Yesterday I worked as a movie extra from 9:30AM until 2:00AM. You read that right. A total of 16 1/2 hours.

Extras here usually get paid $65 for the first 8 hours, then time and half after that, minus 1/2 hour for lunch.

The fun parts:
–hanging out with interesting fellow extras
–being so close to famous stars/directors you can hear them discuss the scene and see the results of the conversations with each take, so it’s like a master class
–watching a scene being developed and changed
–the chance of my scene making it onto the big screen
–when the movie is released, comparing what I saw during filming to the final version
–when not on set, getting paid to read and check email
–eating tasty food I don’t have to buy, cook or clean up after (often there are yummy homemade desserts and a salad bar that rivals many a restaurant, many times carved beef and grilled fish)

The not so fun parts:
–wearing their shoes that hurt your feet
–the “hurry up and wait.” Yesterday lunch was ready, but since extras can’t eat before the crew, we sat waiting. The minute we were allowed to get in line, they said we had to rush to set…so we should box up our food and carry it with us.
–waiting for the camera(s) to be reset and for changes to lighting, etc
–uncomfortable working conditions: the set and/or holding can be very hot or very cold, or even very dusty (crew members may actually create extra dust, several times before each take)
–somehow the sitting and waiting is exhausting

I have now worked as an extra on 61 different major motion pictures/TV shows. Wonder who holds the world record?

How can we enjoy the now and live in the moment, when we are worried about the future and thinking about the past? I’m sure Carrie Bradshaw asked a similar question in a Sex and the City episode, but I’m not going to re-rent the series to see how she answered it.

Often we expend more energy living in the future…what we need to be doing vs. what we are doing, where we have to go next and not being where we are and enjoying who we’re with right now. Just look at the number of people who pull out their BlackBerries/cell phones during meetings…to take care of other stuff instead of the business they are in the room to transact.

In my world, the ebb and flow of my eclectic lifestyle is often what draws me out of being present in the present.

Last week, I had 6 days in a row of acting work!!! Mon-Thurs: rehearsals and performances with a serious improv ensemble that does employee training/development. Fri: recording session for a voiceover role. Sat: rehearsal with the improv team I’ll be performing with.

Very exciting and productive.

But in the back of my mind lurked thoughts like, “What about next week? Not a single audition or booking scheduled. And look at what’s happening to the stock market and the price of gas! What about your weekly new page goal…you haven’t written a word!” The arrival of several rejections didn’t help matters any.

This week, I’m going to make an effort to be 100% where I am and find some contentment in what I am doing and am accomplishing vs. what I need to do. To do my best to not worry about things I can’t control.

What about you?

What life experiences have you had that are proving or could prove useful now?

For me, it’s the 16 years I spent (sometimes kicking and screaming) in corporate sales and marketing. Many actors and authors, though extremely talented in their craft, lack the skills to self-promote and/or the understanding of the need or interest in doing so. A large part of both businesses is who you know, and no one can know you if he or she hasn’t heard of you. Like the lottery slogan, if you’re not in it, you can’t win it.

So how can you get in the game?

Self-marketing in any field takes time, energy, confidence/moxie, creativity and money.

You need:
–To produce the best promotional materials you can, whether it’s the right kind of headshot and resume or a great query letter. Your materials must best represent and differentiate you without going too far outside the box. There are standards and conventions for these items; if you don’t meet them you’ll probably end up in the circular file. I’ve heard many agents/editors comment on ridiculous query letters that they toss and too many casting directors/acting agents critique bad headshots they won’t bother to give any consideration to.
A fellow actor recently commented about his difficulty in finding an acting agent. Unfortunately, his headshot/resume made it clear why, despite his great look…wrong kind and size of picture, wrong background, and giving irrelevant info with many formatting errors.
So don’t shoot yourself in the foot before you even get in the door.
–Knowledge of the business world and professionalism. Sometimes the little things, which usually you can control, really count. Examples: Be on time. Arrive prepared. Follup up in a timely fashion.
–Willingness to invest in yourself. For example, a good Web site doesn’t come cheap, and can take a lot of time to create and keep up to date.
–Discipline to do the work every week and not sit back and wait for the phone to ring because you have an agent.
–The ability to push past any fears, whether that fear is of talking about yourself or contacting strangers.
–Get help. Seek advice from those more experienced so you can avoid stupid mistakes.
–Get out there. When possible, get involved in your industry so you can network.

What can you do to improve your self-marketing?

Last week my musical improv class at ComedySportz had our show. We had a large crowd, including 6 of my supportive friends/family, and my team won. A great night.

If you’re in a regular play, you know exactly what you’re supposed to say and when you’re supposed to move, and after all the rehearsing you pretty much know what everyone else will say and do. The fun and frightening thing about improv is that you never know what character or activity you’ll be called upon to do…and all choices and decisions are made on the spot. In one game, A Day in the Life, an audience volunteer comes on stage and shares the details of his day. Then we perform a musical about that. My team captain had already chosen the two team members who’d take the leading roles, with the 3 remaining playing all other parts.

Our volunteer was a radiologist whose day began by forcing his dog, who’d had a bad weekend, to take medicine. Instantly I knew I should be the dog. A second later, the captain whispered to me that I should play the dog.

So when our “radiologist” called for his dog, Bootsie, I dropped to my hands and knees and crawled to him. I barked. I shook my recently shorn (more on that another day) but still somewhat curly black hair. I thought of Scooby-Doo, who sort of talked in words like ‘ruh-roh,’ and did that. I refused to take my medicine, even when he enticed me with a ball. And, the audience laughed.

In another game, Sideline Karaoke, one member from each team leaves the theatre while audience members suggest songs for the rest of us to silently act out, as in Charades, and for them to guess while singing as if they were at a Karaoke bar. I think this game is one of the hardest, so I hope I never have to be the guesser.

The songs we had to do were You’re So Vain, and two I’d never heard of: Sister Christian and Woop, There it is. For Sister Christian, another woman (who also is short with dark curly hair) and I tried to show that we were sisters by linking arms and pointing to each other. Then we tried to portray nuns. Our team member got that, but couldn’t make the connection to sisters. Then we tried praying, then taking communion while she guessed ‘Catholic’ and other religious things. A guy then tried ‘sounds like fist’, and she guessed the song.

The other team got hung up on Material Girl…she got ‘mat’ when team members drew on the floor, and ‘girl’, but couldn’t get further. My team member amazingly guessed all three.

These examples illustrate some of the benefits of taking improv: enhanced team building and communication skills. Most of us have been taking classes together for almost a year now and have come to appreciate each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

Note to self: figure out how to apply these lessons to every day life.

Yes, faithful readers, yours truly had her first audition for a major motion picture this morning. And not to be a day player–the receptionist, pizza guy, friendly neighbor who has one or two scenes and a few lines–but for a supporting role: the main character’s mother.

I’ve thought for years I could easily handle being a day player, and have tried to get auditions. Anyone who is comfortable in front of the camera and doesn’t quake under the gazes of the director and 40-50 crew members should be able to say, “Right this way, sir” or “Here’s your pizza. That’ll be $18.99.” But actually acting a role with many scenes and extensive interaction with the lead characters is another thing entirely.

Got an email about the audition Tuesday afternoon, the script for part of two scenes followed. Ran out to buy the book. Scanned the very long book the movie is based on for scenes with the mother to learn more about her character. Interestingly, very few descriptions. And it was interesting to see how the scenes appeared in the book and who said the lines vs. the screenplay pages.

Learned the lines and had a friend help me run them over coffee. Pondered and pondered over what to wear…to try to embody the character or not? Printed several sets of directions because there’s so much construction I wasn’t sure which way to go.

When I got there, one of the talent agents rehearsed with me. Very helpful, because it a) made sure I knew the lines and b) helped burn off nerves. Again came the challenge of balancing my theatrical nature with the comedy in the lines and the need to be real. The actual audition simply consisted of doing the scenes on camera with the agent reading the other parts. Then they send the video to the movie people…not like a theater or improv audition where there could be more than 10 people scrutinizing you.

Apparently not very many people are being submitted for this part!!!!!! But I know better than to count a single feather, much less a whole chicken.

No one said to keep this confidential, but I didn’t ask if I could share info either….so I’ll just say that one of today’s most famous teen stars is the lead.

Last week happened to be great, acting wise…but this week loomed with nary an audition or booking on the calendar.

Sunday evening (for some reason my least favorite time of the week) arrived with lots of blanks on my schedule. A couple of lunches with friends, though fun, do not make for a productive week. I have contest entries to judge and could work on a new book, but if at all possible I don’t want to have a week without something developing on the acting front.

Many people, including those behind and following The Secret, believe if you put those good thoughts of what you want out there and believe it will happen, the universe will provide. Well, I’ve been doing that for YEARS about selling a book. Faithful readers know I’m still waiting for “the call.”

It’s a challenge for me to sit back and trust, and rely on all the irons I’ve worked so hard to put in the fire. So I usually tend to take a proactive approach, and find some online auditions to submit to. Remind people I’ve worked with of my existence. Monday, Tuesday…this approach yielded zip. Hmmm. Hard to keep the stress from boiling through the top of my head.

Then on Wednesday:
–a talent agent called with an audition for today.
–got asked to do a quick reshoot later in the week because of a script change.
–tho I wasn’t chosen by a major film director for a scene I’d been asked by an extras casting director to submit for, he’s considering me for another, much smaller scene.

What a lot of good news in one day! On the other hand, the roller coaster continues…

–received another rejection for my newest novel.
–the smaller movie scene conflicts with a commitment I’d made to give a workshop. So do I accept the movie, which I believe could have more impact on my career, and back out/find a replacement for the workshop? Or honor my previous commitment?

The universe giveth, taketh away, and occasionally confuseth…