Worked one day on the NBC pilot called Mercy which is about three nurses working in a hospital. Why three, I wonder? You know, Charlie's Angels had three, Charmed had three, I just found that kind of curious, making a connection like that. Hmmm...
Anyway, today was pouring rain yet I made it to my bus to meet the transportation van that was going to take us to Jersey. When I got to the meeting place, there were already some background actors there waiting, and we huddled under one of the business canopies to stay out of the rain as best we could. Unfortunately, one of the background cluelessly blocked the door to the business we were standing by, and the irate owner came out to tell off the person. We couldn't blame the owner, the owner had no idea why six of us were hanging out in front of their store and an explanation was just too much of nothing to discuss.
I'm thinking a van is coming -- turns out it's a bus they rented, and we pile in. There's a toilet in the back, and I saw John, a fellow BG castmate from a Russian film we worked as background in, and we hugged and said hello.
I was really excited about the trip and when we got there, we filed out and went to holding within the hospital -- yes, a REAL hospital, but it was apparently empty -- there was a 'for rent' sign emblazoned on the side of the hospital building. So it was a little weird working in a place that obviously still looks much like a hospital within.
Anyway, today was pouring rain yet I made it to my bus to meet the transportation van that was going to take us to Jersey. When I got to the meeting place, there were already some background actors there waiting, and we huddled under one of the business canopies to stay out of the rain as best we could. Unfortunately, one of the background cluelessly blocked the door to the business we were standing by, and the irate owner came out to tell off the person. We couldn't blame the owner, the owner had no idea why six of us were hanging out in front of their store and an explanation was just too much of nothing to discuss.
I'm thinking a van is coming -- turns out it's a bus they rented, and we pile in. There's a toilet in the back, and I saw John, a fellow BG castmate from a Russian film we worked as background in, and we hugged and said hello.
I was really excited about the trip and when we got there, we filed out and went to holding within the hospital -- yes, a REAL hospital, but it was apparently empty -- there was a 'for rent' sign emblazoned on the side of the hospital building. So it was a little weird working in a place that obviously still looks much like a hospital within.
We picked up our vouchers and got checked by wardrobe in an orderly fashion. There wasn't a lot of us so things picked up quickly. I was one of 3 people who were marked as 'visitors' and yet we found ourselves NOT used. Can you believe it? They called all the other people to set, we were called to set, but they had us sit in a corner behind the camera, and so we just observed and sat quietly as they went through several takes.
Then it was over. We were sent back to holding. Then word filtered through that they were done for the day. It was barely 3 pm and the call was for 11 am this morning. I was surprised. I had assumed, wrongly, that just because we were a small pool of people, that we would all be used and featured. But we weren't. I then wondered if this was going to be like 'Damages' (Glenn Close show on FX) was -- that you only work one assignment and then can't be utilized for the rest of that season.
I saw the AFTRA rep there, it was the same rep as last time. Friendly guy, knows his stuff. But he was an omen that my suspicion might be on the mark.
I politely said hello and with the other woman who played a visitor, chatted and asked a few questions of him then took his card.
We waited about a half hour for the bus to come and take us back to NYC. I so wanted to ask the head PA about my concern about not being utilized but they work in mysterious ways and I am not to question.
So I dutifully head back to the bus with John who apparently wasn't used either even though he was in scrubs provided by wardrobe. I felt kind of guilty being paid for a gig I didn't even work, but I heard a couple of people were major late which may or may not have affected why the visitors weren't used. They had us sit behind the camera but sit in the room where the rest of the background was filming. At least I don't feel like a dope -- I wasn't the only one, so I can relax a little. I get home and the sun is doing its best to peer through the clouds. It's stopped raining. I check my emails and lo and behold I see a casting notice for Mercy, and a notation stating they're looking for people but you 'can't have worked it already'.
OH NO!!! AUGH!!!
Here is John looking spiffy in the scrubs provided by wardrobe. And to think, I own my own scrubs and brought them with me and showed to wardrobe. They hardly blinked and told me to stay in what I had on, that it was perfect for the 'visitor' role:
I decided to submit to it anyway. I made a notation in my submission for it -- "was submitted but was not used". Hopefully that won't be held against me. Weird. Meanwhile, another check came in from SALT -- deposited it. Pick up another check from another project next week. For now, I continue to hunt for more work while waiting for word on others.
