Air Pollution!

 For my next job I was asked to consider the post code before confirming that I could take it on. It was to be in a place called Bentwaters. This was  an area I knew well as I had performed in a play for 3 weeks there two years before.

http://www.bentwatersparks.com/

Its an  old USA military base with several building such as Bomb Stores, Aircraft Hangers, Control Tower and runways. It also has it's own museum and church - worth visiting if you ever get the chance

 http://www.bcwm.org.uk/

Now, as I said, Bentwaters is a series of aircraft hangers which are not all that well marked, so on arrival I asked  a man, standing outside a hanger, if this was the right place. It was. I parked the car and proceeded to tell this man about how I knew the place and about the play I'd performed in. It wasn't until later that I realised I'd been talking to Sean Pertwee! This was a corporate for an electronic cigarette.

I was in smart business attire again and within no time at all, myself and fellow S/As (Supporting Artists) were freezing in this unheated aircraft hanger. We were sent off down a runway (you can't help but look behind you when walking down a runway!) to a small cafe on the base. Having finally thawed out we were summoned back to the hanger where there was a green base ready to be walked on. We took off our shoes and had to move around in selected groups after Jon had presented his set piece to camera. The movements were very specific and we were moved to various positions but had to always remember the previous positions. Most people were concentrating but somebody couldn't stop chatting away even though the Director was trying to give us direction. I have no objection to anyone having a chat EXCEPT when the Director talks. Looking round, I discovered that it was an elderly couple who were, to put it mildly, showing off to some younger, inexperienced S/As. Eventually, one chap said to them

"You are missing your direction"

This was a little too polite for my liking so when they just ignored him, I found myself shouting

"Shut Up!" whereupon, they finally got the message!

Everybody else there were very professional and because we all pulled together (after the talking had ceased) we wrapped at 2pm having started at 10am. What a perfect day!

Coffee Time!

"Can you do a Vox Pop for a Corporate?"

Now a Vox pop is where you are asked questions in front of a camera and it all looks very real and off the cuff. In reality, you either have a script, given an idea of the questions or as in this case, the questions sent out the night before. I had previously performed a  couple of these the previous year AND for the same Director so I was very pleased to be asked again. This was to be about a certain coffee brand.

It was a freezing cold but beautifully sunny day in January and was to take place in Covent Garden. The actual address was a little, shall we say, on the fluid side so I headed for the actors church (St Paul's) in Covent Garden which is set in a  central position. It wasn't long before the other  two actors joined me. We stood in the foyer for a while listening to some chamber music being played inside.  The Verger came over and told us to use the premises (without  filming)  as our own. Eventually, it dawned on us that although we were here, the crew weren't - where was everybody? We went outside to the front of the church and soon spied the camera, mic and crew. We introduced ourselves to the crew and to the representative from the coffee brand. We were then asked if we had seen the latest advert. Oh dear...well, we had but none of us could remember much about it and actually, it could have been any coffee brand because none of us could put the brand name to it.

Of course, having a camera crew in the middle of Covent Garden attracts a lot of attention especially from the resident busker who was more than a little vocal about sharing his spot with us...  We moved on to just outside the transport museum instead. The first guy was up and running - what coffee did he like? Name a special moment that included coffee. What did he think of the advert etc etc. I was up next. Now, it's simply no good putting me in front of a camera and telling me to start talking. I can talk for England. It's getting me to stop that's the problem! I seemed to have to do a lot more than the previous guy but I chatted away whilst looking at the advert via an iphone and browsed through the paper despairing of other adverts that were very art directorish but mean nothing to the general public. I spoke about family, silly anecdotes, special coffee moments...well, they were all made up but surely that's the life of an actor!