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| "... And be sure you get his hopes up before crashing him on his head!" |
Extratus, the angel of background of actors, once again has had a jolly laugh at my expense. A week before work began on what was supposed to be my big comeback, I received this text:
Due to COVID restrictions the number of talent allowed on set is very limited and unfortunately as of now, we are unable to use you for the shoot. We will be in touch if anything changes. Thank you for being patient and for all your hard work.
This wasn't entirely unexpected. Within four weeks of the shutdown, word from insiders was that there would be a new sheriff in town once work restarted: fewer and younger extras would be required on all productions -- older folks being more susceptible to dying on set from COVID-19.
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| "Come on over! If you've got three grand laying around." |
In all union shoots, 25 extras have to be SAG/AFTRA. While I was qualified to join a year after I started, I wasn't working enough to justify the costs, which included $3000 upfront for the privilege. As for my age, I qualify for Medicare on my next birthday. Congratulations?
The scene I was supposed to have worked on, which was originally slated for last March, would have had over 100 actors. While such a job was not unusual pre-COVID, it was unthinkable today and for the foreseeable future, even with a vaccine available.
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| Floyd Bennett Field without make-up. |
While I have no inside knowledge of how many people would now be hired, it wouldn't necessarily be crazy for the production to figure out a way to make, say, 40 people look like over double the amount. Hey, I worked on a mini-series (yet to air) that substituted the Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn for the Israeli Air Force Academy, so anything is possible -- particularly with green screen and, if necessary, a little CGI.
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| If D.W. Griffith were around today, the studio wouldn't tolerate Intolerance. |
Like I said, a scene with 100 wasn't out of the ordinary, but nor was it the rule.Figure the average number was somewhere between 25 and 50. If I didn't make the cut for a large scene, the odds of my getting hired for smaller ones just shrank by at least 50%. Because now that 25-50 headcount is likely closer to 15-25.
Many non-union folks, then, will be put out to pasture. Older non-union like me will be led to the glue factory, if only to get a good whiff. A decision had to be made, one that would hasten my (temporary?) exit from show business, but would save me some dough.
Background actors belong to Casting Networks, a website used by casting agencies. For a monthly fee, we post an unlimited number of photos, along with our specs and resume. It's an invaluable resource.
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| I'm positive I dropped a hundred bucks for no reason. |
That is, if you know you're going to be working. For reasons I still don't understand -- deranged optimism, I suppose -- I kept up my membership for the nearly six months productions were closed. But once I was let go from the show last week, it was clear that this would be more the rule than the exception.
And so, with a heavy heart (and lighter wallet), I cancelled my Casting Networks membership. They countered with a two month offer at half the price, but I passed. Why prolong the agony of gangrene when an amputation is necessary?
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| Batman in quarantine. |
And it's not like this is necessarily permanent. Next spring, I'll take another look at any progress that might have been made. All I can say now is that several productions in L.A. have already shut down for two weeks because of COVID outbreaks. Recently, The Batman closed up until its star, Robert Pattinson, recovers from the virus.
I ask you: if Batman is taken down by COVID-19, what chance does a skinny 64 year-old non-superhero?
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