Ghost actor

Thursday afternoon, I received a call from the casting director who booked me for "J & J" last month.  He had a spot for me the next day on this new film, which has been written/directed by this darling of the the NYC actor scene.

I was pretty stoked!  I cleared my schedule and agreed to call in at 10pm to get all the info I needed for filming the next day.  When I did call in -- I was told that I would be one of 6 actors doing background on Friday and that we would be shooting at Grand Central Station.  I was told to wear business attire and bring several option for wardrobe -- nothing black, white or red.  I stayed up an extra half hour ironing my khaki pants and two dress shirts (one peach and the other moss green).

9am, Friday --  Beautiful weather!!  Beautiful location!!

I checked in with the friendly Background PA (production assistant) and filled out my paperwork.

She explained that we are trying to be as low-key as possible today since we are shooting inside the building and it promises to be challenging with crowd-control and whatnot.  I perused the call sheet and see that the crew is filming in two locations today.  Hmm.  Looks to be a short day for us extras, despite her warnings.

I was invited to descend upon the food smorgasbord and treat myself to some breakfast --

The caterer was a one-man operation today: hanging in the back of one of the ubiquitous white vans.  (Anytime you see an extra long white van, or series of vans, in NYC -- you can count on a film being shot nearby!)  Everybody was very friendly and informal -- including the very open,  unassuming and "regular guy vibe" director, who came over to grab a water and say hello to us little background plebs.  

For those of you who are wondering, it was a pretty decent spread, considering that it was laid out in the back of a van!  It was warm egg sandwiches, fruit, juice, coffee, water, soda, vitamin water, granola bars.  That kind of healthy fare.  I wasn't hungry, but I grabbed a cold vitamin water to sip on while I wait to be call to the set to work.

I waited....a long time.

At 10:45am, I was finally called inside to work.  But (boo!) -- at the last minute, a civilian friend of the director decided she wanted to be in a movie after all, so he put her into my spot.  Oh well.  It was just the first scene of four that we were shooting.  No big deal!

See the woman sitting next to the ticket machine?  In the first scene, she was trying to get money out of the ATM (unsuccessful, so she had to look really frustrated and mad and sad about it).  In the second scene, they filmed her walking away from the bank and into the main terminal (looking very forlorned).  That was a hard scene to shoot because "normal" people kept walking in front of the camera.  I guess that's what you get for trying to be under the radar!  I never noticed how many people are totally tuned out as they walk the same path every day until I had no choice but to stand there observing it over and over...

I like this picture for 3 reasons:

1. It's kind of candid (I allowed one of my fellow extras to check out the features on my blackberry while we were waiting.  He quickly clicked it off a picture with the camera button while I was watching the DP -- Director of Photography -- set up the third shot)

2. You can see a scab to the right of my earring -- that's from saying goodbye to Sunny a few hours earlier.  I couldn't resist snorgling his soft, white belly and got a righteous smack on the face in return.  He hit me so hard it drew a little blood.  Serves me right.  I do know better.  But I provoked him because I can't help myself.  He's too stinkin' cute for both of our good.

3. I can see the top of my current read, which my mom sent me after working on "J & J":

I always have a book with me!  It helps the time fly by.

Anyway, despite the fact that I brought several options of clothing, the Wardrobe people said that what I was wearing was just fine.  We watched this lady act really bummed out in the first two shots and we were told to stand by for the third.  Then, out of nowhere, our PA received word that the production was wrapping up early and heading over to the other location.  We were released.  I was a little bummed.  I'm still new to all this stuff, so I wanted to stick around longer and work.  It was only 11:30am!!  

My friend Lena does background quite a bit and when I told her what a bust the morning had been for me,  she nodded knowingly and gushed, "But you still got paid, right?  I *love* it when that happens!!"  

Well, I guess it is all relative -- I used to love it when I'd get booked on a temp job and then find out when I arrived that the company's HR department meant to cancel the work order, but forgot.  Oops!  I'd get 4 hours pay for the mistake...and a day off since it was usually to late to send me to another job.  However, in this case, I spent all this time carefully picking out clothing options.  I lugged them to the set.  I waited two and a half hours.  And I don't have anything to show for it except a pay stub!

So -- I "technically" worked on this, my second film.  

I mean, I got paid for a full day of work.  But you'll not actually see me on screen.  

I am a ghost in the ghost movie!