Becoming a star

may not be your destiny,

but being the best

that you can be

is a goal that you

can set for yourselves.

~ Bryan Lindsay

M & I live really well but are simple people. Suddenly we were thrust into this other world of Hollywood. A car was waiting for us at 7AM and took us to the middle of the set. The focus of all of the production people when they arrive is breakfast. There are huge catering set-ups and it’s in the workers contracts to be fed. We didn’t really understand this until later. A lot of these people are the Gaffers and Sound people who do all of the hard work and technical stuff. The standard dress for them was tee-shirt,shorts,boots, or Tennis shoes. It seems like everyone has something hanging from them weather that was tools, tape, microphones. There are tons of Bluetooth headsets and walkie-talkies.. Very politely we were rounded up and shown our trailer room. Now we were dying,,,our own trailer in Hollywood to wait and change clothes etc. They got us to do all of the paperwork to be in the Actors Union and all of the releases and w2’s and all of that. Off I went to Make-up.

     The make-up trailer was wild and with every kind of make-up and brush you could dream of.

 

They were working fast and the girl was nice but it was all business. I wanted to look around and take it all in but had to keep my chin up high and let them do their job.

 

They soon sent the new me on my way back to the trailer to wait. They forgot the shoes in wardrobe that they wanted M to wear and this turned into a huge deal. He stuffed his feet into a pair a size and a half too small to relieve the wardrobe girl and keep things moving.

 

Finally,,,around 9 o’clock, they came and got all of us. Everyone that was and actor was lined up for a photo and then as a group we went into the location that had been prepared to look like our business. It was crazy to be In L.A. looking at our business name on a building.

 

Without too much detail,,,,over the next five hours, we filmed several scenes most of which were shot at least twenty to thirty times in a row. The other actors and extras were shocked that we had major roles without auditioning etc. At certain times there were 30-50 crew people looking in as the shot was being taken. When you have to do the same thing, motion, works, and expressions thirty times in a row over the course of hours, it’s a different kind of tired. By the time we broke for lunch at 2PM, everyone was ready. They made us change clothes for lunch taking no chance that one would spill something. We were hurried back to a make-up and clothing check then right back on the set. Another hour of shooting the same scenes and we were done. Big handshakes and hugs. You do feel like you’ve been through something with the other people and it becomes easy too see why these crews become so tight with one another.

 

Back to our room for drinks and room service. Our Hollywood careers are over. It was all surreal. Who gets to jump into a different life at the top of the pecking order?

Well,,,,flash it’s over. We fly back today to our other amazing life.

Twenty years from now,

you will be more disappointed

by the things you didn't do,

than by the ones you did do.

So throw off the bowlines.

Sail away from the safe harbour.

Catch the trade winds in your sails.

~ Mark Twain

Comments

[Christine Kalina]

A star is born! My son is in the "industry" and I so appreciate your description of the tedious nature and hard work involved. And the food, of course, there is always food! Can't wait to see more!

[misty]

wow... what a ride (and story) can't wait to see/read more!!!!