A Day in the Life of a Background Actor

Thanks to Ava Eadie for this blog about her day on set!

The day before . . .
5:00 pm: Reread Legacy Blog, “A Day In the Life of Extras Casting” – noted tag – ”Anyone want to be a ‘guest columnist’ about a day on set….” Oo, Oo, I do, I do! And so it began…
7:11 pm: Reviewed call for Neiman Marcus Dining Scene, call time . . . 1:30 pm bittersweet…would love first day on a film set to be full effects but, Ces’t la vie..
7:13 pm: Finish filling out Emergency Contact form – Check
7:15 pm: Make copy of DL – Check
7:25 pm: Review Garment bag for Clothing options – Oops, forgot to iron that blouse, Oops, Oops, this scarf needs pressed – Check, check and check – Oops, Ooops, Ooops forgot panty hose…will have to run to the store in the morning.
8:00 pm: Mention to hubby I will be a “RICH” matron in the scene – smirked he, “That will take some acting!”.
10:42 pm: Lights out. At least I don’t have to get up at midnight early.

Day of filming . . .

11:45 am: Last minute clothing preparation.
12:15 pm: God please keep I30 clear of traffic problems and keep me from becoming a traffic problem.
12:16 pm: Enter 2500 Main St, Dallas into GPS – I Love GPS!
12:40 pm: GPS took me to Ceasar Chavez Blvd South instead of North – forced stop on Hartwood while an old, hoary faced truck driver deftly maneuvers his diesel, blocking the whole street, between two SUVs in a tiny little delivery parking lot at Harry and Sons. Arrggg GPS!
12:53 pm: Woohoo! I am here at BASECAMP for filming.
12:54 pm: Meet Robin.
1:10 pm: Meet a cluster of other “RICH” Matrons in the parking lot: B.J., Sara.. “with an h”, Pam, Laura…”It’s Lori”.
1:20 pm: Waiting back in my car under the street above, watching some young, viral guy play with his very WOLF looking pet across at Dog Bark Central.
1:30 pm: Meet Andrei.
1:43 pm: Hear “RICH” Matron, B.J., frantically tell Andrei that her car won’t start and the windows are down.
1:45 pm: Handed a voucher to be filled out.
1:50 pm: Robin attempts to staple my DL copy and Emergency form to the voucher with her cute, teal colored, mini-stapler only to discover she is out of staples …she will be right back
1:53 pm: Matt checks my voucher …I failed to notice the voucher form is in Triplicate or perhaps it is
Quadruplicate…anyway back to the car to fill it all out…
2:00 pm: Waiting in line to have voucher checked again by Andrei….”My maiden name?..Oh, sorry, didn’t think that was highlighted.”
2:30 pm: Haul my bags to the wardrobe trailer to have outfit checked.
2:45 pm: Woohoo! Outfit approved, don’t have to change!
2:46 pm: Haul my bags back to the car and lock up.
2:48 pm: Share my “set bag” with Pam for her flats and newspapers.
2:50 pm: Standing out in the parking lot with a larger cluster of “RICH matrons” and Andrei waiting for vans to take us to Neiman’s.
3:09 pm: Sheila, a makeup lady, comes around and bans my red lipstick- …go to makeup trailer for tissues to clean up…Sarah there too trying to remember my name, asks me what my name rhymes with….I have never known of a real word that rhymes with Ava…but then I have not thought long on it…
3:15 pm…Corrine and Costume Designer decide I need an alligator bag to go with my outfit. They take my voucher…
3:20 pm: Van arrives and 10 or so of us all climb in… the Principle Stand-ins also happen to be in this van.
3:27 pm: Once at Neiman’s, in their breakroom, Ingrid goes over the lowdown of all the quiet stuff we have to do.
3:45 pm: Waiting with all the other “Rich Matrons” in breakroom…many are re-primping and helping others primp… the girl with the Snookie hair (she is much lovelier than Snookie and dressed far more sophisticated but I never got her name) helps Pam tease her hair….
4:23 pm: JJ and wardrobe people come in and make selections of “Rich” Matrons and Men.
4:27 pm: I along with several others are selected and shown to the dining area.
4:30 pm: Kara and I are to sit at the right front table next to the Principles’ table…right now the two Stand-in’s are sitting in…
4:40 pm: Kara and I become acquainted and practice our quiet background acting….
4:51 pm: Crew are dressing our table for dining…Kara and I have plates with bits of lettuce and tinier yellow bits of what sorta look like egg and two small chunks of chicken….I think I will pass on pretending to eat….really looks like someone already ate what was on my plate….
4:53 pm: Crew member puts ice in our glasses. He is wearing latex gloves. He gets some sort of critique by some other crew guy. First gloved crew guy walks away commenting that he needs some wine. I think that would be good too…some people have some on their tables, and some even have flutes filled with champagne or what looks like champagne, a crew guy is adding drops of Coke to the champagne to increase the bubbles I think.
5:10 pm: Still sitting, still waiting and practicing. I become concerned about looking stupid with over mouthing quiet conversations….I try to “tone down” my quiet mouthing.
5:15 pm: Someone calls for Sound, then Camera begins rolling, literally, and immediately proceeds to knock over a vase on the long table in the middle of the Zodiac Lounge, sounds like marbles fall all about. Director comes through calmly commenting for the retake.
5:30 pm: Back to breakroom while they film the left side of the scene.
5:35 pm: Starving …Pam shows me where the little snack cart is…YUM -sea salt potato chips. .Finish off little bag of almonds
5:37 pm: Christine, Pam and 4 others have not been taken for any background in the scene yet…
5:42 pm: A crew member comes in and takes half of the ladies not picked back into the dining room….Christine chuckles to Pam, “And then there were 3”.
5:48 pm: Those of us on the right side of the scene are called back in.
5:52 pm: Phil the AD, who has made sure he knows everyone’s name in the scene, adjusts me and the table. Three Makeup people actually come over and work on my hair and pony tail.
5:58 pm: Camera rolls…..pretend to converse with Kara….Principle scene sounds different…. Print….
6:05 pm: Camera Rolls for background sound.
6:15 pm: Outside Neiman’s waiting for Van ride back to parking lot…It is cold and raining….Crew and Principles come down and get in the first Van.
6:40 pm: Made 3rd Van ride back with Stand-ins and a full van load….Someone behind asks if anyone wants to go with her to some “Twisted something “ restaurant…
6:47 pm: Walk to back of the Wardrobe Trailer in the rain and turn in my alligator “clutch”, which I think was never viewed in the scene, to Corinne for my voucher.
6:50 pm: Turn in my voucher to Matt…
6:55 pm: Headed home…that’s a Wrap! Tired but delighted! Thanks Andrei and Legacy and Film Crew, You were all Awesome! Can’t wait for next time!!!

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