I don't look like a what?

[Aethian]

Okay so one of my big goals in life is to be a background actor. I just think it would be absoluty awesome and if I got a couple lines, even better. So it's time for the campus around here to look for actors for the class projects.

I went in to try out as a background person and LOOK!!! They need a mailman! Sweet! So I wait my turn and thank everything that it's my day off and I have time to waste in waiting. Finally it's my turn and I go in to talk with the guy about when I'm available and if I have any experience and so on and before long the end is coming and I get this...

Interviewer Guy: Yea I don't think we're going to be able to do this.
Me: I'm sorry?
IG: Well you just don't look like what we need?
Me: *laughing a bit* What not cute enough?
IG: NO! I mean...no. It's just I don't think you could pull off the job. I mean do you honestly think you could walk all day in all weathers?
Me: Yes...Yes I do in fact.
IG: Well...look I have another person who signed up for the part and if I don't like them, you've got it. Come back tomorrow after 3pm.
Me: Okay, I'll be coming from work then in my work uniform, is that okay?
IG: Yea, sure...have a good night.


NOW My fellow CS'ers, see anything really funny up there? Anyone? It gets better...

So I go back next day...after work...in my uniform...

IG: Oh hey! Thought you guys came earlier, it's not to late to send out these letters is it?
Me: *blinks and raises an eyebrow* A little, I'm off the clock.
IG: Oh, well what can I do for you? What here for the...oh....
Me: *nods lightly* Yea...
IG: I, um, gave it to the other guy. You don't think I could use your uniform could I?
Me: No.
IG: What about that bag thing you guys have?
Me: No.
IG: But I asked the post office and they said no.
Me: And?
IG: So...I need your stuff.
Me: So do I.
IG: Uh...
Me: I'm going now...you have fun with the other guy. Oh and to let you know...on the form we fill out it does let us list if we have current jobs...should have looked at it better.


Guy looked a bit upset then but hey...not my fault eh? Since I *don't look* like I could do the job.

[AdminAssistant]

Hm, from the use of the term 'background' I'm assuming this is film, right? Yeah, they're much pickier about physical type than us theatre folk are. And seriously, this guy needs a good lesson in the correct way to go about collecting props. There are catalogs and companies that specialize in uniforms for various civil service positions - police and so on.

[Nurian]

Hehehe, I love it. Hard enough getting a part sometimes. Can't believe he had the gall to ask you for your bag and uniform.

[BookstoreEscapee]

If the post office wouldn't loan him a uniform, what makes him think an employee of the post office would? Especially after he put his foot in his mouth like that?

Out of curiosity, if you did get the part, would you be allowed to wear your actual uniform, anyway?

[Aethian]

Out of curiosity, if you did get the part, would you be allowed to wear your actual uniform, anyway?

Nope. But then he might still have not noticed that I am a mail lady.

As for catalogs of uniforms these are very low priced deals since it's the college making them. So I don't know if they would have those catalogs or not. But I do know that in other places like NCIS, CSI, ect...they have gotten to use real uniforms, which they had to pay for, of course. Their badges however are never shown since they can't be issued one of those.

In fact an episode of CSI:NY showed a real post office with real postal carriers as background people.

But AA, background shouldn't have that should they? I mean people look all different so why not have a slightly different looking mail lady who only got two lines total. "Your mail mam." and "Have a good day." Thats it...I do that already...

Oh well still would have been fun.

[AdminAssistant]

As for catalogs of uniforms these are very low priced deals since it's the college making them. So I don't know if they would have those catalogs or not. But I do know that in other places like NCIS, CSI, ect...they have gotten to use real uniforms, which they had to pay for, of course.

One of the characters in the musical I worked on this summer was a sheriff, and the costume designer ordered all of his gear from one of those catalogs - complete with (non-locking) handcuffs and a fake gun. I do think there is a certification process before you can get access to those catalogs in the first place. According to my friend who was a costumer in Holly-weird, in order to access real military uniforms there are a few more loops to jump through.

On a related note, the same musical also had a character who was a post-mistress, and we did not costume her in an 'official' USPS uniform. We had to spend a lot of our costume budget on the Sheriff and the director felt that the fact that she was carrying around big stacks of mail and handing it to people was enough to convey it.

I do university theatre, and I totally understand budget constraints. But you have to find creative ways to work around it. Of course, the first rule of thumb when asking anything of anyone is to be polite about it, not demanding. (Of course, I have my own opinion of film academics in general. We just had a nasty departmental split from film and they've just been ridiculous. We've lost two staff positions and a TA'ship because of it.)

Aethian, you're right, with background it really shouldn't matter. In fact, it's better, I think, to have a wide variety of people. There could've been a lot of reasons for going with someone else. What jumps to my mind is that the other person they went with knew someone that knew someone. Or they just wanted a guy. Who knows?