I had a blast in Seattle. Spent a week there and the weather was gorgeous. Apparently I brought the LA Sunshine with me. I did the whole touristy thing, and since the weather was so nice, the view from the top of the Space Needle was breathtaking. Seattle reminds me a lot of Austin, TX.
As far as work goes, Walk Hard wrapped last week. Went to the wrap party, which was a lot of fun. John C Reilly got on stage at the Derby with a band and performed for most of the night. They rocked! And of course, got to see a little preview of what the movie will look like. Looks pretty funny ... can't wait to see it.
National Treasure 2 is back in town and so been working on that and picked up another movie called "Surfer, Dude" which just started filming. There's a chance I may get to go to Hawaii later this summer to work as a casting assistant there, but we'll see. I'm pretty burned out on it all for now and am staying here through May and then will try to do more acting and dancing.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Casting Assistant - Walk Hard
So I've been working as a casting assistant once again ... pretty much since January. Been working on Walk Hard since the end of February and it's been pretty crazy. We were scheduling 50 people a day for fittings for a few weeks and that meant staying in the office until 10. That finally stopped, but it's been day to day surprises since then. Just found out on friday I have to book 100 more people for fittings next week for tues and wed ... oh joy.
I think it will be a pretty funny movie. It's been a handfull though ... Scenes have been canceled and rescheduled here and there, making our job harder and the actors frustrated. But it's winding down in May, and I'm leaving on May 9 to visit a friend in Seattle for a week. I've never been, so I'm really looking forward to it.
I think it will be a pretty funny movie. It's been a handfull though ... Scenes have been canceled and rescheduled here and there, making our job harder and the actors frustrated. But it's winding down in May, and I'm leaving on May 9 to visit a friend in Seattle for a week. I've never been, so I'm really looking forward to it.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
National Treasure 2 - 1865
So, I got to go back in time Friday night. The scene was a DC town in 1865, the end of the civil war. I was prefit in the costume a few weeks ago and that was the first time I had ever worn a corset, or even a period costume like this. It was a night shoot and my call time was at 4:30 at Universal. I arrived on time and after checking in had to wait in line a while to see wardrobe to get into costume. It takes a while to put the costume on, so the women's line moved much slower than the mens. Although, the mens line moved much slower at the make up tent, due to facial hair (mustaches and sideburns) ... women didn't get any make up ... so it evened out in the end. Once I had my dress on, I felt more comfortable than I did at the fitting. They must have had the corset too tight at the fitting ... that, or the fact that I had worn a waist cincher for 2 days on Walk Hard had better prepared me! Anyway, I was in the last group of women to get into wardrobe, and soon after they began bringing us to set. WOW! The set was really quite a sight to see! The streets were covered with dirt and most of the balconies and store fronts were decorated with older american flags. There were lots of horses and even a few dogs. The first thing you noticed on the way to the set was the smell. They had some sort of smoke cans set all around the set and it didn't smell like the normal atmosphere smoke you usually get on sets or in dance clubs. It smelled like frankincense; most people are familiar with that aroma from church ceremonies where they swing the little brass can. The scenes they were shooting were street scenes. They seemed to be doing some wide angle shots, shooting down one street towards an intersection where I believe the theater where Lincoln was shot was supposed to be. There were 3 men with tall Abe Lincoln hats standing on one of the balconies. They placed everyone and we stood in place and waited ... and waited ... and waited some more. There was a lot going on with the horses, horse and buggies, and even some civil war reenactor soldiers (yankees of course =P). After a while, we rehearsed a few times. And finally they told us that fireworks were going off and pointed in a direction we should look. Then they started rolling and as they called action, real fireworks went off in the distance ... I wasn't expecting that since usually when you're told something like that, it's just to give the background a general direction to focus and whatnot. That's when I realized this scene they were capturing must really look cool, with the street scene of all the hustle and bustle, people holding sparklers and fireworks in the background. After some takes, they moved us all around to different spots for a different but similar shot. This time I had to walk down the street, in the street toward the camera and then cross the street. I got to hold a sparkler and maneuvering around the soldiers and all the horse traffic was a little bit of a challenge. They had wet down the dirt and so there was quite a bit of mud everywhere ... occasionally my boot even got stuck in the mud. Aside from my lower back killing me from all the standing around, it was really quite a fun experience. After lunch, I was wrapped along with quite a few others as they were beginning to do smaller scenes. My back was happy to be rid of the corset although my balance was a little off for a while. The batteries in my camera died, so the only photo I have was taken from a camera phone.
I liked the first National Treasure and have been trying to figure out what National Treasure 2 could be about. In talking with a friend about Lincoln, he told me that he had recently read a book about the Lincoln assassination and that in recent years more journals from that time period have turned up and there seems to be more to the story than what we all learned in school. I'm interested in reading that book now and seeing this movie.
I liked the first National Treasure and have been trying to figure out what National Treasure 2 could be about. In talking with a friend about Lincoln, he told me that he had recently read a book about the Lincoln assassination and that in recent years more journals from that time period have turned up and there seems to be more to the story than what we all learned in school. I'm interested in reading that book now and seeing this movie.
Friday, March 09, 2007
Walk Hard - 1953
I was booked and prefit as background for Walk Hard a while back and finally worked wednesday and thursday. It was a lot of fun. The majority of both days were spent sitting around and waiting to be brought to set, but during late afternoon we did get to work. It was a talent show scene. The movie is a parody of rock legend movies and stars John C Reilly. In these scenes, he was playing a 14 year old at a high school talent show in the 50's. All the teens go crazy over the music and all the parents get really angry. I was a teen and it was pretty fun ... although, I am a little sick of doing the twist! Here is a picture of me in my 1953 teen costume. It was really sunny and I'm squinting ... oh well ...
It was really cool to watch the process on set. They did a lot of improv with no real shot list. Sometimes they would just let the camera roll and do different versions of the scene or lines. That's the one thing that I like about being an extra. Even if you are one of many and not seen much on camera, you are on a set and get to witness the whole process. I was sitting right behind ma and pa cox at the talent show, so who knows, you may see me twisting away in the background. ;)
It was really cool to watch the process on set. They did a lot of improv with no real shot list. Sometimes they would just let the camera roll and do different versions of the scene or lines. That's the one thing that I like about being an extra. Even if you are one of many and not seen much on camera, you are on a set and get to witness the whole process. I was sitting right behind ma and pa cox at the talent show, so who knows, you may see me twisting away in the background. ;)
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Jury Duty 2007
The letter in the mail that most people dread. I received one back in November and since it was scheduled around the same time I was planning on leaving for the holidays, I postponed it to February. Beginning Feb 4, I had to call an 888 number each night to see if I had to go to the court house the follwing day. If I made it through the week not being told to go, then I was done. On Wednesday, Feb 7, I was pretty tired and went to bed. Just before I was about to fall asleep, I realized I hadn't called the Jury Duty "Hotline" to check if I was needed. So, I made myself get back out of bed and call ... and to my dismay, heard the message that I was expected the following morning at 8am. So I let my boss know and reset the alarm to an earlier time.
I arrived at the courthouse to find that it wasn't your typical old style government or courthouse building that I had expected. It was a 9 story pretty glass building. There was a long line snaking through the lobby of the building of potential jurors waiting to go through the xray machine when I walked in. The jury waiting room was on the 4th floor but apparently they make everyone wait to go through security at the same time. One of the security guards was very good at keeping everyone in a neat line and cracking jokes. Finally, around 8am, they let us through and up to the 4th floor we went.
The jury waiting room is a large room with TV's hanging from the ceiling, vending machines and even some desk space with internet connections. After everyone grabbed a seat, a woman came out of an office and explained how everything worked and then played a DVD for us on the TV's that explained Jury Duty even more and also told us how great Jury Duty was. We then had to fill out a survey and line up in groups to turn in our paper work. When we turned in our paper work, we were given juror badges to wear. They did not display our names, but a juror id number that we were given.
If no court needed us, then we would stay in that waiting room until about 4:30 or 5 and then that was it ... our service was over. If we were called into a court room and were excused from a jury, then our service was over and we could go home. So, at this point, it was just a waiting game. We were free to turn on the TV's or whatever, but not to wander to far from the waiting room. Around 10 or so, we received a visit from a judge, who talked a little more about jury duty and what it means and how it works, etc. He was very nice and very informative.
Around 11 or so, they read off a long list of names, of which my name was one of them, and we were told to report to a court room on the 7th floor. We all filed into the courtroom. There were 14 chairs in the jury box and 4 in front of it. They then called out juror numbers and one by one, people filled in the 18 spots. I was not among them. Each of the 18 potential jurors then had to answer 3 or 4 questions, mainly where they lived, what they did, and if they had been on a jury before. After that, the judge then asked more questions. It was so obvious that some people didn't want to be there, by the way they would answer these questions, and the became more and more annoying. Instead of answering yes or no to a simple yes or no question, whining and whatnot would ensue. Once the judge was done with his questions, the defense attorney and prosecutor each took time to ask them questions. Once all this was over, both lawyers took turns thanking and excusing some of the 18 potential jurors. Finally, they were down to less than 14 jurors, and so new juror numbers were called to fill the remaining seats back up to 18 again. I was yet again not called. The new people had to each answer the first 3 or 4 questions and then the judge simply asked each juror, if they had an answer to any of the questions that had been asked prior by the judge or the lawyers. Thank God they didn't have to go through all the questions that were asked, although, there had been a lot of questions asked, and I began racking my brain in case I was called. At some point, during all these events, we had broken for lunch and returned and so it was now mid afternoon. More jurors were thanked and excused and eventually my number was called. I answered all the questions I could and I was not thanked and excused. After more whining from more potential jurors, they finally had their 14 jurors (12 + 2 alternates) and we were sworn in and told to report back the following day at 10:30 am. We were also told that the trial was expected to last 4 to 5 days.
Courtroom hours aren't bad. We reported each morning at 10:30 am. We broke for lunch at 12 and returned from lunch at 1:30. We'd have a 15 minute break between 2 and 3 and then were dismissed by 4:30. The following Monday was Lincoln's birthday, so the courts were closed and I worked my regular job that day, training a new guy that my boss had brought in to help cover for me since I wasn't going to probably be there for the whole week.
Closing arguments finally came, Thursday morning and we began deliberations that afternoon. It felt good to be able to finally talk about the case with someone, even if it was only in that room with the other 11 jurors. We had 2 counts to decide on: wreckless driving and hit and run with injury. If we had a question, we could ask the judge, but it had to be in writing and we would have to go back into the courtroom with everyone present and then the judge would read the question and answer there. We could also have testimony read back to us by the court reporter, and again this would happen in court on record. We asked a question that afternoon and after the judge answered it, it was around 4 so we were dismissed and told to come back at 9:30 the following morning. It was a complicated case. You can be charged with hit and run even if your car was not touched in the accident. It's too complicated to go into here, but we had to figure out if the defendant knew that he had been a cause of the accident.
So, Friday we arrived at 9:30 am, and had the court reporter read back some testimony and asked the judged another question, dealing mainly with the way the particular law was written, because it could be read 2 different ways. After getting our answer, we were unanimous on our decisions, and filled out the paper work to hand in the verdict.
/soapbox
I am glad I had this experience and although it was time consuming and you only get $15 a day, I won't be upset if I get called again in the future. As annoying as jury duty is and can be, it is part of being a US citizen. Having the right to be tried by a jury of our peers is one of the reasons this country came into existence. I think most people take this for granted nowadays. If I was accused of something, especially if it was something I did not do, I would want people like me and you on the jury. It was so disheartening to see so many people whine and complain and try to get out of it. For people that just can't afford it, it's understandable, but that's not the case with everyone. The only time that I feel my time was really wasted during this whole process, was the first day of jury selection. The bulk of that day was wasted listening to people whine and complain and try to get out of it. The trial might actually have begun and ended sooner had people just sucked up and answered the questions honestly and let the process take its course. So, as hoakie as this may sound, if you get called up for jury duty, be thankful that you live in a country that protects your rights from being judged unfairly.
/off soapbox
I arrived at the courthouse to find that it wasn't your typical old style government or courthouse building that I had expected. It was a 9 story pretty glass building. There was a long line snaking through the lobby of the building of potential jurors waiting to go through the xray machine when I walked in. The jury waiting room was on the 4th floor but apparently they make everyone wait to go through security at the same time. One of the security guards was very good at keeping everyone in a neat line and cracking jokes. Finally, around 8am, they let us through and up to the 4th floor we went.
The jury waiting room is a large room with TV's hanging from the ceiling, vending machines and even some desk space with internet connections. After everyone grabbed a seat, a woman came out of an office and explained how everything worked and then played a DVD for us on the TV's that explained Jury Duty even more and also told us how great Jury Duty was. We then had to fill out a survey and line up in groups to turn in our paper work. When we turned in our paper work, we were given juror badges to wear. They did not display our names, but a juror id number that we were given.
If no court needed us, then we would stay in that waiting room until about 4:30 or 5 and then that was it ... our service was over. If we were called into a court room and were excused from a jury, then our service was over and we could go home. So, at this point, it was just a waiting game. We were free to turn on the TV's or whatever, but not to wander to far from the waiting room. Around 10 or so, we received a visit from a judge, who talked a little more about jury duty and what it means and how it works, etc. He was very nice and very informative.
Around 11 or so, they read off a long list of names, of which my name was one of them, and we were told to report to a court room on the 7th floor. We all filed into the courtroom. There were 14 chairs in the jury box and 4 in front of it. They then called out juror numbers and one by one, people filled in the 18 spots. I was not among them. Each of the 18 potential jurors then had to answer 3 or 4 questions, mainly where they lived, what they did, and if they had been on a jury before. After that, the judge then asked more questions. It was so obvious that some people didn't want to be there, by the way they would answer these questions, and the became more and more annoying. Instead of answering yes or no to a simple yes or no question, whining and whatnot would ensue. Once the judge was done with his questions, the defense attorney and prosecutor each took time to ask them questions. Once all this was over, both lawyers took turns thanking and excusing some of the 18 potential jurors. Finally, they were down to less than 14 jurors, and so new juror numbers were called to fill the remaining seats back up to 18 again. I was yet again not called. The new people had to each answer the first 3 or 4 questions and then the judge simply asked each juror, if they had an answer to any of the questions that had been asked prior by the judge or the lawyers. Thank God they didn't have to go through all the questions that were asked, although, there had been a lot of questions asked, and I began racking my brain in case I was called. At some point, during all these events, we had broken for lunch and returned and so it was now mid afternoon. More jurors were thanked and excused and eventually my number was called. I answered all the questions I could and I was not thanked and excused. After more whining from more potential jurors, they finally had their 14 jurors (12 + 2 alternates) and we were sworn in and told to report back the following day at 10:30 am. We were also told that the trial was expected to last 4 to 5 days.
Courtroom hours aren't bad. We reported each morning at 10:30 am. We broke for lunch at 12 and returned from lunch at 1:30. We'd have a 15 minute break between 2 and 3 and then were dismissed by 4:30. The following Monday was Lincoln's birthday, so the courts were closed and I worked my regular job that day, training a new guy that my boss had brought in to help cover for me since I wasn't going to probably be there for the whole week.
Closing arguments finally came, Thursday morning and we began deliberations that afternoon. It felt good to be able to finally talk about the case with someone, even if it was only in that room with the other 11 jurors. We had 2 counts to decide on: wreckless driving and hit and run with injury. If we had a question, we could ask the judge, but it had to be in writing and we would have to go back into the courtroom with everyone present and then the judge would read the question and answer there. We could also have testimony read back to us by the court reporter, and again this would happen in court on record. We asked a question that afternoon and after the judge answered it, it was around 4 so we were dismissed and told to come back at 9:30 the following morning. It was a complicated case. You can be charged with hit and run even if your car was not touched in the accident. It's too complicated to go into here, but we had to figure out if the defendant knew that he had been a cause of the accident.
So, Friday we arrived at 9:30 am, and had the court reporter read back some testimony and asked the judged another question, dealing mainly with the way the particular law was written, because it could be read 2 different ways. After getting our answer, we were unanimous on our decisions, and filled out the paper work to hand in the verdict.
/soapbox
I am glad I had this experience and although it was time consuming and you only get $15 a day, I won't be upset if I get called again in the future. As annoying as jury duty is and can be, it is part of being a US citizen. Having the right to be tried by a jury of our peers is one of the reasons this country came into existence. I think most people take this for granted nowadays. If I was accused of something, especially if it was something I did not do, I would want people like me and you on the jury. It was so disheartening to see so many people whine and complain and try to get out of it. For people that just can't afford it, it's understandable, but that's not the case with everyone. The only time that I feel my time was really wasted during this whole process, was the first day of jury selection. The bulk of that day was wasted listening to people whine and complain and try to get out of it. The trial might actually have begun and ended sooner had people just sucked up and answered the questions honestly and let the process take its course. So, as hoakie as this may sound, if you get called up for jury duty, be thankful that you live in a country that protects your rights from being judged unfairly.
/off soapbox
Monday, February 05, 2007
Back to a full time job ...
I have been working as a casting assistant off and on since I got back home from the holidays. As of last week, though, I am officially working on a movie once again, Charlie Wilson's War.
It's great to be working full time again. I'm still hoping to take an improv class in March and hopefully that won't mess up my schedule.
Basically, I'm a casting assistant to Specialty Casting. We need to find 1,000 Afghani's or Middle Easterners to play Afghan Refugees from the Afghan conflict in the late 80's. We've already had some open casting calls and plan on having more. It's a fun project to work on.
It's great to be working full time again. I'm still hoping to take an improv class in March and hopefully that won't mess up my schedule.
Basically, I'm a casting assistant to Specialty Casting. We need to find 1,000 Afghani's or Middle Easterners to play Afghan Refugees from the Afghan conflict in the late 80's. We've already had some open casting calls and plan on having more. It's a fun project to work on.
Friday, January 19, 2007
No interview ... well sort of ...
So the interviews were cacelled yesterday. They decided they wanted to see pictures before people came in for interviews. So I got my landlord to take a few shots of me all geeked out in the parking lot and emailed it to the casting director. I had forgotten that my glasses got dark in sunlight, but the casting director said the pictures looked great. So, now I go in to interview this evening at 5:00 and I get paid for yesterday's interview as well. Here's my geeky warrior girl look...
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Mama's Boy
Today I have an interview for a featured extra role on the movie "Mama's Boy". The character is described as a geeky warrior girl ... think dungeon and dragons ... and is supposed to be pelting someone with tennis balls. Sounds like fun, lol. I'm doing my best to look geeky with my hair in pigtails and wearing glasses. I have an old skirt that I'm going to use as a cape. Having a cape was suggested by the casting director.
I'm a bit nervous as always, but looking forward to it!
I'm a bit nervous as always, but looking forward to it!
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Santa Claus Is Coming To Town!!
Every year for as long as I can remember, our fire department has been bringing Santa Claus around our neighborhood to say Hi and bring us some candy. The last few days it's been rainy, but he finally showed up last night!
You can hear him from a long way off ... here he is making his way up our street ...
And here I am with Santa!!
And here he is giving candy to a little girl that drove up
HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!
You can hear him from a long way off ... here he is making his way up our street ...
And here I am with Santa!!
And here he is giving candy to a little girl that drove up
HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!
Monday, December 04, 2006
Home Again for the Holidays!
Yes, I'm back again in good ole South Carolina! I wanted to spend as much time as I could with my family so I flew back the sunday before thanksgiving and will be here until Jan. 3. I'm going to try to sneak to Atlanta for a few days, but haven't locked down any dates yet.The weather has been pretty nice in LA, so the cold hit me pretty hard when I got here. Even got to see some sleet! But the week after the sleet, it warmed up to the 70's and it was like spring around here. The plants in the yard got confused and we even got a nice showing of some flowers.
The angel trumpet trees we have (pictured to the left) were pretty much in full bloom! They are so fragrant at night that you could almost believe it was spring time.But now, winter has returned. It is cold and windy yet again! More leaves are covering the yard and so I will be busting out the rake yet again!
Other than than, all is well. My dad is doing ok for now and even looks a bit healthier.
Will try to do better at keeping this blog updated ... even if I don't have an interesting LA story ;) ...
Monday, November 20, 2006
Lazy Days ...
It's been a lazy past few weeks for me. Haven't really worked much. Looked for some extra work, but now that I'm SAG that's a bit harder. Everything I saw was either 18 to look younger, or strippers or bikini girls ... nothing really for me. And the few things I did submit for I didn't get. *shrug* Not that big a deal. Unemployment comes in handy for times like these. Last week, I worked as a casting assistant again, helping to set up interviews for principal roles for a documentary. It was fun.
So, it's the holidays yet again...
I want to spend as much time with my dad as possible, so I flew back to Columbia, SC yesterday, and I'm here until Jan. 3. It's actually cold here. I like experiencing real weather again, but brrrrr ... not used to it!
So, it's the holidays yet again...
I want to spend as much time with my dad as possible, so I flew back to Columbia, SC yesterday, and I'm here until Jan. 3. It's actually cold here. I like experiencing real weather again, but brrrrr ... not used to it!
Saturday, September 16, 2006
The Magic Castle
The wrap party for The Great Buck Howard was at The Magic Castle. How cool is that! Not everyone can go to the Magic Castle and they have a strict dress code there, so I was excited to go.
First of all, I got turned around on the way there. Ended up at Hollywood and Highland, not a great place for traffic on a friday night, and could not make a left turn and could not turn around to go in the direction I wanted to go! After about half an hour of trying to get from one side of Highland to another, lol, I finally made it! Talley, who had worked on casting, was not far behind me, and so I waited at the valet for her to arrive. We walked around the building to the room that had been reserved for the party. It was very cool. Everyone was so dressed up, it was difficult recognizing some folks. =) I decided to check my coat and was told that I had to go to the front desk at the entrance. So Talley and I went on a scavenger hunt for the front desk. Through the long and winding rooms and hallways, with a magician around every corner, we finally found it, and after checking my coat, Talley said the password to the owl to allows back through the secret door. Back at the party, there were magicians there to entertain us. We got to see the world champion of magic perform, which was so much fun. Apparently, not many americans have won that title. Finally, after some more food, drinks, magic and dancing, it was time to go home. I had a blast!
Here I am with Ted, one of our fabulous stand ins
First of all, I got turned around on the way there. Ended up at Hollywood and Highland, not a great place for traffic on a friday night, and could not make a left turn and could not turn around to go in the direction I wanted to go! After about half an hour of trying to get from one side of Highland to another, lol, I finally made it! Talley, who had worked on casting, was not far behind me, and so I waited at the valet for her to arrive. We walked around the building to the room that had been reserved for the party. It was very cool. Everyone was so dressed up, it was difficult recognizing some folks. =) I decided to check my coat and was told that I had to go to the front desk at the entrance. So Talley and I went on a scavenger hunt for the front desk. Through the long and winding rooms and hallways, with a magician around every corner, we finally found it, and after checking my coat, Talley said the password to the owl to allows back through the secret door. Back at the party, there were magicians there to entertain us. We got to see the world champion of magic perform, which was so much fun. Apparently, not many americans have won that title. Finally, after some more food, drinks, magic and dancing, it was time to go home. I had a blast!
Talley and I posing for the camera
Here I am with Ted, one of our fabulous stand ins
Thursday, September 14, 2006
The Great Buck Howard - Last Days
So I worked my last 2 days as background coordinator this week. We had 375 extras working Tuesday and Wednesday, and filmed at the Palladium. Things went fairly smoothly on Tuesday, but yesterday was a different story. The morning started with an extra fainting. An ambulance was called and she was sent home so she could go see her doctor. On this note, for anyone working on a film set, you should know that there is always a medic working. They are there for anything from someone needing tylenol for a headache to emergencies such as this one. When the extra fainted, it was a bit scary because she did not wake right away. So a few people called 911. Can't blame them, because it is ingrained in all of us to do so in an emergency. But the medic hadn't even gotten there to assess the situation. In our situation, it turned out that the paramedics came in handy. But in talking to the medic, he told me that in a lot of cases, this isn't so. A film production has lots of resources at hand, and if an emergency isn't immediately life threatening, a medic can take care of the situation at hand and then use the transportation department (affectionately known as transpo) to bring the victim to the hospital. So if you are ever working on a set, cast or crew, and, heaven forbid, a medical emergency happens to you or someone around you. Don't grab your cell phone and call 911. Find the nearest person with a radio and call for the medic.
Another side note I learned ...
When calling 911, it is much faster if you call from a land line. Calling from a cell phone will require transfers to the right place and then you have to be able to tell them exactly where you are. Whereas if you call from a landline it goes to the right place immediately, along with all the info (address,etc) that is needed. So basically, the time it takes for a medic to come assess the situation and potentially have 911 called from a landline can be shorter than if someone were to call 911 right away from a cell phone.
OK, so that was my lesson for the day ... thought it was good info I should share ...
So, the wrap party for The Great Buck Howard is tomorrow night. I'm super excited about it because it's at the Magic Castle! I've never been before so I'm looking forward to it. The only issue is ... what to wear? There's a formal dress code there ... guess it's time to go shopping!!
Another side note I learned ...
When calling 911, it is much faster if you call from a land line. Calling from a cell phone will require transfers to the right place and then you have to be able to tell them exactly where you are. Whereas if you call from a landline it goes to the right place immediately, along with all the info (address,etc) that is needed. So basically, the time it takes for a medic to come assess the situation and potentially have 911 called from a landline can be shorter than if someone were to call 911 right away from a cell phone.
OK, so that was my lesson for the day ... thought it was good info I should share ...
So, the wrap party for The Great Buck Howard is tomorrow night. I'm super excited about it because it's at the Magic Castle! I've never been before so I'm looking forward to it. The only issue is ... what to wear? There's a formal dress code there ... guess it's time to go shopping!!
Monday, August 21, 2006
Back to 14 hour days...
What a week!! Last Monday we were in a new location, the Dorothy Chandler Theater downtown ... where they used to have the oscars. I had never been there before so I was looking forward to seeing it. We were filming in the lobby, and I kept meaning to peek at the theater, but unfortunately never did. We were at this location Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but Monday was the craziest. A nice "welcome to the coordinating world" for me. Let's see ... after checking in 170+ extras, I made some calls to "no shows" and whatnot and waited for the late arrivals. Of course, there was someone that I woke up that had had their alarm not go off and I told her to get there as fast as possible. Then there was someone that got in a car accident and totaled her car. She had her car towed and had a friend bring her. Most people I think would have just gone home after an experience like that. Any time there is an alarm excuse or a car/traffic excuse, the AD's roll their eyes. Well, it is LA and you really do need to factor in huge amounts of time when planning to get somewhere due to traffic. So, we get our count and start bussing everyone to set. I get there and a "missing" extra (that has not checked in) is introduced to me, and the PA introducing him to me quickly leaves. I slowly figure out why. I explain to him that we have our count and since he is late we cannot use him. He doesn't like that answer. And proceeds to tell me that he drove all the way from Orange County and left at 4:30 this morning, etc etc ... If he had some how made it to base camp where we had done the checking in, I might still have been able to check him in, even if he was late ... but apparently he couldn't find the shuttles from parking to basecamp that were marked with large signs. Well, 170 extras found basecamp, early, on time and late. There was nothing I could do ... it was too late. He then demanded to know the name of who "replaced him" (like that would matter!). After dealing with him for about 10 minutes or so, the casting director calls me to see how things are going. I step away to talk to her, but he doesn't get the hint and doesn't leave. He gives me my space to talk on the phone, but doesn't leave. So I tell her what's going on and then let her talk to him. Which of course now she is just telling him what the PA told him, and what I had explained to him earlier. He starts demanding names of who she is and who replaced him and just being nasty and very loud. You didn't have to be close to him to hear his tirade. He finally hands the phone back to me ... but doesn't leave. He just stands there!!! So I am told to radio security. Which is somewhat intimidating since I'm still getting the hang of the radio. I try and I get no response. I see a familiar face in the distance, a set pa, and I call him on the radio and wave him down. He comes over and I tell him what's up. He tries to talk to the guy. He tries to call security. Apparently, security is not on radio ... but he manages to find someone in security finally to escort this guy away.
So that was the beginning of my day ... the day had just started ...
Without having too long an entry, I'll try to make the rest short and sweet. I ended up having to send a group of extras home early, because they felt they could not do what was expected of them in the scene. The final group we were left with was just a strange group. You meet all kinds of people in the "extra" world. A number of them had trouble following directions ("don't take anything to set, leave your bags in holding") and were sometimes difficult to find when it was time to roll.
We had this same group for the next 2 days. So, for the next 2 days we had to deal with lots of the same ... people not following direction and "missing" extras.
Thursday ... new location and new batch of extras! What a glorious change!! The location was at CSUN (California Sate University Northridge). A little bit of a drive to get there, but nice to be somewere different. Basecamp was pretty spread out on the campus and the set kept moving around, so lots of excercise due to all the running around! But, it was a good day, and a great way to end the week for me!
I will probably be working again on Wednesday. They will also be filming in Las Vegas and there is a chance I will get to go since the calls are 300 extras each day. I've never been to Vegas, so it will be cool if I get to go!
So that was the beginning of my day ... the day had just started ...
Without having too long an entry, I'll try to make the rest short and sweet. I ended up having to send a group of extras home early, because they felt they could not do what was expected of them in the scene. The final group we were left with was just a strange group. You meet all kinds of people in the "extra" world. A number of them had trouble following directions ("don't take anything to set, leave your bags in holding") and were sometimes difficult to find when it was time to roll.
We had this same group for the next 2 days. So, for the next 2 days we had to deal with lots of the same ... people not following direction and "missing" extras.
Thursday ... new location and new batch of extras! What a glorious change!! The location was at CSUN (California Sate University Northridge). A little bit of a drive to get there, but nice to be somewere different. Basecamp was pretty spread out on the campus and the set kept moving around, so lots of excercise due to all the running around! But, it was a good day, and a great way to end the week for me!
I will probably be working again on Wednesday. They will also be filming in Las Vegas and there is a chance I will get to go since the calls are 300 extras each day. I've never been to Vegas, so it will be cool if I get to go!
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Background Coordinating
Friday was my first day working as a background coordinator. It was a large call of about 200 extras doing an audience scene. John Malkovich plays Buck Howard, a mentalist, and the scene was his performance in "Bakersfield". I've checked in extras before, but I've never "coordinated" before and was trying to learn the ropes of everything I needed to do. I wasn't wearing a radio, but after a while a set PA gave me one, which made me a little nervous. I haven't had a job where I've used a radio in a very long time. But it was nice being able to have an ear on what was going on. They have more large calls next week, so I will be back to work again! It's great working around a movie set again.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
The Great Buck Howard
Just got a job coordinating (extras) on The Great Buck Howard. It's a large call tomorrow, so I'm a little nervous because I've only coordinated a little here and there, but it should be fun!
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Back in LA!
Well, here I am, back in LA! Actually finished unpacking yesterday!! Usually takes me much longer. lol Anyway, been settling back in this weekend ... cleaning up my apartment, stocking the fridge once again, and getting my car washed ... it was so dirty that it was no longer black and the car wash guy spotted me as an easy target to get talked into a good wax. He knocked $20 of the price and it needed it badly. My car is much prettier now. =)
Next week should be interesting and crazy for me. I have tons of phone calls to make. Have to let my agent know I'm back. She's been calling me to find out when I'd be back in town so she could submit me for commercials, so that sounds promising. Also have to call my loan officer regarding mortgages and then find a real estate agent so I can begin house hunting. Yep, I'm buying a house and moving my parents from SC to here. My dad is doing ok, not too bad, but not too good either. Hopefully, we can find a way to find a good deal on a house and get them moved here stress free. It all comes down to the loan officer and what she has to say about a mortgage. *fingers crossed*
It feels really strange being back in LA since I've been gone for 2 1/2 months. But after the heavy humidity weightbearing heat of the south, it's nice to be back to a cool sea breeze.
Next week should be interesting and crazy for me. I have tons of phone calls to make. Have to let my agent know I'm back. She's been calling me to find out when I'd be back in town so she could submit me for commercials, so that sounds promising. Also have to call my loan officer regarding mortgages and then find a real estate agent so I can begin house hunting. Yep, I'm buying a house and moving my parents from SC to here. My dad is doing ok, not too bad, but not too good either. Hopefully, we can find a way to find a good deal on a house and get them moved here stress free. It all comes down to the loan officer and what she has to say about a mortgage. *fingers crossed*
It feels really strange being back in LA since I've been gone for 2 1/2 months. But after the heavy humidity weightbearing heat of the south, it's nice to be back to a cool sea breeze.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Still in SC
Looks like I am spending the summer in South Carolina. Trying to help out my parents the best I can. Ideally, we will sell this house and they will move to California where we can buy a house together. But they've been living in this house for 30 years, so there is a lot of work to be done.
My dad is doing ok for now, but his eyesight is not so good. So, I'm the primary driver while I'm here. He sees his doctors about every 2 weeks. At the end of July, we find out if the medicine he's been taking has done anything to his cancer.
As far as work ... I missed an audition the day after I flew here. Everything had happened so quickly that I hadn't had a chance to call my agent. It was for a national starburst commercial which sounded cool. So I contacted my agent and apologized for missing the audition and not getting in touch with her sooner. She was pretty cool about it and said that there were actually quite a few actors out of town because of family emergencies.
It is a little frustrating that I can't be in LA and go to the auditions that my agent is getting me. After I had signed with them in the fall of last year, I hadn't really heard from them at all. Then in the spring and just before I left for SC, I started getting calls for auditions from them. Apparently, they had reworked the way they had things organized in their office ... and now it seems to be working much better. I just can't wait to get back to LA and go on more auditions!
As far as what I'm up to and what's been happening here ... it's HOT! Good ole southern hot summer. The week that was the hottest (100 degree weather and no rain), our ac decided not to work anymore. And the technician that came out on that tuesday told us we needed a new one. We arranged to get a new one and wouldn't you know it, it wouldn't be here until the following Monday!!! So we suffered through days of high heat and no ac. That really sucked, but we lived though it. =) That same week, 2 days after the ac broke, my tooth broke. It was the tooth that I was going to get crowned when I got back to LA. It just couldn't wait that long I guess. So off to my dad's dentist I went. Was worried I might need a root canal, but didn't. Unfortunately, there's not much tooth left (had a filling before), but the dentist worked hard and fixed me all up and made the tooth ready for a crown when I get back.
On July 3, my cat sasha looked sick. He hadn't moved out of his one spot most of the day. I went to pet him and he barely moved. I picked him up and he was almost limp in my arms. I realized after holding him for a little while that he was really hot. We debated on taking him to the vet (more costs after the new ac and the dentist), but decided since the next day was a holiday, and sasha really didn't look that good, that we should take him. So we did, and apparently he had a really high fever. The vet said he was probably bit by a flea or something and picked something up. They hydrated him and he stayed there for 2 nights. He's all better now. =)
So ... that's what's going on with me right now. Doing lots of yard work and getting a good tan and muscles in the process. Average life in suburbia. If you've read this far, you get a prize of knowin' what I've been up to! lol
Don't know when I'll be back in LA. Hopefully in August.
My dad is doing ok for now, but his eyesight is not so good. So, I'm the primary driver while I'm here. He sees his doctors about every 2 weeks. At the end of July, we find out if the medicine he's been taking has done anything to his cancer.
As far as work ... I missed an audition the day after I flew here. Everything had happened so quickly that I hadn't had a chance to call my agent. It was for a national starburst commercial which sounded cool. So I contacted my agent and apologized for missing the audition and not getting in touch with her sooner. She was pretty cool about it and said that there were actually quite a few actors out of town because of family emergencies.
It is a little frustrating that I can't be in LA and go to the auditions that my agent is getting me. After I had signed with them in the fall of last year, I hadn't really heard from them at all. Then in the spring and just before I left for SC, I started getting calls for auditions from them. Apparently, they had reworked the way they had things organized in their office ... and now it seems to be working much better. I just can't wait to get back to LA and go on more auditions!
As far as what I'm up to and what's been happening here ... it's HOT! Good ole southern hot summer. The week that was the hottest (100 degree weather and no rain), our ac decided not to work anymore. And the technician that came out on that tuesday told us we needed a new one. We arranged to get a new one and wouldn't you know it, it wouldn't be here until the following Monday!!! So we suffered through days of high heat and no ac. That really sucked, but we lived though it. =) That same week, 2 days after the ac broke, my tooth broke. It was the tooth that I was going to get crowned when I got back to LA. It just couldn't wait that long I guess. So off to my dad's dentist I went. Was worried I might need a root canal, but didn't. Unfortunately, there's not much tooth left (had a filling before), but the dentist worked hard and fixed me all up and made the tooth ready for a crown when I get back.
On July 3, my cat sasha looked sick. He hadn't moved out of his one spot most of the day. I went to pet him and he barely moved. I picked him up and he was almost limp in my arms. I realized after holding him for a little while that he was really hot. We debated on taking him to the vet (more costs after the new ac and the dentist), but decided since the next day was a holiday, and sasha really didn't look that good, that we should take him. So we did, and apparently he had a really high fever. The vet said he was probably bit by a flea or something and picked something up. They hydrated him and he stayed there for 2 nights. He's all better now. =)
So ... that's what's going on with me right now. Doing lots of yard work and getting a good tan and muscles in the process. Average life in suburbia. If you've read this far, you get a prize of knowin' what I've been up to! lolDon't know when I'll be back in LA. Hopefully in August.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
SYTYCD Starts Tonight!!
Tonight is the premiere!! They're showing New York and Charleston auditions.
www.fox.com/dance/
www.fox.com/dance/
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