the magic of movies

here's what's scheduled today:

pre-call with two actresses for hair and makeup at 9a, but the lead actress needs a 12-hr turnaround, so she can't go into makeup until 11:30a.

our makeup artist is about to have a nervous breakdown, has never worked in film, is about 50 years old with a background in print and commercial work and thought this would be a fun experience - she doesn't think that anymore. she called me last night and said she wants to just leave it behind. funny thing, we don't have enough money to offer the position to anyone else, and no one else would do it anyway. so i begged her to continue at least for a bit and i promised that we would only use her for a limited time everyday to set everyone's makeup and then a pa (or me, more likely) would take on the responsibility of powdering once the actors arrived to set.

so now i'm just hoping she doesn't leave while waiting for the lead actress to be ready with her turnaround.

that's at the crew house, where pre-call will take place.

call isn't until 10a. i get to pick up breakfast from our caterer because we're filming at a television station and it seemed too questionable and confusing with codes and gates and all that. so i'm picking up breakfast and heading to set.

we only have this set from 10a until 2p, and yes, we can't get our lead actress into makeup until 11:30a, which means she might not arrive onset until noon, if we're lucky - and if our makeup artist doesn't call bullshit on waiting around for two hours for an actor who requires a turnaround.

then we have a walking scene to take place on the sidewalk. it's a few blocks from the television station, so we're asking extras to meet us at tables of an outdoor restaurant.

oh, and it's raining.

and there's no cover set.

so we're filming this no matter what.

then, for lunch (if we actually finish filming by 4p when we have to call lunch) will be at the crew house with a three hour window before we can get to our next location at 7p, which will be filming exteriors of a coffee shop, which we're actually not allowed to set foot in until 10p, when they close, but to help with the schedule to we decided to move exteriors to tonight. only thing, yes, still raining, and no, we don't have a holding place at this location until 10p, when they close and agreed to let us use the space.

i've called and texted my brother who lives near that coffee shop to see if we can hang at his house until they close and we can go inside...i haven't heard back from him yet.

and we have an actor landing tomorrow, who's sag, which means she requires per diem and more money than we have and i want to halt production. today. and the producer continues to text me and ask if i'm joking.

other than that, this is the best thing ever....