I was an 'extra' again

I got to go down to Albquerque and be an extra for another episode on season 2 of the TV show Crash. Once again I really enjoyed the experience. This time they thought they might use my car in the scene as well. Since the show is supposed to be taking place in Los Angeles, they put a fake California license plate on my car, as shown below:

I drove through part of Albuquerque, from the staging area to the set where the scene was being filmed, with the fake license plate on my car. Ooops! That must have been illegal, I suppose! And then, while my car was parked where I was told to park it, it was given a parking ticket. Uh-oh... but, no worries, because the ticket was written out for the fake California plate, and I turned it over to the production company for them to take care of anyway. It was sort of fun to get a ticket and not care about it at all.

In the end they didn't even use my car. Instead I was used as a pedestrian, walking across the street, way in the background of the scene that was being shot, and then again walking right by one of the main characters as she was standing by her car waiting for someone. Part of what was being filmed that day involved a scene with a group of 'drug addicts' in a room in the second story of a building. The camera, mounted on a crane, was filming through the window. I was fascinated watching how the camera was expertly maneuvered, going up to the second story window, filming the 'drug addicts', then swooping away from the building and down, as it shifted angles to film a character exiting from the building and getting into a car on the street. There were many takes done to get it just right. I hope Crash goes into a third season so I'll have the opportunity to be an extra on the show again next year. Shooting for Season 2 is just about over now.

"Picture" "Quiet" "Rolling!"

I haven't posted in a while. Why? Time seems to have sped up, and run away from me, that's why! Lame excuse, but that's all I've got...

I did something last week that was quite out of the ordinary for me- I went down to Albuquerque and was an 'extra' in a scene of a TV show! The show is Crash, which is on Starz network and stars Dennis Hopper & Eric Roberts, among others. The second season of this show begins airing this week, and the scene that I am in will be part of episode 10. Crash takes place in Los Angeles, but they actually film it in Albuquerque, New Mexico, because that is less expensive.

I really enjoyed watching the whole process, even though my own involvement was mostly just waiting around. The actual time doing the scene, and filming 4 or 5 takes with slight variations, only took about 30-40 minutes, as far as I recall. The scene I was in was a crowd scene, with about 75 people staning around in a street. We were supposed to be there because we'd been inspired by an idea to help the homeless, and we were volunteering to help.

I was fascinated watching the scene get set up, with all the people and equipment involved. I think what I enjoyed most was that everyone seemed happy to be there, doing what they were doing. It was also just fun being part of a large group of people creating something together.

I'm going down again next week to be an extra in another scene, this time it will be outside a shopping mall, where they need a bunch of people to be pedestrians, and to be driving or parking their cars. I'm looking forward to it.