Martha Stewart and Such

Well peoples, I will be on National Television, again (thanks to a previous Martha Stewart Show and "What Would You Do?").

Today I had my second "extra" experience, if being an audience member counts as being an extra.  I was on the Martha Stewart show (raise your hands and applaud loudly, please remember your does of aspirin just before going to the show--it's helps ease the pain of the rocking headache buzzing in your head from the enthusiastic cheers of yourself and the people around you).  Technically I was Audience Member 129ish.  I know you are jealous.  Instead of a measly $79 paycheck, I spent only 4 hours in the studio AND I got a couple of free gifts beginning with pop and ending with corn.

Let me tell you of the entire experience. It is long and drawn out so you may need to go get a drink of water or something.

I arrived and met up with my friend, S.M.  We chatted, took pictures, wrote memos and laughed at all the tourists. Okay we really didn't write memos or laugh at tourists, but it sounds like a NYC thing to do, right?

We went in and we sat close to the complimentary water. It was at that moment my stomach informed me that eating beforehand would have been a dandy idea and it continued to scold me through the entire proceedings.  It may do well to mention that me and hunger--we don't get along.  Usually we put lots of food between us so that we do not have to make eye contact, but it happens on occasion.

Then Joey came out, he's the comedian that gets the crowd "pumped" for the show.  This guy did not have to prep me. I came with a goal to be so enthusiastic that I would get the free stuff--no doubt on earth it should come to me.

Note how it looks like Joey is touching a butterfly.

I let my friend know of my plan to win the extra stuff. She agreed that wild enthusiasm would be key.  So we waited, watched a show of Ms. Stewart and a guest or two. We moved to the other room in hopes of going to the filming room sooner.  It didn't work.  They take people by the color on their cards (ours was pink).  We got up there with all the other pink people.


Prior to going up they told all of us that it was vital that we stay in our seats and only take pictures sitting down.  Cha right, we're a crowd--who sits for a picture?!

Finally we made it to the filming room and were directed where to sit (third or fourth row up third or fourth seat in). We saw another Martha Stewart sign and of course I had to have a picture with that (I love taking pictures). Soooo, I took a picture of my friend.  We swapped spots and she got a picture of me.  It was when we were swapping spots they announced firmly again, please stay in your seats.  Then before we switched seats again I looked around to see if any of the headset bearing officials were watching us. I thought the coast was clear when we switched, but I think I may have been wrong.

Standing right by the front row was the official-est of the officials watching me and I am pretty sure she said into her microphone "They've switched seats twice . . ."  I couldn't hear the rest.


She's the person on the lower left hand side.  

A few moments later the security guy walked right up into our row and in front of us.  I thought for sure he was going to ask us to follow him to an office where he would proceed to interrogate us on why we were switching seats. I could imagine us crying and saying, "We only wanted a picture of the stupid sign (oops--I promised my kids I wouldn't say stupid, forgive me) can't we go home now?"

Okay, so my thoughts are super dramatic, it's a curse/blessing.

The security guy--in the suit--which makes officials seem even more official-er, came right up to us looked us in the eyes . . . [dramatic pause] . . . then he looked over our shoulders and asked a group of six people to please sit in their seats to take pictures.

S.M. and I looked at each other and cumulatively sighed with relief, he wasn't there for us.

Soon the show prep included the audience.  They practiced our cheering and tapering out.  We were awesome, especially me, {very smugly} if I do say so myself.  I wanted the free stuff.  The girl next to me also agreed that we both wanted something free and we were hollering and clapping for all we were worth.

Well, I think I must have put enthusiasm on with a trowel.  Poor Joey was like the lone celery stick with an entire can of cheese stuff. The celery is quickly overcome and does his best to ignore the overwhelming cheese (me).  Sorry, Joey--all I wanted was the free stuff you promised the most enthusiastic audience member, otherwise it would have never come to this (again, with the dramatic thinking--I know, I am a bit of a cornball and I am proud of it).

I am 92.7431 percent sure my enthusiasm got the attention of at least Elizabeth Hasselback and Martha Stewart.  The other people seemed a little to nervous to glance at the crowd for more than two seconds (I know I would have been).

At one point they asked the audience members to come up with a couple of questions for Ms. Stewart.  I gave them a question, "What is the best kind of garden to grow in a small space, like a NYC apartment?"  I knew she had to know the answer to that and that she would answer it and I was informed I could raise my hand and ask the question.

But it was not to be--people on the floor portion of the studio got to ask the question, after Ms. Stewart told Joey he often misses the floor folks, he sure didn't after that. Also this guy that I noticed hardly ever clapped behind me got some free stuff--maybe the key to getting free stuff is to act like a statue.  I was miffed, but only momentarily.  Thanks again, Joey.

Also, there were about six men in the audience. Four of them got the free stuff.  Three of them were invited to dance.  Sheesh.  There were about eight free things.  Not to complain, but that is how it was.  I was dancing. I was living it up (partly because if they show me on the screen maybe my family will see me and it will be like I was waving at them across the country with a two-day delay).

Then it was over.  I came home with a whopper headache, kettle-corn popcorn and a stove-top popcorn maker my kids are sooooo excited for me to use for them.

It was a great experience, even if I didn't get to ask my question or get the free stuff.  It's okay, Joey. I forgive you.  Did you ever take the lady to the restaurant where you know the chef? White Castle, wasn't it?  What did she get? Has she had a heart attack yet?  Only kidding. Sort of. Okay, my ultra-dramatics are now off.

It will air on January 27 on the Hallmark Channel.

Oh Man! Not today.

Well, the extra gig that I had worked out for the new movie starring Jim Carrey, Mr. Popper's Penguins and being a pedestrian fell through.They needed me quite early in the morning and though I felt I could go with a few extra hours of sleep, I did not feel like I could push excruciatingly early hours on my dear friends.  It is going to have a glorious snow storm.  I am jealous, even though it will be sooooooo early.

 

I mean think about it--what fun would it be to be on the only snow covered block in NYC and getting to walk in it while every one walks by enviously watching the fun they know you are having walking back and forth as if it were snowing. I was secretly hoping that after we were done I could throw a few snowballs at unsuspecting business people (okay, probably a building or a fire hydrant).

Oh! Oh! Oh! Pick me! Pick me!

Drum roll please. 

Extra-dom is within reach. My first extra gig is coming up, hopefully.  I finally submitted a few times and had a call this morning. Hooray!  

They told me they may have a place for me. 

It is going to be an exterior (outside) with [gasp] fake snow.   They asked me to bring two coats.

Did I mention I really like snow.  The snow machine is practically calling me to stand near it so I can taste the fake flakes and see if they taste different from the real ones I have tested in the past.

Now if they just call me . . . it will be marvelous.

Don't worry, you'll get all the snowy details. :D

What about extra-dom?

Why nothing here recently?

Well, there is something holding me back. Me and well, child care.

You see, I am a stay-at-home mother to three wonderful children. I am married to a marvelous, dear husband. I love them all, more than air. In truth, I feel like I am probably one of the most blessed people on the earth today.

I still want to watch. I still want my shirt sleeve or the back of my head to be on some show. I sure could use a little "extra" cash (hee, hee).

It will happen eventually, most likely.


Would you like to know what my dream being an extra job would be?

I would love to be in a squeaky-clean, wholesome show for children. Then, I'll watch the show with my kids and it will come to my big scene--the one that shows the freckle on my right hand and I'll shout out in utter delight, "See! There's mommy. Do you see me? That's my freckle. Let's rewind it and watch it again."

I imagine my kids hopping up and down excitedly as we rewind and re-watch five or ten times. Then they'll go on and on about telling their teacher my freckle was in the movie and then they'll tell all their friends and it will be really . . . exceptional.

But, what will probably happen is that I'll shout out my spiel and they'll say, "Great mom. Shhh. Let's watch the movie."

That will be okay too.

Extra, Extra

It's official, I am an extra. Registration is complete. My name and photo are in the database.

At the meeting of extras when I signed up, Josh, the photo-taker/man in charge, told everyone, "Your picture may not be the best, but believe me, you look like your picture."

He was right. It is definitely not the most flattering picture, but I am 99.97325% sure it is me.

But hey, they tell me humility is a good thing.

So, in case you do not know how it goes, I'll tell you. You can sign up for emails. Then they send you emails every time a show notifies them that there is a need for extras.

This is what the postings look like--except they have tables complete with understandable rows and columns.

NON AFTRA TO PORTRAY PROFESSORS FOR POSS WORK THURS, SEPT 2ND BLUE BLOODS 9/2/2010 Television SCALE/0 Yes Non-Union 9/1/2010
Background / Male or Female / All Ethnicities / 35 - 55
NON AFTRA TO PORTRAY PROFESSORS FOR POSS WORK THURS, SEPT 2ND MUST HAVENT WORKED B.B IN A MONTH!!!

I have not submitted to be a part of any shows yet. We'll see. Maybe you'll get to see me give my greatest performance ever forgotten (that's what they say about extra work--true). I let you know more of the details if I get a gig in the next little while, but do not hold your breath. :)


By the way-- extra photos are highly overrated, so I added one that I felt eclectically represented my new extra-dom.

My Musings about the Movie/Television Entertainment Industry

What is it about television and movies that draws us to it, gluing us to the screen, making us sit unmovable for an undetermined length of time?

Is it the fact that the characters on the screen seem to speak to us, like good friends that are telling us of the rare adventures they had recently? Not the friends that don't require a response because they won't let you get a word in edgewise, but a friend that requires an emotional response--joy, pain, tears, laughter, anger, timed confusion, etc.

Or is it that we see ourselves in the characters? Do we ask ourselves, "Is that the way I would handle that?" "What would I do in that situation?" "Oh, I've had that happen before?" "I'm sure I told someone about this on the subway and the writer got their ideas from me because the must have sitting near me." "Oh yeah, that happened to my Great Aunt Mabel's next door neighbor's son-in-law's friend."

Is it that the people on screen look ideal--like we want to look? Their clothes look pressed to perfection, fresh off the runway; their smiles bright, white, and straight; their hair combed perfectly into position that does not change with the outside conditions; their words perfectly tactful and eloquently expressed; their projected outlook on life as though everything is okay--consequences are inconsequential? Is it the fact that true reality is just off to the side watching nodding or shaking its head every now and again?

How is it that entertainment can play an enormous part of our lives or a very little part depending upon our circumstances, work ethic, busy-ness, etc.? What makes us sometimes put everything else on the back burner, as it were, and do nothing for long stretches at a time?

Why do so many story lines seem so similar--yet we keep watching them again and again. How many different ways can the classic writers have their work rewritten into so many different yet similar ways?

Does the music draw us to it?

What is it? What do you think?

Doggy Mama

Apparently they are filming the next Zumba class at my gym for a reality show called "Doggy Mama."

When asked why, the model-looking lady that is going to be on the show said coyly, "I am the mother of two Pomeranians."

After that moment her face seemed to disappear in my minds eye and I could picture a dogs head on her head instead of hers and I thought inadvertently, "Whoa! What kinks does she have in her DNA?"


She continued, "I like Zumba, so they are coming to film me doing what I like to do. It will be airing in January."

I thought a little cynically, "Aw, I have a meeting right at that time. Shucks, I guess I will have to miss this "growling" experience." Although I wouldn't mind just watching.

I suppose I really should tell you, I am not an animal person. I had a dog I loved growing up and a couple of fighting fish that I did not know were fighting fish until I put them together and they started fighting. The latter part wasn't pretty.

But, hooray for the doggy mama that has two Pomeranians and is on a television show to show how fabulous it is to have 2 dogs and how it affects her life.

If you want to see more paintings like the one above, click on the dog-faced person and see the other ones she's painted. I found it googling for a dog-faced person.