Saturday October 06, 2012
Audition
I had submitted for the USC student film project Marsell; the project's writer/director sent me an audition invitation, a Saturday morning audition creating no issue with my local-time 5-7pm weekly radio show The Paranormal View co-hosting duties.
As always I arrived early and, the role being that of a package-delivery man, I wore my khaki outfit I'd acquired for custodian, groundskeeper and security guard type roles.
The shoot would be the weekend, either Saturday or Sunday, of October 20-21st.

Thursday October 11, 2012
Callback
Callbacks for student films are extremely rare, but the director invited a handful of those she wanted to see again.
I took precautions due to precipitation (I don't quantify a few droplets officially as Rain, even if more persistant than a mist), and arrived, finding the different campus building with enough time to change into the khaki outfit. I had brought the light colour clothing in a plastic bag in case Actual Rain kicked in.
After the director finished up with a fellow before me, I came in and we ran the short script together, which consists of a few lines, both off-screen (outside the door), and the other on screen as I enter. The director and I spoke of the shoot, still scheduled for the same weekend (I told her I'd had Set Aside that weekend's date/s, Just In Case), the shoot would be in a private domicile in a loft area downtown, in a neighbourhood to which it would be enough for me to get.
As I went to leave, the director and I indicated even if I wasn't chosen for this project, she has my information for future projects. As she went to close the door she comically stage-whispered: "You've got the part..."

Monday October 15, 2012
Scheduling
The director contacted me with details on the weekend; a few hours Saturday morning rehearsing, then shooting on Sunday.
Cast in the lead role was working actress Dianna Miranda, whose demo reels convey her considerable talent.
Sunday Diana would have an 11am calltime, mine being 1pm, with a scheduled wrap time of 6pm (and apparently a 2pm lunch; with a McDonalds around the corner, I would not have to go far if I had to forage). This seemed probable; if she has a good shot-list planned out, and the rehearsing helped demonstrate how Sunday can go, it was clear the script was indeed short enough it might only take a few hours to get all the coverage in the can.
The director indicating having acquired a patch that could be double-stick-tape affixed to my khaki outfit shirt to reflect my being from a delivery service.

Saturday October 20, 2012
Rehearsal
It was an easy location east of downtown Los Angeles, one block away from the route 60 7th Street/Mateo bus stop. The director greeted me at the door and led me back to her sister's impressive loft at which we'd be shooting the next day. I met Dianna, who volunteered that her husband is the show runner for one of my favourite shows, Dexter, even once Dianna having appeared thereon.
We filled out some of our USC paperwork (the rather pointless medical information form; the actor release forms would be provided and handled the next day). ran through our scene together at the door a few times, and the director was able to plot out what shot would be where, as apart from writer and director, she was the project cinematographer. I left with her my shirt so at some point overnight she could affix the delivery patch onto it (the aspect of which for some reason never actually did get done)..

Sunday October 21, 2012
Shoot
The director provided us with the callsheet, as well as the day's shot-list, also asking about food allergies and the like. I provided her with my likes and dislikes, none of which from either was provided; thankfully I knew of the nearby McDonalds at 7th and Alameda so stopped there first, still arriving at 11:35am for my noon calltime. At 12:05pm, Jay Cohen came to the front to escort me to the back as understandably, no one had their phones audible to hear my incoming text/s that I'd arrived.
As Heiki had indicated the day before, the short was filmed pretty much in chronological order. Jay and Yuchen Yang were the crew, along with make-up artist Andrea Lamparello, who did Gabriel Cifarelli and Dianna's special effects make-up (I was fine, as generally is the case when it's Just Me).
The film was scheduled to wrap at 6pm; my sequence was completed by 5:15 or so, which included the scene with Dianna and some voice-over lines recorded without video. Dianna still had a few pick-up shots to do after I was wrapped; Gabrielle was wrapped after my film was shot and before I did the voice-over lines.
During the day it was discussed the hope of the film hits the film festival circuit, and it looks like it should quite good when it's completed.
The director emailed us later, thanking us all for our work, indicating some still included but somehow the photos didn't properly attach to the email. As it was I took a few behind-the-scene shots myself for my Facebook group and for this page.

Sunday December 16, 2012
Complete
The director contacted me that the film was finished, and provided me with a .mov file that my computer's QuickTime and Nero player couldn't handle. She assured me she would be sending me a hardcopy DVD, and provided me with a Private Vimeo link at which to view it online, from which I was able to get a few frame-grabs. My on-screen time is about as brief as I expected for the well-done 4:13 minute short.
I look forward to learning when it is accepted at film festivals.