A DAY AT THE OFFICE

Sometimes people ask me what it’s like to work in the Film Industry doing what I do.
Many think it’s fun and glamourous and that there’s lots of sitting around doing nothing.
Well, it can be fun and glamourous and there might be some times when you have to wait for hours while other crew members set up and such, but let me reassure you that it is NO picnic!

You see, I don’t rock up to work at 8:30am and sit behind a desk until lunch when I enjoy a one hour break then return to the desk and continue until 5:00pm when I leave and go home, cook some dinner, potter around for how ever long, then go to bed.
I don’t get to just switch everything off, including my brain, and then leave.

Of course all the people who currently work in this Industry will relate to exactly what I am saying here but there are a lot of people who aren’t aware of what we do.

So for all those who would like to know?
This is a basic breakdown of a day in my field of work on a low budget project…
(This doesn’t differ much from when you are working on a big budget project except for a few things here and there.)

3:00am – Wake up, get ready and check that I have everything needed for the day.
4:00am – Travel to location.
4:30am – Arrive to location and set up.
5:00am – Hair and Makeup begin - most of the time I am making up a couple of actors at a time.
7:00am – Be on set, which may be quite a distance away.
The next 5 hours is spent running back and forth from set - retouching makeup’s to off set - doing other actors makeup’s, keeping track of continuity, setting up any SFX rigs and doing any SFX makeup on set and off set when required. Sometimes changing locations when needed.
12:00pm – Lunch - supplied at the location.
12:30pm – Hair and Makeup revision, retouches (especially mouths) and more actors’ makeup’s.
1:00pm – Be on set, sometimes in a different location from the one prior.
Again, the next 5 hours is spent running back and forth from set - retouching makeup’s to off set - doing other actors makeup’s, keeping track of continuity, setting up any SFX rigs and doing any SFX makeup on set and off set when required. Sometimes changing locations when needed.
6:00pm – Dinner, if you’re lucky - supplied at the location.
6:30pm – Begin “wrapping” the talent, removing Makeup, any prosthetics and Hair styling.
7:30pm – Pack up, clean work area and liaise with Producer, AD’s and Director about next day.
8:30pm – Travel home or to where you are staying.
9:00pm – Clean and sanitise makeup kit, brushes, tools, wash towels and hang to dry.
– organise makeup kit, brushes, tools and anything else required for the next day’s shoot.
10:00pm – Go to bed, if you can.

Repeat this, 5 – 6 days a week for however long the shoot period is.
Add to this - very strict time pressures, handling a wide gamut of creative personalities including some really needy actors, running everywhere, carting makeup bags everywhere, having makeup, blood and hair up to your elbows, constantly washing your hands, standing in broad searing sunlight or freezing cold dark for 14 hours, hearing your name called at least 100 times a day, supervising any assistants you may be lucky to have and remaining pleasant and approachable at all times.

As you can see, to have a career in this Industry, being talented and well connected is a must but stamina, patience, passion and massive sacrifice plays a more major role.

And yet, if I ever do apply for a normal 9 to 5 job, with all my professional and personal experience – I don’t even get a reply from the employer. Hilarious!! Rude!! I say, “Work one day on set with me and see how long you can last”.

Now I am not saying that the average job is not stress filled and tiring but it does kinda make you laugh when you hear a desk jockey complain about how tired they are or how bad their day at work was.

But hey…

Apart from all of this, and call me mental if you wish, I LOVE this Industry and I LOVE working in it!