Still walking the Boardwalk Empire

No scarf this time!?

The parking logistics got better for us extras... we didn't have to search for any parking -they had a huge lot ready for us with a large parking sign: BE CREW.  One less thing to worry about at 6:00 AM on this Monday morning in Brooklyn!

Makeup, hair and wardrobe were quickly attended to by the army of production assistants and we were made camera ready in a very short time -so that we could concentrate on the most important part of an extra's arrival: BREAKFAST.  This time I went to the juicer and had a healthy mix of apples, beets, ginger, celery and carrots. Great waker-upper!

Soon we were herded out to the lot where we were told to wait while the black curtains were pulled over the enormous blue screen backing up the set.  We entertained ourselves by taking photos of each other before being placed on our marks.

Steve Buscemi and Kelly McDonald were on the set, but I only caught a quick glance of Steve as he was greeting some friends who were visiting him.  They were a middle aged couple dressed in jeans, who were taking photos of us extras while they took in the BE experience. For the most part, Steve was inside a parlor of sorts and only the "fancy-shmancy" dressed extras were used to do "passerby" roles in that scene.

I had an interesting experience -which was most likely an extra's-phantasy.  I decided to go outside after sitting for some time inside the holding house.  I saw a nearby platform with a wooden top and a young lady in period clothing sitting on it.  The sun started to come out and I heaved myself up on the platform also... to warm up.  A short conversation ensued about the number of episodeds we had done on BE.   I mentioned that this was my third stint, to which the young lady under the wide-brimmed hat answered that she had done "twenty or so... episodes"!  Wow... "...you must be a pretty good extra..." I said, as we were called back to set.  Later at home, when I was checking out the web's photo collection of Kelly McDonald, I noted the striking resemblence to the young lady I had the conversation with.  Hmmmmm.... I honestly don't know for sure if that was her or not!?!  Serves me right for not doing my IMDB-homework before coming to set this morning. (Hmmmm.... "20 or so... episodes".  Last 2 seasons' total was 24, plus 5 this season... equals "20 or so"!!!) DANG! I still can't remember her hat-shaded face clearly enough to say whether it was her or not... I mean... really... what would a principal be doing hanging out with the extras -they usually sequester themselves in their private trailers... STILL, she did relate an interesting story to me.  As I mentioned the incredulous ending of last season where one of the biggest "heart-throbs" (Jimmy Darmody, played by Michael Pitt) was killed off... and I ranted about "How could they do that... he was a major draw to the show?" She told me that she saw Michael Pitt being a "difficult actor" who had arguments with Steve Buscemi and was late to set, and various other tempermental situations with him, and that it was most likely because of that for which they "killed him off". WOW - I hadn't heard that before!  She must have been someone close to the "inside"... so....more Hmmmmm's.

Later on, the rest of us mixed-class extras were called to set.  There were over 100.  A couple of us were put inside an ice cream parlor, where we chatted it up until "Background Action" was called -at which time we exited and walked back and forth on the boardwalk (once in "winter clothes" and once in "spring clothes").  At least we got to sit on the parlor's stools between takes and discuss "giving up meat"!  All in all a fun day at "work" for the "unemployed" -like me.  Last week, I had a pretty good interview for a real-life paying job, but so far no call-backs. Like the inside of this ice-cream parlor, the prospects are pretty dim.