Monday, June 29, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
As many of you are waking in Ohio, I have yet to go to sleep in LA. Tonight's Iron Man shoot is much more involved. I actually think I'll have sore muscles because of all the running. We have done 10 to 15 takes running down a flight of 50 steps. Yes, I counted. Let me remind you, the average staircase in ones house is 10 to 15 steps! They've told us we'll be going out at least one more time, which means overtime pay! I've also been recalled for Monday, and possibly Tuesday, at a different location that is much closer to my apartment.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Photos from last night
These are not as exciting as you thought they would be...
Part of the lovely holding area; I was incredibly impressed by how thoroughly the gymnasium floor was covered.
Here we are walking down the stairs to the courtyard; note the graphics I mentioned previously projected up on the wall.
This huge green screen was a story above the courtyard where we filmed our running scenes; in the photo above, I had just walked around it and it was then on my left.
Production trailers; none of the actors were there, meaning none of the fancy trailers and cool cars.
Last night we did filmed a few more running takes at about 4:00 a.m. and were then release at 5, but will be paid until 6 a.m., minus a half hour break! So, yes, I'll get a little bit of overtime, having only been onset for like 45 minutes!
I'm headed back right now for another 6:30 p.m. call time.
Part of the lovely holding area; I was incredibly impressed by how thoroughly the gymnasium floor was covered.
Here we are walking down the stairs to the courtyard; note the graphics I mentioned previously projected up on the wall.
This huge green screen was a story above the courtyard where we filmed our running scenes; in the photo above, I had just walked around it and it was then on my left.
Production trailers; none of the actors were there, meaning none of the fancy trailers and cool cars.
Last night we did filmed a few more running takes at about 4:00 a.m. and were then release at 5, but will be paid until 6 a.m., minus a half hour break! So, yes, I'll get a little bit of overtime, having only been onset for like 45 minutes! I'm headed back right now for another 6:30 p.m. call time.
At about midnight we finally went to the set, if you can call it that. The courtyard area of this high school campus is huge, modern and very industrial. They only had a few "expo" signs and graphics projected on a large wall. All we did was four takes, running and screaming as drones attack. This scene will end up including tons of CGI , crazy editing and special effects.
After chatting with some other actors, they set out another meal for us. It's like wedding reception food, but about ten times better.
Others who've worked the previous two nights don't think we'll be here as long, since none of the characters are here shooting their scenes. I hope they're wrong; I'll gladly stay till the sun comes up in order to get overtime pay!
After chatting with some other actors, they set out another meal for us. It's like wedding reception food, but about ten times better.
Others who've worked the previous two nights don't think we'll be here as long, since none of the characters are here shooting their scenes. I hope they're wrong; I'll gladly stay till the sun comes up in order to get overtime pay!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Well, five hours later, I've still done nothing! I can't complain and I was totally wrong about craft services, there has been a constant spread.
We're in a 98% finished wing of this high school, so it's perfect for this purpose. Although, someone was speculating this was the school that cost millions but hasn't been opened due to toxins or something. Yikes!
We're in a 98% finished wing of this high school, so it's perfect for this purpose. Although, someone was speculating this was the school that cost millions but hasn't been opened due to toxins or something. Yikes!
Headed to Iron Man 2!
I am headed off to my first gig through Central Casting - extra work on Iron Man 2! It's going to be huge, I'm guessing like 500 extras; we're supposed to be attendees at a techie expo in New York City. We had to agree to "lots of running," so I assume it's a scene where all hell breaks loose.
My biggest concern is hunger. I'm eating now, but this is my first meal of the day; I have to be there at 6:30 and it'll last 8 to 12 hours. I highly doubt they'll have craft services (food on set) for such a large scene with so many extras. I'm taking a snack, but with that, a second outfit just in case and planning whether to carry a purse or keep the few essentials on me, I feel like like I'm packing for a trip! $8 an hour shouldn't take such mental energy! I guess I'm just a little nervous; it's not that my "performance" will actually be seen by anyone or that I'll even make the credits, but rather that it's my first time on a big, working production, and first job with Central. I don't want to fuck up in any way...
I'm sure I'll have lots of fun updates, stories and maybe even a picture later.
My biggest concern is hunger. I'm eating now, but this is my first meal of the day; I have to be there at 6:30 and it'll last 8 to 12 hours. I highly doubt they'll have craft services (food on set) for such a large scene with so many extras. I'm taking a snack, but with that, a second outfit just in case and planning whether to carry a purse or keep the few essentials on me, I feel like like I'm packing for a trip! $8 an hour shouldn't take such mental energy! I guess I'm just a little nervous; it's not that my "performance" will actually be seen by anyone or that I'll even make the credits, but rather that it's my first time on a big, working production, and first job with Central. I don't want to fuck up in any way...
I'm sure I'll have lots of fun updates, stories and maybe even a picture later.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Who are you?
I find myself curious about my readership. Please vote in the poll in the sidebar. Thanks.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Random!
In my last post I likened the lanes of LA traffic to a snail and a turtle; but then I wondered, was that right? Are turtles slightly faster than snails, or is it the other way around?
Well, thank you LOL blog for letting me know I was correct:
Friday, June 19, 2009
"Wait, what?"
That is what I keep saying to myself. "I'm sorry, what? You'll have to explain this again because it can't be right..."
What am I talking about? My life! My current existence. This situation I find myself in. My guy was here for seven days, which is his longest trip yet; he usually distributes his days off in shorter segments. We had an absolutely wonderful time. We visited three different beaches, we hiked three different canyons, we went to two films, spent a day at Universal, had a picnic at the park... We're just good together! It's instant; I totally forgot it was even his first day here until he noted it was 2 a.m., his time. I could go on and on with the sappiness, the point is that my life is full and complete when my true love is here to share it with. Being reminded of that for not just three or four, but seven days, made his departure the hardest yet. At the airport he had to put me back in my car and walk away.
My life is so hollow without someone to share things with. I do nothing. NOTHING! Sure, I have a few friends out here and one of my roommates is awesome, but everything with everybody is "we should do...," "we should meet...," "I'll let you know..." And that's as much my fault as theirs, probably more so. When that one special person is present in your life, you actually go and you do and you, I don't... LIVE!
In that week I became so used to not being alone anymore, I am now completely lost. Last night I wrote to my guy, "I feel honestly confused and paralyzed at the idea that you're not here anymore, that we're not going to wake up and go hiking tomorrow, that I will spend my day at the most unfulfilling job I've ever had only to come back to this apartment and have absolutely nothing of major importance to do... I mean, that can't be right, can it? How is it that we have the one thing most people can never find, and yet, we can't fully enjoy it? I just feel like I can't, can't, CAN'T keep living like this, without you."
So needless to say I was none to happy about going back to my daily grind yesterday. I started off a bit behind schedule, but then it was shot to hell when the apartment manager stopped by. It was an issue I had to talk to her about. Obviously it's my fault that a few minutes would push me into serious lateness; what wasn't my fault was not being able to find the lid to the container I wanted to take coffee in. I hate my kitchen and my roommates lack of cleanliness and organization. So frustration was added to my apathy.
Once in my car, the very first bump I hit on my side street knocked my rear view mirror off my window. My guy had forgotten it was broken and had tried to adjust it early in the week, thus disturbing the way it had been rigged up there for over a year. It was dangling by a 4 inch wire, swirling around and bouncing against the window.
I merged onto the highway to find a bumper-to-bumper traffic moving at a snails pace. Yes, I'm in LA, which is known for traffic, but for the place and time, this was abnormal. Without the mirror I couldn't possibly get across four lanes of traffic to the "fast lanes" in which I could have upgraded to turtles pace.
Tears. Instant, pathetic, stupid tears start rolling down my face. None of it was worth the hassle. When you're alone in the world again it's even harder to power through the things that you hate...
Last Tuesday, when I last worked, they made a huge deal about tardiness, saying if you were late you'd get the worst agent number (meaning really old leads) and they won't do any take-overs for you. I don't know if they're actually enforcing that or if it was a one day threat, but it deterred me from trying to get there at all. By my standards, my mascara streaked cheeks and red nose could not be seen in public, so I got off the highway at the next exit and drove back to my apartment. I know I'm going to be on probation; I'll absolutely have to get five deals in a week to keep that job, but I don't want that job.
I thought after a week off I could go back refreshed, but instead it made me dread it more than ever. When you're in a routine, it's just what you do, but once you step away from it, you can see how truly horrible it is! Why the hell are we enduring such loneliness during our long weeks apart and debilitating angst with every goodbye, when I'm not even doing what I'm here to do? I mean, I'm selling fucking auto warranties from 1 to 7 p.m., which renders me nearly incapable of auditions and classes. The job boasts of flexibility, but that's only for the "hitters," as they call them. If you don't sell enough, you can't constantly get time off for this and that. This is a job that I honestly don't want to be good at, even though it's a decent company and product, I can't stand the tactics. Most of the people who are successful, are absolute douchebags who work longer hours; they think they're god's gift to warranty sales, as if that's an impressive life accomplishment.
I know my goal was to get a day job and save some money, but after a month and a half of doing just that, I find myself freaking out. What am I doing? What the hell am I doing? I haven't gone on a real audition in a month! I'm no closer to having a good agent than I was six months ago and our house in Ohio has been on the market for a year now. Why? Certainly not so I could spend all my time selling shitty auto warranties over the phone. If I wanted to waste my life in an unfulfilling job, I could have stayed in Ohio and avoided the heartache.
As for that horrible job I blew off yesterday, I think I could probably waltz in today without consequence. If by chance someone actually notices and mentions that I was supposed have been there yesterday, I think I could play dumb. Oops. Did I write down the wrong date? My guy says he would fire one of his sales people for something like that. I don't care. I know my number is about up anyway. The funny part is that I was more motivated to outlast the people I trained with than by my earning potential. Now that I am the last of my class left on my shift, what have I to strive for? Um, actually keeping my job and making tons of money? Well, yes, there's that, but this is not a company at which I'll flourish, and I'm okay with that. I really like that I'm stimulated by something other than money. Being the last one to endure was so much more fulfilling than successfully selling a markup to a customer who is fighting tooth and nail not to buy...
Some friends were really supportive, saying I deserved a "mental health day!" I don't know that it helped though. I did nothing yesterday and feel more lost than ever. It's like I just woke up from a coma or something; I'm really trying to understand what's going on around me and it just doens't make sense.
My life is so hollow without someone to share things with. I do nothing. NOTHING! Sure, I have a few friends out here and one of my roommates is awesome, but everything with everybody is "we should do...," "we should meet...," "I'll let you know..." And that's as much my fault as theirs, probably more so. When that one special person is present in your life, you actually go and you do and you, I don't... LIVE!
In that week I became so used to not being alone anymore, I am now completely lost. Last night I wrote to my guy, "I feel honestly confused and paralyzed at the idea that you're not here anymore, that we're not going to wake up and go hiking tomorrow, that I will spend my day at the most unfulfilling job I've ever had only to come back to this apartment and have absolutely nothing of major importance to do... I mean, that can't be right, can it? How is it that we have the one thing most people can never find, and yet, we can't fully enjoy it? I just feel like I can't, can't, CAN'T keep living like this, without you."
So needless to say I was none to happy about going back to my daily grind yesterday. I started off a bit behind schedule, but then it was shot to hell when the apartment manager stopped by. It was an issue I had to talk to her about. Obviously it's my fault that a few minutes would push me into serious lateness; what wasn't my fault was not being able to find the lid to the container I wanted to take coffee in. I hate my kitchen and my roommates lack of cleanliness and organization. So frustration was added to my apathy.
Once in my car, the very first bump I hit on my side street knocked my rear view mirror off my window. My guy had forgotten it was broken and had tried to adjust it early in the week, thus disturbing the way it had been rigged up there for over a year. It was dangling by a 4 inch wire, swirling around and bouncing against the window.
I merged onto the highway to find a bumper-to-bumper traffic moving at a snails pace. Yes, I'm in LA, which is known for traffic, but for the place and time, this was abnormal. Without the mirror I couldn't possibly get across four lanes of traffic to the "fast lanes" in which I could have upgraded to turtles pace.
Tears. Instant, pathetic, stupid tears start rolling down my face. None of it was worth the hassle. When you're alone in the world again it's even harder to power through the things that you hate...
Last Tuesday, when I last worked, they made a huge deal about tardiness, saying if you were late you'd get the worst agent number (meaning really old leads) and they won't do any take-overs for you. I don't know if they're actually enforcing that or if it was a one day threat, but it deterred me from trying to get there at all. By my standards, my mascara streaked cheeks and red nose could not be seen in public, so I got off the highway at the next exit and drove back to my apartment. I know I'm going to be on probation; I'll absolutely have to get five deals in a week to keep that job, but I don't want that job.
I thought after a week off I could go back refreshed, but instead it made me dread it more than ever. When you're in a routine, it's just what you do, but once you step away from it, you can see how truly horrible it is! Why the hell are we enduring such loneliness during our long weeks apart and debilitating angst with every goodbye, when I'm not even doing what I'm here to do? I mean, I'm selling fucking auto warranties from 1 to 7 p.m., which renders me nearly incapable of auditions and classes. The job boasts of flexibility, but that's only for the "hitters," as they call them. If you don't sell enough, you can't constantly get time off for this and that. This is a job that I honestly don't want to be good at, even though it's a decent company and product, I can't stand the tactics. Most of the people who are successful, are absolute douchebags who work longer hours; they think they're god's gift to warranty sales, as if that's an impressive life accomplishment.
I know my goal was to get a day job and save some money, but after a month and a half of doing just that, I find myself freaking out. What am I doing? What the hell am I doing? I haven't gone on a real audition in a month! I'm no closer to having a good agent than I was six months ago and our house in Ohio has been on the market for a year now. Why? Certainly not so I could spend all my time selling shitty auto warranties over the phone. If I wanted to waste my life in an unfulfilling job, I could have stayed in Ohio and avoided the heartache.
As for that horrible job I blew off yesterday, I think I could probably waltz in today without consequence. If by chance someone actually notices and mentions that I was supposed have been there yesterday, I think I could play dumb. Oops. Did I write down the wrong date? My guy says he would fire one of his sales people for something like that. I don't care. I know my number is about up anyway. The funny part is that I was more motivated to outlast the people I trained with than by my earning potential. Now that I am the last of my class left on my shift, what have I to strive for? Um, actually keeping my job and making tons of money? Well, yes, there's that, but this is not a company at which I'll flourish, and I'm okay with that. I really like that I'm stimulated by something other than money. Being the last one to endure was so much more fulfilling than successfully selling a markup to a customer who is fighting tooth and nail not to buy...
Some friends were really supportive, saying I deserved a "mental health day!" I don't know that it helped though. I did nothing yesterday and feel more lost than ever. It's like I just woke up from a coma or something; I'm really trying to understand what's going on around me and it just doens't make sense.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
The mini musical that could, then it couldn't, then it could again, and now it can't...
As I mentioned before, after the run of the ten minute musical festival last year I found myself a bit frustrated with the lack of professionalism and caliber of performance, both from myself and those I worked with. If you'd have asked me then, I would have said I'd absolutely not do that festival again.
Fast forward one year and I was elated to have the director of the theatre help me move into my new apartment and eager to get back on stage, any stage, once again! This years festival opens the 19th of this month; I was given a dominant role in one of the shows about a month ago. Three weeks ago I auditioned for a director, who then quit before even holding a rehearsal and so the show was off. At that point I was bummed... Then it was on again! A week and a half or two weeks ago, I actually saw the script for the first time at our read-through. Two of the six roles still needed to be filled, so I took my roommate along to audition for it.
Though perfect for the role, my roommate couldn't fit it into his work schedule. At our second real rehearsal, this past Tuesday, another man auditioned and was instantly given the role, and the sixth small part was still open, as was the end of the show... The writer was still finishing things and we'd not actually gotten sheet music of the songs!
Wednesday they met for a music rehearsal, which I did not attend because my guy got into town that day and it was our anniversary. Then last night, as I peeled myself off of the couch, where he and I were watching movies, to go to a 9 p.m. rehearsal, I discovered two voicemails from the director. Three cast members had quit within 20 minutes of one another! One due to work and the other two were family and had to travel out of the country for a funeral! Now it is officially cut from the festival.
This time, I am relieved. My assumption is that the music rehearsal I'd missed the night before was probably a huge disaster! I knew what I was getting into, but I could see the look of "WTF?!" that I had had last year on the faces of my cast mates on Tuesday night.
At my last rehearsal our director, who again is a co-owner/director of the theatre, received a call from the director of another musical in the festival still looking to fill a small part. No surprise, in his voicemail to me with the "bad news" that my musical was cut, the director had "good news" that I could fill a role in another show. I am horrible at saying no to people and though I feel really guilty, I am proud of myself that in this case I did it! This musical festival opens in six days! The role was described as "lots of singing and dancing" and I do not dance! There's no way I was going to devote several hours of rehearsal to a tiny part in a thrown-together ten minute musical, while my guy's in town! Not to mention, I hadn't told work that I'd need to leave early on Thursdays and Fridays for the next four weeks to get to the performances! I hate to be a diva, but having one or two lines in a ten to fifteen minute show is simply not worth it...
I do feel very badly about it. I mean, when he helped me move, the thanks I was to give him was by being in the musical festival. I remember thinking (and probably writing) that it was a total win-win for me!
*sigh*
I don't think I've burnt a bridge, but I've definitely let someone down, which is often worse...
Fast forward one year and I was elated to have the director of the theatre help me move into my new apartment and eager to get back on stage, any stage, once again! This years festival opens the 19th of this month; I was given a dominant role in one of the shows about a month ago. Three weeks ago I auditioned for a director, who then quit before even holding a rehearsal and so the show was off. At that point I was bummed... Then it was on again! A week and a half or two weeks ago, I actually saw the script for the first time at our read-through. Two of the six roles still needed to be filled, so I took my roommate along to audition for it.
Though perfect for the role, my roommate couldn't fit it into his work schedule. At our second real rehearsal, this past Tuesday, another man auditioned and was instantly given the role, and the sixth small part was still open, as was the end of the show... The writer was still finishing things and we'd not actually gotten sheet music of the songs!
Wednesday they met for a music rehearsal, which I did not attend because my guy got into town that day and it was our anniversary. Then last night, as I peeled myself off of the couch, where he and I were watching movies, to go to a 9 p.m. rehearsal, I discovered two voicemails from the director. Three cast members had quit within 20 minutes of one another! One due to work and the other two were family and had to travel out of the country for a funeral! Now it is officially cut from the festival.
This time, I am relieved. My assumption is that the music rehearsal I'd missed the night before was probably a huge disaster! I knew what I was getting into, but I could see the look of "WTF?!" that I had had last year on the faces of my cast mates on Tuesday night.
At my last rehearsal our director, who again is a co-owner/director of the theatre, received a call from the director of another musical in the festival still looking to fill a small part. No surprise, in his voicemail to me with the "bad news" that my musical was cut, the director had "good news" that I could fill a role in another show. I am horrible at saying no to people and though I feel really guilty, I am proud of myself that in this case I did it! This musical festival opens in six days! The role was described as "lots of singing and dancing" and I do not dance! There's no way I was going to devote several hours of rehearsal to a tiny part in a thrown-together ten minute musical, while my guy's in town! Not to mention, I hadn't told work that I'd need to leave early on Thursdays and Fridays for the next four weeks to get to the performances! I hate to be a diva, but having one or two lines in a ten to fifteen minute show is simply not worth it...
I do feel very badly about it. I mean, when he helped me move, the thanks I was to give him was by being in the musical festival. I remember thinking (and probably writing) that it was a total win-win for me!
*sigh*
I don't think I've burnt a bridge, but I've definitely let someone down, which is often worse...
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
This is why I don't like being early...
"To be early is to be on time; to be on time is to be late and to be late is unacceptable."
There are people in this world who live by that motto; they are better than I. I like to be just a tad early, but right on time for the most part. Being too early makes me crazy.
Case in point, I had to move my car at 8 a.m. My guy's flight gets in at 11:15. On the way, I need to stop at a store that opens at 10:30... So here I sit at 9:38, going C*R*A*Z*Y! My makeup is on, my apartment is clean, I am just waiting to leave. I probably should have gone to the grocery this morning, but now there's not quite enough time to do that...
Right now my guy is somewhere over Colorado (thanks to flightaware.com) and I just want him here. Now. It's been two months and two days since we last saw each other, which is not long in comparison to some distance relationships, but the longest he and I have ever been apart in our five and a half years (today!) of knowing one another.
I don't know how, but I made it through the last two days of work and am looking forward to seven days with him. We have a loose schedule of great things planned, including two free movies, a day at Universal, hopefully a day at the beach if the thermometer can manage to crack into the 70s... I do have rehearsals for the mini-musical, but other than that, it's just he and I!
Needless to say, I'll likely not be blogging much...
There are people in this world who live by that motto; they are better than I. I like to be just a tad early, but right on time for the most part. Being too early makes me crazy.
Case in point, I had to move my car at 8 a.m. My guy's flight gets in at 11:15. On the way, I need to stop at a store that opens at 10:30... So here I sit at 9:38, going C*R*A*Z*Y! My makeup is on, my apartment is clean, I am just waiting to leave. I probably should have gone to the grocery this morning, but now there's not quite enough time to do that...
Right now my guy is somewhere over Colorado (thanks to flightaware.com) and I just want him here. Now. It's been two months and two days since we last saw each other, which is not long in comparison to some distance relationships, but the longest he and I have ever been apart in our five and a half years (today!) of knowing one another.
I don't know how, but I made it through the last two days of work and am looking forward to seven days with him. We have a loose schedule of great things planned, including two free movies, a day at Universal, hopefully a day at the beach if the thermometer can manage to crack into the 70s... I do have rehearsals for the mini-musical, but other than that, it's just he and I!
Needless to say, I'll likely not be blogging much...
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Survivor: Warranty - Outlasting and going out of my freaking mind!
It is almost 4 a.m. and I should be sleeping.
I just spent a ton of time on my other blog compiling a list that was all involved, as if I'm still a participant in a past activity. Now my alertness has shifted from an activity that I know all too much about to the reality of my sales job, at which I'm still a novice.
I've been working on an entry titled "My job makes me feel bi-polar," but have yet to finish and post it. In a nutshell, sales is full of extreme highs and lows. Two weeks ago, I wrote seven deals; three of which came on the same day! That's called a hat trick and it makes you feel pretty damn good. The managers kept asking me what I was doing differently and acting as if I suddenly "got it." No. Not at all. I truly believe it's the leads, and maybe that's part of my problem. That week I was using the log in of a veteran employee who was on vacation. I was calling people who literal requested the information online twenty seconds prior!
Last week I should have had four new deals and three post dates. None of the post dates went through and one of the deals was disconnected after I got bother her VIN number and credit card info; I just needed to transfer her to verification but haven't been able to get her back on the phone. That's a very frustrating situation. As a result of only putting three deals on the board last week, I was back to a horrible "agent number" today, calling leads that were six weeks old. What the fuck? I am so sick of working at a place that fosters the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer... And they wonder why they have to hire a new training class every four to six weeks?
Friday was the last day for my closest female coworker; I miss her, but we all knew it would happen because I don't think she ever did more than three a week. All last week a male coworker, who I give a ride to work, was out of town. Today he came back and was told some managers wanted to outright fire him, but another "fought for him" and the requirement was that he had to get at least one deal every single day, or he'd be gone. That's rough because normally the probation period requires five deals in a week, no matter when or how you come by them. He didn't get a new deal today, but a post date hit the board for him, so we're not sure if he's good for tomorrow or not. Either way, he hates it and is ready to move on; meaning, I'll be the last of my training class left on my shift. There were four of us and now just me...
But I've taken this Wednesday to next Wednesday off since my guy will be in town. I haven't been on probation, so the time was given without question. I expected them to tell me just to take the full two weeks, since only two days in a work week doesn't do much for anyone in my job, but they did not. Now I'm awake at 4 a.m. thinking I should make that extension for myself.
I did try at work yesterday, but it was miserable and unsuccessful. If today is the same, all that does is put a huge target on my back! I know I'll be on probation as soon as I get back from my vacation. Then there's the fact that the Thursday and Friday I get back are show nights; I'll need to leave an hour early to get to the musical. I feel like I'd be better off not going in today and then extending my leave through all of next week. That way I'd go back Monday the 22nd and have a full work week to get five deals and be in the clear again. Does that make sense?
I am usually not one to shy away from making money. I'll do what I have to do to make ends meet; I mean, obviously, I've been enduring this bullshit for six weeks now! But I really feel like going in today and not getting a deal is worse than not going in at all and the meager amount money I'll earn today barely feels worth it.
Per my request via an email that basically said everything written above, my guy (the sales manager) just called me. His words of wisdom? "Effort goes a long way in getting someone to cut you some slack." Gggrrr! *sigh* Eye roll.
I know he's right, but it's certainly not what I wanted to hear when I'd pretty much talked myself out of going to work today.
Two weeks ago when I got seven deals, I felt like I could do this job; once you're on a roll, it's not hard anymore. But when you're dealing with people who don't even remember requesting a quote, it's an out-and-out fight to get their credit card. Even though the company is credible, closing people in a single call almost always requires some sort of white lie; it's never about the coverage they get, and price is always a negotiating tool, but rather it's about why they have to buy today. When you're getting new leads, creating that urgency is like a comment mentioned in passing; it's fine because they wanted to buy anyway. But when the leads are old, that white lie becomes a heavy dead horse that you have to beat over their head for thirty fucking minutes... I don't get exhausted from talking to people, following my script and responding to their objections. But when it becomes a fight and everything hinges on the white lie reason they have to buy today, I just can't take it. This is not the kind of job for me.
I've proven I can do this job, when given the opportunity with legitimate buyers, but I'll gladly be fired before I become like the cold hearted douchbags I work with who think it's funny to take the last dollar from someones bank account based on the complete lie that if not today, they could never get a warrenty on their car, that's a piece of shit no matter what!
So what will get me through six more hours of it this afternoon? Probably Silly Puddy and secretly working on my lines. If by chance a buyer actually picks up the phone, that will be great, but if not, I'll harbor no feelings of inadaquacy. In the game of Survivor: Warranty at least I outlasted the other newbies of my shift!
I've been working on an entry titled "My job makes me feel bi-polar," but have yet to finish and post it. In a nutshell, sales is full of extreme highs and lows. Two weeks ago, I wrote seven deals; three of which came on the same day! That's called a hat trick and it makes you feel pretty damn good. The managers kept asking me what I was doing differently and acting as if I suddenly "got it." No. Not at all. I truly believe it's the leads, and maybe that's part of my problem. That week I was using the log in of a veteran employee who was on vacation. I was calling people who literal requested the information online twenty seconds prior!
Last week I should have had four new deals and three post dates. None of the post dates went through and one of the deals was disconnected after I got bother her VIN number and credit card info; I just needed to transfer her to verification but haven't been able to get her back on the phone. That's a very frustrating situation. As a result of only putting three deals on the board last week, I was back to a horrible "agent number" today, calling leads that were six weeks old. What the fuck? I am so sick of working at a place that fosters the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer... And they wonder why they have to hire a new training class every four to six weeks?
Friday was the last day for my closest female coworker; I miss her, but we all knew it would happen because I don't think she ever did more than three a week. All last week a male coworker, who I give a ride to work, was out of town. Today he came back and was told some managers wanted to outright fire him, but another "fought for him" and the requirement was that he had to get at least one deal every single day, or he'd be gone. That's rough because normally the probation period requires five deals in a week, no matter when or how you come by them. He didn't get a new deal today, but a post date hit the board for him, so we're not sure if he's good for tomorrow or not. Either way, he hates it and is ready to move on; meaning, I'll be the last of my training class left on my shift. There were four of us and now just me...
But I've taken this Wednesday to next Wednesday off since my guy will be in town. I haven't been on probation, so the time was given without question. I expected them to tell me just to take the full two weeks, since only two days in a work week doesn't do much for anyone in my job, but they did not. Now I'm awake at 4 a.m. thinking I should make that extension for myself.
I did try at work yesterday, but it was miserable and unsuccessful. If today is the same, all that does is put a huge target on my back! I know I'll be on probation as soon as I get back from my vacation. Then there's the fact that the Thursday and Friday I get back are show nights; I'll need to leave an hour early to get to the musical. I feel like I'd be better off not going in today and then extending my leave through all of next week. That way I'd go back Monday the 22nd and have a full work week to get five deals and be in the clear again. Does that make sense?
I am usually not one to shy away from making money. I'll do what I have to do to make ends meet; I mean, obviously, I've been enduring this bullshit for six weeks now! But I really feel like going in today and not getting a deal is worse than not going in at all and the meager amount money I'll earn today barely feels worth it.
Per my request via an email that basically said everything written above, my guy (the sales manager) just called me. His words of wisdom? "Effort goes a long way in getting someone to cut you some slack." Gggrrr! *sigh* Eye roll.
I know he's right, but it's certainly not what I wanted to hear when I'd pretty much talked myself out of going to work today.
Two weeks ago when I got seven deals, I felt like I could do this job; once you're on a roll, it's not hard anymore. But when you're dealing with people who don't even remember requesting a quote, it's an out-and-out fight to get their credit card. Even though the company is credible, closing people in a single call almost always requires some sort of white lie; it's never about the coverage they get, and price is always a negotiating tool, but rather it's about why they have to buy today. When you're getting new leads, creating that urgency is like a comment mentioned in passing; it's fine because they wanted to buy anyway. But when the leads are old, that white lie becomes a heavy dead horse that you have to beat over their head for thirty fucking minutes... I don't get exhausted from talking to people, following my script and responding to their objections. But when it becomes a fight and everything hinges on the white lie reason they have to buy today, I just can't take it. This is not the kind of job for me.
I've proven I can do this job, when given the opportunity with legitimate buyers, but I'll gladly be fired before I become like the cold hearted douchbags I work with who think it's funny to take the last dollar from someones bank account based on the complete lie that if not today, they could never get a warrenty on their car, that's a piece of shit no matter what!
So what will get me through six more hours of it this afternoon? Probably Silly Puddy and secretly working on my lines. If by chance a buyer actually picks up the phone, that will be great, but if not, I'll harbor no feelings of inadaquacy. In the game of Survivor: Warranty at least I outlasted the other newbies of my shift!
Monday, June 8, 2009
Over It!
I am at work, hating my job right now! I'm calling leads that requested a quote six freaking weeks ago! That's pathetic. And I'm only working today and tomorrow, then I'm off for a week while my guy's in town. Needless to say, I am checked out, completely! No one's answering, so I'm working on lines for the musical.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Nothing like an evening stroll on a movie lot...
Last night I met a Universal coworker/former scene partner/friend and his partner for an employee screening of Land of the Lost. This is not a movie I would have ever considered even seeing on dvd, but since the screening is free, and we have to tell our guest it filmed in Stage 27 and I feel really cool being on the lot, I went... Oh, and I had nothing else to do on a Friday night. I tried to have an open mind and it was slightly better than expected, but still not my cup of tea. Neither Will Farrell nor the plot did anything for me. The dinosaur named Grumpy and Matt Lauer's cameo were both fantastic though!
After the movie we decided to find Stage 1 where Conan O'Brien is now filming Late Night, since the tram is now going a different direction to show the guests. It's probably adding three to five minutes to the tour and taking us by sound stages that we know nothing about. The funny thing about movie lots, or Universal's at least, is that the sound stages do not go in order. For example, Stage 5 is next to Stage 16. Also, what appears to be a single building might house or connect multiple stages, so it's very confusing. One of our stall clips features Jason Alexander talking about getting lost his first day of filming Seinfeld.
[The two photos below are things seen on the front lot that I found random and amusing.]
Anyway, we walked in circles for a while and finally decided that Conan's new theatre must be in an unmarked building right up front by one of the gates. As tour guides, my friend and I have "All Access Passes" and can technically go anywhere on the lot as long as we're not interrupting filming. Many employees walk the lot for exercise, but we were both still hesitant to use our privilege, especially since it was 9 p.m. and we had a guest with us. But after passing a couple security guards without incident, we became braver! We decided we would walk a bit more, and my friend decided he had to go to the restroom. Restrooms only accessible to the outside were open on one of the stages and I said, "I'll go too, just to say I went in Stage 24!"
My friend wanted to walk around inside Stage 28, which still has some of the Paris Opera House sets from the original Phantom of the Opera (1925); it's supposedly haunted by Lon Cheney. I was relieved when all the doors were locked. We journeyed past the production bungalows and I took a picture with the giant Mr. Potato Head that sits by the Hasbros offices and with the Alfred Hitchcock silhouette painted by the door of his former bungalow, #5195. (I know I stress my anonymity on this blog, but I think the quality of this picture is so poor, it's no big deal.)
We walked behind the sound stages the the tram passes to the lesser seen, older ones, where a production crew was striking a set (tearing it down). We noticed at least five different stages that were labeled for Desperate Housewives, indicating which sets were inside.
At every point I felt like perhaps we shouldn't go any farther, but there there would be one more thing we wanted to see. That is especially true of the ongoing construction of the metropolitan sets. We gazed up at the half-built structures and pondered if they'd be done this month, as the rumors say. They seem much larger, taller and more substantial than before. Then again, my friend and I had been employed only a week and barely experienced them before the fire.
At this point we had officially crossed from the front lot to the back lot, where (as we tell our tour guests) "the world is just around the corner." And so are the coyotes and bobcats! No sooner did my friend mention them as the main reason we're discouraged from walking around back there at night, did we hear them howl! I called my partner, who was fast asleep in Ohio, and he assured me that they're more afraid of us...
By this time security had driven by us a couple times, but after the first flash of our badge, didn't even slow down. We were smart enough not to walk into any of the construction but rather follow the road beside it which eventually leads to an intersection of sorts between Six Points Texas, the Red Sea and New York Street. From there, we could see another section of the Metro sets were more accessible; we carefully walked in and decided it was being used for filming. It was free of construction and complete with set dressings. As we proceeded farther in, we found ourselves in Court House Square. COURT HOUSE SQUARE! As in, To Kill a Mocking Bird, Back to the Future and now Ghost Whisperer.
One of the misconceptions after the fire was that it was destroyed, but it was not. The actual Clock Tower building and a row of facades adjacent to it were not touched. I literally ran up the steps of the Clock Tower. We stood in front of Melinda's antique shoppe called The Same as it Never Was. We pondered if the cracks in the sidewalk were real or made to look that way by a set designer.
Even though the moon was almost full above us, there were few other lights and it makes me sick that my phone's camera couldn't capture any of it. As I wrote after my first walking tour of the lot as a new guide, the feeling of being ON THE LOT is incredible. I mean, just standing where great actors have stood is amazing and feeling the energy of a place that holds all the potential in the world is indescribable! It's remarkable how real the facades look while still holding the magic of being transformed into anything, anywhere and in any time period. At the same time, it was eery. That, obviously, came from the darkness and my general jumpiness. I felt like at any time something could creep out of a shadow, be it a coyote, a security guard, a Ghost Whisperer ghost, or the Creature from the Black Lagoon! One of the faux brown stones had its door standing open; it was gaping blackness that sent a chill up my spin!
We decided there was a possibility our cars could get locked in the garage, so we headed back toward the front lot. On the way, were made a loop around a large, unmarked building, and decided it must be the infamous film vault. That is something we're not allowed to talk about on the tour; during our training they said they'd point it out to us, but never did. Behind it is a smaller two story building with several outer doors on both levels, like a motel. It's industrial, raw, old look seemed more like jail sells to me. First we thought they were old dressing rooms, but none I would ever want to use. You could tell it was old by the door nobs and each door had a light by it, so we decided they must have been dark rooms for film developing. Again, very creepy.
After the movie we decided to find Stage 1 where Conan O'Brien is now filming Late Night, since the tram is now going a different direction to show the guests. It's probably adding three to five minutes to the tour and taking us by sound stages that we know nothing about. The funny thing about movie lots, or Universal's at least, is that the sound stages do not go in order. For example, Stage 5 is next to Stage 16. Also, what appears to be a single building might house or connect multiple stages, so it's very confusing. One of our stall clips features Jason Alexander talking about getting lost his first day of filming Seinfeld.
[The two photos below are things seen on the front lot that I found random and amusing.]
Anyway, we walked in circles for a while and finally decided that Conan's new theatre must be in an unmarked building right up front by one of the gates. As tour guides, my friend and I have "All Access Passes" and can technically go anywhere on the lot as long as we're not interrupting filming. Many employees walk the lot for exercise, but we were both still hesitant to use our privilege, especially since it was 9 p.m. and we had a guest with us. But after passing a couple security guards without incident, we became braver! We decided we would walk a bit more, and my friend decided he had to go to the restroom. Restrooms only accessible to the outside were open on one of the stages and I said, "I'll go too, just to say I went in Stage 24!"
My friend wanted to walk around inside Stage 28, which still has some of the Paris Opera House sets from the original Phantom of the Opera (1925); it's supposedly haunted by Lon Cheney. I was relieved when all the doors were locked. We journeyed past the production bungalows and I took a picture with the giant Mr. Potato Head that sits by the Hasbros offices and with the Alfred Hitchcock silhouette painted by the door of his former bungalow, #5195. (I know I stress my anonymity on this blog, but I think the quality of this picture is so poor, it's no big deal.)
We walked behind the sound stages the the tram passes to the lesser seen, older ones, where a production crew was striking a set (tearing it down). We noticed at least five different stages that were labeled for Desperate Housewives, indicating which sets were inside.
At every point I felt like perhaps we shouldn't go any farther, but there there would be one more thing we wanted to see. That is especially true of the ongoing construction of the metropolitan sets. We gazed up at the half-built structures and pondered if they'd be done this month, as the rumors say. They seem much larger, taller and more substantial than before. Then again, my friend and I had been employed only a week and barely experienced them before the fire.
At this point we had officially crossed from the front lot to the back lot, where (as we tell our tour guests) "the world is just around the corner." And so are the coyotes and bobcats! No sooner did my friend mention them as the main reason we're discouraged from walking around back there at night, did we hear them howl! I called my partner, who was fast asleep in Ohio, and he assured me that they're more afraid of us...
By this time security had driven by us a couple times, but after the first flash of our badge, didn't even slow down. We were smart enough not to walk into any of the construction but rather follow the road beside it which eventually leads to an intersection of sorts between Six Points Texas, the Red Sea and New York Street. From there, we could see another section of the Metro sets were more accessible; we carefully walked in and decided it was being used for filming. It was free of construction and complete with set dressings. As we proceeded farther in, we found ourselves in Court House Square. COURT HOUSE SQUARE! As in, To Kill a Mocking Bird, Back to the Future and now Ghost Whisperer.
One of the misconceptions after the fire was that it was destroyed, but it was not. The actual Clock Tower building and a row of facades adjacent to it were not touched. I literally ran up the steps of the Clock Tower. We stood in front of Melinda's antique shoppe called The Same as it Never Was. We pondered if the cracks in the sidewalk were real or made to look that way by a set designer.
Even though the moon was almost full above us, there were few other lights and it makes me sick that my phone's camera couldn't capture any of it. As I wrote after my first walking tour of the lot as a new guide, the feeling of being ON THE LOT is incredible. I mean, just standing where great actors have stood is amazing and feeling the energy of a place that holds all the potential in the world is indescribable! It's remarkable how real the facades look while still holding the magic of being transformed into anything, anywhere and in any time period. At the same time, it was eery. That, obviously, came from the darkness and my general jumpiness. I felt like at any time something could creep out of a shadow, be it a coyote, a security guard, a Ghost Whisperer ghost, or the Creature from the Black Lagoon! One of the faux brown stones had its door standing open; it was gaping blackness that sent a chill up my spin!
We decided there was a possibility our cars could get locked in the garage, so we headed back toward the front lot. On the way, were made a loop around a large, unmarked building, and decided it must be the infamous film vault. That is something we're not allowed to talk about on the tour; during our training they said they'd point it out to us, but never did. Behind it is a smaller two story building with several outer doors on both levels, like a motel. It's industrial, raw, old look seemed more like jail sells to me. First we thought they were old dressing rooms, but none I would ever want to use. You could tell it was old by the door nobs and each door had a light by it, so we decided they must have been dark rooms for film developing. Again, very creepy.
My friend had to use the restroom again and so we went to one right behind Six Points Texas. With the ominous moon above us and what looked like an old western ghost town before us, it was certainly unsettling, but so, so cool! We were on the opposite side of the sets than what the trams drive by. It's amazing how many different environments can be created in such a small space.Finally, we walked back into the front lot and once again by the production bungalows. Like peeping toms, we found ourselves taking a closer look! Again, we only ever drive by them. Upon closer inspection we found an influential casting office where we both plan to hand deliver headshots! We unsuccessfully tried to locate Ron Howard's parking spot by the Imagine Entertainment offices, but did find Marc Platt's by Reveille (the producer of Wicked and Ugly Betty) and legendary producer Dino De Laurentiis (he won an Oscar for La Strada and produced hannibal and the original King Kong). Their offices were both amazing; yes, we literally looked in the windows.
My friend desperately wanted to walk down into the Amblin Entertainment bungalows, but I would not. Amblin is Stephen Spielberg's production company; his offices are sort of behind the others. Though you can clearly see them from the tram if you know where to look, even nodding in their direction is grounds for immediate termination! My friend gave me crap for picking the jasmin that is now filling my bedroom with a wonderful aroma and he warned me several times not to put these pictures on Facebook. I replied, "this flower will not get us in trouble, but I like my job and my clean criminal record too much to step foot toward Spielberg's bungalows!"
Nearly two and a half hours after the movie ended, we finally left the studio. We had to have walked a two or three miles. I would have never guessed a stupid Will Ferrell film could develop into such an inspiring evening! Being in that environment makes me want to learn all there is to know about the history of Universal and it makes me want to devote all the time and energy I have to becoming the best possible actor. Well, I guess that's laughable at this moment, as I'm blogging at 5 a.m. and I have a rehearsal at 1 p.m. for a show that opens in less than two weeks with a script I received only a day ago!
Nonetheless, I love being a tour guide...!
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Only in LA...
Yes, I believe that is a teal vintage hearse.
I took this picture some time ago, but it's been on my phone. It was on Ventura Boulevard in Studio City. Speaking of, until I moved here, I never realized these line in Tom Petty's "Free Falling" were about a real places: The San Fernando Valley, Ventura Boulevard, Mulholland (drive).
All the vampires walkin through the valley
Move west down ventura boulevard
And all the bad boys are standing in the shadows
A ll the good girls are home with broken hearts
And Im free, free fallin
Yeah Im free, free fallin
Free fallin, now Im free fallin, now im
Free fallin, now Im free fallin, now im
I wanna glide down over mulholland
I wanna write her name in the sky
Gonna free fall out into nothin
Gonna leave this world for a while
And Im free, free fallin...
Monday, June 1, 2009
A scientific encounter of the church kind...
First, my roommate and his friend apologized profusely about Saturday night; they paid for my entry and drinks at a nearby comedy club last night to make it up to me. It was good times.
-
The following took place a couple weeks ago, the first time I went to Central Casting, and was hand written on scrap paper while I was at work last week:
She didn't look like an alien! She was an attractive, short, bubbly woman of Asian descent...
When I first ventured to Central Casting I was approached by a photographer on my way in, as well as a representative from another calling service. In terms of marketing, it is a smart place to catch people who are likely new to the biz. As I left, the afore mentioned woman approached me, offering an acting seminar. "It's being held at a beautiful French casting in Hollywood." she said.
-
The following took place a couple weeks ago, the first time I went to Central Casting, and was hand written on scrap paper while I was at work last week:
She didn't look like an alien! She was an attractive, short, bubbly woman of Asian descent...
When I first ventured to Central Casting I was approached by a photographer on my way in, as well as a representative from another calling service. In terms of marketing, it is a smart place to catch people who are likely new to the biz. As I left, the afore mentioned woman approached me, offering an acting seminar. "It's being held at a beautiful French casting in Hollywood." she said.
At no point did she say the Church of Scientology but the flyer she gave me did and everyone knows that castle is called the Celebrity Center. It is an absolutely stunning mansion right in Hollywood. Of course it is gated and surrounded by bushes and trees. Across the street is a row of cute cafes. I've driven by a few times and wondered, if I were to sit at one of those cafes, might I see Tom Cruise?! It is an extremely congested traffic area and I quickly learned to avoid it, if possible.
Anyway, I chatted with the woman at Central Casting. She was extremely sweet and I'm always intrigued to hear what people are pitching... She spoke about the two guest speakers, a casting director and B-list actress. She mentioned the parking was free several times, but not the $17 fee written on the flyer.
The seminar began at 7 p.m. and I told her that's when I got off work and likely couldn't get to Hollywood until 8 p.m. She wanted my name to hold my seat. I gave her my first, but refused to give my last name. We joked about having our information "out there" too much. She was persistent though and although I knew I wasn't going to attend I somehow gave her my phone number.
I walked away asking myself, "why the fuck did I just do that?" Well, because I was smart enough not to give my email address which is my whole name! My outgoing voicemail message only includes my first.
That afternoon a man left me a voicemail to confirm and then another one around 5 or 6 p.m. That night I was honestly stuck on a call at work until 7:20. I thought about calling them back, as to not be a no-show, but I did not. I had made it absolutely clear to the woman that I would be late, if I made it at all. Then the man's message suggested I arrive early; their lack of communication made me feel I had no reason to be accountable to them. Even if I could have been on time, I would not have gone.
Please don't freak out or be concerned for me. I would never in a million years become a Scientologist. I am not a fan of any type of organized religion. I am, however, always interested in hearing the philosophies by which people lead their lives. I'm the bitch who would invite the Jehovah's Witness' into my home just to challenge them.
I personally try not to judge people based on their faith. I think the world would be a much better place if everyone would acknowledge that we don't all have to believe the same thing. The superiority complex people have about their religion makes my stomach turn! We really expect everyone to think the same about things as subjective and personally important as spiritual beliefs? Really?
I digress. As much as I would absolutely love to see the inside of the Celebrity Center, I don't even want to be on their radar! I should hope the Scienctologists would respect my disagreement with their religion; however, given their Hollywood connection I was concerned about being black listed! I mentioned that to my roommate and he joked that in this town, it's not the Scientologists you have to worry about black listing you, rather it's the Jews! Roommate #1 further shared that some of his friends had gone and described the experience like "being locked in a time-share meeting!"
According to #1s friends, at the Celebrity Center they perform some sort of test that monitors your heart rate in order to calculate your stress and negative energy, or something like that. Then they keep you there for hours trying to convince you to let them "fix you." He didn't know if his friends attended under the guise of an acting seminar or something else.
Needless to say, I was so thankful there were no solicitors of any kind the second time I went to Central Casting and though I doubt I'll get off so easily, I hope this is my last brush with the Hubbord worshipers!
The seminar began at 7 p.m. and I told her that's when I got off work and likely couldn't get to Hollywood until 8 p.m. She wanted my name to hold my seat. I gave her my first, but refused to give my last name. We joked about having our information "out there" too much. She was persistent though and although I knew I wasn't going to attend I somehow gave her my phone number.
I walked away asking myself, "why the fuck did I just do that?" Well, because I was smart enough not to give my email address which is my whole name! My outgoing voicemail message only includes my first.
That afternoon a man left me a voicemail to confirm and then another one around 5 or 6 p.m. That night I was honestly stuck on a call at work until 7:20. I thought about calling them back, as to not be a no-show, but I did not. I had made it absolutely clear to the woman that I would be late, if I made it at all. Then the man's message suggested I arrive early; their lack of communication made me feel I had no reason to be accountable to them. Even if I could have been on time, I would not have gone.
Please don't freak out or be concerned for me. I would never in a million years become a Scientologist. I am not a fan of any type of organized religion. I am, however, always interested in hearing the philosophies by which people lead their lives. I'm the bitch who would invite the Jehovah's Witness' into my home just to challenge them.
I personally try not to judge people based on their faith. I think the world would be a much better place if everyone would acknowledge that we don't all have to believe the same thing. The superiority complex people have about their religion makes my stomach turn! We really expect everyone to think the same about things as subjective and personally important as spiritual beliefs? Really?
I digress. As much as I would absolutely love to see the inside of the Celebrity Center, I don't even want to be on their radar! I should hope the Scienctologists would respect my disagreement with their religion; however, given their Hollywood connection I was concerned about being black listed! I mentioned that to my roommate and he joked that in this town, it's not the Scientologists you have to worry about black listing you, rather it's the Jews! Roommate #1 further shared that some of his friends had gone and described the experience like "being locked in a time-share meeting!"
According to #1s friends, at the Celebrity Center they perform some sort of test that monitors your heart rate in order to calculate your stress and negative energy, or something like that. Then they keep you there for hours trying to convince you to let them "fix you." He didn't know if his friends attended under the guise of an acting seminar or something else.
Needless to say, I was so thankful there were no solicitors of any kind the second time I went to Central Casting and though I doubt I'll get off so easily, I hope this is my last brush with the Hubbord worshipers!
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