Okay guys, so I've done a few photo-shoots and fashion shows and a million promotions in groceries and at events, but I have never done any advertisements. Knowing my interest to expand in the modelling industry, my friend gave me a link to a casting hosted by Sasi Caribbean Studios. This casting was late last December for a TV commercial for Scotia Bank Insurance.
I walked into the room filled with other models and immediately felt intimidated because I recognized most and they were very experienced models; models who were former Miss Trinidad and Tobago Universe delegates and models whose faces were familiar from other TV and print ads.
As my turn to audition came, I made my way from the waiting room to the screening room. There was one photographer and one director from the advertising agency. I took pictures (for the agency's database since this was my first time), then we got to it. I had to simulate a situation the director described, recite a few words and smile A LOT into the camera. Even though the Sasi Caribbean Studios Director asked me to repeat a few times, I found the casting went alright.
In January, I found out that I was shortlisted which meant that I had to go back for round two of castings for the lead female role. This time the screening room was filled with more people and cameras, and the director (who would be directing the actual shoot) was also present. I was asked to simulate a situation again and honestly, not sure if I was doing it properly Lol. I had to pretend I was talking to someone across a desk and shaking someone's hand, when there was no-one in front of me. They gave me specific lines to memorize and recite... then the director asked me to improvise after a while, which was a bit confusing for me because I knew nothing about insurance.
The Assistant Director was giving me cues from behind the cameras so I had to juggle looking at her signal and at some point looking at the main camera and following directions at the same time. Sometimes I would make mistakes when speaking and had to stop and start over and sometimes they would ask me to repeat with minor changes like stressing on certain words or looking straight into the camera and smiling more or less at certain parts. This was just one scene and I was in the screening room for quite some time. Eventually, I was dismissed. The director gave me no feedback.
Days later, I was told that I did not get the lead role but that I could be an extra. A few days after that, I was contacted again and told that the client (a rep from Scotia Bank) found I looked too 'young' to even be an extra. Chupzzz.
*****
In March, I was contacted by Sasi Caribbean Studios again and told that I was selected to be an extra for a National Gas Liquids Limited TV commercial. We shot from 7-9am at the Hyatt Waterfont. I had no lines to memorize or recite as an extra; the other extras and I were literally just taking up space. In the scene we were shooting, I was dressed in business attire and I basically had to pretend I was going to office- walking briskly and chatting on my cell phone. You guys hear how simple this sounds, right? I did this AT LEAST 100 times :/
The Assistant Director kept making me and the other extras do the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and OVER again with minor variations. The Assistant Director would yell "Cut! Alright guys, one more time!" But when she says "one more time," she means 100 more times -_- The entire shoot was repetitive and annoying... and we were in the hot sun which made it even more tedious!
The other extras lined up before the Assistant Director yelled "Action!"
Everyone had to pretend they were bustling to work.
Part of the crew
Contract signed by all extras
What one of the crew members was explaining to me is that the scene we were shooting might only get aired for about five seconds in the entire commercial and because I'm an extra, you might not even notice me on TV :/
--still going to look out for myself though! Lol.
Now that I've gotten a little taste of being in a TV commercial, not too sure I quite like it but grateful for the experience nontheless.
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