Behind the Scenes(76)

She twists her mouth. “Simon Mulroney won’t like this.”

I turn back to my computer. “I don’t care what he likes or doesn’t like.”

*

I’m up at four a.m. for a five thirty a.m. call time. My stomach is a ball of nerves after a restless night of only half sleeping.

As I greet the sunrise with a drive to the studio, I can’t help but wonder what Simon will think when he comes back from his trip and finds me gone.

Maybe he’ll be relieved to have me out of his life once and for all. Mulroney Pictures is pretty big. We might go years without having to run into each other, especially considering I’ll be running around on set with other members of the lowest rung.

But it’s where I want to be. It’s where I belong. It’s what I dreamed of when I walked across the stage and accepted my diploma this spring. The best way I can think of honing my own directing skills is by watching the film making process first hand. Not being distracted by a man is just a bonus.

And that’s what I plan to keep telling myself.

I drive to the designated parking lot where nearly a hundred other cars are. I printed the call sheet out and have it securely zipped up in one of my bag’s side pockets. The first thing I need to do is report to the head PA, someone named Emily. After that, who knows what I’ll be doing. My work on set might prove to be even less glamorous than the cleaning and envelope licking I’ve done in the office. One time, I worked on an independent film where my job was to make sure the hierarchy of set was well observed — mainly meaning it was up to me to ensure the extras went to the porter potties instead of the cast and producer bathrooms.

I highly doubt it can get much worse than that, but who knows.

After asking around, I find Emily near craft services. Breakfast is just getting set up for the morning, the first few crew members arriving. Emily is a strong looking girl a few years older than me. She’s friendly but to the point. She gives me a walkie talkie and assigns me the task of working with an assistant from the casting office signing in the background actors for the day.

Which means I’ll be at a table doing paperwork… Which means it’s somewhat similar to my job working for Simon.

At least it’s not as bad as it could be. I’m not being sent out to get the director’s favorite energy drink or standing in the parking lot keeping an eye out for paparazzi. I still have hope for getting to set. Someone will have to ferry the extras back and forth between holding and set, and that could still very well be me.

I spend the entire morning at a folding table with a kid named Henry, signing people in and answering questions. When we break for lunch, the actors and crew have already eaten and gone back to work, so I don’t get the chance to do any schmoozing there. Henry is fun, though, and so are the few background actors I sit and eat with. Everyone is in a good mood, happy to be working on a big action film for the day. We eat in the cafeteria and then go back out into the sunshine to spend more hours waiting to be called to set.

When Henry gets the word on his walkie talkie to bring a dozen extras to set, I practically wave my hand in front of his face. He’s been working on sets for years and is more than happy to sit down while I ferry everyone over.

The set for the day is inside one of the sound stages. It’s supposed to be the innards of an alien space craft. I take the extras to it and stand out of the way to watch while the assistant director picks them out and positions them. The two lead actors are in the scene today, and I have a fly on the wall view of the whole process. From where I stand with the grips and makeup people, I can see Miles working with the actors, sometimes catching snippets of their conversations.

We get five whole hours on the set, then break for dinner. After the meal we’re back, shooting for another four hours. By the time the day ends, my lower back aches from standing on the sound stage’s hard floor most of the day.

I help Henry sign out the extras, then hand in my walkie talkie to Emily. It’s almost eleven p.m. If I was still working in the office, I’d be curled up in bed by now.

I would also be driving myself crazy with fantasies of Simon.

But not tonight. Tonight I’m sore and worked to the bone. I’ll take exhaustion and twelve plus hour days any time if it means not only getting to be on set but getting to forget all about my worries — even if the new job doesn’t come with a pay raise.

Some things are just priceless.

*

The next two days are shorter but equally tiring. I seem to be stuck on background duty for the week, but it’s not too bad. After we get everyone signed in, there’s not much to do other than wait around to go to set. I meet a lot of interesting people in the hoard of extras. Other than the actors, there are a lot of writers, artists, college students, and retired folks either looking to make a few bucks or just do something fun and exciting with their time.