Yay, my med school training has finally paid off.

[Doowai]

I was asked to be a significant extra in a made for TV movie tomorrow. They film alot here. Because it is a right to work state and they do not have to hire union for movies and TV. You can pay someone like me $8 an hour to be an extra when it would cost many times that if you filmed in California which is protected by acting unions.

Anyway, I have been in 4 movies and 5 or 6 network TV shows. Its fun, the food is good, and it always lends itself to some sort of bragging rights (such as the time I took a pee in George Clooney's bathroom in his actors trailer).

Anyway, I get to play a coroner. Finally, all that medical training is paying off.

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[OldPsychDoc]

"I am a doctor, and I do play one on TV".

Pharma commercials are right around the corner for you, friend.

 

[tetris]

Nice going!

How did you manage to get the job? Did you apply for it? Or were you simply at the right place/time?

 

[Top Gun]

Doowai,

With all of the colorful stories you've told us about your life, one day, you should write your memoirs and have them published.

 

[Doowai]

At the school I teach at, I start every day with a true story - the kids have told me I should publish a book. The funny and frightening thing is they are all true : the pinata story, the gay chem lab partner, the time I was a driver for a bachelorette party and we ended up at a porn stars apartment at 2 AM who dated a friend of mine, my diarrhea story, my son and the wireless mouse, my dad teaching german gaurds in a POW camp during WWII to cuss,when my daughter slammed this guys head on the table at Burger King (they love this story - a real underdog story), the time my son scored his first point in a game all season to allow the team I was coaching to win the league championship by one point after we had lost most of our games, the time I got so nervous talking to some girls in a bar I accidentally spit ice all over them, the time I thought I could safely let a "little" fart out in a huge college class and it was much bigger sounding like a long trombone solo, the time I DNA tested my daughter,the time I was the only male in a class of 267 in college ( a sociology class at the University of Missouri called THE FEMALE EXPERIENCE), the time a friend of mine dressed up in my 4 year old daughters clothes (including a pink ballerina tutu) and applied for a job at McDonalds, etc. I guess I am known for telling stories - my parents for Christmas asked that I compile a list of stories from our childhood - which I did, putting them in a powerpoint presentation.

There are like 6 cold rainy days a year out here - and today was one of them. Rained in Mesa Arizona all damn day - filmed outside. I shivered for 8 hours. It is for some crime TV show called SIS that is on Spike TV. I got some good face time. Wheel the corpse up to the stars, they stop me, ask if they can look in the body bag, and I say yes, then unzip it. That took 8 hours.

I knew all the extras - they have been in many other movies and TV shows. It was like a reunion. I know one of them will be big some day. one is a daily spokesperson on a station now. Film industry is a small world.

I signed up with several places : good faith casting, durant.com, Helen wheels. They are casting businesses out here. They send out emails - no charge of casting needs. You can reply and send headshots etc. Some have an agent which increase your chances of work (agents want to get paid) and also your chances of a speaking role. Its not a career for me, although I find it lots of fun. I have had one speaking role - well screaming, in a really low budget horror film. I did some others - 10 years ago I was an extra in the movie 3 KINGS. That was fun. George Clooney is one of the nicest guys in the world. Almost got kicked off the set for leaving my mark so I could look in the camera while they filmed. Very much like the HBO TV show EXTRAS.

 

[Winged Scapula]

Does screaming get you your SAG card?

 

[Doowai]

I have held off getting my SAG card as it would hinder building my "resume". They do not have to hire union workers out here - and for something like extra work why pay much more to SAG union workers when you can pay $8 an hour to someone like me. So for extra work they avoid hiring SAG here. Plus to get your SAG card initially costs something like $1500. But you can get it after being in 3 feature films that use any SAG workers. They use union workers here for lights and cameras etc - as their experience is worth the extra money. The Hollywood writers strike did not affect shows filmed here. SAG is most useful in California, New York or Chicago - not Arizona.

Actually the screaming role was an indie (independant film).

I am hoping they do not cut my one line from yesterdays shoot. I said "okay".

 

[Winged Scapula]

Interesting, thanks for the info.

 

[Top Gun]

I have held off getting my SAG card as it would hinder building my "resume". They do not have to hire union workers out here - and for something like extra work why pay much more to SAG union workers when you can pay $8 an hour to someone like me. So for extra work they avoid hiring SAG here. Plus to get your SAG card initially costs something like $1500. But you can get it after being in 3 feature films that use any SAG workers. They use union workers here for lights and cameras etc - as their experience is worth the extra money. The Hollywood writers strike did not affect shows filmed here. SAG is most useful in California, New York or Chicago - not Arizona.

Actually the screaming role was an indie (independant film).

I am hoping they do not cut my one line from yesterdays shoot. I said "okay".

Forgive my ignorance, but what is a SAG card?

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

Forgive my ignorance, but what is a SAG card?

Screen Actors Guild card.