While it's been a really good experience so far to be doing background work, a few things have been coming up that I find a bit disturbing On a couple of occasions now, I've been upfront and center witness to really creepy attempts of guys trying to pick up some of the women Extras. These men are just so cheesy or completely full of themselves. I cannot believe that men actually think their behavior is appealing to anyone, much less the women they are trying to pick up. It's so awkward because the chances are high these people are going to run into each other repeatedly, the background world just isn't that big. The women I've seen hit on are not very direct in telling these men to bug off and I think it is because it is such a small world. This one guy would just not SHUT UP about himself, even on set with the cameras rolling and the sound guy glaring at him. He was completely oblivious and just kept blabbing on and on about himself. I could not help telling him to keep quiet at least while the cameras were rolling--which he never did. I really wish someone from the set would have come up and told him explicitly to keep quiet or leave the set. I can get very punitive in my fantasies of how the world should work when people don't act responsibly, especially in a job that doesn't take much to do. It's not like production asks a lot from background actors--mainly show up on time with the right wardrobe, pay attention, keep quiet while on set, and enhance the scene as instructed. People who think they are beyond that just really tick me off.
I also heard on a bus ride out to the country club shoot for Sneaky Pete about jealous extras turning in other extras who may be getting special attention from principal actors. Because the production companies are very serious about not approaching principle actors, those who do can be fired or asked to leave the set and not be given any work for a while. Apparently, if an extra reports this behavior of another extra, the production company takes it very seriously. I can't help but think about my most recent interactions with some principle actors who approached me. It got me thinking for sure--really sad that people would resort to this level of pettiness.
I also have been overhearing a number of conversations between long timers complaining about all the new people coming into the background acting market. I can appreciate that it may make it harder for them to find work, but it also seems highly unreasonable to think there will not always be a steady stream of new comers.
Of course, that I've been within earshot of these last two conversations makes me a bit paranoid as to whether these remarks are directed at me as some kind of warning or something. In my rational mind, I don't think so, but in my irrational mind, I hear messages directed at me all the time.
I also heard on a bus ride out to the country club shoot for Sneaky Pete about jealous extras turning in other extras who may be getting special attention from principal actors. Because the production companies are very serious about not approaching principle actors, those who do can be fired or asked to leave the set and not be given any work for a while. Apparently, if an extra reports this behavior of another extra, the production company takes it very seriously. I can't help but think about my most recent interactions with some principle actors who approached me. It got me thinking for sure--really sad that people would resort to this level of pettiness.
I also have been overhearing a number of conversations between long timers complaining about all the new people coming into the background acting market. I can appreciate that it may make it harder for them to find work, but it also seems highly unreasonable to think there will not always be a steady stream of new comers.
Of course, that I've been within earshot of these last two conversations makes me a bit paranoid as to whether these remarks are directed at me as some kind of warning or something. In my rational mind, I don't think so, but in my irrational mind, I hear messages directed at me all the time.
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