I'll be Famous!
a story from my monday
so, through a friend i was a background in a 30 minute tv series pilot, Clean Fight, this past saturday. we all showed up at 6:30 pm, and didn't leave until after midnight. on sunday, received a phone call, asking me to return on monday for some additional scenes, ones of closer shots of the background, and wanted me as some continuity from the previous scenes. awesome.
monday morning. 9:00 am. i haven't been up this early in weeks. 2 pm was becoming fairly normal. but I was going to be famous today. arrive at the set just after 9:30 to wait for the call. there is only ~20 background this day, for a small crowd outside the fighters changing room door. there will be some reporters, groupies, photographers, fans.
we wait outside in the staging area for an hour or so, and this is when they offer us breakfast. french toast, eggs benedict, etc. and it's been sitting out since before i got there. it's the crew's left overs.
another hour or so and they bring out candy and fruit and pop. they apologize for the wait, and mention they only have 2 shots to do until the will need us.
1 pm rolls around, and fetch my book from the car. i'm ready to leave. i expected to be home by now. not trying to amuse myself. this go around, they hand out free admission to mini golf and apologize for the long wait. but that's the way it goes sometimes being a background.
i head to my car to get my sunglasses, and sitting there, i'm ready to drive off and leave my book behind. i realize it now 2 pm, with no end in the wait in sight. i look over back the set, and there is everyone waiting to go in, with my friend waving at me. crap. just my luck. so i walk back. to wait some more. that's right. they're not quite ready. another 15 mins.
when we finally get on set, we all cram around a door and are told what to do, what to expect. with the inward swinging door, the camera was placed off to the one, more open side on the inside looking out at us. cool. then I notice that where i'm standing, there isn't even a backdrop. I had been moved to off camera, behind a 'reporter' who has to stick her mic up and over the lady in the front.
the scene ended up being the only one we had to do that day, and it took all of 45 mins to shoot 5-6 times. we all pushed and crowded forward, we all mimed are screams, waved and groped like pros. but the best i will see of myself, if the show even makes it to air (i have $5 saying it doesn't), is my hand waving over the top of the reporter's head from the side of the doorframe. atleast it was the hand with my Make Poverty History band. hopefully they'll get some airtime.
the most valuable thing i did had nothing to do with the movie. with us all crammed in a little hallway, huddled together waiting for a door to open randomly, it got quite warm and stuffy. so i fanned the group with a large screen between yells of "cut!" and "rolling!"
i didn't end up leaving the set until after 6 pm, but that's another story for another day.
so, through a friend i was a background in a 30 minute tv series pilot, Clean Fight, this past saturday. we all showed up at 6:30 pm, and didn't leave until after midnight. on sunday, received a phone call, asking me to return on monday for some additional scenes, ones of closer shots of the background, and wanted me as some continuity from the previous scenes. awesome.
monday morning. 9:00 am. i haven't been up this early in weeks. 2 pm was becoming fairly normal. but I was going to be famous today. arrive at the set just after 9:30 to wait for the call. there is only ~20 background this day, for a small crowd outside the fighters changing room door. there will be some reporters, groupies, photographers, fans.
we wait outside in the staging area for an hour or so, and this is when they offer us breakfast. french toast, eggs benedict, etc. and it's been sitting out since before i got there. it's the crew's left overs.
another hour or so and they bring out candy and fruit and pop. they apologize for the wait, and mention they only have 2 shots to do until the will need us.
1 pm rolls around, and fetch my book from the car. i'm ready to leave. i expected to be home by now. not trying to amuse myself. this go around, they hand out free admission to mini golf and apologize for the long wait. but that's the way it goes sometimes being a background.
i head to my car to get my sunglasses, and sitting there, i'm ready to drive off and leave my book behind. i realize it now 2 pm, with no end in the wait in sight. i look over back the set, and there is everyone waiting to go in, with my friend waving at me. crap. just my luck. so i walk back. to wait some more. that's right. they're not quite ready. another 15 mins.
when we finally get on set, we all cram around a door and are told what to do, what to expect. with the inward swinging door, the camera was placed off to the one, more open side on the inside looking out at us. cool. then I notice that where i'm standing, there isn't even a backdrop. I had been moved to off camera, behind a 'reporter' who has to stick her mic up and over the lady in the front.
the scene ended up being the only one we had to do that day, and it took all of 45 mins to shoot 5-6 times. we all pushed and crowded forward, we all mimed are screams, waved and groped like pros. but the best i will see of myself, if the show even makes it to air (i have $5 saying it doesn't), is my hand waving over the top of the reporter's head from the side of the doorframe. atleast it was the hand with my Make Poverty History band. hopefully they'll get some airtime.
the most valuable thing i did had nothing to do with the movie. with us all crammed in a little hallway, huddled together waiting for a door to open randomly, it got quite warm and stuffy. so i fanned the group with a large screen between yells of "cut!" and "rolling!"
i didn't end up leaving the set until after 6 pm, but that's another story for another day.
