Bingo!

Next came a call, could I be part of a bingo commercial. No problem. Filming was in a studio in a very lovely part of Islington so I was more than happy to go. Breakfast was served beneath a beautiful painted window.

 Breakfast  was just cakes etc. However, there weren't too many of us so we were able to get to know those around us. There was an awful lot of waiting around and not much communicating so it wasn't too long before boredom set in. Luckily I was with a young lad and another lady who were in good form and Ian had no end of smutty jokes and innuendos!
Eventually we went into the studio and were told where to sit. The main actor would introduce the Bingo then other actors planted around would say phrases such as "I just won!" etc.
It took a while. The main actor, who by all accounts was doing brilliantly was constantly berated by the Director for not saying a line right - could he say it THIS way or THAT way? As the actor's nerves went up, his perspiration came down! All the way down the back of his shirt infact! It was also very hot in there and one lady next to me almost fainted. We had to shout Bingo! and raise our arms and cheer etc.
When the ad came out, everything had been blacked out except for the main actor so maybe that was a very expensive way of getting a commercial wrong!

"Pride and ...silliness!"

The next film was Austenland. Obsessed with the BBC production of "Pride and Prejudice", a woman travels to a Jane Austen theme park in search for her perfect gentleman. This was the one film where cameras and facebook were welcomed with open arms.
There were an awful  lot of us for this one but we were soon split into groups making things much easier. It's much easier to interact with the people surrounding you if you know you are all together in a 'set' as it were. One man was a newbie to the business so wasn't quite sure what was going on but soon took it in his stride. We were to be husband and wife for the day in a pink theme park with gliding swans on the water.

Hats and fans were thrust upon us and we all had to look as if we were enjoying ourselves. Actually that was quite the easy bit! Good company and everybody having a laugh at what we and others were wearing.

I have to say a few of us got a little saddle sore on the carousel!

Scene of the crime!

Given an email on the Monday  for a contact and suddenly found myself two days later on a murder  crime scene. After a fabulous breakfast we were mini bussed out to location. As it's in the middle of a village, lots of the villagers were also there looking on or taking pictures. One little girl with her mum in tow said "Can't walk through there mummy, they're filming." Whereupon Mummy replied :"Well, they'll just have to get used to it after all we live here, they don't." I wondered how many other  villages get fed up with actors & crew all turning up and taking over. It has to be said, however, that this cast and crew went out of their way to make sure that the villagers had right of way and were always spoken to in a polite fashion.

Coffee was served in the morgue (I kid you not) which delighted one iphone person who took pictures of everything in the room. I don't mind people taking pictures, indeed, I take a camera with me to every job as I never know when I'm going to be dressed up by costume or not. Its also been very useful when iphones batteries die as they seem to do quite frequently. However, I can't see the fascination of taking pictures of everything. Some people try to take pictures of the sets, put them on facebook and then wonder why they're kicked out of the agency. Occasionally we're asked to bring cameras and to promote a certain film by putting pics on facebook but in my experience, that's quite rare. 

Anyway, having been fed and watered I was then asked to walk about outside just as a passerby. Easy job. Well, it would have been had it not been for the person opposite me, a young lad who couldn't quite get the timing right and either didn't move at  all or just missed colliding into the main actors. I suspect it was because he was so busy texting that he didn't actually hear any instructions. Usually, mobiles are forbidden on set/location but he had been told to use his to look slightly more natural. The trouble was, he was so wrapped up on being natural that he totally forgot where he was!

This turned out to be a very short day for four of us as we got wrapped after just 3 hours which meant missing lunch. I wouldn't normally mind but the caterers had an incredible reputation for serving fabulous food. Oh well, it would have to wait until next time!

Too hot to shop!

Now is Good - another film this  time with Dakota Fanning. Set in a shopping centre this was a very early call  time of 4am. Plenty of coffee and a fried breakfast soon got us all ready to start filming. Very strange being in a shopping centre where you are in a shop but everything is closed so you can't buy anything! Great if you're a shopaholic! This was the beginning of a slow two days in a very hot shopping centre with very few places to sit. However, it was entertaining to see 'the public' enter the little pharmacy that had been set up only to be told all the boxes were either empty or contained something else than what was on the box! Luckily, the people with me were very upbeat and positive so that if one person was getting a bit fed up, there were plenty of people who would boost them back up. It was also interesting when the centre opened to the public and they became involved in the filming. Crowds began to gather and surprise registered when one of us stepped forward to take our place for filming. One of the Supporting Artists was a man that was promoting his massage technique. He went round giving free massages to  anyone that  wanted it with his special oils. Of course, he always left his business card but he was very much appreciated by everybody and I do hope his business took off for him.
Again,  I met some lovely people who I am still in contact with and who I frequently meet on sets all over the place. It's a lovely feeling walking in to a new and different place and seeing a face you recognize. It's a bit like starting a new job over and over again - new faces, new things to do, unfamiliar territory. So if you're reading this & thinking 'that's the life for me' make sure that  you are comfortable being in a 'new job' every time as some people don't find it very easy. I enjoy the feeling of not knowing what the day is going to bring and the new faces I'm about to meet. But it's not to everyone's taste.

A lesson learned...

I was next asked to be a restaurant diner in a film starring the very funny Simon Pegg. The experience of this certainly taught me a valuable lesson for the future! I had to take a couple of dresses or outfits suitable for a smart lunch. I went dressed in black trousers with a 'nice' top but wardrobe decided they wanted me in a dress. I hadn't tried this dress on in a very long time. Now I know what you're thinking - it was too tight. Actually it was too big! I'd bought the dress a long time ago and I realised as I stood in the 'dressing' room that it was way too big all over! In fact, it was too long too big too everything! Also the shoes I thought would go with it were my 'office' type shoes and certainly didn't go at all with the dress.... A valuable lesson for the future which has always taught me now, that even if it seemed perfect a few months ago TRY IT ON!
It was the start of a very enjoyable two days of  filming. Again, I was lucky enough to be with some very talented people. We also got to eat the food in  this beautiful little restaurant in  Central London with fish cakes starting at £15.... very yummy they were too!  It was also the place (thank you catering van) where I tried Rainbow Fish with Dirty Rice! No idea why it was called 'dirty' but it was extremely tasty!

Good morning!

My next job was for a TVC (television commercial) for a breakfast biscuit. I had to go suited and booted to be a business woman. I love being in a suit as choice in minimised as to what clothes to take/wear. When I started this choice of career, I took four times the amount of clothes that I actually needed. I have quickly leaned that the maximum needed for any job is 3 and usually there is a wardrobe department anyway if nothing bought suffices. I still have  a tendency if taking the car straight to set to pack the entire boot full of stuff that will never be used... This was an amazing job, not for what we did but for watching the sets go up. A school room was created complete with lockers, a tube train carriage, a supermarket etc Myself and an older guy were the two eldest on set and I don't think they knew quite how to use us! The actors were incredibly friendly and no 'airs and graces' about them at all. In fact, the main actor was so nice, no one realised his was the main actor until he got up to speak!

Up 1,2,3 Down 1.2.3...

Next, I received a text message asking if I would be prepared to be filmed taking part in an aerobics class for  a Corporate for a certain brand of margarine. I agreed and waited for the confirmation email. Eventually it came announcing to the world  that I hadn't been chosen. Ah well! Up to the pub then for a quick late lunch with a friend. Another text - ignore previous text they do  want you! Very thankful that I had chosen not to have a glass of wine with lunch, panic set in as to what to wear. Well, if you're going to have your jiggerly bits filmed you want them to jiggle in something half  decent don't you?! Up to the Supermarket - T shirt & black joggers -  perfect. Trainers? Eek! I remembered vaguely having some sort of white footwear a while ago.....but where? If in doubt, search underneath bed and yes, there they were. Well, they were once white....run to hardware store - trainer whitener - brilliant!
The 'aerobics' class was held in a very upmarket Health Club with breakfast laid on (choccie croissants WeyHey!)  It wasn't a difficult class, thank goodness, as the 'Teacher' wasn't actually an aerobics  teacher at all but someone who taught Pilates. However, she managed to put a routine together which we could all do so we didn't look too daft. One girl was a professional dancer and voiced her horror at seeing how bad we were. We thought we were doing quite well actually. Anyway, thankfully perfection was not what the Director wanted so we wrapped after just 4 hours with a full days pay - Fabulous!

A very patient patient!

It wasn't long after the comedy show that I got a call asking me to be a patient on a well known hospital series. I really looked forward to this one as it was a good friends favourite show. I did wonder, as it was next to another well known show whether I could 'visit' the other set but an email soon followed my thoughts letting me know that in no uncertain terms could artists visit each others sets. I duly bounced in on my first day, nice start time of 8am to find that no food would be forth coming for the whole day or even the  whole 4 days. However, this was quickly followed by the information that we would get a food allowance, travel allowance, holiday pay plus overtime! Wow!  This was a difficult production to do as the Green Room was actually the staff room on set so everything had  to be whispered. I was lucky as I had some exceptionally  lovely people with me who never seemed to tire of  good conversation,  they didn't complain  (except  when our biscuits went missing!) and everyone had a positive outlook. The crew were also exceptional and were very polite and helpful. On the final day, I asked if I could go on  time as my daughter had a college show to do and wanted me to see it. BIG MISTAKE!  The show was miles away and had finished by the time I got there having been stuck on a motorway for over 3 hours! Oh well. there's always next time!

It's been a while...

Wow! Can't believe I haven't written anything for such a long  time! Especially as the next job  I got was for a great  comedy - Lee Nelson's Well Good Show. I was a midwife and was on set for 5 days. As you can imagine the laughs were huge! We were in a sketch called Dr. Bob - basically a doctor who knows very little and says the most inappropriate things! One memorable sketch, we had to stand around and sing "Push It!" whilst one  woman gave birth.

In another, we admired (or not) a woman's vajazzle.  It was one of the best shows to do as everyone was so relaxed. Also, although we had to work on Good Friday, the caterers made sure we had chocolate by the bucket load! Girls came and went with their false bumps and various stories were told on what it's like to give birth to those pretending to but never had.  Having worn the bump for a day, eaten with it, gone to the loo in it, several remarked they might leave off having children until later in life. It was very sad to say goodbye to everyone as after five 12 hour days, you really do begin  to bond with people. However, little did I know I'd be seeing them quite a lot in the future!