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| A fairly (un)related header image for the topic no? I'd have put something actually related in if they weren't all thoroughly unsuitable. |
Yesterday, I got to go be in an extra in a new Afrikaans TV production called "Bloedbroers", wear a guard uniform, wear a prisoner uniform and make a bunch of experienced actors laugh at my strange personality. Lets talk about that!
Depending on how long you've been reading the TCSA, (or previously, OddballGreg), blog, you may know that I used to do a weekly segment called "Thespian Thursday" in which I discussed various things regarding my history in acting and some of the theory behind the art. (I'm not going to link to any of those articles because they were some of the first that I wrote and are fairly terrible. If curiosity is burning in your soul, feel free to peruse the archive via the bar on the left.)
Suffice to say, I thoroughly enjoy acting, and was quite happy to go and spend a day in the middle of Johannesburg being a 1930's "Tronkwag" (Prisonguard) for the typically insubstantial amount of money you would expect a nameless extra to be paid.
It was quite a funny experience to say the least, considering I had only be asked to fill the position 2 days prior by a casting agent who had somehow found my cellphone number. (I'm still somewhat tempted to ask where precisely, but I suppose when you blog online and post your face all over the internet, privacy starts to become something of a moot point.)
In any case, so I went to constitution hill, expecting to be fairly lost in the midst of the Afrikaans speaking masses while I waited to do what they needed me to and then leave. Perhaps in a note of blessing, nobody forced me to speak Afrikaans myself and were more than happy to communicate in English; though my mind was hard at work trying to pull up whatever modicum of understanding of the language I had just to better work with everyone.
Following a cup of coffee and a chat with a friendly looking older gentleman whom later ended up being my fellow extra and conversational partner between scenes, I found myself in the wardrobe department getting used to crew and eventually being given my guard uniform. I will point out that the boots were a size too small and made me extremely happy to be wearing my own shoes once the day was over.
Following a cup of coffee and a chat with a friendly looking older gentleman whom later ended up being my fellow extra and conversational partner between scenes, I found myself in the wardrobe department getting used to crew and eventually being given my guard uniform. I will point out that the boots were a size too small and made me extremely happy to be wearing my own shoes once the day was over.
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| It seems to be that I am in my element when wearing smart and formal clothing, or uniforms... Also, I've just shown how silly you look when you blink in a photo. (Teehee) |
Following a good few hours of waiting and a fair number of meetings with various other extra's whom I would mention by name had I thought to ask for permission, as well as some more experienced and well known actors from Afrikaans movies and series. (Admittedly, I had never heard of any of them, but I think that's more due to my own ignorance than anything else. In any case, many of them have tweeted and been tweeted about in the production, and you can find their associated Twitter accounts here.)
That aside, I got to speak to a lot of cast and crews from the sound, lighting, editing, make-up and wardrobe crews and had a genuinely fun and interesting time seeing how the whole process happens first hand. I also got to physically throw the main actor through a door for one scene, and inadvertently ended up landing another role as an prisoner extra when they realized the only person on set small enough to fit in their costume happened to be me. (This led to a good few jokes about what happens to guards who assist the prisoners. Teehee) 15 minutes later I had gone from respectable guard to scruffy victim of the law, and got to pretend to urinate for one of their scenes. (Which is rather hilariously awkward thing to state in hindsight, but it wasn't really that bad.)
In any case, that was the end of my work after that, and I was soon on my way home after a long, and interesting day. I think I would quite enjoy doing that again should the opportunity arise once again, but I suppose that's not entirely up to me.
In any case, do be sure to keep watch for new Afrikaans drama BloedBroers if you are a Mnet/Kyknet/Tv channel watcher, (I have no idea when and where it will be on.), if you want to see OddballGreg chuck a guy through a doorway. Other than that, if you wish to ask anything or simply mention how I sound like such a noob, feel free to do so down in the comments below, or via Facebook/Twitter. We here at TCSA love to hear from you. Also, feel free to share this post with any friends you think may be interested in my laughable account of the movie recording from yesterday. Of course, if you would like to read any more articles like this, do consider liking the official TCSA Facebook page and/or following us on Twitter using the associated buttons on the bar to the left to get all the latest posts, as they're published. Regardless of what you do, I thank you for having taken the time to read this post; hope that you have/had and absolutely FANTASTIC day, and I will speak again soon.
Happy movie watching my friends.
Happy movie watching my friends.
