Extra! Extra!

     So on a whim last week, I decided to submit myself for background work on the new HBO/Martin Scorsese series, Boardwalk Empire.  I thought that there would be no way that I would be chosen because the submissions were supposed to have been in by the day before I saw the listing but, I thought, "Why not?  They won't call but, what can it hurt"?  Lo and behold.... they called me that afternoon!  By the next day, I was getting a haircut and at a wardrobe fitting.

     I've never done film work of any kind before so, the idea of doing extra work seemed appealing in that, while I was around the cameras, I could watch and learn how the whole thing works.  Plus, as my friend David says, "You're a moving set piece."  So, I knew it'd be easy.  Little did I know, I would be in for such a long day.

     My day began at 3:30 a.m. Yes, I said A.M.  You see, I had to be on the east side of town, near Grand Central Station in time to catch the shuttle bus that left for Brooklyn at 5:15.  This being my first time doing this, I was overly eager to make a good impression.  By 5:45, I was checked in and waiting in line to put on my costume and get my mustache (ugh!).  I looked like this:

I felt like I belonged on the set of The Music Man.

     One thing I hadn't taken into consideration, was how much waiting there would actually be.  In the film world, there is a lot of time spent waiting to film just 15 seconds of a scene.  This particular day was devoted to one scene.  Just one.  It was three pages long and would amount to about three and a half minutes of air time.  This was mainly due to the fact that, after each shot is finished, they would film the same shot again but in more of a close up.  The attention to detail was very specific so as to have all of the shots match when edited together.  Even those of us in the background had to do the exact same things so that our legs (if they were even seen) would match the rest of our bodies when the camera shot was further out.

     I think, other than the waiting, the hardest part of the whole thing was that there was no reaction from the "crowd".  Once a shot was finished, everything moved on to set up for the next one.  There was no applause from anyone to say "good job".  So, I had no way of knowing if I was doing any good.  I guess the fact that they kept using me and didn't excuse me from the set would've been my indication.  

     Finally, after twelve and a half hours, I got on the shuttle bus to head back to Grand Central and on my way home.  I was exhausted, hungry (I was afraid to eat and get food on my costume) and had a headache (while trying to be early, I had forgotten to drink any coffee... I drink a lot of caffeine).  But, it was an experience I would love to do again!  Who knows?  Maybe eventually I'll work my way up to getting a line or two (they have to pay you extra if you speak).  I figured out that this is supposed to be part of the eighth episode of the season.  The show doesn't begin until fall so, it'll be about nine months before I find out IF I'll even see my legs on screen.  But until then, I'm gonna go submit myself for something else.  I saw they're casting background for Mildred Pierce.  That's gonna have Kate Winslet.  I think she's great!

     Until next time... 

     Oh and, by the way, I have a feeling this show's gonna be a good one.