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Right now they're currently filming a Lionsgate feature film in New Orleans. It's good for the city seeing as we need all the revenue we can get since things still aren't back to "normal" since Katrina. This past Friday I was booked as an extra for the film. I've been doing extra's work off and on for the past 3 yrs.
The call time was listed as 10:30am, so I woke up at 6am, went in with my Dad downtown, and stayed at his office until 9am. Then I left, caught the Canal St trolley car, got off, and walked 6 blks to base camp. I sat around for an hour and knew things were odd because I wasn't even an hour early and there was *NOBODY* there. After another 15 mins, an extra I had met on a previous day showed up. She said she'd worked a different film the day before and was there super early since her computer crashed and she couldn't get the times. Shortly after this, another extra I knew showed. By this time I had heard that casting wasn't going to show till 11:30, which wasn't bad, so I decided to stick around.

About 20 mins afterwards, another group of people showed, and they said that production told them that the call time was now 1PM. -_- This wouldn't have been so bad had there been any place to eat in the area. So, I got back on the bus, went back downtown, ate, got back on the trolley car, and made it back for a little before 1PM. Ofcourse, by the time I get back, I find out that the Crew Food (which we were told we couldn't have) is now being offered to everyone. -_- So, I sign in with casting that's just shown up, and head to wardrobe. After talking with a few others I found out that the time on the website had been changed to 1PM this morning. (So, no, I wasn't imagining things.)

Now, in this space of time I've also found out that we're doing the same scenes as the last time I was there. This is isn't good because we're supposed to wear the same clothes since it's the exact same party. I however didn't bring the same shirt I had the last time because I didn't know we were doing the same scenes. I had been called earlier in the week to confirm I was working, but nobody had informed me that it was the same scenes. (I found out later it was on the website, but it was probably added after I looked at it for the 10:30am call time.) So wardrobe punishes me by making me wait out in the hot sun for an hour. (My face is more than likely sun-burned.) After everyone else has been checked wardrobe then decides that they're going to "transform me". This basically means that I they're going to hide me behind ill-fitting clothes that make me look like a sheep herder.

After all this is taken care of, I then proceed to extra's holding. About 2-3 hours is then spent in the normal "hurry up and wait" fashion. Shooting the scenes went smooth as usual. (This production hasn't been as complex as some of the other's I've been on.) Being on set was fun as me and many others were constantly goofing off.

"Lunch" came out about 6-7pm. It was HORRIBLE! Everybody ran for the PB&J to nourish themselves. Though atleast craft services kept up the supply of hot cocoa this week.

While we were waiting, I was talking to a PA who was incharge of "wrangling" us. She found out I did costumes and told me to talk to the Casting Director about a part in the movie since I could throw the outfit together and wardrobe wouldn't have to find anything.

After a humorous scene where me and 2 other extra's were trying to drag someone "fall down drunk" out of the street. I decided to stay behind since they needed 20 more people for another 1 1/2 hrs. During this time, the Casting Director shows. I ask her about the part, and I'm told that I'm "not the write look". Which doesn't surprise me as I'm not "tall & thin" so I'm often *never* the right look.

So it was a pretty disappointing and frustrating day for me. And as the title already goes, some times it doesn't pay to be an extra if you can't put up with all the shit that goes along with it.