I signed up to be an extra in a film shooting in Geelong two weeks ago. Beginning last week I get a call from them saying 'yes' and asking for my e-mail so they could send the details.
No e-mails came through.
Luckily, they rang me last night (Monday) to confirm that I was free Tuesday evening to shoot down at the pier, where Smorgy's (a smorgasbord-style restaurant) used to be, and I said yes. So I knew where and when I needed to be.
Three pm Tuesday and no e-mail.
I've given up on it, assuming they'd changed their mind and they didn't need me after all; but I was wrong - I get another call pretty much saying 'Where are you?'
I explain the lack of e-mails, and after being told 'formal wear', I leap out of bed, into a nice dress and out the door. No time for a shower, breakfast or anything; I was late enough as it was!
I get to the station just in time to watch a Geelong bound train pull out. Great.
No worries. I get on the next one and rush down to the pier, to find I'm too late for the 'entering the event' scene but am still more than welcome for the rest of the day's filming. So I wander inside and sign in - and am left sitting for another half-an-hour while everyone else signs in and gets sorted out. I obviously hadn't really missed anything. Phew!
First scene I'm in is the 'opening speech' bit, so a good hour or so of sitting at a large table pretending to be bored, rich, and waiting for the party to start. I'm sitting there and hoping my not-so-clean hair isn't showing me up, nor are the massive goosebumps on my arms, as I'd been asked to remove my jacket for the scene, and there was no heating!
After a short break, the last scene was shot - the 'end of the evening' scene, so I'm pretending to be tipsy, rich and dancing. For this one I'm in two places at once - at a table at the back and dancing behind the main cast. Should be interesting! The most awkward part was the dancing - they'd play a little music before starting a shot, but would stop just before calling 'action', and we all had to pretend the music was still going!
It was pitch black outside once we'd finished and were allowed to sign out and head home, and I noticed the reason I never got any e-mails - they'd spelt my address wrong! A very brisk walk to the station later - it had gotten very cold by then - I'm headed homewards, with a stop at McDonald's to get dinner.
It was definitely interesting, and rather fun despite the cold, but I think I need to invest in a couple of fancy scarves or something similar in case of something the like in the future!
And go see 'Undertow' when it comes out.
