Extra Red

I just finished three days on a film set in Black Diamond as an extra, hence the quiet blog. I actually didn't have long days since it seemed they didn't really want to pay us overtime but by the time I got home each day I was wiped out.

Here's the lowdown:

Day 1: Call time 6am so up at 4:45 to get ready and drive the hour. I arrived 15 minutes early, got into my CSI officer costume (pictures to follow hopefully) complete with CSI photo identification and got ready to wait. My CSI partner became a fast buddy since the rest of the extras were dressed up as fundamentalist polygamy folks and actually were in most of the shots, while we sat around. We stayed up at the location for most of the day, where there wasn't much shade until they brought up tents after lunch. We did not get to be in any scenes...

Sidebar: The hierarchy on film sets is crazy to observe. I am now an Actra Apprentice so technically I am considered "on voucher" so I can eat off the crew "craft" table but it's a very tenuous position because I am still just an extra... extras who usually get the scraps and have a separate snack area with only basic water and a few cookies. I wound up eating with the rest of the background rabble, who aren't "on-voucher" and are being paid about $10/hour because I didn't want to step on any toes... sigh - where's that backbone?

Day 2: Call time 6:30am so an extra half hour of sleep - wheee! I arrived 15 minutes early, as usual, got signed in, breakfast, costumes, hair, makeup and again back to waiting. This time I had a different CSI partner and he was a little... how should I put this nicely... full of himself and acting like he owned the set when really he was just an extra like the rest of us. We got sent up to the location but again didn't get in the scene and CSI dude convinced the wrangler to send us back to the holding area if we weren't needed, as if he was inconvenienced being on set. So we waited down at the holding area for the rest of our eight hours and then they sent us home, again without filming.

Day 3: Call time 10:30am woohoo! And another hour drive out of town this time with more traffic on the roads but of course I planned for that so I managed to be 20 minutes early... I figured they wouldn't call us back for an extra day if they didn't need/want us so I had a good feeling. And my original CSI buddy was back so I didn't have to put up with the other guy. We went through the procedure and settled in for waiting... lunch came and went... and finally about 4pm we were taken up to the location. And we waited again... and finally we got into our scene with the dead body. It was awesome - and it only lasted about 15 minutes but at least we got to see some action!

So three days of getting paid to eat and sit around... not bad work if you can get it. I'm hoping my CSI buddy comes through and emails the pictures from set!

Ingredients for a Perfect Day

Ingredients needed:
- a restful sleep the night before (Saturday morning sleep-in, ahhhh)
- a lot of Vitamin D (ie. sunshine finally)
- coffee walk (activity with a reward at the end, ps - thanks for the gc Nic & J!)
- productivity in multiple disciplines (gardening, laundry, doing the dishes, prepping and painting window trim, and repeat)
- music to help the productivity (ipod's at 305 songs now)
- a healthy amount of breaks (a couple of episodes of guilty pleasure tv during lunch)
- some fun (shopping after dinner, more coffee, blogging)

Life is good!

Red Reads with Eric Bana?

Thank you to the library of Cee for letting me borrow a couple books for our May Long adventure. Somehow I managed to pick two books that became movies starring Eric Bana. You would think I was a fan or something.
But no - just a coincidence.

First on the docket: The Other Boleyn Girl
I love historic novels - LOVE! My favorite being a book about Elizabeth I (redhead) that I read while traveling Europe in 1999 - I should try to figure out which one it was... I wonder how many are titled simply "Elizabeth" - but I digress...
I mostly found this a fascinating read although sometimes the author seemed to skip things that seemed like they may have been important... and to be honest she kind of glossed over the sex scenes. Not to say I like all the dirty details but sometimes it felt like chunks were deliberately missing.
This novel also made me think about how history repeats itself and how the courts of nobility seem to parallel the idea of celebrity nowadays. An interesting diversion was imagining that the Kardashians were some reaching family desperate to rise in the ranks... similar to the Boleyns in the book. Agree/Disagree? And who would be the King and/or Queen? Brangelina perhaps?

Second on the docket: The Time Traveler's Wife
All I kept thinking about as I read this was wow - what kind of storyboard/web did the author have to set up to keep this all straight in her head. It took me several chapters to wrap my head around things... May Long was a while ago so my reaction to the book has faded but I did thoroughly enjoy it. I want to see the movie too but all I keep hearing is how people fell asleep while watching it. Not a great indicator...

I can't wait to get my library card - I'm thinking downtown library lunch runs - good idea yes?

Inspired By...

I like lists too. And yes, back in the early days of 2010 I too (inspired by Nic) drafted a list of "stuff to do" for 2010. And again, inspired by Nic, I feel I should recap and assess the progress.

1. Read more - from the library.
Well, I borrowed from the library of Cee on May long and polished off two books (reviews to follow). My library card has just been renewed so it's onward and upward.
2. Load up ipod.
187 songs and counting.
3. Twice a week yoga/new yoga mat
A few lax weeks but overall good - a solid B+
4. Start my own blog.
...well we all know how that turned out.
5. Demo reel
where to begin on that one? No progress.
6. Plan out garden before spring - do research
Well the garden is in but it was neither researched or planned out!
7. Plan trip with hubby
A distant memory already
8. Photo wall, re-gather photos from Facebook/friends and backup computer!
No progress - boo. I'd get to it except for all these blogging challenges...
9. Watch less tv, do more art
I've been trying on the less tv part - but I haven't set up my art table yet - excuses, excuses.
10. See more live theatre
The one act play festival, Billy Twinkle, and As You Like It... much better than last year by far.
11. Go on more planned dates with my hubby
But we're so good at the spontaneous dates! Must plan a nice dinner date - top of the list!
12. Volunteer with dog rescue organization, maybe foster
Again I need more hours in the day - no progress, did I mention hubby is allergic?
13. Stress less about money - pay off debt
We were ahead and now we're behind... thems the breaks! Who's stressed? Not me.
14 Organize/unpack kitchen to cook more
Working on it...

So that's it - a good start to the year but a few things to move up the list. Plus I need to add my new hobby, the guitar to the list as well as keeping my guts healthy as there was a bit of a slide the past few months. Back on track!

Red TV (Pilot)

Last September I was cast in and filmed a local tv pilot. I was the uptight party girl at a "passion party"... and the show was all improv which I love! Tonight I attended a screening of the final product and I took my #1 supporter - my hubby, tired after a long day at work - what a trooper.

The show was good, I did not do horrible things with my face, so hooray. It was a pretty short scene and of course they had to edit out so much of the fun stuff we came up with. The show however hasn't been picked up by any networks so who knows when or if it will actually air. My fingers are crossed for all the guys who have been slaving over this for years!

http://www.downholers.com

Buggered!

I think I am incapable of blogging tonight - even though so much has happened and I am long overdue for a blog. But I've had about four or five false starts tonight and I just can't get anything out without deleting all of it and changing direction.
Should I talk about my exciting and busy week which saw me signing up to be an Actra Apprentice, seeing some theatre (Mob Hit's As You Like It), and babysitting my nephew successfully? Or perhaps my theatre review in detail? Or some book reviews?
Or my guilt at watching tv this afternoon instead of a host of other things I could have been doing?
Bah - I dunno... I think I'll just give up for tonight.

Reddy to Wear

I am a shopping machine. I live for sniffing out the high quality items on sale. I am one of those tacky people who, when an outfit is complimented, will itemize how much of a deal I got on the admired item.

And tonight I deserve a big ole pat on the back. Okay so I'm patting myself on the back but you won't hold that against me. Will you?

It was almost better than outlet shopping in New York City... what could it possibly be, you ask?

Well unfortunately it wasn't for me, so I can't take full credit but my hubby was ready to give up the suit shopping for the big wedding this weekend... and yet he was eyeing a lovely light grey Ralph Lauren three piece suit. I had a hunch that it was the one and the price was marked down to a good amount.

But my darling hubby was sure that:

a) the pants were miles too big

b) any alterations couldn't be complete by Saturday

c) he couldn't wait a few minutes for the seamstress

Normally I'm the Debbie Downer in our relationship but get a man in a busy department store and it's any excuse to get out.

I convinced the hubby to hover near the seamstress for a few minutes and luckily enough she finished up with another guy and turned her attention to us. The alterations were minor and will be complete by Friday night AND IT WAS 40% OFF THE SALES PRICE!!!

If shopping was an Olympic sport...

What Red Day is it?!

What day is it? Sunday already?! Friday and Saturday seemed to meld into one... I haven't blogged, practiced my guitar, cleaned the bathroom, finished laundry, etc and I forgot to go to a housewarming party last night, because I was still thinking it was Friday.

Friday Update:

I am not a union member... yet.

I went in on Friday to sign my life away and the gal I met with was super nice and said we could just put my sign up on hold until the other non-union gig is completed. So I called and accepted the offered role and hooray, I get to do both! I am still concerned about missing out on gigs once I go union but overall I think it's for the best.

My hair... oh my hair. And I have to tell the producer of my new gig that I cut it... so unprofessional of me!

Saturday Update:

It has been a very productive weekend - don't get me wrong.

I've worked on getting the pesky grass and weeds out of my garden and I planted the rest of my Creston plants that I purchased. Hubby and I made another trip to Home Depot and got samples for our house trim colour among other things for our reno project. We worked on the house and garden until about 8pm last night and then just crashed.

Back to work tomorrow? Already?

Sucks.

Red Haircut Lament

I've never cried over a haircut before, I don't think. And of course my haircut story will pale in comparison to Nic's nightmare haircut where she wore a hat for a month afterwards.

I went to my usual stylist Francesco (aka Frank) who usually does very good work with my thick, thick red hair. I just wanted a trim and as has happened before Frank talked me into going short. Not a big deal really, I've had a short bob before... It's just that I just usually work backwards. Long hair in the summer for any acting gigs that come up and short in the winter when I get sick of the long hair... well, now I have short hair for summer. This will be when all the calls come in looking for long haired actors.

Anyway, Frank said it would "brush my shoulders" and my bangs would just touch my eyebrows - no shorter! But Frank must have had an oopsie because my bangs are halfway up my forehead and the longest layer just barely touches my shoulders.

And of course he styled it afterwards flipped out with big volume... it looked like a helmet.

I like to feel like a million bucks after a haircut. Don't we all?

And I didn't.

And I lament my lack of backbone.

Woe is me.

A.C.T.RED

It figures.

I finally get my "invitation" to join the actor's union (see golden ticket commercial below) and in the same week I get a part offered to me in a non-union indie film. I auditioned Saturday, got my letter from actra Monday, booked my appointment to join (and pay) Friday. Just my luck!

Now, oh wise universe, how can I do both?

PS - this is the old vicious circle "I can't get a job because I have no experience, I have no experience because the union bans me from getting a job unless it's union rates"...

I'm hoping because it was a previous booking they will allow it but it's a long shot. I do plan to ask lots of questions on Friday - like why would they limit their apprentice actors who could be getting better experience on indie projects than some bit part in a big production. And don't get me started on how few and far between those are in Alberta.

This decision better get me more gigs than missed opportunities.