know who they were (though I’m really quite unaware of much current media). There was a catered “lunch” at 5:00 that was….um….free. 🙂
And, at the end of the day, there was a great sense of community amongst all us “background actors”, and a great glee at being released, with maybe even a little bit of overtime pay (time and a half! of minimum wage!). And, yeah, I would totally do this again. Which I will maybe do this weekend: I am awaiting notice on that.
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I forgot to even mention, when I wrote about SpoCon, the great joy at getting to meet, and hang out a bit with, CJ Cherryh and Jane Fancher. I have no excuse for this forgetting, just an explanation…see, I went through my photos to jog my memory, when I was posting yesterday, and I hadn’t taken a photo of the dinner we had together, I’d just enjoyed the dinner. Neglectful me. :/ Anyway! So SpoCon was even more wonderful than I told you about yesterday.
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And wow, I am tired. I’ve been signed up on this “Extras” site for a few months now, but today was the first call that I actually made it all the way to being cast for. So despite being just back from out of town, and just about to leave town again for a night, I really wanted to do it. Even though the Witchnest Manor and its Acres are seriously in need of more focused attention…. at least I got things watered last night. As for now: bed, book, and zzzzzzzz.