Randolph I worked on my first international production today, and it was a great experience. A US/Canadian set with a very talented group of people.
Observation: most of the people running the show (ADs, etc.) are women. This pleases me. A large percentage of the crew is female.
As I only appear in one scene in one episode of a production that has several seasons behind it, my view is obviously coloured by a tiny experience, but the crew seemed happy, even through the usual stresses of working long hours for weeks on end.
Making something, anything, for public consumption is a mammoth effort. We actors only make up a small part of that effort. You may see my soulless eyes on the screen for a few minutes, but it took weeks to set that up, and I just stroll on in and sit down. The real work comes from setting up the lights and cameras and audio and set, followed by the editing, visual effects, sound engineering, and then it’s all a matter of luck that our viewers like it.
Terry Pratchett wrote often of magic in ordinary things. There’s a kind of magic on a film set. The smoke and mirrors and cheated angles and lights juuuust out of frame make it all the more there. You can taste it, and see it in everyone’s eyes, chasing the magic.
I love this industry. I love making things. I think I’m terrible at it, but I’ll let other people decide on that score.
In the meantime, I’ve got something to show you. It’ll be ready in a few months. I can’t wait to see it with you.
(Edit: It was for Fargo Season 3. I played George Stussy, dead in a chair with my eyes open.)