STRICTLY ON BACKGROUND, PT. 50: "JACKALS & FIREFLIES"

Last July, I submitted for something described only as Charlie Kaufman Short.  I knew of Kaufman as the writer of several movies my wife and I enjoyed, including Being John Malkovich, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, and Adaptation. He was also one of the writers of the short-lived, hilarious Dana Carvey Show. This as-yet unnamed short film, then, was definitely worth a shot.

A week or so later, I received an email from the production company asking for a brief video of me speaking about three things: 1) My favorite pizza place in the city; 2) My favorite kind of pizza; 3) The most New York thing I've ever seen. 

If you've lived here as long as I have, you'd know this is a tall order -- all three of those topics can change on an hourly basis. I had to sleep on it before calling "Action!" to myself as I walked on my block one hot summer morning. The following week, the producers let me know that Charlie Kaufman liked my video and wanted to hire me. Why do actors say auditions are so hard?

I cut the contact info to prevent any
unwanted calls from Charlie Kaufman fans.

One costume fitting and four weeks later, I got off the Q train at Canal, and walked a few blocks to Walker Street, which, until that moment, I had never trod upon. In fact, I had never even heard of it.

This was also the first time I learned the name of the project I was working on: Jackals & Fireflies; I incorrectly assumed was a codename for something more, how you say, straightforward.

No youngsters need apply.

There were only four extras in this scene. We were playing -- and this was a stretch -- movie extras. Just to challenge our skill, we were dressed for the 1960s. Around 8:00 p.m, we were ushered across the street from our holding area, the Walker Hotel. Jackals & Fireflies was to be "filmed" on a new Samsung phone. As part of a possible viral video, we were also filmed videotaped digitized scrolling through the same style of smartphone.

Charlie Kaufman sets up a shot while I'm
apparently trying to keep my head from 
falling off.

That was our only physical activity of the evening. When the time came for the real work to start, all we had to do was stand in line. Charlie shot our scene several times, from different angles and distances, while somebody else took footage for the "Behind the Scenes" preview that would promote Jackals & Fireflies' official release. We were finished by 10:30 or so.

Entertaining the ladies with my witty banter,
while the other guy tries to ignore me.

A few weeks after Jackals and Fireflies' Sundance debut last month, two 90-second trailers appeared on YouTube. Oddly, in neither did you see us "using" our phones. There was a shot us chatting as the crew set things up; we kind of look like cartoon characters come to life.

Edward Hopper has nothing on us.

Earlier this month, the full-length 20-minute Jackals & Fireflies appeared on YouTube. I can't swear that I understand exactly what it's all about, other than star/writer Eva H.D. is narrating while walking through New York City. We appear around 12 minutes in; the bigger your TV screen, the easier it is to make us out. The whole thing looks great, though, especially for being shot on a smartphone. 

At least we're in alphabetical order so I come first.

I've since worked with each of my fellow-extras-as-extras at least once since then, giving
us a kind of bond that this work usually doesn't provide. Unlike other jobs, we were directed by the director, not the A.D.  And maybe, just maybe, Jackals & Fireflies will be nominated next year for Best Live Action Short. It's enough for me to forget that my last name is misspelled in the closing credits. 

I'm in good company: in Annie Hall's final credits, Christopher Walken's name was spelled "Wlaken." I understand he's done OK since then.

                                                       ***********

Jackals & Fireflies can be seen here: https://youtu.be/yWdIcBxW4mc

I have no idea how it got me the gig in Jackals & Fireflies, but if you're interested in seeing my "audition" video, go here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/SXkEVCuXnexnsYAS7