So… y’all might be wondering what it was like for me to experience being on set, being involved in a filming, and actually get a minor role in a scene part of the production!
Well, I must confess that I was treated like an outsider in the beginning. It was my first time actually meeting real actors, being on a set, and watching them film. Everyone did say hi to me, but they mostly kept to themselves. Going into an acting career is completely different from other environments. For people who weren’t on camera being filmed, they just mostly milled around, hung out with each other, and killed time until their turn came. When I arrived at my call time, I went to the tents and introduced myself. Francis was very casual and wary of me to begin with, but after he saw how serious and committed I was, he opened up to me more. I walked around watching everything happening. I then went to the stairs right across the tents and stood next to a group of guys chatting. They ignored me though, but I didn’t let that bother me. We were called to assemble at the tent where a role call was done and a last minute check/reminders were mentioned. I went over to help set up orange cones to block traffic a bit when I saw some guys doing it. They were surprised when I offered to help and thanked me. I also helped with some other small tasks too. Even though I did little things here and there, I felt like I belonged and became a part of the team unofficially. I became thirsty after a while and was told to help myself to anything laid out on the table. There were an assortment of snacks and cans of tea, but I only took a water bottle because I felt embarrassed about joining in last minute and by requesting it. I didn’t want to take advantage of the kindness from Francis or of 88 Rising. One of the camera guys even asked me what my favorite movies were.
6pm came and the camera was set up next to a fountain. I was told to stay away from the cameras so I just sat in a chair in the tent, drinking my water and sitting across from a guy sitting in the other chair across from me and making small talk with him. He was shy toward me too, but he was willing to talk and I was really glad to be able to make conversation with an actor. Every scene was very professional and impressive. There was a jogger, a guy doing karate moves, and a guy holding a bouquet of flowers near the ladies. All of a sudden, Francis came to me and told me that he had a role for me. He was able to see how I wanted to be a part of the commercial production. I excitedly agreed and thanked him numerous times. I was instructed to walk in a section of the plaza starting from the Ching Hong Jewelers entrance to the mini water fountain near the 99 Ranch Market. I just had to do it once. Once I completed it, it was like this little thing I did unlocked something with the crew. All the guys came up to me wanting to chat, give me handshakes, fist bumps, high fives, with this guy even giving me a man hug. After my scene was done, they moved on to these people throwing a ball around. That was basically it. The whole thing took about an hour. Before we disbanded, we were reminded to fill out the authorization forms and we were free to leave. I helped with the cleanup a bit before leaving and thanked Francis for letting me be involved.
This first on set filming experience taught me many things and helped prepare me to understand what it was like to be in a production, being on set, and what it felt like to be filmed for a scene. Not only did I get to experience all this, I also was able to build connections and treat it as a networking opportunity. I am proud to have thought of requesting to be included in this filming. It was a great experience and a perfect way to prepare me for my acting career soon. Being involved with the production of South Bay Surf Club for the Coachella music festival opened my eyes in allowing me to see what the lives of actors was really like and what being actor was all about. It encouraged and inspired me to continue on with my pursuit and gave me the confidence in becoming an actor. This hands on experience gave me an insight on the industry and prepared to help me succeed. In the future, when I get booked for a role or get invited to another filming, I will be able to fit in because I know all about the procedures and the gist of everything. I hope to get a copy of this commercial or be able to view it.