Coronavirus - Acting Update

Los Angeles asked the entertainment industry to shutdown for 2 weeks because of the rapid spread of covid-19 sweeping the county. Friday, 318 deaths were reported along with 18,313 new cases in Los Angeles.

Through November, I only knew 1 person personally who had covid-19. Since Thanksgiving, I know 4 more people plus their family members who had become infected. I definitely understand the abundance of caution.

Still, asking yet another industry of thousands of people to stop working is tough. (Salons, gyms, servers, amusement parks, and others have already been forced to stop.) I recently had one job postpone a shoot for a month. Fortunately, I secured another gig to replace it. Yesterday, I saw more jobs posted for background actors to work than I had seen in a month. Still, Hollywood is super cautious. I imagine this is due to all the break outs on sets last December. One job posting said that they were going to pay a background actor to be tested 5 times in the next 9 days and to not work any of the 8 days prior to working a one day shoot. Another posting said that to be eligible, a background actor could not have worked any job in the past 4 weeks.

I am very glad Hollywood is taking precautions as nobody wants to get sick - but it takes a toll on the finances.

If only the coronavirus vaccine rollout was proceeding as smoothly as we had hoped. Only 6 million doses as of Friday have been injected across the country versus the 20 million the government had hoped for by 2020. NPR gave numerous reasons for the slow rollout, but whatever the reason, thousands of Americans are dying across the country daily because they have not been vaccinated.

I can only hope vaccination process speeds up for all our sakes and that Hollywood's more strigent precautions are effective in keeping its employees safe in the meantime.

Take care and be safe. Posts weekly

Coronavirus On Set - You're Putting That Q-Tip Where?

The nurse practitioner pulled a ruler-length Q-Tip out of my nose. As she had warned, I would feel some discomfort. Done, I thought blinking away the tears. Then she said now for the other side.  I swallowed and tilted my head back. The show must go on, I thought.

Welcome to the new world of working on set. While the last commercial I shot was during the coronavirus, this one was the first since the official the entertainment unions, studios, and the Governor had come to agreement on shoot procedures during the coronavirus pandemic.

 The previous shoot had hand sanitizer, everyone wore a mask (that they brought from home), someone prepared and handed out food to us, and we kept our distance as best we could.

 

This time, before we could even step on the new set we had to have the lovely nasal-swab covid test. Then we had to read a 10-page document about the new covid-prevention measures; watch four videos on how to put on a mask, gloves, face shield, and how to wash your hands; and sign our lives away. Once we made it to set, they took everyone's temperature and asked us a half dozen questions about how we felt. They also provided us with N-95 masks and a brown paper bag. The bag was to place our mask inside when we were asked to remove them during filming. Then everyone participated in a safety meeting with an emphasis on covid-prevention measures.  A covid monitor routinely walked around the set to make sure everything looked good,  asked if everyone was OK, and offered hand sanitizer.

 

For crafty - i.e. water and snacks - a specific crew member stood there all day handing out whatever people asked for. In the past, people just took what they wanted.

 

For lunch, we were given bagged lunches that were actually pretty good.

 

Needless to say, I felt very safe on set. The crew respected all the restrictions and everyone seemed happy to be there.  

 

I look forward to working on my next set, although this one will require two separate days of covid testing - sorry, nose.

 

Take care and be safe.

 

Posts Tuesday and Saturday

Coronavirus Lights, Camera, Action!

I worked on my first commercial yesterday since the coronavirus shutdown on Friday, May 13th.

California and L.A. County approved TV and Film production to resume on June 12.

Along with the approval came a host of new safety guidelines. According to the Hollywood Reporter this includes regular testing, symptom monitoring, staggered meal times, hand sanitizer, masks, and other measures.

On set yesterday, the crew and cast size were small. Three crew and one cast member (me), in one location and the same crew and three cast members in the second location. Everyone wore masks. The cast only removed their masks right before filming. Hand sanitizer was readily available and food was served on individual plates handed out by the cook wearing gloves and mask. It was very exciting as we were all ready to take that first step into production in the current coronavirus era.

An fellow actor asked if I had to sign a coronavirus waiver as a rumor had been circling that cast and crew would have to sign one in order to work. The UFC made all of its fighters and anyone who has worked their events over the last month sign one. I did not have to.

New essential acting tools.

While I was very happy to work Friday, I have read a number of reports that crew and cast sizes will be reduced for the foreseeable future. Stands filled with spectators like in Ford vs. Ferrari, mob scenes like in Penny Dreadful, concerts, high school pep rallies, protests, speeches, all of these types of scenes will not be filmed for a while or if they are, very differently. There is discussion about using CGI to create people in the background, more tiling, and reusing people for the same shot just using different camera angles or changing wardrobe.

Changes are a part of life. Being prepared is the key.

I am thankful that I was fortunate enough to work on the first day TV and film productions resumed. I hope that it is a sign of good things to come.

I hope that things are looking up wherever you may be.

Take care.

Posts Tuesday and Saturday

Coronavirus Hair For Hollywood

For the first time in 3 months, I got a hair cut. Yes, barbershops have reopened in Los Angeles.

The official date was May 26, but I held out until yesterday when work necessitated a clean up.

I needed to film a self-tape to apply for a commercial and knew that "The Old Man and the Sea" look had

Hair 3 weeks ago. Even longer before yesterday's cut.

to go.

Also, my calling service texted me that Governor Newsom and the entertainment industry came to an agreement on opening that will take effect June 12.

It was time to get serious.

I walked into my local barbershop to set an appointment for later in the day, but they were filled until the following evening. It seemed like a lot of people were itching to get rid of their shaggy, coronavirus looks. Seeing my crestfallen face (or my desperate need), they said that they could squeeze me in since their first appointment of the day had yet to show up.

Oh, the pressure. I really wanted to shower first, since I had just finished painting my bathroom the previous day (a long overdue coronavirus project), meaning that I hadn't showered in two days. But the barber didn't seem to mind and sometimes you just have to take the opportunity when it presents itself.

So I got my first hair cut wearing a face mask.

I showed her my Instagram picture of "my look" before the stay-at-home order and asked her to replicate it. She seemed undeterred and began shaping the wild hair.

It was such a pleasant experience, not just the haircut, but also the conversation with someone other than my immediate family members.

Once I got home, I debated shaving off the beard, trimming the beard, or going for a goatee. My wife and mother wanted me to keep the beard, but they were overridden. As I looked in the bathroom mirror, I received a call from a casting director. He wanted to book me on a commercial this week. Talk about timing. His answer regarding the beard, you don't have one in the photos we have in your profile. Enough said. Off went the beard

Quite a change if you ask me. What do you think?

Take care.

Posts Tuesday and Saturday