I got picked up for another background extra role, a Fashion Buyer on the new TNT television series Leverage.  We were in Eastern Oregon over the weekend and didn’t get a lot of sleep.  This continued today with my 4am wake-up alarm calling me to be on set by 5:30am.  I made it to the lot and began the regular rigamarole of signing paperwork, going to wardrobe, eating from CRAFT Services, and waiting to be called to the set.  Be on time and be ready to wait.  That is what it is like to be an extra.

We were working out of a warehouse near our photography studio so the location wasn’t far from home.  I whizzed through wardrobe wearing hip and trendy threads from our personal collection and they dug my signature glasses.  I was set, to sit.

We waited for a while as they dialed in the set, then we were called and placed into the scene.  I pay attention and work hard, which isn’t easy when you are running on 3 hours sleep and the day goes for 14 hours.  I usually get paid off by being “used well.”  For Leverage, I was placed in front of a fashion show banner, behind a red velvet rope.  The scene opens on me getting mobbed by photographers before tracking to the stars, who enter the scene for their dialogue. I get to come up from behind them and continue on into the scene.  This scene was shot many times from different angles.  It is important to do the exact same thing each time to maintain continuity for the editors and I am pretty good at continuity.  The other scene has me inside the fashion show, a few feet from the primary actors.  We again do many takes from different angles in order to give the editors plenty of footage to work with.

The day ends around 7pm and I am worked.  It was a tough one but a lot of fun as well.

Look for me on episode 9, Leverage, Wednesdays on TNT.