THE THREE ALARM FIRE: THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF A COMMERCIAL SHOOT
I booked my first union commercial job in college.
And the morning of the shoot, I woke up fifteen minutes
AFTER my call time.
Yeah, I can hear every single actor out there suck in some
panicked air. I still remember just…staring at that digital clock by my bed. It…couldn’t
be…I, no….couldn’t…..(jump cut to a terrifying, illegally fast drive to Detroit to park up on a
curb to find about twenty people WAITING AROUND on set. Can you even imagine
the silence?) Oh, and did I mention I didn’t bring the clothes I was supposed
to bring? Another blog, another time.
After the shoot, I returned a jacket to an older,
distinguished actor who lent me his spare for the shoot. I apologized again. He turned to me and said: “You’re the reason people hate actors.”
And you know what, he was right.
Time is currency in business. And if you want to rock in the commercial business, play by this rule: always show up 45 minutes before your call time. This gives you time to achieve the 3 M's before the audition: make calls, memorize the directors name, and meditate.
- But back to that college job. After that fateful, horrible, but ultimately huge learning experience (remember 2 burns = 1 learn, check out that blog here) I NEVER showed up late for a shoot again.
The night before your shoot, you want to set the three alarm fire:
- 1 Set a phone alarm
- 2 Set a separate clock alarm
- 3 Have a friend, trusted relative, or accountability partner call you
You’ve got a huge day
ahead of you, a day you’ve been visualizing, preparing for, perhaps even dreaming of for years. Show up for yourself. And show up on time. Be the reason people love actors.
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