Call time: 9:30am Location: Manhattan Beach Studios

I've been booked to play CLERICAL staff in the DA's office in an episode of a popular TV show. I've worked this show before but only on location. I've never been to the actual main set. Today, I'll be making the trek out to Manahattan Beach during rush hour for a days work. I arrive at the studios with literally 5 minutes to spare. Manhattan Beach is NOT close to me and of course, today, it was bumper to bumper on the dreaded 405. I hate arriving late or even close to call time. I'm an early bird. I'd prefer to sit and wait than to huff and puff my way down the parking lot carrying a garment bag (wardrobe), tote bag (reading and writing materials, makeup, hairspray, brush, etc) and my fold out chair (my comfort zone). But today is going to be one of those days especially since I've never been to this studio and with my luck the set will be all the way on the other side. I got lucky, I was told by security that the set is right outside the parking structure so my walk will be fast. 

As soon as I arrive at Background holding I see the line forming already for wardrobe. I take my place and wait my turn. As I wait, I met up with a fellow BGA that I've worked with before on various TV shows. She's a very nice girl but a bit chatty. In fact I call her Chatty Patty.  Chatty Patty loves to give you the run down on what's going on. She's the information girl, the one that has her finger on the butt, oops, I mean the pulse of all the PA's around town. You need info about a production, talk to Chatty Patty, she'll give you the scoop. So, I'm on line and Chatty Patty starts to give me the run down on all the new rules and regulations of the show. Here they are:

1. No cell phones on the set. They must be turned off, a PA will go around verifying  that they are indeed turned off and left at holding. If you are discovered texting, talking or checking email while on the set you will be immediately dismissed, never ever to return. No exceptions.
2. No personal belongings on the set, i.e, backpacks, large totes (that are not props), etc. All personal belongings must remain at holding.
3. If snacks (sandwiches, burritos, tacos, etc)  are brought out to Crafty in between meals, background is not to have any until the Crew has had a chance to grab something first.

Okay, production is getting militant. Chatty Patty tells me that this is not the only show that is starting to impliment these rules. Seems like several shows are cracking down on the whole cell phone thing on set. Understandably. I've been on a set when a BGA or even Crew member's phone has gone off in the middle of an actor's scene. Trust me, you don't want to be the person whose phone that was. Think Christan Bale's famous tirade on the set of Terminator Salvation.

As soon as Chatty Patty has finished giving me the skinny, it's our turn at wardrobe. We are given the thumbs up by wardrobe, so Chatty Patty and I go off to crafty for a light breakfast snack. We pick up some coffee and goodies and head back to holding. All the while, Chatty Patty is telling me stories about her misadventures on various productions around town. Listen folks, I love a good story, I'm sure you can tell, but Chatty Patty is not, how shall I put this, the most creative story teller around. The problem is she thinks she is. Have you ever seen the 1980 spoof film, Airplane! when Robert Hayes' character keeps telling his war story to the various people sitting next to him and they prefer to commit suicide than to keep listening?

Scene from the 1980 movie, Airplane!

You get the picture.

After the fifth Chatty Patty background adventure story, I was given a reprive by the PA who called us to set. I've never been so happy to work in my life!  But before we left holding, we had to show her our cell phones to verify that they were turned off and stored safely in our bags.

We walked through the various sets of this popular and long running show. It's always so cool to walk through the made up kitchens, dining rooms, etc that you see on TV every week. You can just picture the character having coffee on this table in that episode, or the argument that the mom and dad had while standing in this bedroom. It always amazes me how authentic everything looks, on TV and in person. Only difference, in person, the bedroom is missing a ceiling and the garden you see outside the window is a painted backdrop.

We arrive at set and are placed throughout the lobby of the DA's building. I'm to stand with two male BGAs and pretend to talk to them about some case we are working on while the main actors do their thing behind us because my shoes are too noisy. They don't want me walking. The noisy shoe thing is a common occurance on film and TV sets. This situation is usually remedied by the sound guy who goes around putting rubber stoppers on ladies' heels and rubber cushions on the souls of shoes. However, the sound guy can't find his bag of rubber stoppers so all the women wearing heels will have to stand or tip toe. I HATE tip toeing so I'm very happy I'll be one of the standing BGAs.

We do the scene several times, no problem. Then the 1st AD yells, "we're turning around."  That means they are switching the camera to the other side to get a close up of the other actor in the scene. This is a one camera shoot so the camera turns around according to which actor is getting "covered."    We've done the coverage for the guest star now we are going to turn around for the coverage of the show's star.

When this happens, background is usually told to leave the set and go back to holding. Since our holding is on the other side of the sound stage we are told to wait just outside the set in a make believe lobby with benches and chairs. This is when things get boring on a set. The waiting around for cameras and lighting to set up. You can't image the work that goes into lighting a set for just one scene. Sometimes, walls have to come down and set furniture has to be moved around. Lighting is a percise science, especially now a days with HD technology. But that also means a long wait time in between set ups.

When the set is finally ready, we are called back in. By this time, the sound guy has found his bag of rubber stoppers and all the women with the problem heels are now ready to walk in silence. That means, I'll be walking in this scene.

I am told that when the star finishes her lines and walks away, I am to walk towards the trial room doors. I will be walking with another BGA. We will walk and mimic talking at the same time. We rehearse.

BACK TO ONE!

I'm standing with my fellow BGA. The star finishes her lines and walks out of the frame. We start walking towards the trial room, mimicking a conversation as we walk.

CUT!

The Director walks over to the 1st AD who is standing right next to us and I mean, right next to us, in fact he is facing us.  The Director walks up to the 1st and says to him, "Tell them (my fellow BGA and I) to mimicking a conversation before they start walking towards the trial room. I want it to seem like they are having one continuous conversation." Then the Director walks away.  The 1st AD turns to us and says, "You heard what he said, right?"   I am not exaggerating. The Director would not direct us, he preferred to tell his 1st to tell us what to do, even though we were literally a few inches away from him. Whatever!  Trust me folks, I've been on the set with some big names and some not so big and the real creative geniuses don't treat us like we are beneath them. If they are standing next to a BGA and they want that BGA to do something specifically, they just tell them. The ones that feel the need to do what this director did are, in my book, small time.

Anyway, we did our part beautifully and the 1st AD thanked us. We wrapped fairly early which meant I missed the gridlock of afternoon drive time. Yay!!! I said goodbye to Chatty Patty who was now talking to a newbie, a young blond pretty girl. I think Chatty Patty scared her off background work because as I was leaving the garage structure,  I saw the girl running, I should say, sprinting to her car. I almost wanted to stop and yell, "Hey, it's not that bad, really." 

Really.