(no subject)
So I just finished the rough draft of the official "Zombie Queen of the West" written feature script. There are a few notable and discernable differences in what happens in this version. It's still very similar to what was shot like three years ago. But how about that.
There's quite a bit of filler to get the damn thing to 90 pages, especially since there's tons of action.
So this comes off the helm of me quitting/walking off an extra gig on "Angels and Demons" like six hours ago. Again my bad gig radar went off. This time I ignored it and
See once and awhile for extra cash I do some background work. I fucking hate it. Every time I step into a holding tent I want to be the wrangler so much more than the wrangled. I don't give a shit about being in the front of on camera- in fact I prefer being way in the back and out of focus if possible. I don't like it that all the extras are bullshitting each other about how they "got a speaking role once" and all this other bullshit. Extra's are walking, living scenery. I don't want to talk about my training (which is better than abut 90% of the people I've met on those shoots) or acting. Nor do I want to divulge that I make films and all of that. While I am technically a producer/director/writer I don't advertise that because I don't want people telling me more about their fucking acting expertise / delusions. Especially because my productions obviously don't have much money behind them since I myself partake in background work. I don't even like to call it background "acting". There's something about calling it acting that just seems to glorify it, though I suppose technically it is acting. It's typically a better pay check than telemarketing. Now let me say there are many extras who like me could use extra cash once in awhile and have higher aspirations than one day collecting enough vouchers to become a SAG extra.
Part of it is I've been on the other side. I'm much more comfortable running the how now than I am being the show. On a show paid extras tend to be the lowest and least valuable on the pecking order. If you haven't figured it out I'm not a huge fan of having a low status, but if the price is right I'll sell out for a few days, especially if it affords me the lifestyle i prefer to live, as I do right now. I'm penciled in to work on a feature as "more than a PA" starting in August, which makes me feel like I'm getting past being a PA or will be soon.
I don't really have to be doing background work to make end meet the next couple months but there's a proverb that says "Don't wait till your thirsty to dig a well". So while I should start drawing a paycheck again by late August I'd prefer to not just scrape by for September rent. So back ground work it is for right now.
So anyway the reason I walked out on this bullshit was I showed up, they told me I wasn't booked. They told me to wait in a line with a bunch of other folks who "weren't on the list". I knew for a fact I was booked on this. I talked to three differnt people about it yesterday. The more details I was given about the job the less I wanted to work it. It's supposed to be 10 nights. 5P to 5A at least. Not super fun. Minimum wage. Bullshit. They told us "no cell phones", which is my only practical source of portable entertainment due to my crackberry web-surfing abilities.
I was told that it's in fucking Inglewood with a 5P call. Not good. That meant leaving an 1.5 to 2 hours before the shoot and battling the 405 25 miles south from my humble abode in Van Nuys. So fuck that.
So not being one to not give something a chance despite my internal bad gig detector going haywire decided to give this one a shot. I did the drive to hollywood park right next to the old forum. The traffic as to be expected was every bit as horrible as I anticipated/dreaded.
So when I pulled in the parking lot I took a spot close to the exit of the parking lot not close to the door of the set. Think about it. About 700 people all leaving at the same time? Yea that'll go quickly at 5 in the morning.
So I get in the line for half an hour. Cool. I'm planning on waiting for about 11 hours the rest of the night so nothing to get uppity about yet. So then I get to the check in table and the guy says stand in the "stand by holding" meaning that if they need more people (which i'm fairly certain they would) I would "get to work". So I asked a couple simple questions. "How long will it take to find out whether I'm needed/wanted" to which he responded, "I don't know." I was about to ask him if he had a chance to find if he'd relay the info to the stand ins. So in a condescending tone this fucking kid tells me "film sets are complicated, so I obviously can't know everything." I work in the industry. I'm certain I'm a better PA than 85% in LA. I have experience. I have work ethic. I have know-how. I can handle big shows and little ones. I can work competently with most departments. I've been in show biz much longer than most of my PA brethren. Maybe not as much screen but I've managed to bridge the gap between my over 10 years in theater and what I'm doing now. Maybe even seamlessly.
Probably it's part jealousy. Maybe it's the fact that I didn't feel like putting up with that kind of bullshit for the next ten days. It might also be that I know that he could easily answer my rather simple question within moments with the magic of walkie talkie without the lesson on how film sets work.
My bad gig radar was out of control. I responded calmly but defiantly. I responded "Oh yea, well I know something, you can go fuck yourself" and I walked away. To my car. I drove away.
See the thing is that I know for a fact that is was a simple matter of asking the right person the right question. See the thing is that I know for a fact that someone knew what time stand bys would be taken, or they wouldn't have a use for them. It would have taken 10 seconds. I wasn't an asshole when I asked. If the guy was telling a joke no one was laughing. Not the other stand bys or his co-workers. The only interpretation was that he was being an asshole to the lowly extra, using me as his punching bag.
Pride can be a problem for me. I was defiantly prideful in this situation. I'm Nick fucking Griffith. I refuse to be demeaned to my face by someone who should have no power over me. I took the power. I have it. Demean the dumbass extra behind my back please. I do it all the time. The reason I know for sure I'm a better PA than MR. PA of the year is that I'm professional enough to hide my disdain for dumbass extras while talking to them.
-Nick
There's quite a bit of filler to get the damn thing to 90 pages, especially since there's tons of action.
So this comes off the helm of me quitting/walking off an extra gig on "Angels and Demons" like six hours ago. Again my bad gig radar went off. This time I ignored it and
See once and awhile for extra cash I do some background work. I fucking hate it. Every time I step into a holding tent I want to be the wrangler so much more than the wrangled. I don't give a shit about being in the front of on camera- in fact I prefer being way in the back and out of focus if possible. I don't like it that all the extras are bullshitting each other about how they "got a speaking role once" and all this other bullshit. Extra's are walking, living scenery. I don't want to talk about my training (which is better than abut 90% of the people I've met on those shoots) or acting. Nor do I want to divulge that I make films and all of that. While I am technically a producer/director/writer I don't advertise that because I don't want people telling me more about their fucking acting expertise / delusions. Especially because my productions obviously don't have much money behind them since I myself partake in background work. I don't even like to call it background "acting". There's something about calling it acting that just seems to glorify it, though I suppose technically it is acting. It's typically a better pay check than telemarketing. Now let me say there are many extras who like me could use extra cash once in awhile and have higher aspirations than one day collecting enough vouchers to become a SAG extra.
Part of it is I've been on the other side. I'm much more comfortable running the how now than I am being the show. On a show paid extras tend to be the lowest and least valuable on the pecking order. If you haven't figured it out I'm not a huge fan of having a low status, but if the price is right I'll sell out for a few days, especially if it affords me the lifestyle i prefer to live, as I do right now. I'm penciled in to work on a feature as "more than a PA" starting in August, which makes me feel like I'm getting past being a PA or will be soon.
I don't really have to be doing background work to make end meet the next couple months but there's a proverb that says "Don't wait till your thirsty to dig a well". So while I should start drawing a paycheck again by late August I'd prefer to not just scrape by for September rent. So back ground work it is for right now.
So anyway the reason I walked out on this bullshit was I showed up, they told me I wasn't booked. They told me to wait in a line with a bunch of other folks who "weren't on the list". I knew for a fact I was booked on this. I talked to three differnt people about it yesterday. The more details I was given about the job the less I wanted to work it. It's supposed to be 10 nights. 5P to 5A at least. Not super fun. Minimum wage. Bullshit. They told us "no cell phones", which is my only practical source of portable entertainment due to my crackberry web-surfing abilities.
I was told that it's in fucking Inglewood with a 5P call. Not good. That meant leaving an 1.5 to 2 hours before the shoot and battling the 405 25 miles south from my humble abode in Van Nuys. So fuck that.
So not being one to not give something a chance despite my internal bad gig detector going haywire decided to give this one a shot. I did the drive to hollywood park right next to the old forum. The traffic as to be expected was every bit as horrible as I anticipated/dreaded.
So when I pulled in the parking lot I took a spot close to the exit of the parking lot not close to the door of the set. Think about it. About 700 people all leaving at the same time? Yea that'll go quickly at 5 in the morning.
So I get in the line for half an hour. Cool. I'm planning on waiting for about 11 hours the rest of the night so nothing to get uppity about yet. So then I get to the check in table and the guy says stand in the "stand by holding" meaning that if they need more people (which i'm fairly certain they would) I would "get to work". So I asked a couple simple questions. "How long will it take to find out whether I'm needed/wanted" to which he responded, "I don't know." I was about to ask him if he had a chance to find if he'd relay the info to the stand ins. So in a condescending tone this fucking kid tells me "film sets are complicated, so I obviously can't know everything." I work in the industry. I'm certain I'm a better PA than 85% in LA. I have experience. I have work ethic. I have know-how. I can handle big shows and little ones. I can work competently with most departments. I've been in show biz much longer than most of my PA brethren. Maybe not as much screen but I've managed to bridge the gap between my over 10 years in theater and what I'm doing now. Maybe even seamlessly.
Probably it's part jealousy. Maybe it's the fact that I didn't feel like putting up with that kind of bullshit for the next ten days. It might also be that I know that he could easily answer my rather simple question within moments with the magic of walkie talkie without the lesson on how film sets work.
My bad gig radar was out of control. I responded calmly but defiantly. I responded "Oh yea, well I know something, you can go fuck yourself" and I walked away. To my car. I drove away.
See the thing is that I know for a fact that is was a simple matter of asking the right person the right question. See the thing is that I know for a fact that someone knew what time stand bys would be taken, or they wouldn't have a use for them. It would have taken 10 seconds. I wasn't an asshole when I asked. If the guy was telling a joke no one was laughing. Not the other stand bys or his co-workers. The only interpretation was that he was being an asshole to the lowly extra, using me as his punching bag.
Pride can be a problem for me. I was defiantly prideful in this situation. I'm Nick fucking Griffith. I refuse to be demeaned to my face by someone who should have no power over me. I took the power. I have it. Demean the dumbass extra behind my back please. I do it all the time. The reason I know for sure I'm a better PA than MR. PA of the year is that I'm professional enough to hide my disdain for dumbass extras while talking to them.
-Nick