Monday, August 6, 2012

True story

There I was the other day, wandering through the local massive 'mall', buying up on what few wintery items of clothing I could find for our trip to Sydney over the rest of this month. Challenging, given we're in the throes of summer right now. Not many shops have started stocking autumnal gear yet, but fast-growing kids and me being 16kg lighter since last (northern) winter has meant a need for new clothes. Damn these opposite seasons.

Being kids-free, I was in a daydream when a woman crossed my path, with a very expensive-looking camera strapped around her neck, and possibly the longest lens I've ever seen attached to her dangling camera. I couldn't help but do a double take.

I continued on up a nearby escalator, when I felt a tap on my shoulder, and it was the camera lady.

She introduced herself, and explained that she was doing preliminary casting for a print commercial for... a pharmacy? Oncology? I can't remember. At this point my mind was spinning, wondering why on earth she was telling me this.

The next words to come out of her mouth had my jaw falling to the ground.

Her brief was to find a woman, about 35, who looked like... well... me.

The shoot would pay $3,500 and she was just grabbing a quick photo and details of women today but would I "possibly be interested in that sort of work?"

Would I be interested in more than three grand for a day's work? Uh... WHERE DO I SIGN UP???!!! What's to think about?

I nodded, and - attempting to sound as cool as possible - asked when the shoot would be taking place.

Turned out the shoot would be at the end of August... when I'll be in Australia.

Bugger.

Hilarious, too. The old cliché of being approached by a casting agent in an L.A. mall? Me?

But you know, I'll take it as a compliment. A nice little boost to the old self-esteem. Confirmation that this gym and calorie-counting malarkey has helped me become a 'bit of alright'.

Thirty-five hundred bucks would have been pretty sweet, though...

4 comments:

  1. Ah that sucks! What a cool way to boost your self-esteem though! I know what it feels like, the same thing happened to me once and I gave the woman my OLD phone number - I didn't realize until the next day. I was kicking myself. Anyway, maybe you should sign up with an agency while you're in LA!

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    1. Oh no! You must have been kicking yourself!

      Even if I believed there was a chance of other similar work offers coming through, I don't think I could be bothered. That kind of work generally sounds like such a pain to be chasing up and driving all over town for. I'm too lazy!

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  2. Oh my God!!!!!!! I can totally believe it happened as you are rather eye catching but what rotten luck that you won't be there for it. That would have been so awesome. I'm just gobsmacked but in a really good way.

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    1. It was a nice to boost to the ego, and gave me a good reason to smile that day, for sure. Easy come, easy go, eh?

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