Wednesday
Sep282011
All In A Day's Work: Part 2
Wednesday, September 28, 2011 at 10:37PM
Besides working in a men's clothing store, I also do some weekday work, albeit sporadically. It's interesting and ever changing work: One day I had to deal some drugs; another time I was a soldier, sprinting to stop an intruder. Then there was time I was an American Tourist, in Manchester, pretending I was in London.
Though some would dispute it, I don't have multiple personalities, but I do act.
And acting is what I have been doing since I returned to England in June. It's always been a dream, an ambition of mine, to be a full time actor, a Hollywood movie star, a famous British Thespian, but has largely taken a sideline to more traditional studies. Now though, I have decided that I really want to get my teeth stuck into it. And so, I got in touch with some acting agencies, and jumped right into it.
Sadly, it isn't currently regular work, and, you have to start at the bottom of the pile. But, I landed on my feet and got lucky with a few roles, which I'll detail later. First though, I want to describe what life is like on set, and what a "working day" usually involves.
It usually starts early. Call time is often 7.30am, which is what time you have to be present at the studio, or on location, depending on where/what is being filmed. One time, it was the Shameless studio in Wythenshawe; another time, it was in the North Yorkshire moors. So depending on the location, it can entail leaving home at 5.30am. Often though, breakfast is provided when you arrive! All inclusive :)
After you check in with either the runner (a person who "runs" back and forth between the director, producer and cast) or the 2nd or 3rd assistant director, it's off to costume to get fitted out in some suitable attire. If it's just regular, casual clothes, you're often asked to bring your own, as it makes things much simpler, but you have to have lots of changes, to make sure you fit with the needed "look". And it often means avoiding bland colours, stripes and patterns, and absolutely, no logos. Wouldn't want to get sued or anything like that.
Then it's off to hair and make-up. As an extra, this is usually very minimal, if anything at all, given that the formal name of extras is "background artistes". Hardly seen in the background, it isn't necessary to get all dolled up. Once in a while though, like when you're playing a soldier, a certain look is required. Long hair is not tolerated in the army. And so, I had to have my head shaved. Not exactly a skin head, but given the head of hair I had, even a number 4 with the clippers was incredibly short! But on the bright side, I got a free hair cut, AND, if they cut your hair, they pay you extra! So in some ways, it's win win!
Once that's all out of the way, you do what extras, and most actors do most. You wait. Could be for 20 minutes. Could be for 5 hours, there really is no telling. My first time on set, a guy said to me "actors and extras become black belts in banter", because you just sit around with everyone and effectively "chill out" until you are called onto set. If you like waiting around, not knowing what is going on, and like to read, then this is the job for you!
When the time finally comes to head onto set, you follow a runner down to your designated place on set, and then often wait around again, this time waiting to hear from a director about where you should be and what you should be doing. Then you wait while all the technical stuff involved in the shot is set up. And then finally, you act.
Sometimes it's over in a flash. A short, less than a minute scene. But that's quite rare. Usually, it's "from the top please" and you do it all over again. And I quickly came to realise that "let's do it one more time" means we'll do it at least 3 more times before the director is happy. Then the camera gets flipped around, and you do the whole thing all over again from the opposite angle. And you have to remember exactly what you did the first time around. Then it might get done from another angle, a close up perhaps, and everything happens for a third time.
Often, you're acting even though you know you're out of shot, the camera no way near you. But for continuity, noise vibrations, and to help the other actors, you just go ahead and do the same thing again.
If you're lucky, you get some good face time. If you're very lucky, you might get a nice close up, and then get to go home early, because as you've been seen, you can't now be in another scene. Or, you might just have to wait around until everyone has finished. Again, it's back to the waiting, more often than not.
Occasionally, you never make it to set. I was asked to do an episode of Hollyoaks (a soap, for my American readers) and turned up in Liverpool at the studio raring to go. I sat out in the sun for the whole morning, and then at lunchtime, we were told we weren't needed and could go home. With a full day's pay of course. Not bad for a day's work.
Sometimes though, you're on set for the full twelve hours, with the same rate of pay. One time, that was from 2pm, to 2am. That's what it was like for Fresh Meat. Fresh Meat is a new channel 4 comedy about "freshers" or first year students at university. It's getting some pretty good reviews too! I had a couple of roles in it, one as a background artiste, in the the local pub at a blind dating session and wandering in and out of scenes, and the second as a supporting actor, playing an American Tourist, complete with American accent.
So hopefully, that will be some good face time, and you'll all get to hear my terrible accent. But even with that speaking part, there is no guarantee that you will. Lots of post production edits happen, which is why it's called the cutting room floor. Take this most recent episode of the British Shameless. The scene I am in was filmed from multiple angles, with some relatively "tight" shots on me, but the finished version just shows the angle from the opposite side of me, where I am behind two other people. It's very much a "blink and you'll miss me" shot.
But, if you want to see me on TV, you can check it out on 4oD here. It's the 100th episode of Shameless, quite a milestone episode to star in, and it was written by the series creator Paul Abbot. So check it out! To skip the shenanigans and wonderful language of the Shameless crew, you can skip ahead (after watching the necessary adverts) to 1:03:50 and wait for the scene to cut indoors. The cursing woman bumps in to me, twice, and if you freeze at 1:04:11, you'll see me turn around. Then I get back to drug dealing.
If you're in the US, you'll need to download ExPat Shield so that you can make your computer look like it's from the UK and thus access the video. (It's just gives you a UK IP address). Plus you can watch lots of British shows too!
Fresh Meat is currently airing on Channel 4 too, at 10pm every Wednesday. I might be in tonight's episode, it might be next weeks. My speaking part I think is episode 5, but that's all subject to change. I'll keep you informed, and again, it will be online too. I just saw the back of me, walking into the pub in episode 2. Nothing to write home about though, and more scenes on the way!
Other shows have yet to air, again, I will let you know when they do (and whether you can see me!).
Though some would dispute it, I don't have multiple personalities, but I do act.
And acting is what I have been doing since I returned to England in June. It's always been a dream, an ambition of mine, to be a full time actor, a Hollywood movie star, a famous British Thespian, but has largely taken a sideline to more traditional studies. Now though, I have decided that I really want to get my teeth stuck into it. And so, I got in touch with some acting agencies, and jumped right into it.
Sadly, it isn't currently regular work, and, you have to start at the bottom of the pile. But, I landed on my feet and got lucky with a few roles, which I'll detail later. First though, I want to describe what life is like on set, and what a "working day" usually involves.It usually starts early. Call time is often 7.30am, which is what time you have to be present at the studio, or on location, depending on where/what is being filmed. One time, it was the Shameless studio in Wythenshawe; another time, it was in the North Yorkshire moors. So depending on the location, it can entail leaving home at 5.30am. Often though, breakfast is provided when you arrive! All inclusive :)
After you check in with either the runner (a person who "runs" back and forth between the director, producer and cast) or the 2nd or 3rd assistant director, it's off to costume to get fitted out in some suitable attire. If it's just regular, casual clothes, you're often asked to bring your own, as it makes things much simpler, but you have to have lots of changes, to make sure you fit with the needed "look". And it often means avoiding bland colours, stripes and patterns, and absolutely, no logos. Wouldn't want to get sued or anything like that.
Then it's off to hair and make-up. As an extra, this is usually very minimal, if anything at all, given that the formal name of extras is "background artistes". Hardly seen in the background, it isn't necessary to get all dolled up. Once in a while though, like when you're playing a soldier, a certain look is required. Long hair is not tolerated in the army. And so, I had to have my head shaved. Not exactly a skin head, but given the head of hair I had, even a number 4 with the clippers was incredibly short! But on the bright side, I got a free hair cut, AND, if they cut your hair, they pay you extra! So in some ways, it's win win!
Once that's all out of the way, you do what extras, and most actors do most. You wait. Could be for 20 minutes. Could be for 5 hours, there really is no telling. My first time on set, a guy said to me "actors and extras become black belts in banter", because you just sit around with everyone and effectively "chill out" until you are called onto set. If you like waiting around, not knowing what is going on, and like to read, then this is the job for you!
When the time finally comes to head onto set, you follow a runner down to your designated place on set, and then often wait around again, this time waiting to hear from a director about where you should be and what you should be doing. Then you wait while all the technical stuff involved in the shot is set up. And then finally, you act.
Sometimes it's over in a flash. A short, less than a minute scene. But that's quite rare. Usually, it's "from the top please" and you do it all over again. And I quickly came to realise that "let's do it one more time" means we'll do it at least 3 more times before the director is happy. Then the camera gets flipped around, and you do the whole thing all over again from the opposite angle. And you have to remember exactly what you did the first time around. Then it might get done from another angle, a close up perhaps, and everything happens for a third time.
Often, you're acting even though you know you're out of shot, the camera no way near you. But for continuity, noise vibrations, and to help the other actors, you just go ahead and do the same thing again.
If you're lucky, you get some good face time. If you're very lucky, you might get a nice close up, and then get to go home early, because as you've been seen, you can't now be in another scene. Or, you might just have to wait around until everyone has finished. Again, it's back to the waiting, more often than not.
Occasionally, you never make it to set. I was asked to do an episode of Hollyoaks (a soap, for my American readers) and turned up in Liverpool at the studio raring to go. I sat out in the sun for the whole morning, and then at lunchtime, we were told we weren't needed and could go home. With a full day's pay of course. Not bad for a day's work.
Sometimes though, you're on set for the full twelve hours, with the same rate of pay. One time, that was from 2pm, to 2am. That's what it was like for Fresh Meat. Fresh Meat is a new channel 4 comedy about "freshers" or first year students at university. It's getting some pretty good reviews too! I had a couple of roles in it, one as a background artiste, in the the local pub at a blind dating session and wandering in and out of scenes, and the second as a supporting actor, playing an American Tourist, complete with American accent.
So hopefully, that will be some good face time, and you'll all get to hear my terrible accent. But even with that speaking part, there is no guarantee that you will. Lots of post production edits happen, which is why it's called the cutting room floor. Take this most recent episode of the British Shameless. The scene I am in was filmed from multiple angles, with some relatively "tight" shots on me, but the finished version just shows the angle from the opposite side of me, where I am behind two other people. It's very much a "blink and you'll miss me" shot.
But, if you want to see me on TV, you can check it out on 4oD here. It's the 100th episode of Shameless, quite a milestone episode to star in, and it was written by the series creator Paul Abbot. So check it out! To skip the shenanigans and wonderful language of the Shameless crew, you can skip ahead (after watching the necessary adverts) to 1:03:50 and wait for the scene to cut indoors. The cursing woman bumps in to me, twice, and if you freeze at 1:04:11, you'll see me turn around. Then I get back to drug dealing.
If you're in the US, you'll need to download ExPat Shield so that you can make your computer look like it's from the UK and thus access the video. (It's just gives you a UK IP address). Plus you can watch lots of British shows too!
Fresh Meat is currently airing on Channel 4 too, at 10pm every Wednesday. I might be in tonight's episode, it might be next weeks. My speaking part I think is episode 5, but that's all subject to change. I'll keep you informed, and again, it will be online too. I just saw the back of me, walking into the pub in episode 2. Nothing to write home about though, and more scenes on the way!
Other shows have yet to air, again, I will let you know when they do (and whether you can see me!).
Reader Comments (2)
Loved your description of "a day in the life" of a background actor. It is just like that -- a lot of waiting!!
Thank you very much! Thanks for reading, and thanks for sending me to your blog!