Extras, Extras, read all about it

This is National Blog Post Month...or something like that. Actually, everyone's calling it NaBlaPoMo...or something like that too. The idea is that you are supposed to post everyday. Obviously, I am failing miserably. I never set out to try to do it...in fact I found out about it about a week into the month, but still, it seems lately I can't even be bothered to post about my own life, let alone read about other people's lives. Sad, but true right now. Here's the biggest thing that's happened to us in the past few days though.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week, the oldest 3 kids and I went to be extras on a movie. Scott and Mimi worked on the same movie about a month ago too. It's (currently) called Dolphin Tale and it is about a Dolphin named Winter who lost her tail when it got tangled in a line attached to a crab trap. She lost her whole tail and 2 vertebrae. But she learned to adapt. And now, she even has a prosthetic tail that has inspired countless prosthetic wearing humans, especially children, worldwide. As with all movies, the story line has been ummmm, enhanced a bit, but the movie has a positive, feel-good message. And it's in 3-D.

The movie stars Morgan Freeman (the only one the kids recognized, as he plays God in the Evan Almighty movies), Ashley Judd, and Harry Connick Jr. We got to see all of them, as well as several other main characters while we were there. It's funny. I don't really get star struck but that's what most people want to know about. I worked on TV (as a reporter and and off camera doing tech work) in high school, and spent 10 years at Disney working at the Studios and in other areas that involved high profile people, so I am fairly aware of how this stuff goes. And besides, they are all just people. People who make a crazy stupid amount of money for what they do, but just people. Except that one of the stars in the film seemed to think they were better than everyone else. It makes me sad when people are like that. It indicates to me that they aren't Christian, because all this stuff...fame, fortune...it's just temporal. It will all be gone someday, and in the end, we are all the same, except that the non-believers will meet a different fate ultimately. I'd rather have temporal lack and eternal salvation than temporal fame and fortune and eternal damnation. Of course, some people are lucky enough to have the best of both worlds, but that's the path God has for them. But back to the star thing...the reality is, being near them in the film increases you chance of being seen in the film, and so that is the only attraction to me, and really that was more for my kids to see some payoff after hours and hours of work....you know, a story to tell their friends and maybe their kids and grandkids someday. But the star we were near was the very self-important one, so at least the kid got a negative lesson in how NOT to behave.

What was really funny was the self-important EXTRA we encountered. He had a larger role than most extras, but really, he was just an extra. But to listen to him talk he was SOOOO important. He was young, and it was funny. All puffed up. "They called me for this" "I'm actually taking a pay cut to work on this" It gave Aunt Fanny and I something to ummm, discuss, during the long periods of waiting as we were shooting one scene. And some people were soooo pissy. It was a great study in human character. We did encounter many very nice people too. And we hooked back up with some folks who did the shoot with Scott weeks ago. The days were long-call time was 6:30 AM, and we worked 12 hour days for the most part. We stayed at a hotel on the beach, but we left before sun-up and got back after the sun set, so you really couldn't even tell. But they were offering a special rate for the cast and crew of the movie, so it was a good deal, and it was SOOO much better than driving back and forth 2 1/2 hours each way would have been. I'd show you pictures, but there aren't any since they aren't allowed on the set. I thought for sure there'd be some renegade ones out there on the internet, but I can't find any, so you'll have to wait until September 2011 to see the real deal.

I owe Marie, Kiwi, and Presley a HUGE debt of gratitude for taking Sari in for a day each. She was too young to go on the shoot, and the hubs had to work, so they were each kind enough to host her for a day. She had a great time at y'alls houses, and I heard all about it each evening on the phone!

Okay...off to bed for now.

Father, thank You for opportunities like this to step out of our day-to-day routine and do something a little different. Thank You also for the chance to earn a little extra money right around the holidays. And I thank You for the reminder that no matter who we are...or better still...who we THINK we are, we are all Your children, and You desire for us to act winsomely always. I pray You remind me of that truth often. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.

Comments

Laura O in AK said…
Wow! Being an extra in a movie is one of those things that sounds like a blast to me. They are wrapping up filming on a film by Drew Barrymore's production company, but I didn't audition for a spot as we were going to be gone for the first few weeks of shooting.

As for daily blogging, it takes a while to get up to that. At least, for me that is how it went. I unofficially started the daily blogging thing in June and only missed a few days since then. This month has seen lots of posts (including daily gratitude ones) so that I don't even want to see the # of total posts when the month is over.
Jen U. said…
Oh my goodness how fun and what a good experience for your family! But how very sad to hear about some of the stars in the film.

I didn't even know it was blog every day month. LOL!
~Jen Unsell

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