Boomtown Tale update!

After hunting frame after frame through Boomtown, I collected three where I’m clearly visible. There may have been a few others, but I blinked and missed them…

About a month ago, I went on a rampage, searching through all of my DVDs to find the ones I’d worked on, but had yet to hunt for screen captures. I pulled out Lords of Dogtown, Smokin’ Aces, 13 Going on 30 and Serenity (for goodness sake!), and put them in a pile next to the collection so that all I had to do was pop them in my computer, go to the scene(s) I was in and snap some captures.

Of course, that pile is still collecting dust.

However, also around this time, I updated my Netflix cue with all the shows I was on but didn’t have captures for. Let me just say that it’s a damn good thing I can’t get another DVD until I send back the ones I have! That is how I was forced (yeah, my arm was twisted, it was so horrible to have to find some time to watch some entertainment rather than building in Second Life or answering email or writing another scene…just horrible) to gather up these captures.

So horrible, I’ll likely blow the dust off that stack of DVDs real soon so I can post some new screen captures (of course, only if there’s a frame or two of me that isn’t on the cutting room floor).

All About Steve

It has been an eternity, it seems, since I’ve worked within 10 minutes of my house and twice in two days, I got lucky. Yesterday, I drove south. Today I drove north, but both times, I was there in about 10 minutes. I wish they were all this close!

Because the shoot was so close and gas prices have come down a little, I drove my Viper…just ’cause. I haven’t driven it much lately, so why not?

I parked. I got shuttled. I checked in. I went to wardrobe.

Okay, last night, I agonized over what to bring to this gig. Usually, casting directors specify “NO BRIGHT COLORS” and repeat that, like, ten times in the recorded message about what clothes we’re expected to bring. Well, this time, the message said, “We love bright colors.” And said it, like, ten times… But what went through my mind was, “They say they want bright colors, but do they really mean it? And do they know what they’re getting themselves into by asking me to bring bright stuff?”

So, I chose a pair of loudly tie-dyed teal/aqua pants, a teal tank top (’cause we’re having 100-degree weather), a loud teal floral over-shirt (just in case) and maroon Chuck Taylors (I oddly don’t have a teal pair yet for some reason). Then, I grabbed a loud pink/purple floral pantsuit from the late 60s, and another, less loud outfit in shades of royal blue, tossed in a few extra, random shirts just in case and figured, well, they said bright colors, so I’m gonna give ’em bright colors.

And sure enough, I presented myself in front of the wardrobe people and, though surprised, they said, “Ummm… Great.” So, I went on my merry, tie-dyed teal way through hair and make-up.

As I came out of hair, they were loading up us extras to go get our cars because they wanted to use them in the shoot. Okay, whatever. I’m always game for car calls. I did wish I’d known this was going to turn into a car call so I could’ve brought a different car. Oh well.

But what extra drives a Viper?

Yeah, I became a little mini-celebrity because of my car. Oh well. It’s always fun. I got the car parked and they told me to stay in it.

But I couldn’t. It was already about 90 degrees outside and my Viper heats up to inferno in nothing flat. The inside is small and black, the top is black and the engine radiates heat inside, too. I kept having to get out of the car and stand next to it. At first the PAs and such thought I was trouble, but after awhile, they realized that, no, I wasn’t trying to be difficult, I was over-heating and didn’t want to pass out!

During a short period of time when I didn’t need to actually be in my car, I was sitting nearby and doing what I always do: watching everything. I like to see what people are doing and how they’re doing it. I still find it fascinating even though I’ve seen it so many times. And, well, Jen had told me to look out for Bradley Cooper because she’s got a crush on him and he’s a hottie.

And, well, I make it a point to scope out hot men, so when I saw him, I figured I’d text-message Jen just to tell her that I was about 20 feet away from him. (Which was pretty much for the record or thereabouts for all the principle actors today.) She replied about being jealous and then a little while went by and I had to go back to my car for a little bit.

While I was at my car, I looked back down, just to see the action, etc. and I wanted to do a mental recording of what I was seeing just so I could send it to Jen… Bradley was changing his shirt as he walked closer down onto the set and…well…omg…I’m drooling now just replaying the mental video. Jen wasn’t kidding when she said he’s a hottie… I have now seen him without a shirt and wouldn’t mind seeing more…a lot more!

Anyway, I was always pretty far from the action, but essentially the scene had Sandra Bullock running alongside a van, with Thomas Hayden Church as passenger. The woman was awesome. In hundred-degree heat, she ran alongside that van for about 12 hours and never seemed grumpy about it. She rocks! I’d already thought she might be a pretty cool chick, but I hadn’t worked with her. Now, she’s just plain and simply awesome in my world. And I hope I look as good as she does when I get to be her age. She’s amazing.

As I fried in the heat, I put myself in her shoes…well go-go boots today. Yeah, she’s got guys to give her a ride, air-conditioned cars and tents and trailers, etc. But darn it all, what she did was hard work today. She had to 1) Run in those go-go boots. 2) Act. 3) Do it for 12 hours. 4) Do it in hundred-degree weather…in the sun the whole time. 5) Keep it fresh in every take.

I dunno about anybody else, but I think I would’ve had a meltdown were I in the same predicament. So, for now, Sandra Bullock is my new hero!

Eventually, I did get to drive through frame. I always enjoy driving on set, but everything kept getting confusing because sometimes they’d have us drive forward and then back up and sometimes they wanted us to do a U-turn and then get back in line the way we’d started. I preferred to back up, but more so, I preferred that they’d all had us do the same thing no matter what they chose. Oh well.

I do think I was either the only one or one of very few people in a stick-shift car. As I said earlier, if I’d’ve known it was going to turn into a car call, I would’ve brought a different car. I’m actually also surprised they let me use it. It didn’t really ‘go’ with the rest of the cars, but whatever.

I rarely got out of first gear, but what was most annoying is that the whole set was on a hill, so there I was, trying not to let the car roll downhill before going forward or in reverse. I enjoyed the challenge, but still wished I’d brought an automatic. The one saving grace, was air-conditioning. Even though I couldn’t let the car idle for long, while the cameras were rolling, I had the a/c on and got to cool off a little bit. I just didn’t want to overheat the car, too.

For a long, hot day, it was nowhere near as bad as it could have been. I mean, I’ve been on longer, hotter days and this wasn’t near so bad. I don’t want to do a lot of these, but once in awhile, I’m totally game for it. Between the male eye candy and the acquisition of a new female hero, not a bad day overall…

Raising The Bar

This was the shortest drive I’ve had in a very long time. My call time was 6:30AM and I left at 6:10. It was a little later than I’d shot for, but I knew I’d still make it in time and that was the main thing.

I parked. I got shuttled. I couldn’t find holding. I found holding. I went to wardrobe.

Okay, the last show I was on, Henry Poole Is Here, I was supposed to wear business clothes. Over the weekend, I’d forgotten to do laundry. Last night, I realized that if I didn’t do laundry, I wouldn’t have anything clean to wear for this gig, so I threw in a load.

And that was the outfit wardrobe wanted me in. I did a few mental cartwheels because the rest of my stuff really didn’t work for the look of their show.

This was the first day of filming for this pilot and I gotta say that it really didn’t feel like the first day. Everyone wasn’t perfectly in tune with each other yet, but if I hadn’t been told, I never would’ve known that this was day one. It was waaaaaay smooth.

I played a ‘public defender’ in an office setting. And for a change, I had some reasonably difficult crosses that depended heavily on timing. This wasn’t background pinball and we pretty much all had to take our own cues once we walked into the office set. I futzed with paperwork and even watered plants. The challenge was great, too, in order to be in the correct spot, doing the right cross at the right time. My performance was flawed on a few takes, but not so bad that I got yelled at for it. Personally, I think I did pretty well with what I had to work with.

And either I was really, really hungry or catering was great. I don’t feel qualified to comment because my stomach was growling, but the chicken, potatoes au gratin and steak I had were super-duper yummy. I mean, like, I wish I had the recipe for the chicken and potatoes. The steak…well…my hubby knows his way around beef and grill. It was a really great lunch…which ended my day there.

Yeah, another somewhat short day. If this pilot actually airs, I’ll likely be in it. I counter-crossed Mark-Paul Gosselaar a few times.

Henry Poole Is Here

I left way early. It was Friday, so I’d assumed there’d be a lot of traffic, but since my call time was 2PM, that was the sweet spot when there’s almost zero traffic from my place all the way to downtown LA. Whoops! Oh well. I drove as slow as I could and still ended up 45 minutes early. But not so early that nothing was set up when I got there. That happens sometimes. But not this time.

After finding the Little Girls’ room on the honey wagon, I settled in to the holding area, ie. catering in this case, and tried to enjoy the stinky, urine smell that seems to be everywhere in downtown LA. Thankfully, there was a nice breeze. Once me and the few other extras moved away from the brick wall on one side, the air was a little easier to breathe.

Because I don’t work too often, I don’t generally see people I know, but this time was different. A buddy of mine, Aaron, was working, so I knew I’d be talking to him the entire length of the gig. Not bad. He’s a hoot and a hottie…

I was supposed to be a ‘young professional pedestrian’. So, I was wearing some business clothes, but of course, they weren’t quite business enough. Then, it was part of the look of the scene that they wanted only dark gray suits, but all I had were beige and a dark green one that they really didn’t want to put me in, but there was nothing else on the truck that was small enough to fit me (a growing and very annoying problem because nobody makes business clothes for kids, so consequently I can’t buy new business stuff, I have to either get custom clothes or wear ones that are a few years old from thrift stores.), so I did end up in my dark green suit, but they gave me some different shoes to wear. No big deal.

As I went back to holding, that’s when I saw him…Luke Wilson. OMG, I’d never really thought he was hot before, but good golly gracious me, I’ve changed my mind about him! I didn’t freak out or anything. He was in the black SUV, ready to go to the set. And he’s hot.

I continued to holding and was asked what car I had and if the production could use it in the next scene. Sure. But they wanted me to move it from the lot I’d parked in, to the one they were going to shoot in. Not really a big deal…

Except that the half-block walk to get my car while wearing wardrobe’s shoes–no socks–had created a tiny, bleeding blister on my left heel. Oh joy. As soon as I got in my car, I put my socks and shoes back on, moved the car and then carried wardrobe’s shoes back to base camp and asked for the Medic so I could get a few band-aids. I didn’t care that I’d gotten a blister, it was more that I hadn’t worked yet and it was going to be my job to do a bunch of walking–which meant, yeah, OUUUUWWWWCH for the blister I already had plus a strong likelihood for new ones.

During the car-moving expedition, the rest of the extras were herded up and taken to the set to work. Me and the other car guy (coincidentally Aaron) were held back in case they needed us separately. So, of course, we got caught up on the last year or so since we’d seen each other. That was nice.

Then, it was time to break for lunch. Yum. I was starving for some reason, so lunch tasted that much better. For the record, ‘lunch’ just means the meal break we get in the middle of the day’s shooting. I’ve eaten ‘lunch’ at midnight before… This time, lunch was some time a little past 4.

After lunch, one of the costumers had been sitting behind Aaron and I. She leaned over and asked if we possibly had any other non-business clothes with us because the look of the scene had changed from business to downscale or at least casual. Well, I had nothing non-business, but I did have a look that was more toward casual. So, back to my car I went, changed and then headed to the wardrobe trailer to give back the shoes–Yay!–and they gave me a really cute sweater to cover my too-businessy shirt. Great.

We were all changed and then herded one building over on the sidewalk, to the set. Luke Wilson was going to be looking in the window of a pawn shop. I never did learn what he was looking at, but whatever the moment was, he was very, very, very sad. Just looking at him, I felt his pain. It was awesome.

Background pinball was the game of the evening. Start in a line at one side and wait for the PA to cue you to walk across to the other side. Get back in line and wait to be cued to go back through. Sometimes, with a partner, but I always ended up by myself. Whenever that happens, I walk through slowly once and then come back fast or vice-versa to change it up. Yeah, I’m still wearing the same clothes, but hopefully the finish product won’t look like I’m aimlessly going back and forth if both of my crosses end up in it.

Well, roundabout the third take or so, Luke walked right in my path. It was either run into him or cross between him and the camera. I had to make an executive decision. I chose to cross between him and the camera. I didn’t get yelled at for it, but we were all instructed not to do that on the next take. I don’t think I was the only one who made the same choice.

He did it again and I missed him by about a quarter inch. I really enjoyed being that close to him. Can you tell my opinion of him changed? I dunno… I’ve just got this thing for Luke Wilson now! He’s freakin’ hot now! I wanted to jump him!

Anyway, the next few takes, our paths didn’t cross quite the same so I missed that closeness. Eventually, we were told that if he comes close to us, go ahead and run into him, but keep going. Unfortunately, I didn’t hear that until it was too late. Darnit. What I wouldn’t’ve given to be able to run into him!!!!!

But the good news is that when this movie comes out, there’s a teeny, tiny chance one of my crosses might be in it. Or maybe an elbow or a knee or something. Anything, please. I soooo want Luke Wilson now!

They decided not to use my car after all and then decided not to use me, either, the rest of the shoot, so I was wrapped. Short day for me, but certainly a great one. The crew on this show was great, too. Especially the PA handling us extras. She told us the whole plot of the script plus the scenes we’d be shooting and where they fell into the story. And wasn’t afraid to theorize with us about how long we might be there.

I gotta say that this is one of those areas that scores major points with us extras. We like to know about the show, why we’re there, what we’re doing and approximately how long we’ll be there, even in terms of ‘you’re only here for these scenes, not these other ones’. We honestly don’t need to know, ‘you’ll get out of here around midnight.’ We understand how shooting goes. If we’re in the martini shot, then we know we’ll be on that set at least 12 hours and we’ll count through the other set-ups until that martini shot without lament.

Or at least I don’t lament. I block out about fourteen hours from call time as ‘unavailable’. If I get out early, I call myself ‘off the grid’ and either stop for a cup of tea, take the long way home, whatever I feel like doing with the extra time I unexpectedly have on my hands. It’s like a mini-vacation because I’m not expected to be anywhere. Although, half the time, I do just go straight home…

That’s what I did after this show, too. I got out around 8PM or so and just drove home. I did, however, take the 101 instead of the 5 just so I could drive through Hollywood. I hadn’t done that in awhile and it felt pretty good. I smiled all the way home.

And BTW–Luke Wilson is freakin’ hot!!!! I don’t even know what it is about him. He just shot up my hotness-meter somehow. I wasn’t expecting to come away from this shoot having an all-out thing for him, either. Strange, but nice… I love it when that happens.

Hello I’m Stan Talmadge

The title of this feature film changed a few times during the booking-through-shooting process. I believe the word “Stan” was the only word that did not change, but I didn’t want to title this entry that simply. It would’ve felt weird, I guess. I dunno.

What I do know is that Los Alamitos is a long way from where I live. Even without traffic (thank goodness for an 11:30AM call time!!!), it took almost an hour and a half to get to the location. I always give myself about 2 hours to get where I’m going unless I know I’ll be an hour and forty-five early. In those instances, I give myself a full hour just in case. Sometimes, the simplest shoots turn out to be an adventure just finding the set.

Needless to say, I got there a little early so I sat in my ’68 Mustang fastback (the car they’d booked for the show) and read further into _Theatre Lighting in the Age of Gas_. Limelight and caron-arc fascinate me.

After getting a little lost in the motel complex, I found the catering area and had myself some breakfast while awaiting the usual doling out of vouchers followed by the inevitable escort to wardrobe. It was a small call. Only seven extras, most of us with old cars. The scene we were to work on took place in 1979.

And I wish I’d known it was supposed to be 1979 before I got there. The recorded information just said, “Bring 70s clothes. Do the best you can.” Well, when they say that, they don’t assume that I’ve got essentially the contents of a wardrobe trailer in my closets and can usually pinpoint the exact year back to 1968 or so. Most of the “70s” shoots I’ve been on want the ’70-’75 look, not the late ’70s look. Ugh. I had all sorts of great stuff I could’ve brought, but figured they wouldn’t use it.

Oh well. The costumer was okay with my light blue T-shirt and wraparound denim skirt. It wasn’t the best outfit, but it certainly wasn’t the worst.

It took awhile to get through hair and then make-up because the principal actors were also in the trailer, but I eventually emerged with a wacky hairdo and pink lips. All was well except that it was a little cold due to the sea breeze. The ocean was essentially across the street.

I worked the very top of the day. Me and another guy walked through frame maybe six or seven times. Just enough to make my feet tired of standing in my heels. (A favorite pair of mine, no less, that I usually have trouble matching to outfits because they are multi-colored in red, yellowish, blue and green while most of my ’70s clothes are brown and beige. They probably didn’t really match the outfit of the day, but since I was wearing a denim skirt and they were cute shoes, all was well.)

Okay, now we get into the rest of my day…

I read my book while sitting in holding. Occasionally, they had me pull my car into frame and park it, but out of the five times they had me do that, I had to pull it back out four times. They did finally use it in the last setup, though. I was beginning to wonder.

Regular day. Not much action. Not too bad overall except I was a little cold.

The Great Buck Howard

Why is it that 5:30AM call times feel eons earlier than even 6AM call times? Is it because for some reason getting up at 4AM is that much later than 3:30AM? I just don’t get it.

Anyway, I was a college student on The Great Buck Howard…except that I don’t think I’ll make it in the movie during the two scenes I was there for.

This was part of an opening montage-type group of fast scenes. I never made it into the first scene. I was always standing in line, waiting to go next, but they always cut just before I’d step into frame. Oh well. I don’t get irritated over that kind of thing. I’m there to do a job whether or not I make it on camera.

In the next scene, I was ultra-deep background. Why does that keep happening? I have no idea. Once again, I don’t care, but it does get a little annoying or maybe I’m taking it personally like I think they think I’m ugly or something… Just kidding. I mean, really, who wants to be waaaaaay in the back when all the action is happening a hundred feet away?

But I did my little cross anyway. If they use the tail end of the takes, I’m right there in the middle of the frame almost. Me and all the real UCLA students who were going to class.

Yeah, they didn’t shut down the place. They put up signs that said essentially, “We’re filming a movie. If you walk here, you might be filmed. If that bothers you, don’t walk here.” Honestly, having the real students there did fill out the scene quite well. It’d just be weird to go see the movie and learn I was in it while heading to my Underwater Basket-weaving class.

After those two scenes were done, they had more to do, but I was free to go…and glad for it. That was two short gigs in a row. I’m guessing the next one will be 16 hours… My luck has to change soon.

Entourage (2)

Been a little while since last I got to go out with my Viper.

I was on Entourage for my second time. We assembled at base camp and then headed up to the location. It was some sort of religious house (a sign read “A quiet place for priests to pray” or something like that.) that was doubling for the exterior of a school.

This is the second time my Viper has been booked as a parent’s car. What parent picks up their elementary school kid in a Viper? Not many. Not many. It was very weird for me to be there amid all the 4-doors and SUVs. But whatever. At least they didn’t completely turn up their noses at me.

They were even going to have me drive through frame, but, like duh, how about not the Viper. Finally! I mean, I knew I would end up parking the car and walking through frame. It’s always a matter of time. I never go to these assuming I’ll be driving.

I was given two fake kids. We did a couple variations on our crosses and then my day was done. I think I worked a total of about 4 hours. Not too shabby.

And I don’t even really have anything about the show to report. I couldn’t hear any interesting dialogue and the scene was so short, there probably wasn’t much going on other than all the kids getting to school.

Winged Creatures

The budget was low, but the talent was way high. I was an “onlooker” on a feature called Winged Creatures.

I was early. I parked. I got shuttled. I found holding. I ate breakfast. I was forgotten.

I ventured forth to get my voucher and almost ran into Forest Whitaker because I was looking at the ground rather than where I was going. Wardrobe squared me away. I changed into something more boring. I went back to holding.

Where I waited for a few hours. I’m still reading that book about the Wars of the Roses. I thought I’d finish it during this gig, but I actually worked this time.

Or… Well… Here’s what’s kinda weird. And this was a surprising first.

During the first scene I worked, I didn’t know I was actually working. They grabbed all the onlookers, brought us to set and placed us. I ended up the deepest, but I was standing on the ledge of a planter with a tree in it. I thought that was kind of fun. I’d never been elevated above everyone like that before.

But then as I waited for the scene to start, I got bored and started making laps around the tree.

No, I’m not kidding. I was walking around in circles because I was bored and it was kind of cold outside. Around and around and around. I was practicing keeping my balance on the 5″ wide ledge while not looking down at my feet as I walked. Around and around and switch directions and around and around.

Then, the AD called lunch. Huh? Whuh…What?

As I headed toward catering, I asked some of the other extras if any filming had happened because we’d been out there for a couple of hours. Apparently, in the background of Kate Beckinsale, the director wanted us extras too look natural as we struck up conversations and stuff. All the while I’m learning this, my head’s about to explode! They were filming while I was doing laps around a friggin’ tree!!!!!

I never got yelled at for it so I’m assuming that either they couldn’t see me or I was so deep that the movement didn’t look stupid. I dunno. But my mind is still reeling from learning that they were filming while I was walking around a tree.

Yeah. Nice.

After lunch, though, they started cueing us and I got to use my stupid walk around the tree and hop off to move closer to the action. During the course of that, I ended up directly in the path of Jeanne Triplehorn and Dakota Fanning as they left the hospital we were working in front of. That was pretty cool.

And thank goodness I wasn’t still walking around that damn tree!!!!!!!!!!

This was one of those gigs I really gotta laugh about, though. I mean, I got paid to walk around and around a tree. All I can say is wow, I love Hollywood!

Jericho (2)

First gig of the year, can you believe it? I barely can.

Anyway, I was booked as a ‘prisoner’ on Jericho. When I got there, I discovered I had a new distinction as one of the ‘new’ prisoners. I figured whatever that meant was more likely that I wouldn’t be recalled. No big deal. I rarely ever am.

I parked. I was shuttled. I ate breakfast. I got my voucher. I went to wardrobe.

The wardrobe girl was awesome. Lots of energy and way cool. She like what I was wearing, but needed to give me a coat because us prisoners were supposed to be dirty and she’d have to dirty up the coat. As soon as she said dirty, a million red flags went off in my tiny little brain as I flashed back to the head-to-toe fake dirt dusting I got whenever I was on Carnivale. It was always so bad that I was blowing it out of my nose for, like, three days after the shoot. ‘Course on Carnivale there was fake dirt and tons of real dirt, too, because we were usually shooting on dirt lots or on stages with dirt dirt covering the floor.

I was given a leather coat and instructed to go stand in the hair and make-up line. (There were about thirty of us there. Not a huge call.) While I was in the line, a sweet girl came running up saying I needed to go back to wardrobe because they accidentally gave me her coat. Whoops! They were all apologetic and I really didn’t care. I kinda thought it was funny. Plus, I didn’t really like the leather coat. It was stiff compared to the ratty one they gave me instead–which was already pre-dirtied. That was nice.

In the hair trailer, the lady put some goo in my hair to make it look oily and dirty. Then, the make-up guy dusted me with dirt-looking powder. Face, neck and hands.

I was now ready to go.

And I was brought onto the set almost immediately. I grabbed my book (I’m still working my way through a book about the Wars of the Roses. I haven’t had much time to read lately.) and headed through the mini-backlot and onto a soundstage where the prison was set up. Following instructions, I parked my ass on a bench in a cell…and started reading while I waited for the festivities to begin.

I’m pretty sure the camera couldn’t see me at all during those takes. Whatever. I just kept reading until we were instructed to go back to holding.

I read some more.

Finally, I was called back to the set and as a ‘new’ prisoner, I got to be in motion down the hallway.

And then the plot thickened… I was to be walking with one of the principals. I got to follow ‘Maggie’ for the next few hours. And if I don’t actually make it into episode 20, I’m definitely all over the cutting room floor because there were only about five of us in that part of the scene.

The gal playing Maggie, I believe her name is Erin, is way cool. She talked to us like we were real people, not scummy extras. A few of the high points were her excitement about how she got the fake blood that was on her shoe…squibs. It was her first time getting “shot” and she was so excited her enthusiasm was easy to share! And at one point, Skeet and her goofed off between takes and she said something along the lines of “We have lots of fun here.” I had to agree that it showed. Everyone on the crew was awesome.

The special effects guy, Tom, even introduced himself to various extras and laughed along. The A.D.’s and even the director were very laid back, but also down-to-business. These are the best kind of shoots because it makes everyone feel like part of a team even if only for a day.

During one of the tighter shots, I was even given a mark I had to hit and the A.D. treated me great. I was so glad. Sometimes, extras get totally talked down to. I hit my mark spot on every take. I hope I didn’t suck so hard that they intentionally edit me out. Whatever. I was just glad to be there and have the opportunity.

After that scene, I didn’t work the rest of the day. I just read my book or talked to other extras in holding. When I was wrapped, it had been eleven and a half hours since I’d arrived. I was glad to be leaving and glad I’d spent the day.

Ironically, as I left, the traffic sucked so hard I turned right instead of left, which sent me down the road where Blaina and Jay from Driven To Distraction met. That was a very nice ending to a long, but good day.

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry

I hadn’t been on a big call in quite some time, but this one wasn’t half bad. Or maybe I just kick into survival mode and somehow the massive throng of extras ceases to bother me. Or maybe it was because I now know that if I forget everything else, I must bring a coat and a book to read. Those were my saviors this time.

I was part of a gay pride parade. WooHoo! This is why I love extra work. It exposes me to things I might never have experienced otherwise…

I got to wear most of my own clothes. They gave me a totally awesome burgundy tanktop that fit me like a glove. I brought a very loud pair of pink/purple floral bellbottoms. They put a pink bandana on my head and I put on my burgundy Chuck Taylors. I was all set. I whipped out Crazy Wild by Tara Janzen and turned to page one.

Shoots in downtown LA can be hell sometimes. Usually just getting there is an adventure in itself. This one wasn’t so bad because I didn’t have to be there until noon and most of the traffic had dissipated by then.

After chowing down a doughnut, I boarded a people mover to the set. We sat in holding for a little while and I read a few more chapters. (The book kicks ass! I read Crazy Hot when I was on Numb3rs… The whole book. In one day. I hadn’t done that since high school. It was sooooo good.)

Then, it was time to shine… I grabbed my army green coat and readied my best, “Don’t worry, I’ll stash it when we’re rolling” line for when the costumers inevitably requested I leave it in holding. (I never leave it in holding because then I literally freeze…and that makes me an unhappy extra. There’s only one thing more annoying than an extra: a grumpy one!) Over the years, I’ve mastered the art of hiding a jacket on set where the camera can’t see it.

Initially, I was marching in the parade, but they needed more spectators and I got moved to the sidewalk. That was fine with me. I’ve spent my share of gigs walking forward, resetting, walking forward, resetting, walking forward, resetting. Standing in one spot sounded pretty good to me. I read a few more chapters and huddled in my coat while newbie extras looked on in silent (and some not-so-silent) envy. The serious ones will learn and adapt. I wasn’t the only one with a coat or a book, but as far as I could see, I was the only one who’d brought both!

All in all, not a bad day. The costumes were colorful. The gay pride was contagious. I had a blast!

Yes, I saw Adam Sandler and Kevin James. They were at the front of the parade waving at everyone.

Between takes, I was talking to the girl next to me and as Adam walked by, he added a line to our conversation and we both thought that was really nifty cool. And then it hit me…

I got in my wayback machine and a certain incident washed over me in frightening waves…

About six or seven years ago, I was a seatfiller at a bunch of awards shows: at one of which, Adam Sandler was there to either present or receive. Being a good little seatfiller, I went into a row where there was an empty seat. The people around the empty seat said that the person sitting there would be right back. I replied that I’d sit there until that person returned. That was my job. Well, when the guy returned, the commercial break was just about over and I had to make my way out of the row.

Which, oddly included getting past Adam Sandler. He’d shown up and sat down while I was in the row. Now, normally I’m very sure on my feet and I stealthily slide past everyone else in the row. Well…not this one time. Nope.

I tripped.

And did a face plant right into Adam Sandler’s lap. Literally. Like, he was wearing beige pants and my forehead was somewhere near the button on his waistband. I still remember the horror…even as I’m writing this, I can still see the cotton fabric and the pocket.

I have never been so embarrassed in my entire life.

He looked at me like I was insane. I felt like I was insane. Apologizing profusely, I regained my footing and got the hell out of there as fast as I could. I really wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it. I was honestly that embarrassed. It didn’t even matter who he was. Tripping that hard into any guy’s lap is a mortifying experience for me if I don’t already know the guy!

I’m just glad to see that I didn’t crash and burn so hard that he remembered me and ran away screaming while on the set of this movie.

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