When we are in the midst of filming a show, extras casting seems to be a 24-7 job. Here’s a glimpse into one 24 hour period. This is an HONEST glimpse . . . no fabrications or exaggerating!
12:03AM Send out the skins for the day now that final call times have been confirmed.
12:05AM Send out an updated skins with some revised information.
12:30AM Go to bed.
4:30AM Wake up. Ugh. Early call times are a beating, especially since I was up so late working.
5:15AM Leave the house to drive to set.
6:00AM Arrive on set. Get breakfast! It is going to be a LONG day.
6:15AM Extras start arriving even though call time isn’t until 7AM. Check in extras until 9AM.
9:15AM Arrive at the office. Check email. Take phone calls. Get constant updates from the set. Put out fires. Pull photos for the director for several specialty extras. Send them via a PA to the set. Call the barber who is a consultant for a scene to confirm availability.
2:00PM Lunch break at the desk while checking emails. (Cafe Express — assortment of pastas and salads. Love this part of working in the office but wish I could actually stop and enjoy the food/get to talk to others in the office!)
2:15PM Robin calls with an emergency on set. Help with that for an hour.
3:15PM Hear back from the directors. They likes some of the photos I have sent them but they want more choices. Pull more pictures.
4:30PM Call Robin. Ask her to come back from set to the office to pick up the photos and drive them back to the set for the directors to see.
4:35PM Continue booking future scenes.
6:00PM Meeting with producer about situations on set.
6:10PM Status meeting with Robin to touch base on bookings.
7:15PM Leave the office. There is still more work to be done but this is a good breaking point to get home or else I will be here until 10PM . . . plus the Rangers are on! (Told you I would be honest!)
7:47PM Get a call from a featured extra canceling for tomorrow as I am driving home. Can’t answer because I am in traffic.
8:00PM Arrive home. Begin working on trying to find a new featured extra for tomorrow. Are you kidding me? Post on Facebook, Twitter, and start looking in the database. This could be tough. Very specific sizes and very specific look is needed. Put a panini in the panini maker to eat for dinner when I get to it.
8:30PM Get a call from a possible actor. He can work but lives six hours away. Yikes!
8:33PM Brainstorm possible extras to use with Robin and Rachel.
8:40PM Call a possible actor for the scene.
8:45PM Book a new extra as the featured extra. Phew, that was easier than expected. Thank you GOD!
8:48PM Try to call an extra for a scene and have the wrong phone number. Annoying!
8:50PM Call the out of town actor back to say thanks but no thanks.
8:55PM Get my burning panini out of the panini maker. Waiting for the final call sheet. Have to wait for them to finish filming. Start to make bets on when it will come. Start to work on the skins and website information for the extras once I have calltimes. If there is any downtime, check one of the 92 unread emails in our inbox.
9:03PM Send a text to wardrobe letting them know there is a different extra for tomorrow but his sizes should work for the costume that was bought last week.
9:09PM New panini in the panini maker. Take three phone calls. Write blog post.
9:14PM Panini out of panini maker.
9:16PM Text from the 2nd AD saying preliminary call times have been pushed a half hour.
9:35PM Six extras for tomorrow. Because each is absolutely vital, call each personally to confirm they know current call times and are coming! Work on updating skins with new call times. Post updated info to website.
9:53PM Eat panini. Gotta love a late dinner.
9:55PM Call sheet arrives. Call times confirmed. Sweet! Final post to the website. Email the skins out to the crew. Email the standins with their final times.
11:56PM Bed, sweet sweet bed. Oh how I’ve missed you! Set the alarm for 6:30AM but know it won’t be necessary because an extra, PA or director will call before then and wake me up with an emergency.
Here’s the play by play of my day! Anyone want to be a “guest columnist” and write about a day on set? We would love to feature it!