And so we arrive at the last weekend of July

And one more month of this so-called Summer of 2009. I'm thinking that September and October are going to be simply gorgeous, we may even have what they call an Indian summer otherwise in January.

I'm still submitting for work, for a possible recurring gig for a new show taping in NYC. That would be something! I continue to look and beat the bushes for work.

Got a call for a three-four day gig!

I am beside myself. The only thing, the person was talking really fast, and then the phone was going in and out so I had to ask them to repeat their story.

I will find out Sunday the further details, but they're filming in Brooklyn somewhere.

For the life of me though I can't recall which gig this is -- I've been submitting like mad.

I'm to play a teacher role. Let's see where this adventure takes me. :-)

Open call

Open calls. I view them with mixed feelings. Firstly, it's a way to meet other actors, and make connections and possibly come across some interesting information. The other part of it, is the lines, the wait, the virtual feeling of a 'cattle call' -- lots of people who are tired, sleepy, hungry, thirsty, with affected and differing attention spans that cause the tired overworked casting assistants to repeated the same basic information. Lines of people waiting hours to get in and possibly drop off a headshot with a casting assistant in hopes of being called back for work.

I will have to remind myself to bring a bottle of water, something to read, my headphones, an umbrella to ward off the sun and bring something to sit on. What to wear without wilting or destroying my feet will be the other issue.

I'm hoping for a cool and a sunny day as well as my getting hired for this and many more work opportunities.

Rules of acting

One of the rules people give you for your career is to only interact with those who are successful and positive in the career you are in. Winners only hang out with winners.

It's insidious and explains a lot. Why people tend to shun someone when they know they are out of a job or about to be let go. They don't want it 'catching'.

It's sick but it's a side that shows how ruthless any career can be, especially in the acting world where it's all about how you look and where you fit in -- and how much your work is based on the whim of a stranger whose eye you happen to catch. It's all timing and tenacity but another thing is politics.

I continue to rise above the interesting commentary being done by those who want to box themselves out because they got a couple of gigs in a row and immediately when they hear someone else gets a few too, they migrate to them and can't pat themselves on the back hard enough while also giving a compliment to the other! Actors are always about the self-promote but giving a compliment without shoving themselves in about their own progress would be sweet.

And the one I would probably marry. Which is why they say if you are an actor, you should never marry another actor. Just too much ego involved and no one wants to take the second seat or take turns with the front seat.

have you gotten work lately?

A lot of people are feeling the pinch and for some it's no longer a pinch but a stabbing then debilitating ever present thing.

I have been luckier than others in finding work on my own but even then the work has decreased. For others who were lucky to find work they have been working on the same project for days at a time and knew they were going to have to work for several weeks on the project. Though they complain and have had to undergo hellish conditions, they have no choice as to doing this because they simply have nothing else going on.

In that respect, there's an actual sadness and relief. Wild, eh?

I continue to look as well as pursue office work. Being poor is not exactly an attractive thing when one is alone and even worse when you share that burden with others. Money causes many a tragic fight and situation.

I get to watch the sun rise two days in a row

I'm being told not to worry and I'm trying not to. The fact remains that background work is few and far between. I'm continuing to stay positive, and also develop a backup plan. Of course the people who know me understand that this is essentially not what I want to do, but I have to, if things continue as they are.

I need to get into a union and the money situation hasn't improved for me to even take this on let alone barely pay the rent. Every time I turn around some new expense has to be paid for, whether it's online submitting, stamps, envelopes, or Metrocards to get around town.

I wish that these prolific job posts that ask for 'talent' would at least supply a Metrocard along with food and water as part of the lure package to get background actors to work. It would definitely be an incentive, and wouldn't cost us a thing, but I guess they figure we should pay for the privilege of being 'onlooker' or 'pedestrian number three' passing in a scene.

Jeez. I know it's not brain science but it would be great for you to pay us for our time and effort of showing up for your gig somehow and more positively. Sheesh!

work work work

I continue to look for work but it's been slow going. I found some promising gigs and put in for them, and continue to think positively.

Meanwhile my energy levels are in the toilet. Don't know why. Meanwhile my gardening has been fantastic and I plan to plant more. Hopefully flowers this time, since the weather is warm enough to not bring a sudden frost.

This summer has been weird for sure weather-wise.

Ego

Monday is SVU. Tuesday and Wednesday Step Up 3D is making yet another request for people after stating several times that this past week would be the last week, asking for people's availability for the week and then cutting down the days and re-requesting. The downside? There was no mention made that they were looking for fresh talent under 25 that hadn't worked the project and they had been forced to re-use certain people over and over.

Some decided to take a positive spin on it and state that they were so busy and blessed to be working. Others decided to make it look like it was a chore and demeaning, yet they still worked the project. While still others claimed they got a day to work and decided on their own not to pursue any more days on the project, saying they "turned down" working more simply because of how tired they felt, like they have twenty other things going on to turn down this work -- when the simple truth was they were called for only one day of work.

Why the mislead? Ego.

Some ask if others have gotten work, and then state how busy they have been. Yet they show their own desperateness for work that they will pretty much do anything to just stand around melting in the heat. Then try to lord this over others!

I know I go back to this from time to time. It's a bit funny, a bit amusing and a little weird.

The question is, will I rise above it? I have no choice. I must.

Even in background work, where one doesn't have a line to say, there's still drama, jockeying and posing. Augh.

Been practicing for audition tomorrow

I'm feeling good. I'm going in, relaxed, with my business cute 1950's look and here's to $$$ in my pocket.

I'm going to take some time, get some fresh air, and look around for work. Time is just too short to be unhappy.

And no job is worth me falling faint after sixteen or 18 hours in wool in the middle of July.
No. fucking. way.

A line has to be drawn somewhere in the BG gig.

Got an email early this AM about the music vid gig

The email read about calling to confirm. Again? I had already confirmed and 'spoke' to the person casting yesterday evening. But I called anyway. Turns out, they can only pay the first 8 people who called back from reading the email from this morning. I took a second to let it sink in. I'm inwardly, whuuhh? The casting person hurriedly goes on to say they want the more the merrier who can come, and it may be likely someone of the first 8 may not show up, so I could still get paid. The casting person says this twice, as if saying it more than once is to convince one of us on this phone call.

I listened, took a beat, then waited to see what else they were offering. A metrocard for the travel trouble? Nothing. So I politely turned down this 'extraordinary opportunity' to people a video for some poser and kept it moving. Ridiculous. The bus and train fare just went up, folks, the least you can do if you don't want to pay is hand out Metrocards for people's trouble and time. Sheesh.

What gets me is the whole point of responding to their ad was that they were paying for two hours. It was $25.00 Then to pull this shit? Tacky. And unprofessional.

got another gig lined up

It's not in the vein of SVU, but it's something. It's a quick two to three hour gig, background for a music video. I can wear "whatever" I like, so this should be fun and relaxing.

Jeans and top coming up!

Meanwhile, I continue to submit online for work. Just trying to get those ducks lined up in a row. Tonight I watch Michael & Michael Have Issues on Comedy Central, as I did a segment for them and wonder if it'll show tonight or next week. The show should be surreal as well as comedic, a "show within a show" kind of thing, with segments.

Let's see how this goes.

Back to searching for work

On a trip taken a couple of months back, there was a discussion about a certain casting agency that was gaining the reputation of not following through with its background talent regarding its job postings. Some went so far as to say this casting agency had 'favorites' and would send around endless emails inquiring about one's availability but if you were not part of that favorite's list, you would ultimately be ignored no matter how many times you were contacted via email or how many times you would see them placing repetitive ads elsewhere.

Who were they looking for, when they had a talent roster to begin with and many interested people who wanted to take part of their latest project or gig?

One BG actor relayed the story about how they found this out the hard way. They had been contacted for a gig, and they went to the gig. They were turned away at the gig because they had been replaced by someone else -- someone who had gotten regular work from the agency prior. This BG knew about them, and had already had suspicions about the agency, and this only hit the proverbial nail on the head.

Another relayed the story of how word had trickled down to him about this agency's favoritism. He refused to believe it, and submitted for roles anyway. After several times submitting and not getting an answer, he started to believe that perhaps there was some truth in it when he noted some other actors were also confirming this information.

The biggest faux pas this agency does is send around a generalized open request, asking for ALL ethnicities, 18 to 80, and have full availability. You put in for this, because basically that includes everybody over the age of 18. Then the fun begins -- the agency doesn't advise what exactly they are looking for, is it 18 to 25, they would probably get better more concentrated bites. Instead, they put a generalized call, don't respond to anybody, and re-use the same people they called for on a prior gig. So whoever is in their most recent memory will be called upon, and everyone else just submits over and over again.

Some have since taken this agency's name off their system and have passed the word to "use with caution". Since then, more people have noticed that the agency obviously doesn't have much organization going on and apparently are into creating more work for themselves. I have gotten around this agency by simply showing up for their gigs and have since gotten hired as working as a freelance, meaning, I represent myself and myself only. Would you believe I've gotten a job because of this, and no thanks to this agency?

I even got a waiver. So I am of mind to avoid this agency altogether. I will start keeping a list of what projects this agency has to avoid them because it's clear they don't know what they are doing and are certainly not that organized. I would name them but at this point I am still collecting information about them and only until I am absolutely sure, will I publish their name here for all to see and avoid.

It's time to weed out the idiots, wannabes and unprofessionals once and for all.

The Dating Game

Got a call to be a member of a studio audience for a re-make of The Dating Game. Paige Davis, cute perky host of Trading Spaces fame, is the host for this game show. She looked just as she does on television, and had a lovely sleeveless yellow dress. She looked toned and tanned and had her cute short hair cut and these amazing high heels, easily four or five inches high. She was a gracious funny host and thanked the audience several times for coming.

She managed to get through the taping of three separate segments of coupledom questionings and questionable answers wrapped in innuendo. Some good, some not so. The studio was small and filmed in the Rachael Ray studio, the ScreenGems studios over on the East side in Manhattan. It was surprising to find a studio there.

The studio was, of course, freezing. I had forgotten to bring a sweater or a shawl so I tried to think good warm thoughts while sitting next to a noticeably nervous man who kept laughing at inappropriate times and would just blurt out conversations he was having in his head to either me or the woman sitting on the other side of him.

"The sky is blue!" he would blurt, let's say.
Silence. Because neither of us women knew who he was talking to at that moment.
I would see he was looking at me, then I'd say, "Oh, yes." Nod, smile, go back watching the cameramen move about.

This would go on for four hours between takes.

I hadn't eaten in a few days because of a stomach virus, so it was my first official day outside the house and for several hours at that. As I stood on line waiting to get in to the studio, I noticed my phone had an alert -- someone had called. It was from a casting director regarding the re-shoot that supposedly wasn't to happen after all today.

Turns out it was going to and would I be available tonight? I called and said sure, and was advised that they hadn't gotten the final call from the production/director, but once they did, I would be contacted. I said is this the re-shoot, do I wear the same thing or bring something else and was told it would be the re-shoot after all. Ok.

Several hours went by. This was around 1:30 when I got the call. It was around 4 when I got buzzed by the casting person -- I couldn't pick up as they were filming so it went to voicemail. When we broke ten minutes later, I checked the voicemail -- I was being released because they hadn't gotten the final OK from the production. Great.

I had been asked to stay an extra hour and would get an extra $10 for it, so I was like, well, I have nothing else to do, why not? It would have been great to get two gigs in for one day, but hey, one is better than none.

So the Dating Game is essentially the same as the old one, a bachelor or bachelorette asks some silly questions to three people hidden behind a screen and we the audience and the people at home can see everyone.

update on reshoot

It was canned. Although I was number 12, I was advised that they were apparently trimming the number down. To what, only 3 extras? If it's a typical subway car, then it's going to be at least halfway full. I hid my disappointment and thanked the casting person anyway for contacting me.

At least I have another gig to look forward to. Being a studio audience participant. That should be fun-sies. I would've been even more disappointed if I had nothing lined up for tomorrow.

I'm just concerned about lining up gigs and generating money. Guess I'll do a quick scour of the castings before calling it a night.

Got called to do a re-shoot!

Luckily I casually kept track of what I wear on shoots, and this one I was able to automatically summon from memory due to the uniqueness of the shoot. I'd be wearing comfortable casual clothing, so I'm feeling good!

It may be another overnight shoot though, so it'll be interesting. Still, it'll be money to put towards the rent. Yayyyyy!!

So much for waiting for that four day gig nod. Moving on.

Ate something Saturday

And by Saturday night, I was not a happy camper. Stayed up half the night and only got an hour's sleep. I thought I'd be able to do my volunteer work on Sunday but at 8:30, I finally decided that I could not possibly stand for another four hours and chop veggies. Plus to have a virus around food? I didn't think so.

So I called in, apologized, feeling bad I was letting people down, the clients. I was told not to worry and to get better.

So I go back next week, stronger, better. :-)

Today had some toast. Watched Wendy Williams' Show, where Vanessa Williams was on, announcing today was the first day of filming Ugly Betty's fourth season -- in L.I.C.

I'm excited! So there's work for the summer!

SVU

It was a night scene - this is where I stood, for the 'crime scene onlooker' gig I had for SVU.

This was the holding area.

Here is the group of us, getting ready to go to set.

Sweet gig! In at 8 pm, shot scene several times, which involved the coroner carrying out what looked like a small baby or piece of a person in a small black body bag...with the 'hysterical blonde mom" being escorted out by a cop, apparently arrested, and I was one of the onlookers. The surprise was seeing an actor from Prison Break playing apparently a cop. Still with the buzz cut. He got acknowledgement from some onlookers who were non-background, cheering him on, which was funny. He smiled.

Meanwhile, lunch was at 10 - 10:30 -- not a walkaway but a hot meal of chicken, beef and fish, rice, baked potatoes and cheese ravioli, fresh salad and many fixings and some fantastic desserts along with water, tea and lemonade and then after 11 pm, some of us headed back to set. We were wrapped at midnight. I was able to take the bus back, pick up a celebratory salty chip bag, and headed home, unwinding for the night.

I am sooo excited!

I think I want to check out Julie & Julia.

Got a text from casting stating I had to change my outfit, so I'm OK with that. As usual, dressing as an office drone. *LOL* Well, it should be exciting!

The basil continues to grow nicely in the window, I'm thrilled. It reflects the lushness and positivity and growth and health and abundance I'm seeking.

Ahhhhhhhhh....indeed, when it rains, it pours!

checking for call time

As advised by the casting agent, I called after 10 (10:30) and heard the taped voicemessage saying to call back after midnight or sometime around 6 am. Since I tend to stay up late anyway, I figured waiting til after midnight was a no-brainer.

About a half hour after midnight, I called, the message hadn't changed. So I will give it another hour before setting the alarm for 7 am to hear whatever call time information is finally updated.

Ah! Part of the life of a background actor. :-)

Been seeing initial castings for stand-ins for a book that's being turned into a movie, Eat Pray Love, I believe. And the actress attached? Julia Roberts. I don't know what to say. I have yet to read the book although I've been wanting to for more than a year. Keep getting distracted with life, I guess. Gotta check it out of the library and read it.

Huzzah!

Just got called for a gig on Law & Order SVU. I play an onlooker at a crime scene. No lines, just background. woo-hoo-ee!

Have to pass on another audition but have two on Saturday, one of which is an open call.

Am waiting to hear on the Hellman's Commercial audition.

Busy week for me. :-)

A strange thing occurred the other day -- the usual "who's available tomorrow" casting was sent out by Central, stating something new with it, that one had to be in good standing with ALL PRODUCTION and Central. I found that intriguing -- and wrote back stating yes, I am available and how could I find out what my standing was? Is it in a database one could view?

I didn't get a response, and I know it's most likely a general shoutout from them to all of us BG'ers, but it was still a bit unnerving. Like, really, how do we find out for sure? There can be so many factors -- a junior PA may decide not to like you, or you sucked in your teeth as force of habit and someone took it as a disrespect, or you were somehow looking at someone funny, I mean, I don't know, short of telling off a PA I don't see how one can get kicked off. I've never done any of those things, so I am assuring myself I am safe. But honestly, is it a scare tactic? Aren't they electronically sophisticated enough to bar those from their submission system and send them a notation that they are no longer part of the casting system?

I guess maybe they don't to avoid getting sued, but honestly, they let you know from the beginning that if anything goes wrong, they have the right to bar you for life from being in their casting pool. So I just want to make sure, since the factors and variables can be so great and so little, that I'm not wasting anybody's time by submitting for BG roles through them. As far as I can tell, I'm still in their system and getting alerts, so I think I'm good.

have auditions coming up. whoa!

I'm looking at several auditions this week. Somewhere someone in Queens is holding a $100 million lottery ticket. Lucky them.

Today I placated myself with a Mister Softee ice cream cone (vanilla with rainbow sprinkles). What's the point of exercising if I can't indulge once in a while.

Freebies

Lately I've been seeing a ton of free gigs (read: non-paying) and that one will get a copy of the film and get fed, whatever that means (could be chips and water, sandwiches, snacks, or a real hot meal).

Non-union does not mean free. I'm seeing these postings on paid sites -- sites that I pay a monthly fee in order to have the privilege of accessing and submitting electronically for gigs. Why the f-c-k would I submit on a paid site to a non-paying gig that 99.9 percent of the time will lead NOwhere nor build up my resume anyway?

I'm wondering if I should advise these paid sites that wasting my membership fee by having to scroll down the growing longer every week list of freebie gigs is not adding up to making this monthly payment a viable investment. Nonpaying gigs do not pay my rent either, buddy.

Some of the ads are mildly defensive. I recall one saying that no one else is getting paid and that included the production crew, which I found completely hard to believe. Who the h-e-ll works for free unless they are getting something out of it? Then another ad memorably read something along the lines they are looking for Artists, not people looking to make a dollar. Um, hello? You think the landlord will appreciate my artistry when I explain I can't pay the rent? Um, sure, yeah, right.

It IS a business, and just as the writer, producer and director are dreaming for it to lead to bigger better things for themselves, why can't I dream and pursue the same? Idiots.

Speaking of freebies, here's the latest insult coming from an office that specializes in dealing with only extras -- why they would forward this to me I have no idea but apparently whoever sent it was high on crack. This link is for people who just want to have fun but not necessarily get paid. But hey, you never know. You just might be in the right place at the right time and....presto! You could be a star!

http://www.beinamovie.com/

looking for work

Lately there have been three and four day gigs being listed for projects, both television and film, and I've been dutifully reporting in saying that I'm available for all the dates. There are multiple dates coming in for work to do simple things like promotions work, and again, I've dutifully put in for these as well. I'm trying to get gigs lined up between now and September. I've also checked out office gigs and so far I've heard nothing. I'm not sure what's going on but the fake ads from employment agencies seem to be jumping once again.

Facing July 4 weekend as quiet

The sun peeked out today. I ran some errands, picked up some new detergent and bleach as I did a ton of laundry the other day. Nothing like clean sheets and underwear. Hmmm-mmmm!

The basil, sage and lavender are growing quite nicely. With this wet cool summer, it took a while for the seedlings to grow which had me worried.

Got contacted by some more actors who asked what I was up to as they have found work to be scarce. I consider myself lucky to average a gig a week, but it hasn't been easy. A lot of submitting to roles electronically and over the phone, and then the waiting begins as I move on to look for the next project. My cousin tells me not to worry because I tend to have the 'when it rains it pours' thing happening. I will go without work for a few days, then boom, a bunch of gigs will come in practically overlapping each other. I nod in agreement and look to the skies. *LOL*

A prospective gig called me yesterday to say I didn't attach my pic could I send it, which I did as I had them on the phone. Don't know if I'll get it -- moving on. Got a check today that had been opened. Not a "missed sealing the glue" kind of opened, I mean, opened with a letter opener when they couldn't glimpse by poking a hole through the clear bubble window then taped the bottom leaving a fingerprint. Hmmm.

Wonder if I'll go take pics of fireworks or I should just enjoy watching a Gordon Ramsey marathon.