2011 Set Lesson # 1...CHILL OUT!

a few weeks ago, one of my children had a multi-day booking. Yay was my first reaction. She was hired by a cool new director who is represented by a huge production company. Why is that important? Because producers remember good talent, and will invariably bring you back for other directors.

Anyway, I learned something profound about myself during these shoot days. I realized that when I arrive to set, I have a mindset that all things will go according to “plan”. Hmm, what plan? Whose plan? From the moment of the wardrobe fitting, I felt uncomfortable. My child was not given one of the “main”costumes to try on, rather,they gave the all black outfit for the “behind the scenes action”. I could feel myself winding up, feeling neurotic. Is it possible that my child had an audition, callback and a fitting, all to be downgraded to an extra?!?!? My emotions were all over the place. If that were to happen, my child would only earn about $600/day! That, in my mind, was not enough to occupy 3 of her days AND 3 of mine!

Fast forward to the end of day 1. I had worked myself into a tizzy, looking at the shot list to see where my child landed. I even saw that mine was slated to wear the outfit where the face was hidden!

I couldn’t get any more wound up when I realized three things:

1. We are where we are supposed to be
2. It’s not that deep
3. I am surrounded by wonderful people that I could get to know 
So, at that moment, I shifted my paradigm, grabbed a popsicle and relaxed. I visibly eased up and began to have a great time. On my way to craft services, (yes...I snacked my way thru the day) I bumped into the director and had a chance to chat with him about his work. VERY COOL. And when it was all said and done, I met some very cool parents, my child made new friends, AND ended up wearing a cool costume to shoot the closing scene of the commercial!

Funny how the universe works! After feeling all of those emotions, I realized that I needed to reconfigure the “plan”, flip what I expect.

The next shoot, which was right around the corner gave me an opportunity to do differently...And I did!

I decided to EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.......

and I was pleasantly surprised!