Any Day on Set is a Good Day

Today being Friday the 13th doesn't matter. The city of Glendale swapping odds and evens in the street numbering in the last block of my drive plus all the construction on that street, doesn't matter. The Casting Director giving us vaguely-incorrect information regarding our wardrobe, or neglecting to inform us of the need for two "changes", doesn't matter. Any day on set is a good day.

In case you were wondering, I got to be on set today. I could tell from the call times on the line that my day would very likely be a short one (or at the most, I would work the eight hours for which they were automatically paying me). Yes, it was Friday the 13th. So what? Yes, I got "lost" when I couldn't find the address on the expected side of the road, had to turn around, and noticed that odds and evens had been swapped. So what? Yes, I was one of the majority of background artists with the "wrong" clothes, and not enough of 'em. So what? I got to be on set today.

I made it in time. I fit standard sizes, so the BG Costume(r/ Assistant) was able to "dress" me properly. The young lady who was assigned to herd us was a DGA Trainee about a third of the way through The Program, and I made sure she knew that In My Opinion, she was doing a great job. (DGA Trainees are only one rung higher on the ladder than Production Assistants. They work incredibly hard and rarely receive any praise). We only had a couple of scenes to do, and they were short, and they were separated by lunch and a change of wardrobe. The second group of BG was to come in at the end of lunch, and they'd work the final scene. Easy-peasy.

I learned from others that today's 1st A.D. liked to move quickly, and I saw it first-hand. Her primary complaint was that the star of the show was making us all wait. She was pretty vocal about that, but she also had found "the way" of saying what she needed to say (the star was costing the production time and money) without being shrill or "scolding" him, even though he could tell he'd been scolded. It was pretty interesting to witness; that exchange. I also learned that that particular show likes to bring back "regular" BG in particular roles, like the role I had today, so there is a possibility of  more work, recurring work, being seen by people in positions to help my career, such that it is. And knowing what I'm expected to bring in for my wardrobe, and clarifying that with the über-intense and ultra-hyper BG Costume Assistant put my face in the "I want to come back and I want to bring you what you expect" category. What you probably don't realize; what I may not have ever told you before, is that the BG Costume Dept. has all of the control over who returns and who doesn't. I've been around this block. I know how to play this game.

So, today being a Day on Set made it a Good Day. I wasn't really even planning on saying anything here, except that I remember that you like it when I talk about work AND someone (a reader here) today revisited this old post, and that said to me, okay... let me tell you about TODAY! As soon as I started re-reading that post, I remembered the day vividly. But also, that post is so old, I can now tell you that Patricia Arquette was the star and the show was CSI.

So blogging is helping my memory. Which means Today was a Good Day! And in case you've been wondering, yes, the non-FitBit thingy has been happy with me every day for the last two weeks or so.

doesn't EVERYONE walk the track at the high school wearing Mommy's pearls
(no, not as a headband at the time) and a little plastic tiara comb? Yes, Jenn, I still have the tiara you gave me!

Do YOU have something that automatically makes "Today" or "Any Day" a Good Day?