Monday, August 31, 2015

How can it POSSIBLY get any better than this?

My schedule at Warner Bros. is now officially "reduced". I still get to work weekends, and working yesterday was a bit weird, considering so many of my friends aren't there anymore (temps, by definition, have an "end date", and all of the people I trained with, plus quite a few of the kids that were already there, were hired as temps). I'm only on an extension, through the end of September, give or take whatever period of time traffic will allow, so I'm also a temp. It's just that, now I'm a temp with fewer days, and fewer hours per day, at least this week.

I say all of that as a good thing. I discovered Friday evening that I was booked on "Jane the Virgin" today, as a detective, in the background. I've worked this show once before, as a maid in the Miami boutique hotel where Jane works. Last time, I fit into the costume perfectly, so I assumed they'd have me back all the time. I never got on camera that day. They shoot pretty tightly, so they realized they'd never see me in the background with my housekeeping cart, so I got kinda close to the actual set once or twice but never really got placed on camera. Also never got recalled as a maid. Cést la vie. Say "la vee". La Vee. :)

Today, I was there as one of four detectives, with four uniformed police officers. I found the wardrobe truck early enough to not be late, thankfully, considering I had to drive 22 miles to get to set but without anything that resembled traffic (arrival at 6:30 in the a.m. will do that). I showed the wardrobe ladies what I'd brought; they sent me to the trailer to change; I got semi-approved and then had to change my shirt again: "PERFECT". If I wore my skirt suit, I had planned to shave my legs (with my electric) while I waited. No one mentioned that I might need some hosiery, even though the skirt suit was the approved outfit, so I guess I'm very happy to be a blonde. I stood in a line with the other seven so we could get approved by hair and makeup. I'd showered last night, so my hair was combed but not "styled". I threw on some lip gloss while waiting, with the intention of adding more makeup once I got to "holding". Makeup guy looked at me and said "PERFECT". Hair lady came over and spritzed my part with some hairspray and said "PERFECT". So no shaving, no makeup, and not much product in my hair. How can it possibly get any better than this?

We were walked over to set, shown where we'd be "holding", and informed that we'd have a non-deductible breakfast on our pay vouchers but would likely get wrapped before the one-hour walkaway lunch. Got settled in; grabbed a bite; got "propped" (cops need lots of little stuff all over their uniforms; detectives just need a badge); went to holding and waited. First scene was shot, moving on. Second scene was shot, moving on. They pulled me and another detective and three of the four cops for scene three. The others stayed in holding.

They looked at our shoes and determined we'd all be too noisy, so they threw carpets down in the hallway. We practiced the crosses they needed; I was asked to "walk lighter" and then by the time we got to the filming, they just had me cross barefoot. We shot the scene a few times and returned to holding. Moving on. Wait - that's it? Yeah, get yourselves unpropped, one at a time, and then we'll return to the wardrobe trailer to wrap out.

We were signed out approximately three hours after our calltime (sign-in). It took about an hour to get there, and a little longer than that to get home. We'll get paid for eight hours at AFTRA wages. I have time to get my laundry done today! And maybe I'll book more background work on my two other days off this week!

How can it possibly get any better than this?

4 comments:

  1. Can't believe you had to work barefoot! I am glad they kept you for an additional month, it's just a shame it can't be for longer.

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    Replies
    1. No, Holly, I GOT to work barefoot! :) The additional month or so COULD mean another extension, or it COULD mean an offer of permanence, or it COULD mean actually LESS than a month, with a new possibility of being "recalled" in the future. So it's not a bad thing AT ALL. I might get so busy in the other side of the industry, that I end up giving up shifts for others who need them anyway.

      Right now, the world is my oyster! How can it possibly get any better than this? ;)

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  2. That sounds like so much fun. I'm glad you were "PERFECT" for them in every way. :-)

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