When Corporate Shoots Go Wrong: An Actor's Nightmare | Ep 44

MAX: 00:13
Hello, I'm Max. I'm Sam. We are two unemployed actors. And a big show for you today, so keep listening. Yeah. We're gonna be talking about well, I had a QA with some producers who produce reality TV content, some interesting tidbits. Hey, at least there's production still running, even though it's not scripted. And the most fictional one out there. And also uh corporate gigs, some feedback after some uh after uh my first visit to SET to SET inverted commas since Christmas, since lockdown. So it almost feels real. Awesome. So yes, looking forward to my energy level just went from high 100 to like 20.

SAM: 00:51
What happened? I've got stuff to talk about. I've uh so which is always good for a podcast. But um yeah, that thing I spoke about last week about that uh shoot that I was asked to do for a motivational video, I did, and that was that was a lot of fun, so I'll chat about that a bit. Uh also got uh something else coming up. That's about it, and we're working along the listening face. It feels like everything is is starting to pick up again. There's a lot more auditions coming up and start now, a lot more talking. My agent I've been I've been chatting to, he said, you know, everything's speeding up a bit, so hopefully more stuff coming for you. It's great, isn't it?

MAX: 01:24
And see, so we've been keeping work fit as much as we can. Yeah, so when the opportunities come up, we're not like trying to ramp up and refine stuff, we're ready to ready to rock and roll. Send the opportunities our way. That was a legitimate call for help. Yep. Help. Call for help. Come on, we're hustling, we're hustling, we're becoming actors, we've got to hustle, hustle, hustle, hustle. 100% gotta hustle. So I I was speaking to when I was say I was speaking to, there was a QA organised by afters on Facebook Live. Anyone can join in. Okay, very cool. There's about 40 of us. A couple of uh reality producers, uh Janine Cooper, who who produces the Mask Singer in Australia. Oh, very cool.

SAM: 02:05
That's a reasonably reasonably new show in Australia.

MAX: 02:07
It is, it is, and Kathy Scott, Dancing with the Stars, for example. Uh and between them, like things like uh Master Chef and all that basically if there's a big franchise um they're tagged to it, including back to the days where they were doing the original, you know, Big Brother and stuff. So they've been in the biz for a while. Cool. Um, it was just really interesting, like what's involved from a producer level. Like you can imagine when you're when you're in the in the in the studio and you've got so many camera angles and it's all live and it's a 24-hour turnaround, like just referencing Big Brother, for example. Yeah, and you just gotta make these calls so quick on what's gonna work, what's not gonna work. Exactly. And and it particularly helps that they had the right talent on stage in in Gretel Colleen, uh, who they liked because because um her ability to like like if something went wrong, it's like you've got two minutes to fill. Fine, she could do it, and just adapt to it. Like you wouldn't you'd think it was planned, just watching. Very cool, which helps so much. I think I think it was really interesting to know just a bit more about what happens behind the scenes and all the the skill, the crew, etc. I think probably the most perfect show for COVID-19 is The Masked Singer. I mean You reckon?

SAM: 03:19
Yeah, oh right, yeah, yeah, yeah.

MAX: 03:21
And uh they were talking about how they have to go to such they don't reveal who they are, they have to keep the mask on.

SAM: 03:26
Yeah, they're COVID.

MAX: 03:28
Well, what yeah, what they did, what they do because they have to go to extreme lengths to keep uh keep them isolated from each other as well during rehearsals and stuff, yeah, as well as shooting. And no, they don't just walk around with that mask on the whole time. I was gonna ask. Basically, they're assigned uh a personal person who's just their person. Personal person probably not the right term.

SAM: 03:48
And it's a new one, I like it though.

MAX: 03:50
It's a critical job because if if it leaks out as to who the identity might be. So basically they go pick them up and then they put on their little hoodie as they come into the studio lot, and then they're escorted directly to their green room, and that is their room. They stay there. And of course, the talent we're used to used to going and socializing behind the scenes, having great chats and all sorts of stuff. No, so they're in their own zone because they can't interact because no one is allowed to know who's who. Yeah, right. It's that sort of secret y. And then on stage as they come on with the hood on or the mask on, depending on what they're shooting, like things like the crew can't ask them questions. Yeah, told not to, because they if they answer, you can you can I'd say help a doctor.

SAM: 04:30
No one knows, no one knows except for the producers of this personal person.

MAX: 04:34
So so the crew can't the crew can't sort of say, Oh, do you want a coffee or you need the voice changer? Those voice changes things. Yeah, yeah. If only Mission Impossible was real life. Uh but yeah. There's microphones that you distort the voice and that's how you answer back. Or the personal person can answer back. The personal person, but then they've got to how do they gonna tell the personal person in front of other people?

SAM: 04:54
No, you get like they go to the room and then leave and then go back. It's like a pa it's like an PA.

MAX: 04:59
Already we're experiencing some logistical issues that can be uh overcome to make good content for anyone.

SAM: 05:04
Yeah, no, that's hard, right?

MAX: 05:05
I just thought like it was really interesting.

SAM: 05:06
Um I mean that's even that's but the that's like even when the masks like when this is when there's no COVID for the mask singer. That's right, security. Exactly because exactly because if it gets out, it ruins the whole thing. If it gets out, it's like what's the point of the show. Exactly.

MAX: 05:21
The voice with celebrities. Um and I think uh it's really it was really interesting, just the logistics have got to go to because we're talking a lot of money. I mean, um like Ninja Warrior I know is around 30 million dollars to put on, and there's 150 million tied to that in terms of advertising revenue, etc. Wow, like these are huge franchises. So it was quite interesting, like things like um how tied are you to the original format? Because sometimes, like, look at Top Gear, uh British format, and then when we when they did the Australian, one of the producers was working on the Australian one, they were not allowed to deviate at all. It was exactly to the format of the British show, Do Not Deviate. Three hosts, same segments, you know, it's just basically Top Gear with an Australian accent. And and then yet with others, they're able to put like the first the first season, if it isn't broke, don't fix it, right? Yeah, you've got to do the format that you know works. Yeah. And then the second season, you can sort of stamp your own sort of uh you know, you can sort of shape it a little bit more to the local audience. Yeah, sure. And what sort of has worked here. Um, so it's kind of good without sort of losing track of the original franchise, obviously, because you're certainly paying a packet for that, for the rights of that. So that was that so I thought that was quite interesting. I mean, not hugely related to what I do, but it was just interesting. And there's these opportunities are still out there to sort of plug in, and you know, it helps you feel more engaged in the industry, particularly at a time when you're not at set or not auditioning so often. It's been busy with the voiceovers, it's a big jobs, it's been busy. Well, when I say auditioning, it was great last week to be in the room for real, um, auditioning rather than self-tapes. Oh nice. And then this week, I you look, I I put my hand up through the online platform. This is where on Star Now in Australia, this is where you know some of the jobs that come through, uh rarely are they quite big, but most of the time it's the sort of stuff that that that goes below the radar of the agent.

SAM: 07:19
Yeah, yeah.

MAX: 07:20
Um sometimes it can be quite rewarding, sometimes it can be for me to get more experience presenting to camera or reading an auto cue or whatever it might be. Yeah, or to build up a showreel of corporate work and and help get more work. Yeah. So uh it's certainly relevant and it's certainly I look, I've made a lot of money out of Star Now, I have to say. It's been quite good for me. Yeah. And anyway, look, this this opportunity came up. It was a half-day shoot, uh, corporate job. It did look small, and what I mean by small is you haven't got a production company there to do the content. Like I'm I'm shortlisted for one on Wednesday, it's a full-day shoot with a production company presenting to camera with auto queue. Like that's my bread and butter, that's my safe zone. I feel so comfortable doing that sort of stuff. Yeah. And you know they know what they're doing with the speed of the auto queue, the different shot lists they've got for the day, the b-roll stuff they need to capture, like just you know how to capture the sound, like all the little bits just fall into place. Everyone's got a job to do. You step in and start reading away to go. And you just know, and it's you know, and certainly more money and it's a full day and the rest of it. But when it's smaller, you generally have got them. And when I say them, like the people like in this case, it was the HR department because they're putting together it was two scenarios. One, the bad scenario, where I played the customer and someone else played the rep. Anthia was the actress, but she played the rep, and it was I'm more relaxed, and she's more relaxed, and I'll just mention the new stuff we've got to sell. And you said no, and I well, I tried, you know, and then out the door. And then the second scenario, I'm the professional rep trying to do everything right, negotiating the right way, using all the buzzwords, etc. 11 pages of script with all their specific terms. I know, I just had a micro sleep myself. But um, but uh I'm not gonna name the company or the or the category even, but uh, but look, they and they've certainly got some upside to deliver if it comes to the you know the bad versus the good. If they get closer to the good, there's money to be made. Um so look, you know, and they thought three hours, I'm like, and it was a fixed rate for an hour, and I'm like, once they started to explain to me how they were gonna film it, I sort of thought to myself, maybe I'll just politely move on and not take it up. And then because I knew basically it's you've got the HR director, the HR manager, and the junior, the the L and D person who's learning development and normally films this with the actual salespeople who don't know how to read the auto cue and the rest of it. And it looks a bit, it looks like it you can imagine, you know, it's a bit sort of fixed and you can see them reading and everything. And it's not as natural and relatable. So I thought because she's done a film course uh back in the day, um, she'll take it on board recording the sound, presenting the auto cues and and filming and everything else. And look at that, fine, but then when I just like, you know, maybe not, but then this the MD, one of the directors, and the HR manager, like I knew them and they knew me from my all corporate job. Yeah, right. My old corporate life, which still haunts me. And so I'm like, oh okay. Every time I go to the supermarket and get some Arnits, I've got to do it. Oh, I've got no flashbacks. Uh it's triggering, it's triggering, I'll three, no, go down, I'm three. Uh but then I've worked for Ferrero and chocolates, I've got to go down the chocolate aisle, I can't help it. Had great experience at Arnett, great experience at Ferrero. Cereboss was character building, and that's like coffee and tomato sauce and stuff. I don't go down those aisles anyway. Well, those are two ads combinations. And Kellogg's was the worst. Really? Kellogg's was the worst. Five years, you know, promoted every other year, pay rise every year, bonuses and that, but oh my gosh, at the end, I'm like, run. And uh just bad, bad. It helped it helped me to make the decision to get back into acting. Yeah, right. Well, that's good. There we go. It's a blessing in the world. So I don't get down the serial art, but I don't think anyone should eat that sugar and salt and shit anyway. But was it just what the work the work the culture, just everything, just everything. Yeah, right.

SAM: 11:15
Well, I actually have a similar story to um to who uh kind of like, or maybe I should just leave this one, this audition.

MAX: 11:22
Have a think about it while I tell you what happened yesterday. Because I'm like, okay, well, I'll do it now, I'll do it now. Oh, so and so's there and such. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember them. Yep, yep, yep, no worries. Okay, well, you know, I'm in, right? Yeah. So I turn up and uh I get an email middle of the night, literally 11:30 pm. And this is why I don't miss corporate. Uh it's okay if you're late tomorrow because I'm just the first hour's just setting up and you guys are reading through and the weather and everything, because the weather's gonna be crap. But me being me, you know, I I'm there 50 minutes early having a coffee across the road, just chilling, and uh walked in and uh oh vibes as I'm walking through a corporate office, you know. I know flashbacks triggering again. Um beautiful office, great view of the harbour. It's this beautiful new energy efficient building, and it's all about hot desking, even the MD doesn't have a have an office.

SAM: 12:11
Okay.

MAX: 12:11
Of course, there's only two people in it because of the plague. They're all working from home. They literally moved into this new building in November and then in January. No, you had to move back out.

SAM: 12:19
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

MAX: 12:20
They've got this great real estate, but it's grey on grey on grey. It's so depressing. Like, and the view because of the weather that was.

SAM: 12:27
That's why I really like because when I started, when I was uh had that day with Finch company where I had to deliver some stuff to their corporate clients for the year, like deliver Christmas presents and whatnot. That's right. I walked into so many cool hip kind of like if it was like a like a media company, which then most of them were media companies, bunch of like mid-20 year olds, there's neon signs everywhere, there's a black table.

Speaker: 12:52
It's like everyone just plays games and like there's no KPIs and they just get paid and they just have fun. Exactly.

SAM: 12:57
But it's not no, but it's like it's like in the films where you walk into one of those like like the in you know, like the internship or or how it's like or the intern with with Anne Hathaway and stuff, you have all those like they're just playing ping-pong. Yeah, and like we're earning money by the way. This is how we do it. It's so cool, it's so cool. Yeah. But uh also I had a I had a experience where uh so I applied for something through Star Now, and they did say that they were I'm not gonna say who they are, obviously, but um they did say that they were an amateur company, so maybe starting out or whatever. Okay, so once we both Jess and I applied because they needed a real couple like production company or amateur business requiring I think uh production company. Yeah, okay, okay. But so both Jess and I applied because they needed a real couple. Anyway, they sent back an email to both of us, which was great, but what they wanted for the audition was to film for both of us, both of us separately, um, so different scenarios. They wanted specific locations with specific props, specific close-ups, and specific sort of cinematography.

MAX: 14:02
This concerns me because maybe they would just want to take that film and use that.

SAM: 14:06
I know, plus plus another one with both of us in the scene, which means we'll need a volunteer cinematographer as well. And then also to see our previous work. And anything else? Blood tests or I actually I actually got quite I got quite angry at that. I know that maybe they're amateur and but I actually sent an email back, not passive, but I sent an email back kind of saying, like, you know, you're requesting all this. I did want to say we're not editors, we're not cinematographers, we're actors. Yeah. But I didn't. Um but I did say kind of like this can come off as a bit unfair and a bit uh Like the time you're asking for and the work involved. Exactly, and it and it feels a bit like you're exploiting the actors' ambition to get roles. And it's almost like I didn't say this. But it's almost comparing you can compare it to a theatre company that asks the actors to pay to be in it. Yeah, yeah, exactly. It's just exploiting them for what they want, and and I was quite disgusted by it, and I did but I did try and do say talk back to them. Constructively back. I said, look, that's why generally, you know, self-tape it's one shot. Yeah. Um I I realise there's not much dialogue in this in this particular short film, but there doesn't, you know, there doesn't have to be introduce yourself on the showroom or whatever. That auditions can vary, but to ask an actor this without sufficient compensation, yeah, whether that be payment or guarantee of getting the role, yeah, it's a bit it can be seen as unfair and a bit ridiculous. Um something along those lines. Anyway, she sent back saying, look, um we understand that blah blah blah, and and you can we'll we'll we'll be happy happy to for the couple scene for you guys to just send in previous work. These would be the scenes that we would ask you to do if you came in person. And I I actually didn't email back because that's not the freaking point. I know I know. That's not the point. And also if we were in person, you're not asking us to film it. That's the point. Um so that was a bit odd, and I don't I really don't like that. That's with exactly because some actors won't like people who aren't haven't done a lot of it, have a lot of experience, they'll do it and or they'll not ask for something and I think it happens with everyone to do it.

MAX: 16:20
No, it happens with everyone to an extent. You're doing their job for them. Experience sort of helps to ascertain what roles to go for, what not to go for, and you sort of build up the radar.

SAM: 16:29
But it seemed like a really cool film, but it's just they're it wasn't you can't do that, and you can't ask someone to do that without compens you know, like uh many callbacks.

MAX: 16:38
Because that's a lot of work that's unpaid, even if you get a job. But they're asking for close-ups and specific shots of stuff in everything.

SAM: 16:44
Asking for birds to arrive in one scene for the actress so then you can feed them needs close-ups. Why the f are you meant to do that? What? How are you meant to do that?

MAX: 16:53
Oh my god.

SAM: 16:54
Oh my god. I can't, I can't. Anyway, so that was great. But I had another shoot, uh, the one I spoke about last week, um with for a motivational video. That was very fun.

Speaker: 17:04
Did you feel motivated?

SAM: 17:05
I felt extremely motivated. No um I uh so it was actually at Sydney props. They hired a studio to that was funny. You can't get away from that place. But there was no one there that I knew. Like everyone was there was this one guy that I hadn't met yet. But anyway, we we we went up and we did it and I played so I played twins. That's right. And it was I Did both of you go okay? We both one of us was okay. But it was very cool and and and it can turned out really well. I'll send you the link so you can link it to the to our website. I'll put it on Facebook for everyone to have a look and love it. But it's one of those, um it's one of those uh almost like cringe motivational videos, you know they see all the time. It's like but it is a good-ish. It's good message. It's about a drunk, abusive father, two sons grow up in the same environment, but they both split off, one goes down a darker path, the other one becomes successful. They're just saying no matter what, you can control what you do. So that was really cool. And I met a few cool people and they get casual uh like they get the same people back in now and then. Um and I was paid for it, and it was great. It was a lot of fun. Perfect. Um, I pretended to break into cars, it was really cool. But I have another thing coming up. The guy messaged me and said, I've shortlisted you from like a thousand applicants and stuff for for this interview video sort of thing. Because I was confused. I was like, So do I actually do I have the role or do you need me to send a self-tape? And he said, No, no, no you got the role and all this stuff. So I'm like, oh cool. So that's coming up throughout this week and uh throughout the next few weeks, and he asked me how much I would like, and I said, listen. I'd love a million dollars. I would like let's start there. It differs from from how far I have to travel and also how long the shoot is. So what are you willing to pay me?

MAX: 18:43
And and as a as a guide, uh fortunately we have the MEAA, the union here in Australia, who publishes uh guides, whether it's voiceover rates or um rates for actors, depending on what you're doing. And it also includes, you know, for travel and rest of it. I think it's a great starting point because it gives you an idea of what what you know what the average would be.

SAM: 19:05
I generally just say like $800. No.

MAX: 19:08
And and it depends on the project too. Like I've I've let go ones where like they wanted me to narrate a a dubbed character, to dub a character in English on a cartoon. Oh, cool. And the project fee was X, and I'm like, okay, that's great. Like it was pretty small, but it was okay for what they're asking. But then I'm like, well, I want I need to be paid X to have it on for X amount of time. So it's like, you know, say $700 for three months, six months in this region. Um and then if they want to put it on again, they get paid again. So it's like a project rate, but also for when it's on, when it's actually being screened and when it's being shown.

SAM: 19:45
Yeah, exactly.

MAX: 19:45
Buy out isn't it's not yeah, sometimes there's some minimal rates, and then you look at the detail and it's like, yeah, we're we're full buyout, we're gonna own it, and we're gonna use it on social media advertising business, and we're gonna do it and they can do it forever. Yeah. For that one rate. That's you know, that's cheap. Yeah, it's a bit cheeky. And sometimes, like the Wednesday one that I've got on the cards for this Wednesday, the large corporate shoot, um, they said, you know, this is the rate, and it was generous, it was fine. Uh well, it was okay. That's the rate full double. And I said, okay, so this is for them to advertise and use internally for 12 months, included in that rate. And they're like, yeah, great. So I've got it in writing, it's for 12 months, because they didn't have that in there. Just to make sure. Yeah, I haven't. Because I've done that before, and it's fine. If you ask it, I'll I'll ask the client. And absolutely, and then there you go, and then you're invoicing every 12 months or six months or three months, depending on the agreement. Yeah, exactly. You just can't forget these things because while you're the face of a website that sells financial products, it's going to make it difficult for you to go and audition and get financial products. And we're talking quite a broad category here, uh, to get those gigs. Yeah. So you know it's quite important to remember when it comes to full buyout. Look, if they're using it internally only and that sort of stuff, like it's different. That's definitely. But it's something to be mindful of. Because sometimes the upfront money looks great, and certainly who doesn't need it as an actor, but but you might be allowing them to use your likeness forever on whatever they want. Yeah. Something to consider. So anyway, so to take you back to yesterday's character building day, um I got to test all of my patience and I got to test all of my diplomacy skills. I was fully acting there. Uh but I look what happened was we we introduced each other, we all sat down, and then I quickly realized this is gonna be interesting. So the first setup, we're in the room, we're about to go action, and then the automatic blinds come down.

SAM: 21:34
Oh yeah.

MAX: 21:34
And uh because it's an environmental friendly building, automatically these huge blinds that are in between two panes of glass just come up and down at great noise whenever they whenever the temperature changes slightly. So already I'm over this environmentally friendly building I'm talking to a friend yesterday who works in one of those buildings. It's like the bane of their existence is the friggin' noisy automatic light. So I'm like, okay, and and you think, okay, so what? But like we've we end up filming. A scene with the blinds down, then the blinds come up, and then we're waiting for them to come down again so we can get continuity because it's light and dark. And there's no lighting in the room, really. Yeah, there's one little LED light. We're like, well, we don't need this. I'm like, okay. And then um, we're wide up, so we had lapel mics. Um, I had the script, we're talking 13 pages total of you know corporate speak. And I'm not gonna be off book with two hours to prep and three days, but uh uh absolutely as much as possible, certainly the introduction where you're shaking hands and saying, you know, whatever, and just understand the business. Go look at the website, look at the products. It's so it's a bit more intuitive to you, and you're not sort of going to be. And so we're sitting opposite each other as you do with it as a customer and thing, and um oh, we're gonna use two teleprompters like so on my eye line on on Anthea's shoulder is is my teleprompter. Her eye line above my left, my right shoulder is her teleprompter, which we're talking two laptops. Goes to one, presses go, goes to another presses go, and they're running at two different speeds. So I'm talking, and mine's going faster, so I'm talking, she's talking, and it's like I don't look at you notes, don't look at your notes. I'm like, Are you sure? Because I'm I can cheat it. Like I can be, you know, Mr. Max, the bar, and I'm taking notes, and I'm looking at me taking notes and mm-hmm mm-hmm, nodding, but I really just looked at the next line to remind me what the you know, like I can do that sort of stuff. But I wanted to come in really super tight and didn't want me looking down at all.

Speaker 3: 23:33
Yeah.

MAX: 23:33
So I'm basically the frozen customer looking straight ahead. It's like, it's fine, it's what you want. So don't look down. You can move your notes, move your notes off so you don't looking down because I was looking down just because I'm writing notes. I was I'm I'm the character writing. No, so I just basically move my folder, you know. I'm looking at the teleprompter and then it started to get a bit more urgent as we get maybe two and a half minutes in, where my line goes and she's got a long list of stuff to talk about, and I'm watching my next line appear and disappear, and then line after that appear and disappear because mine's going faster, and once you get further into it, the gap is getting bigger and bigger. And I'm doing alright. I got up to like four minutes, and I'm like, because I'm remembering what happened two lines ago.

Speaker: 24:17
Yeah.

MAX: 24:18
And then I'm because it throws you off because I'm trying to be in the moment. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then I'm trying to remember, and I've got stuff that I remember, but then I'm reading off the it's there in front of me, so I'm trying to try. And then it got to the stage where I'm just silent and doing the nod. Yeah. As I'm waiting for the next line of mine, whatever is out of order to come up, and I just read that. And I just like, okay, we'll stop there. Um, okay, well, we'll just adjust the teleprompter and I'll you know it got to the stage where after two runs, she got the handy to have the director of HR um nearby. She's walked in now, she's operating the auto queue for the first time ever. So basically she's adjusting the speed arrow up, arrow down while I'm reading it versus Anthea reading off my shoulder. Like, I suggest I said, um, you could just do my close up and I just read off one auto cue. And then Anthony just reads notes to keep up. No, no, we're gonna use two.

Speaker: 25:08
Okay, okay, yep, but that's okay.

SAM: 25:09
Yeah, why didn't you not? As if the camera wasn't on the case.

Speaker: 25:12
No, that's fine.

MAX: 25:14
That's what that's that's okay, that's okay. That's what we're doing. No, no, it's fine. This is HR, isn't it? So I'm like, that's that's fine, that's fine. So I'm like, we'll do that. Maxie, don't Axie, shut the f up. That's what I learned. So, you know, there's one person and they're in control. And then I'm I'm so the next one comes to ground, and it's it's actually actually easier, but like it was a scenario that ran for like 12 minutes. Like the second one, it was massive. So I'm ready to be natural, it worked okay. And then the HR director leaves and just get a few bits and pieces. And then she's like, Oh, your your winds, your your my top of your microphone's on the floor to Anthea. She's looking on the floor, and sure enough, there's the it's it's the wind sock, you know, the the the wind deflector on the top of the microphone.

SAM: 25:57
So just not the not the whole microphone.

MAX: 25:59
Because we put on a little pells and then oh you win and oh Max, yours is on the floor too. I'm like, oh okay, so I'll just pick it up and put it back on. Um then she's like, I have to check the sound. And I'm thinking to myself, oh, for God's sake. And this laughter. Because I'm sitting, I'm not moving like a lot, but it might pick up a bit of the ruffling. So I'm listening, and actually the sound sounds okay. And sure enough, Maxi says, Oh, the sound sounds okay. No, it's not. We're gonna have to do it again. Like, okay, yep, okay. Maxie's reminded to shut the f up. Okay. Okay. I know you're trying to be helpful, I know it comes from a positive place, but stop talking. Yeah. All right, okay, yep, no worries, we'll do it again. And this is after one take, like you've done twice. Several. This is the third hour. And uh so hour three comes around, we've got to do that whole 30-minute thing again with multiple first of all tried with just her because uh CO was the uh director was busy, and that was a quite interesting thing.

SAM: 26:52
Why didn't they have a production team?

MAX: 26:54
Well, there was money, money, isn't it? So like I can put it. I did a film, I did a film school, so I'll just do this. I'm gonna save some money. So literally that's what I said, anyway. So then what happened? I'm telling the story about how on set once out loud so everyone can hear, because we're not supposed to be fiddling with the equipment about how I I explained how on set this there was six of us mic'd up, and one of them after cut and it was a wrap, just pulled the mic off, and you know, the lapels stuck to you. Sometimes sticky tape, all sorts of things that could hurt you anyway. But it was stuck to the clothing, and so to pull the wire, the wires come out, the mic still touched the clothing, and the look on the soundies face just like you could see the colour drain because like they've got more sh more sh stuff to do that day that like they're moving on, yeah, and that's not cheap, and now they're gonna have to put it together because I need the six mics, and I'm just watching all this and thinking all that, and the second going, uh don't make eye contact, just let them deal with this. I just walked away and heard them counsel the actor on that's okay, we'll we'll take the equipment, it's our equipment, and we're happy to aren't, you know. I'm just like, oh my god, you know, like seriously. So I'm telling this story, and I'm being like, Oh, happy Max is telling this story, so everyone can understand that we're not supposed to be looking at the wind socks and touching equipment and all this sort of stuff, you know. I'm like, it wasn't on our minds, like you just cli you you clipped it in and it was done. And we were wired to the desk because it was to a uh uh a phone that was recording the sound. Yeah. From and so you got the adapter and the two lapel mics, long wires and I wish I was a fly on the wall. Mate, that would have been amazing. It's like the office and 40 towers. And then I've I I I literally I'm telling myself every time I'll step from the desk, yeah, I'm I'm tethered to the desk. I can't like because I'll I'll I'm thinking I'm gonna ruin it. Exactly. So here I am being good mic boy for all the soundies out there. And and and no, it's like, oh, oh you guys have got to make sure that you keep those on. You've got to make sure you keep those on, okay? I'm like, uh, yep, okay, Maxie's been schooled. I'm like, I was about to say something like that, don't say it. Well, we're telling you. No, no, reveal, reveal. I was about to say, you know, it's not really our like we're trying to do a certain thing and it's not looking at the lapels and keep checking them like, I mean, you know, like sometimes you know how it drops. I get to a point. And you're about to walk on set and it drops, and you say to the sound, look, can I have a bit more gaffer tape or something? You know, like you're conscious of it, right? Yeah. And should I turn it on or is the battery should do why you turn it off while we have lunch just to save battery? Like you like you're aware.

SAM: 29:29
Yeah, it shouldn't be your job though.

MAX: 29:30
But like, seriously, she's playing me out about not.

SAM: 29:34
To a point on set. Just a quick tangent. I get to a point on set where I will actually explicitly be aggressive because it's a point where it affects me then. Yeah. My like everyone's time on set, but also my time on set, and it's just going too far, or and I'm just, I just thought, look, it's not my job to do that. I'm trying to concentrate on the I will say it.

MAX: 29:56
You hear these stories, and you're like, oh, I don't want to be that guy, you know, it's not my job, I don't want to die, but like sh it's expensive on set.

SAM: 30:03
Yeah. But like in not today, I was being slapped. Like we did several things of actually being slapped.

MAX: 30:08
Now that I don't that I don't work, it's okay. Yeah, but even then you don't hit the person.

SAM: 30:13
Yeah, true. You're only supposed to get like a foot close. I was happy with it. I was happy with it, but but it got to a point where it got to a point where he fed up his lines multiple times, and that's why we were doing several takes. And it got to a point where it did start to get frustrating because I'm being slapped in the face. And so I was like, no, no, like. Clearly you're not dealing with a professional, right?

MAX: 30:35
He doesn't want to do the lines, he turns up on set, doesn't know the lines, and he starts hitting you for real.

SAM: 30:39
Yeah, and I'm like, no more, like how many reds, no more. Like, that's it. Like, don't actually slap me if we're gonna do another take. Like I said, it was ridiculous.

MAX: 30:47
It's not cool, but like this lasted five hours. So I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, okay, Max, be quiet, don't say and then I said the story just genially to uh the other coaster, you know, just having a little chat, like this is what happened, blah blah blah, I know not to touch stuff that's too expensive, and yeah, you know, oh my and and then we're ready to go again, and then it's okay, I've got to call in the director again to play with the teleprompters, and oh well they they they it's it's difficult because they're reading at different paces.

SAM: 31:12
Who said that? The the director?

MAX: 31:14
The the yeah that well the direct the director of the HR guru. So I'm like I'm like we're reading at different paces because the teleprompters moving at different speeds, but I didn't say it. I why not? Do you know how hard it was? Why not? What were they gonna do? Really, I've been schooled several times. Max, shut up.

SAM: 31:31
You just gotta then you gotta get up above them.

MAX: 31:34
Like okay, we can do this, we can do this. We just plow on, and I'm watching the time tick behind, had a one o'clock appointment, just a couple suburbs away, and I'm watching that come and go, and I'm like, oh you know, I'm just like, you know, we can do this. It's okay. So, you know, and then I walked out and I invoiced them that afternoon. Like, to their credit, they paid it last time, it's paid already. And uh so really efficient, loved it. Happy to work with us in the future, blah blah blah. But like I guess it's a cautionary tale for those who look at these jobs and go, look, I need the money, it's yeah, a couple hundred bucks, you know, should be right. But there's so much more to it. And to to be in that world, like I made it, but it was like walking on broken glass to get there, to be able to look like this sales guy who's really professional, then getting a bit nervous, then then getting a bit closed, and he's gonna lose his sale, and then he goes in a bit harder, and like I'm trying to be that character in amongst the circus.

SAM: 32:30
It's just you look like an angry one, you look like you've got a shitty day one.

MAX: 32:33
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I feel like I should when I left, I'm like, I feel so invested in this contract. Like, I should be told if we get it or not, you know. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Anyway, so it was character building, but it's like this is what happens when I say so. When I say small job, I mean you're dealing direct and you don't have a production company. I've worked on small crews. I worked on small crews with Front Corporate Gigs where it is two people. One generally generally one sound and the other one sort of directing and operating the camera. Yeah. Because the sound is just so it's so you know, and uh and they and they're organizing lighting between them and that or it could be you know three to five, whatever, but then you know, some great soundstage moments with the professional crew, and we're doing it for a day, and it's and it's gonna look the way it looks, and it makes it easier for you to do your job, you know, because you can just focus on what you've got to do.

SAM: 33:22
Yeah, sure.

MAX: 33:23
As opposed to is that effing blind coming down again? Like really? Should I keep going? They haven't said cut, what am I gonna do? So anyway, so I I felt like I should come home and have a have a glass of scotch, but I was a good boy. Um and I had two. Wow, so anyway, so that's my so next week looks looks better.

SAM: 33:44
Yes, let's hope so.

MAX: 33:45
And the voiceover jobs are great. I'm having having fun. Yeah, new websites up and running. It looks good. I'm talking to uh potential interviewees to come on the show or put some already, so like there's more stay up things happening happening for two unemployed actors to find out. Listening for two unemployed actors to find out who they are. Indeed, indeed. It's gonna be exciting, not Fred, because although he's the producer, he doesn't like to talk on mic. No, as we know. He's not very chatty dude. No, he's not. But uh anyway, so that's us for this week. So learn from our experience, it saves you the pain and suffering.

SAM: 34:16
Just listen to us and you'll exactly so it may be it may be painful to listen to us, but it's less painful than being in the room. Yeah, you'll learn.

MAX: 34:26
That's not gonna make the next promo. It's painful to listen to us. We apologise, but hey, stick around. Listen, we're a podcast. There are some good bits. Yeah. I'm Max. I'm Sam. Thanks for listening to us again. We're gonna do that again. I don't know what happened then. Don't look at me, Fred. I'm okay, I'm okay. He's making sure he's a producer. I'm Max. I'm Sam. We're two unemployed actors. Thanks for listening to us again. Another great show down. Don't forget to subscribe and like on all the socials and favourite podcast platforms. Yeah. We'll see you next week. See ya.