What’s Going On in the Background?

So what’s going on in the background? Well, it hasn’t been the most exciting lately to be honest. You already know about me not being used when I last worked on Chicago Med. That was the first time I have ever worked and not been used at all in a scene. Guess what? It happened again! Yep, I was so excited to work on Empire because that was a new show for me and I sat there the whole day and was not used at all.

So after never happening, now it was twice. I can’t really complain though. Who wouldn’t want to be paid while sitting on the side of a television set with an abundant amount of really delicious snacks? I had been told that Empire was one of the worst for how well they feed us. I have to say that I did not find that to be true. I began early with a great breakfast in holding. On the set, there was a huge table with all sorts of stuff; donuts, croissant sandwiches, candy, chips, just about any snack item you can think of, it was there. Then around lunch, they wheeled in fried fish, onion rings, and fries. This is not so great when you’re trying to lose weight and you’re bored.

What's Going On in the Background Henri — La belle Ahnree

With all that food around and not having a lot to do, you can bet I cheated a bit (well, maybe a lot). Then it was time to check out around 2:45. We headed back to holding and I was told I needed to eat again as I had arrived at 6am! I explained that I did not want to eat as that was all I had been doing all day but they wouldn’t check me out until lunch was over. It did look good; spaghetti, meat balls, garlic bread, salad. But I couldn’t even possibly eat one more bite.

I was able to see a lady I had worked with back in September on Redline, Ahnree, and it was great to see her again. Click here to read more about this upcoming show starring Noah Wylie. We worked a great scene together in which they were only filming us and 3 other extras. We are hoping that the scene will make it into the show. Stay tuned! If you are watching Red Line when it opens in April and you see some ladies dancing at the end of a fancy gala scene, that will be us.

Brief Glimpses

What's Going On in the Background Proven Innocent Glimpse — Here I am on the set of Proven Innocent!

I spotted myself, briefly, on episode 5 of Proven Innocent. You can see my face in the scene on the court house steps. Well, it was supposed to be the court house but it was actually filmed at the Field Museum on the back steps. I was hoping for a better view in the debate scene when Bellows, played by Kelsey Grammer, is debating his opponent for Attorney General. But they didn’t show much of the audience at all and all I could find was the back of my head. Oh well, that’s how it goes in the background!

What's Going On in the Background Proven Innocent Glimpse 2 — And here too.

What's Going On in the Background Proven Innocent debate scene — Proven Innocent debate scene

Mixtape Marathon

I also worked last week on Mixtape, a new show for Netflix. Click here if you’d like to read more about this upcoming musical drama. It’s set in Los Angeles but filmed in Chicago. So how did it go? Hmmmm, it was a very, very long and boring day. My call time was 4:48 am. Yes, in the morning! I hate that but if that’s what it takes, I’ll do it. They did not use me, or any extras for that matter, until about 5 pm. So they were paying for a room full of about 40 to 50 extras to sit there all day long. I was finally used in one angle of one scene.

This show stars Madeline Stowe and I have to say, at age 61, she is one of the most classically beautiful ladies in film and television. I was impressed. After this scene, we were all wrapped (that means finished) and some hadn’t even been used at all. I clocked out at 6:48 pm so it ended up being a 14 hour day with very little to show for it. But that’s why everybody can’t work in the background. You have to be prepared for days like this and approach it with humor and patience. If not, you’d go nuts! So sit there, read, play games on your phone, talk to the others, and eat or whatever can keep you occupied because the days in the background can be long, long, long.

I’m booked for this Friday again on Mixtape and I’ll let you know if the day goes any better. We’re supposed to be filming a fancy Hollywood party scene and we’re heading to an upscale suburb to do so. I won’t reveal which suburb because locations are supposed to be kept under wraps and I don’t know the exact location either. Not that I would tell! But it has me wondering exactly where we’ll be filming, maybe one of those fancy mansions? Perhaps this is why I like working as a background actor. It’s always something different and you never know what to expect.

That’s all for today. Thanks for reading about what’s going on in the background.

More CONRAD Fun

Here is some more CONRAD fun from day two of this booking. First of all, click here to check out this Tweet. It has a fun scene that had us giggling, but we held it together for the actual shoot. So fun!

Fun on Set and New Friends

I had such a great time getting to know new people so had to take lots of

pics. First of all, Consuella was super fun to talk to and we discovered that we have worked a show or two together before. Most particularly, on Proven Innocent when she played the defendant’s aunt. What a nice lady and I hope to see her soon.

More CONRAD Fun with my "husband." — Bob and I ready for our closeup!

And did you know I have a new husband now? Ha, ha! Not really, just on TV. This is Bob and we were supposed to be a husband and wife duo. All we did was exit the building and walk away holding hands. Everyone thought we made a very cute couple. So funny. But really, he was a super nice guy and a great addition to our holding room group.

Here is a cute pic of two of the younger girls. Deb and Ashley were

More CONRAD Fun with Ashley and Deb — Ashley and Deb

having a lot of fun and the other pic is of Kristi Hum-Dell. Kristi was the first Assistant Director and she couldn’t have been nicer. I loved working with her. Hopefully, CONRAD will be picked up and I will again. That’s it for CONRAD. Stay tuned for more pics from my Empire booking and also my booking for Mixtape. Can’t wait to see how that one will go!

More CONRAD Fun — Kristi Hum-Dell AD extraordinaire

Getting Busy in the Background

Thinks are starting to heat up and I’m getting busy in the background! This week I am working on three shows; CONRAD, Empire, and Mix Tape.

Getting Busy in the Background

My week started off with a booking for Chicago Med. With a 5:30 pm call time, I thought, “Oh no, it is going to be a late one!” But I was wrong. Just as I’ve said before, you never know what to expect. In fact, they didn’t even use me at all. I sat there for 3

On set for CONRAD–holding area

1/2 hours and then we wrapped. Don’t worry, however, as we’re still paid the whole 8 hours whether we work that long or not.

So I was okay with not being used. It happens. This was the first time it had happened to me so that’s not too bad since I’ve been doing this a little while now. Although, when I started, my goal was to be in the ER set on Chicago Med. Still no go. I was so close! Literally, right on the other side of the fake wall of the set. Oh well, just gives me something to look forward to. I’ll get there someday.

CONRAD, Empire, and Mix Tape

These are the shows on which I am working this week. Click here for a link to CONRAD. This is a brand new show that hasn’t even been picked up yet. In fact, that’s where I am right now–sitting in holding updating my blog. And I’ve been in holding all day! My call time was 7:00 am. Here it is 1:30 pm and I have not been placed in a scene yet. There are only about ten of us Background actors here so I know I will be used, just not when. And I’ll be back tomorrow too. Hopefully I’ll be a bit busier.

Getting Busy in the Background friends — Janaan being patient while we wait for our scene.

At least I have other extras to keep me company! Here is my new friend, Janaan. Talking makes the time in holding go faster so I always appreciate having the other extras around.

On Tuesday I will be working on the season finale of Empire. Still haven’t worked that one so pretty excited about it. And on Friday, I’m working on another new show. It’s called Mix Tape and it will be on Netflix. You can click here to find out more on that one. Looks like it’s going to be so fun. That’s all for today. Stay tuned for how things went on my three shows this week! Hope to see you in the background!

Hang in There

It’s time to be honest background friends. Life is hard. If you’ve read my “about” tab, you know that the whole reason I became interested in being an extra is due to the fact that I left my teaching career over a very upsetting incident. I don’t want to dwell on that incident, because it has totally taken over my life for the past year, but I will just say that I was accused of throwing something at a student. She, with her parent, pressed charges and I spent a long ten months going through the court process. And I was found not guilty. Want to know why? Because I didn’t do it, that’s why.

brown gift box beside thread — Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

My whole point in bringing this up today is that life can sometimes seem to present insurmountable odds. Over the past year I have lost my job and had my name ruined with the accusation, my husband had been out of work, and our most valued asset, our home, is not selling. We’ve had it on the market for slightly over a year and we’re still here. We really want to take the proceeds from the sale of our home and start again somewhere new. But we can’t do that until we sell. And not only that, our home has dropped so much in value that we will lose a ton of money. These are all first world problems, I know. Not the worst I’ve had in life but definitely not the best.

So why am I writing about this and what does it have to do with my life in the background? In truth, being an extra has been my saving grace this past year. It has given me something to look forward to and get excited about; because there is not a lot of excitement for me lately. And I was starting to be pretty down about everything. I’ve started looking for a teaching job and I’m finding it difficult. Even though I was found not guilty, the accusation is out there and I think employers are leery. I am at a point

affection appreciation decoration design — Photo by Carl Attard on Pexels.com

where I think my teaching career might be over for good. If you know me, you know that teaching is my calling. I am really, really good at it. I love what I do (or did) and love my students. So, all in all, I was feeling pretty down.

Then, I prayed and asked God to give me something to hang on to. I told Him that I will continue to do my best and trust that He has a plan, but that I could really use something to help out while I wait to discover what that plan might be. With no extra jobs lined up, I was beginning to feel a little dejected. I didn’t have any bookings. My house won’t sell. I am finding that securing a teaching job is going to be much more difficult than I had thought. So I just prayed.

And guess what, within one minute of that prayer I received a call from Joan Philo Casting with a booking for Chicago Med. I thought, “Wow! That was awful quick. Thank you Lord.” I even told my husband that the timing was just perfect because I wanted something and I got something. Maybe it wasn’t a teaching job, a buyer for my home, or a literary agent to represent my novel, but it was something.

Following that, about two hours later, I received an email from Extraordinary Casting that stated, “Congrats! You were selected by Production and Director for one of just a few Civilian extras on…” I don’t know if I’m at liberty to say what the production is so I won’t but it’s not anything I have heard of. It is either a new show or a movie but they did say a lot of big names have signed on to this one. And it is a two day job! And I have never worked with Extraordinary Casting before. My mom has and I have met a lot of other extras that have, but not me. So then I was thinking how cool it was that I received one thing but now two. How lucky am I?

art business close up decor — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

But that’s not the end! I woke up this morning and looked at my Twitter feed and saw this man’s prayer. Click here to see it. Uhmm, could that have been more perfect for where I am right now? Wow! Someone is talking to me and telling me to hang in there. It’s not quite time but it will be. You can do this and God is with you every step of the way.

Keeping the faith that God has a plan for you can be difficult sometimes. But hang in there friends because if you do your part, that plan is already written for you. For now, I will keep doing my part. I will continue to query ten literary agents a day for my book, I Gave You a Boy. I will keep up with my little free lance writing gig for Felix and Fingers Dueling Pianos. I will try my hardest to find the school that needs me most. And I’ll be out there looking for background work.

Sorry for the long post. It was just one of those things I needed to put out there in the world. I hope you’re hanging in there with whatever issues you might be having. Me, I’ll be hanging out in the background.

Me On Chicago Med

Hey Background friends! Check out the above picture. Do you see anyone you know in the background? Yes, that’s me on Chicago Med. And Dr. Halsted seriously needs a haircut. By the way, his real name is Nick. I met him in wardrobe when I was being fitted for a feature role on Chicago Fire. Very nice guy!

Me On Chicago Med

Yes, it’s blurry but it’s me! I was walking up this staircase directly behind the two actors in this scene. And had a little trouble with it too. Even though I was wearing tennis shoes, the stairs were loud. After the first take, the 2nd Assistant Director asked me to try and walk with less noise. After the second take, I looked like I was tiptoeing. So I practiced on these stairs a bit and think I finally did okay. They told me it wasn’t me and that these stairs were just loud so I didn’t feel too embarrassed but still, can’t they just make the stairs quieter?!

Here is a picture of the same staircase when I worked last week on Chicago PD. You really shouldn’t take pictures of the set while you’re working. But I did ask permission and made sure that I didn’t show any upcoming scenes. I just knew I was going to write about my staircase dilemma and wanted a pic. Again, I asked permission. I guess it has been a problem with people taking pictures on the set and posting on social media. I still haven’t worked on Empire but I hear they don’t even allow you to use your phone at all. Apparently, someone released some footage which resulted in them having to re-shoot an entire scene. That’s just what I heard, please don’t quote me as I do not have any of the actual details.

Chicago PD Booking

Me On Chicago Med nurse on PD — Me as a nurse on Chicago PD

My Chicago PD booking went very well. We were on Med’s set, as I said above, and it was kind of cool that the crew had never used this set before. The 2nd AD asked us what we usually do when on this set and I was able to tell her. Also, they used my name when directing me which is nice. You have to realize, there are a lot of us extras and usually we’re not referred to by name so it’s makes it special when we are.

For this episode, I played a nurse. Check out my uniform! I have been wanting to play a nurse on Med for quite some time now. It wasn’t for the show Med but hey, PD is the next best thing. Also, I was a bit disappointed because I have been dying to work on the ER set of Med. When I was booked to be a nurse, I was hoping. But no, maybe next time. All in all, it

Me On Chicago Med waiting for scene — Waiting for our scene at Cinespace.

was a pretty easy day in the background. We arrived at 3:30 pm which makes for great mid day drive time in Chicago’s traffic and left by 8 pm. Again, a nice easy drive home. I am not a morning person so I much prefer an afternoon call time over those hellish 5:30 or 6:30 am ones. After we checked in and went to wardrobe, we were only in PD’s holding area at Cinespace briefly and then went to our second holding area on one of the stages not being used. You can see that picture here. Thanks for reading about me on Chicago Med and Chicago PD. See you next time in the background!

Booked to Work

Yeah! I have been booked to work this Friday on Chicago PD as a nurse. This will only be my second time on this show. I apply and apply and just when I thought they would never call again, they did!

Booked to Work

It’s time to get back to work. I have just returned from a long weekend cruise with my Bama mom friends. I never knew when my daughter chose the University of Alabama that I, also, would be having so much fun. But I have drunk the Crimson Kool Aid and am now a huge fan. There is actually a cruise for Bama moms. The only requirement is that you have a child who is a current or former student. It’s a great group of ladies and we have a riot. The picture at the top of this posting is of me and some of the other Bama moms. I have to admit, I was pretty tired after a weekend with these girls. But life can’t be all fun and games so it’s back to reality–or back to the background.

Since I was out of contact with very limited internet, I really wasn’t expecting to have a booking this week. You have to follow the postings quite closely and submit right away. Luckily, I was checking my Facebook today and the posting had just arrived. You have to submit right away if you want to be considered. So how do I keep up to date without spending every waking minute on Facebook? Well, hold down where it says “following.” When you do that, you will notice a “see first” selection. I choose this and also have FB notifications turned on so I can see when a posting comes across. For Chicago PD, you need to follow New Deal Casting. Click here for their Facebook page.

Booked to Work Chicago PD — New Deal Casting Facebook page

Booked to Work Chicago PD 2 — Click on “see first.”

This booking is for season 6, episode 17 so look for me if you’re a fan of the show. I love when I’m booked to work and excited to return to PD. That’s all for now. I’ll post an update after my booking. See you next time in the background.

Two Days on Proven Innocent

Here we are, back working in the background. Read below about my two days on Proven Innocent. I love two day bookings. It’s nice knowing exactly where you’re going and you are able to see the same people two days in a row.

Two Days on Proven Innocent

Hey There! I had a great two days on Proven Innocent last week. The first day my call time was for 9am and I didn’t check out until 1am. A very long day, that’s for sure! You just never know how long you might be there when you’re working as an extra. So if you’re interested in doing this work, make sure you have the entire day free. I’ve had call times from 5:30 am to 7pm. And you won’t know until the night before what time you will have to be there. So be prepared for anything. The second day was better as my call time was 12:30pm and I was finished by 7pm. Much better hours but no overtime pay. As of February 2019, this job pays $96 for 8 hours. You receive a full 8 hours pay even if you don’t work that long. After 8 hours, it is then time and a half, which works out to $18 per hour. The day might be long but the ensuing check is very nice.

Two Days on Proven Innocent Marla and I — Marla and me on Proven Innocent

I had a very nice surprise for this booking too. I was booked as courtroom gallery so I would have been sitting in the courtroom all day. That’s still what I did but instead of the gallery, they chose me to be a juror. I’m not sure why they still needed more jurors as some people were originally booked as one, but they did and I was in the right place at the right time. The Production Assistant (PA) was looking for another juror and I just happened to be right in front of her. So I’m hoping to catch a glimpse of myself as a jury member when the episode airs. This was for the season finale so I have a little time to wait but the show will air starting on February 15, 2019 so be sure to check it out. It’s going to be a good one!

Friendly Faces

Two Days on Proven Innocent Heather and me — Heather and I on Red Line

I am starting to come across some of the same people when I work as an extra and am not only recognizing faces, but knowing names as well. What I’ve really noticed is how friendly everyone is. I have found that the other extras are usually quite nice and helpful too. One of my friends, Anna, started doing background work recently and we were lucky enough to work together this time. I know Anna because she ran the parent group for the university my daughter goes to–The University of Alabama–Roll Tide! So it was great to be able to hang out with Anna for two days and we had a blast.

The last, and only, time I had a two day booking I met Heather. And she was there for this one too! She is so nice and I love working with her. The first time we worked together was in September on Red Line. That show will air in April. We were dressed to the nines for a fancy gala

Two Days on Proven Innocent Heather and I on PI — Heather and I on Proven Innocent

and while the conditions of the job were a bit difficult, we made it fun and had some great laughs. You might be wondering what was bad about it. Well, it was quite hot the first day and very muggy as well. We began the day at Studio City in Chicago for check in, wardrobe, and makeup. We then boarded nice coach buses to the sight of the shoot but our holding there was a large tent outside. There was no floor and our heels kept sinking in the grass. The tent was unbearably hot and the bees in September just won’t leave you alone. The lesson here is be prepared for anything and try to make the best of the situation. The other extras really don’t want to hear your complaints. Be the positive one!

Two Days on Proven Innocent Sam — Sam in the holding area for Proven Innocent

Check out the pictures with people I spent time with during my two days on Proven Innocent. It was the second time working with Marla and Sam and my first time working with Kathy. Hopefully, I’ll be able to see everyone again soon. That’s all for this week. See you next time in the background!

Production Closed

Update:

Production closed on Proven Innocent and other Chicago television shows. It is that cold! Even the mail will not be delivered today-crazy. Stay warm and safe my friends!

Being Released

Remember my last post when I said I was so excited about working on Empire. Well, sad news; I received an email stating that I have been released. Being released means that they no longer need you. So even though you have been booked, sometimes plans change and you’re out of a booking for that day. Not to worry, though! While I lost the one day booking for Empire, I gained a two day booking for Proven Innocent. And that has been my favorite show to work on so far. I have also greatly enjoyed Red Line which doesn’t air until April I believe. Great crew and the assistant directors are very nice.

Being Released

Don’t be upset if this happens to you. It doesn’t happen often. In fact, I have been doing background work for about 8 months now and this is the first time it has happened to me. You can’t take stuff like this personally–you would go crazy if you did. Maybe the production schedule changed. Maybe they booked too many. Whatever the reason, it isn’t you. And just like this time, perhaps something even better will come along. I believe Proven Innocent is filming their finale and I’m super happy about being a part of that.

Stay Safe Background Friends

It’s cold here in Chicago. It is cold even for a city that is used to cold. Check out the picture of what we’re expecting for tomorrow. I know Chicago PD canceled their outdoor shoot and the shoot I am doing will be indoors, but just getting from one spot to another can be dangerous in the super sub zero temps we will have here tomorrow. Dress properly! Hats, gloves, scarves are not only useful, but necessary. Frostbite can happen within minutes. Your body will react as it’s supposed to. It will concentrate blood flow to your vital organs which takes it away from your extremities. This could cause a change in blood pressure so if you have issues with that, be aware. Also, if you’re driving, have emergency supplies in your car. You should have a warm blanket, water, a snack, and cables to jump your battery. With my car sitting in the extras parking lot all day, I don’t want to go to start it and then be stranded. So stay safe background friends!

Back In The Background

Well here it as almost the end of January and I haven’t written any posts since well before Christmas. Mostly that is because I haven’t worked since then but now, I’m getting ready to get back in the background.

Back In The Background

To start off the year, I had a job working on Chicago Med. I really like that show and have worked for that one a few times now. This time, however, was the first time I had been on their set at Cinespace Studios. All the other times I have filmed for this show have been out on location somewhere. I’ve filmed at Rush Hospital, McCormick Place, and even Bloomingdale’s Home store. I have been dying to see the set and was not disappointed. So cool! I still haven’t been on the set for the emergency room. That is my next goal. Had a sight of myself on camera last week when there was a big car crash scene; which I can talk about now because the episode has aired. No one would have been able to recognize me as I was kind a dot in the background. But hey, they pay me to be that dot.

Check out this picture though. This is my mom working on Chicago Med. I just paused the TV to get this photo so quality isn’t great. She is the one in the tan colored coat and hat. Doesn’t she look just perfect?!

I am so excited to get back at it and have a job next week working on Empire. It will be my first time working on this show. I can’t tell you what I’m going to be doing until after the episode airs but it sounds like it is going to be super fun.

Also, Proven Innocent will begin next month and I can’t wait. I think this is going to be a great show and have worked on it a few times. One episode in particular will most likely have a great view of me. If the scene makes the final cut that is. Who knows? Click here to see a trailer of this upcoming hit from Fox.

My First Audition

So I had an audition for a commercial! I probably didn’t get it because call backs are next Monday and it’s Thursday already. But hey, it was my first one. Another guy and I had to pretend that we were the store clerk and the shopper. It was fun, it really was. Maybe I’ll have the chance to do it again and one day actually get the job.

Till next time, friends. See you soon as I am now back in the background!