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10:12 AM - MON 3.25.24 Well, I shouldn't have been surprised - I was told going in the gig would involve one day and one night shoot - but I'd felt so discouraged about Monday that when I received the call sheet for Friday night (On Friday morning), I thought it might be a mistake until I saw my name amongst the "Talent". That's when I realized it was possible I'd bummed myself out on Monday, without much help from anyone else. (Stranger things have happened. But more on that later...) The call was for 8:00 pm, at a store in Torrance. Unlike Monday, where we were rushed through wardrobe, hair, and makeup (And shooting started maybe an hour after my call time), things on Friday felt comparatively relaxed. We had dinner - burgers and fries (I skipped the fries, feeling very virtuous) - then they got us all made up and dressed, and we were called to set around 10:00 pm (There were six actors all together, including the Spokesperson). The first bit was the Spokesperson doing her thing, as we did our thing in the background, After that, I shot a bit with Emily - my "commercial wife" - and another actor, which was fun to do, and seemed to be well-received (Unlike the shooting on Monday afternoon, where I shot briefly for a bit that no one seemed happy with, this felt like they'd quickly gotten what they needed and were ready to move on). We finished that around 11:30 or so, and - I think I can speak for my fellow actors here - were quite surprised when four of us were then wrapped for the night. (I've only done a few "night shoots", so I was a little worried about how I'd "hold up", assuming I'd be there till the early morning hours...but not only was I not there "till the early morning hours", I got back home before bedtime.) Now, if Friday had gone the same as Monday, where I worked some in the morning, then basically hung out the rest of the time, this might be a very different entry. But there would still be one critical difference between Monday and Friday - On Monday, I'd assumed I would be working more, so when I didn't, I was afraid of not making it into the finished spot. But on Friday we were shooting what would clearly be the end of the spot, so I was feeling a lot more chipper about my chances of making it into the final cut (Though something I've learned through bitter experience is to not count on anything until you see yourself in the spot and start collecting the checks). (I found out on Friday that I wasn't the only "depressed actor" after Monday's shoot - One of the actors I hadn't worked with that day had a bit he thought was the only thing he was there to do. But they never figured it out to their liking, so he left assuming, like Yours Truly, that the big payday he'd hoped for when he'd booked the gig had suddenly become a much smaller one. We had a laugh together over being "two sad actors" at the end of that day.) Beyond worrying about "making the final cut" and fretting over "money stuff", I was struck by how much of a difference just the little bit of "acting" I did with Emily made to my mood on Friday. Being actors, I think we both enjoyed having a little "scene" to play - It wasn't exactly Macbeth, but it was something. So anyway, that was a thing that happened. And now you won't hear me crying about needing a gig...for at least the next entry or two. While not providing the potential big payday of a commercial, it's been fun to have a little "mini-wave" of Cameos (And one Memmo) recently. (They're a nice "marriage" of getting paid while having a little fun.) In fact, when I think about it, what I get out of doing Cameos is, to a certain extent, a smaller-scale version of what I want as an actor in general - They're mostly fun to do, there can be bit of a creative challenge, I get paid, and people seem to enjoy them. What's not to like? While I'm feeling pretty good at the moment, I'm glad I have a couple other things to "look forward to" coming up... Our next - and likely final - film festival is coming up in Pasadena next month (Actually, it's mostly happening in North Hollywood, but the awards show/closing night party is in Pasadena). It has a good reputation, so I'm expecting we'll have fun with that. Then in May we have the thing at Los Angeles Community College, which will be a screening of the film during "Foster Care Month", with Jane and I in attendance for a Q&A/Meet&Greet. (I'm feeling a little more "iffy" about that one coming off, but "fingers crossed".) And of course, May happens to be the month of my glorious birth. I don't know if anything will happen on the day in question. But even if it doesn't, I'm going to consider it a happy occasion, in large part because it means getting closer to getting my full social security benefit (And at least one of my little pensions - I think one I could start taking now if I wanted, but the other's not for a couple years yet). And it means I can buy an action figure guilt-free if I want to. And I could probably figure out other things to go on about, but then I wouldn't be napping before I have to start getting ready for GenSpace (I'm #1 on the "wait list" for "Resistance Band Training", which means I'll probably get in - Between Monday auditions and gigs lately, it's been awhile since I've stretched some rubber bands). It's nice to feel like "the pressure's off" a little bit. Here's hoping the feeling lasts for a while. (Till next time...)
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