Dexter Walk-On Role

I won the 2008 Dexter Walk-On Role competition.

One of the first things I did was check the Showtime website to see what fans were saying, and many of them were saying how they wished they would win. I felt kind of guilty that I had won, especially considering I was Australian, working in the film and TV industry and already living in LA!

Some weeks later, I received a letter from an agency to say I was the potential winner. Just fill in some legal forms. I did that, and soon after they said I won! I would be informed about a month before I would go on. They said I could bring a friend. I asked around and my friend Suzanne said she loved the show so when I invited her, she was thrilled.

I didn't hear from them for months, then in early July they called me to say I would be going on in the week of the 28th July! They didn't have an exact date yet. They also offered me a plane ticket and hotel stay, but since I live in LA , I said unless the hotel was some fancy one like the Beverly Wiltshire, don't worry about it. They called back and said it was the Beverly Wiltshire - OMG! 2 nights stay including breakfast. How could I pass that up!?

Finally, the week before, they said it would be the 29th and I would stay in the hotel the night before. The day came and they picked me up in a stretch limo! (Note my cool Sketchers 'skull' shoes in the photo - click to enlarge.) It was a great ride through the Hollywood hills and the hotel was fancy indeed. I took a stroll down Rodeo Drive and bought a nice bright pink top from one of the more reasonably priced stores.

The day arrives!

Next morning, I packed and had a fancy breakfast at the hotel. At around 11am I was dropped off by a town car at the side gate of Sunset Gower Studios. I called my contact and he took me to an office where I filled out some W2 forms and non-union form. I asked him if it will be a victim role and he said "No only walking role." I guess if I were to be a victim it would have probably been real acting role. He then instructed me to go round the side to where the wardrobe trailer was.

Wardrobe

I stood in line for my costume, had to wait for the regular extras to get theirs first because they had pre-organized clothing for the different 'days' of the production. I met a few other extras, most of whom were going to be detectives and cops. I did recognize a couple from the show.

Then suddenly the earthquake happened! The wardrobe trailer was rocking left and right like a banshee and the door closed shut on the wardrobe woman! People were discussing it even while it was still going on, the event lasting around 10 seconds or so. One of them asked me if I'd experienced others in LA because they'd recognized my Australian accent. I replied that I had 2 previous times. The fact that there was an earthquake whilst I was on the Dexter shoot was an event to remember indeed!

The wardrobe woman gave me some khaki capris and also gave me a striped handbag. I got to wear my own pink top I bought on Rodeo Drive. She loved my skull shoes so I got to keep them too.

I finally caught a glimpse of the main actors as they came out of their trailers and milled around - Jennifer Carpenter, Lauren Velez, David Zayas and Rita's little boy Preston Bailey. I also saw a couple of little people whom I thought were from another show.

Studio 16

I was introduced to the PA and he took me inside when the outside beacon light stopped flashing.

I met up with Suzanne and watched the action in Rita's House set. We viewed the shoot from outside the actual set, in a tented monitor area. There was Michael.C.Hall (Dexter) acting out a scene with Jimmy Smits (Miguel). We noticed immediately how good Michael.C.Hall was. He performed his lines without a hitch and even varied them a bit to give the director choices to work with. The technicians gave us both some directors chairs up close to the monitors so we could view it better. It was as if we were watching a Dexter episode, over and over!

Lunch

At 1:12pm we broke for lunch and walked to the cafe. Michael informed us we had to be back at 2:12 - funny how he was so exact about it. I ordered a club sandwich and an ice lemon tea. Some of the extras were at the table. They asked us if we had recognized them and I said I remember the older guy who looked like a detective. When our lunch arrived, my sandwich was so tall they were betting I couldn't get my mouth around it. I had to split it in two to eat it. We also spoke to the lighting guys (gaffers).

Rita's House Set

After lunch we went back to Rita's House set and walked round to the entrance to watch them set up the lighting and camera. They were using stand-ins for Michael and Jimmy. Earlier I had wondered why one of the guys looked just like Michael. I thought he was a stunt guy!

We walked round the back of the house and to our surprise, saw the two little people I had seen before in the beds! The guy said "Get out, we're working!" - He was joking, because they were both in bed!

The stand-ins moved out and Michael.C.Hall and Jimmy Smits moved to their marks and rehearsed the scene.

We ventured around the side of the set and sat next to the Director and Script Supervisor. Here, we could view the actual shots in the monitors. There was also a guy sitting next to us with his own monitor. We asked him what he did and he replied he was the focus puller and used a remote device and viewed focus through the monitor.

The scene took hours because apparently it was one of the pivotal scenes of the season!

Finally the scene was over and Suzanne had to leave. Her husband was there to pick her up, and they were off to the hotel to enjoy the second night's stay. It was now around 5pm.

Police Station Set

I followed everyone into the set. I saw out Dexter's blood splatter lab - cool! Most of the extras were to walk down the aisles to serve as background traffic while the scene was shot. I met a few of them and recognized others from lunch. I also met a couple of women dressed as detectives who looked familiar and a guy who was playing scrabble on his cell phone.

The Second Unit Director and I discussed my walk-on role. He said I was to follow Dexter down the corridor. "How about we make you a visitor, going to meet someone. You'll need a visitor's card." He took me to the Props guy who had someone give me a clip-on visitor's card. The Props guy was a cool bloke and we got chatting. I mentioned to him that I used to be a Props person on a kid's TV show back in Australia called "Humphrey". He said he knew that show - but was only kidding.I also met the Practical Special FX guy and we discussed FX work and he showed me some amazing quicktime videos of stuff he'd taken during his time on film productions. There were cars smashing into each other, explosions and cars shooting up ramps and flipping over. He said this job was really cool too because it was so relaxing, working the elevator doors.

I watched them do a scene in a meeting room where Lauren Velez explains a case which they have to work on. Also present were Michael. C. Hall, Jennifer Carpenter, David Zayas and C.S. Lee.

I approached David Zayas and tell him who I was and why I was there. He said "Hi, I'm David" and shook my hand. He was friendly to me thereafter which was nice.

Finally, my shot was ready to go! I had to simply wait for Michael. C. Hall to walk past, then count 3 seconds and I followed behind him. After several takes, the shot was done! It was the end of the day and we finished at 9pm - a long day indeed!

End of DayI went to the wardrobe dept. and dropped off the pants and handbag, then went over to the side entrance and handed in my work forms. Finally the limo came to pick me up and took me back to Burbank.

Finally the limo came to pick me up and took me back to Burbank.

I never got a chance to have anyone sign autographs for me which was a little disappointing as I had brought some awesome props for them to sign. The first are some Ice Truck Killer chunks and below is one of the bone saws used on set. But the opportunity to see everyone doing what they do best was a privilege in itself.

So, if you want to see my 15 seconds of fame - check out episode 5 "Turning Biminese" of the 3rd season of Dexter!

A BIG THANKS goes to Showtime for the fantastic prize and to Matt Bonatti for doing all the legwork to make it happen, and thanks to the wonderful cast and crew for being so great!

Remember these anyone?

Things I remember from my childhood. Post some that you remember!

"Luv Mince for Dogs" commercial

Quick read of the paper... huff, huff, huff... and I get stuck into the garden,
After all that, I'm ready for a good meal.
LUV mince for dogs,
Better for me than mince meat, more protein, less fat,
A bowl of water and it's a complete meal.
Sometimes when I'm up late, keeping the peace,
I just lie there and think about LUV.
They're right you know, it's better for me than mince meat!






"Arnott's Yo-Yo Biscuits" commercial

Bees make honey and there's honey in YO-YO,
ARNOTT'S YO-YO biscuits,
Cows give milk and the milk becomes butter,
And they're all... in... ARNOTT'S YO-YO.
Eggs by the dozen and,
Runny honey from busy bees in biscuits like,
Grandma used to make,
Butter, eggs, milk and honey,
Biscuits delicious to fill lots of dishes,
ARNOTT'S YO-YO biscuits,
Goodness! What a biscuit!

McDonalds Saying

If you could say this I think in 5 seconds or something, McDonalds would give you a free Big Mac.

Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun.






FOO

Remember FOO?
Who the f&%#k was FOO???
Or more appropriately, HOO was FOO?
He was one of the most commonly drawn characters during the 1970's - often graffitied on walls in school toilets.
What did he look like?

Crowded House backstage!

Crowded House concert - Los Angeles 2008

Mike and I bought tickets to see Crowded House. Mike happened to mention it to our friend Bill and he said he was friends with Mark Hart and could organize for backstage passes for us!

We went to the Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles. The area was pretty run down and frankly a little scary but the theatre was a wonderful historical building from the 1920's and the interior was beautiful.

You can see 360 degree pics of it here: http://www.laorpheum.com/gallery.html

We watched the show from the dress circle and had a great view of the band. The crowd was very rowdy, yelling, whistling and cheering but one Australian guy in particular (seated to our right) was extremely vocal and yelled out comments now and then. He commented on Nick Seymour's shoes and the band responded with their usual jest.

The audience members were throwing paper jets onto the stage in response to questions the band had and the band reading them out. It was an all round entertaining show!

After the show Mike and I donned our special neon wristbands and made our way to the backstage area. After a few minutes we were allowed through the door and we met up with Mark's wife Camille. She was happy we could make it and offered us some refreshments. The room started to fill with people, probably 30 or so, then the band came out!


First we introduced ourselves to Mark who was friendly. He mentioned that Bill was a good friend but never seemed interested what he did. We then met up with Nick Seymour and Mike mentioned he liked his shoes. Nick asked us who was that guy yelling out stuff and we replied we didn't know, but he was right near us and seemed pretty intoxicated. Then we passed by Matt Sherrod, the new drummer. He tried to convince Nick she was his sister even though she was blonde and he had an afro. I said to him they must be related since they look so alike. He seemed like a really cool guy. Finally we approached Neil Finn. Mike was hesitant because he wasn't sure what to say to him. He said he liked playing Crowded House songs and he liked playing in the C chord. Neil agreed and smiling, said there are other chords too you know. The meeting was brief because he said he had to go meet his family.

But there were 2 more people we had to meet...

The guys from Flight of the Conchords were there too!

They were standing next to the fruit. I approached them and offered them some Kiwi Fruit (they are from New Zealand if you don't know). Brett was taller than he looked on TV but that was because Jemaine is much taller. Mike and I spoke to Jemaine about working in the business and how un-glamourous it actually is. He didn't seem to be really enjoying his TV experience.

We talked about living in the USA and how it's hard to get good cheese here and that we always liked New Zealand cheese. He agreed and said he doesn't mind New York but doesn't like Los Angeles, but he did say the weather was good here and he'd like to spend more time outside. We were a bit surprised since nobody goes outside here, but he said he'd go play sports. He said he's thinking of going back to New Zealand next year. MIke wandered what he'd do in New Zealand and said "What about your concerts?" Jemaine said that he might continue on with them. He asked our names and I said he'd never remember mine so call me Loressa the undresser.

Our E3 Visa Experience

In June 2005 we applied for United States work visas. The E3 Visa for Australians had only just come out. It was an offshoot of the Free Trade Agreement law between Australia and the United States. I was one of the first to get the E3 visa. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts so it was quite easy for me to obtain the visa. I was sponsored by a company here in LA and I had to pay a US immigration lawyer to do the paper work. It was extremely expensive – around US$6,000 each but should be cheaper now since the E3 has been around for a while. But unless you know exactly what to do or what paperwork to fill out – really they’re quite essential.

Mike on the other hand does not have a Uni degree so he had to get an H visa and show proof of 12 years work. His process took a long time and became too expensive. We got married which helped Mike eventually because he could go onto my visa instead.

We had to go to Victoria to get stamped by the Consulate there – pretty simple and easy process.

Now the BIG BAD NEWS!

In order to be paid here, you need to have a Social Security number. You need to wait 11 days before you apply because it takes that long to get ‘into the system’. Then you have to go to a Social Security office to apply for your SS number. You bring in your forms, wait an hour or so, then they stamp you and you wait... and wait...

It took me 3 months before I received mine and Mike applied much later and also took 3 months because he had to apply again, because for some reason his application didn't even go through - then because he complained, the second process took only 8 days.

This is because since 9/11 Homeland Security has now taken over SS numbers and the Social Security Office has to PAY them for info on them. So I couldn’t find out when the number was coming because they were not authorized to let me know! Only some SS offices have paid!

You really can’t be on a payroll or get paid until you get a SS number. We organized for them to issue the work payments as a ‘loan’ for me to get paid. Mike owns a business in Australia and his payments go there – as an outside contractor. You also can’t get a mobile phone (unless it’s pre-paid) or pay a big deposit, in fact you have to also pay a deposit for your gas, electricity, phone, internet etc too. There are restrictions to paying bills – nobody trusts you until you get the SS number. You have to pay via cheques or you can pay cash.

You can get a bank account so long as you prove you are working and will give your SS number in as soon as you get it.

You have no credit rating either and won’t have a good one for at least a year. I couldn't get a credit card so I used my Aussie one and had a ‘debit’ card issued by the bank here. You have to build up credit fast. You need to buy a car through a loan company and pay it off to get credit, or get department store credit cards (after you get a SS number) to build up credit. You have to pay all bills on time or your rating goes down.

You'll know when you have enough credit for a credit card, because all these card companies will suddenly be sending you offers by mail. In fact it is really annoying because they're not really junk mail since they're addressed to you.

Also, the other big problem is medical cover. You get medical cover when you start work but it doesn’t kick in for at least 6 months. Doctors are really expensive so you will have to cover yourself for the first 6 months. You have to have private medical cover because if you have an accident or develop a medical condition, the cost could run into thousands of dollars. The health care system here is terrible.

We could use our Australian drivers license but some places insist you have a California license which meant we had to use our passports, so eventually you have to get it. So, we finally got ours and it seemed to make life much easier. Then 6 months later we booked a flight to Las Vegas and they told us the licenses had expired! Yes, another rude reminder that we are only temporary visitors. We re-applied and didn't receive the new ones until about a month later, however for some reason they were valid for a year.

It is worth it in the end. There is much more work here and you get paid very well. And the opportunities and wealth here is astounding.

Here's some more information:
http://canberra.usembassy.gov/consular/visas/niv/e3.html
http://www.yasserinamerica.com/blog/?p=14

Greencard Lottery

Mike and I have applied for the Greencard Lottery for 3 years. We each apply separately to increase our chances.

A month ago I received a notification that I had won and was shortlisted for an interview! Then, 2 weeks later Mike also won!

Well, the first thing we thought that it must be rigged or something but looking at the documents, I found that I was number 99 in the application list and Mike was number 333. So after applying online, then Mike applying a few minutes later, some 234 people must have applied. Upon further research online, I found that 6.4 million people applied from around the world and only 100,000 people received the application forms. Since they accept around 55,000 people, we have a pretty good chance of winning!

The application forms were lengthy and basically you have to have a high school education or have worked in your field for 2 years to qualify. And the usual "Do you have any diseases or criminal convictions" and another interesting question was "Are you a member of an organization?" I suspect they wouldn't accept people in the communist party... Of course we have no problems with those questions. I imagine that some applicants will fail this first step.

So, a Greencard for us would mean we wouldn't have to keep leaving the USA to reapply for our visas every 2 years, and have to apply for our driver's license in 6 months again. We would be considered permanent residents and both have the right to work in the US. Mike would have the right to own a business here which he cannot do because he is under my visa. Also be protected by all the US laws. The only things we cannot do is vote for President or be President!

Dexter!!!

Ok, I'm a fan of the TV show Dexter.

Besides liking the blood and the gore, I can fully RELATE to the show. Why? Because I come from the SERIAL KILLER capital of Australia. Yes, Adelaide, officially called "City of Churches" because of the vast number proliferating the city. However, there is a dark underbelly, a sense of frustration with unemployment and boredom prevailing in the Northern suburbs. Thus the city is also coined "City of Corpses".

Just ask Dexter... he knows: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCjRk9fzPLc

Anyhow, there's something else I have to tell you...

After the last season of Dexter finished, they mentioned on the credits to log into their website and enter a competition for a "Walk On" the set where you could play a victim! The second prize was a Dexter Pack of goodies. I put my name down thinking I would like to have the Dexter Pack at least... as I would never win the first prize... who does?

Well I WON!!!

So... (big breath of excitement) I'm presently getting prepared for the role of victim! I'm practicing holding my breath and keeping my eyes open for extended periods - that's how you play dead isn't it? The thing I really, really want to see however...

...is BLOOD... lots of it!

Cat Car

< Here's my cat, Samba.










< Here's my car.



cat, car, cat, car, catcar, catcar, catar, catara, catarac, cataract...


Ok, now I can't see anything.