More Acting

I've had the opportunity lately to dabble in acting again. Anytime I get a chance to act, funny stories follow. I always say "Live Life." Acting is definitely living life. Life is about relationships and experiences. Some funny and some a little painful.

My recent acting experience became an experience between me and the hard molded seat of a plastic horse.

Last Friday, I was asked to be an extra for a commercial. It was for Major League Baseball. I was playing the part of a person attending a carnival as 2010 American League Cy Young Award winning pitcher Felix Hernandez was being featured.

Felix is known for his pinpoint control. The commercial played up this fact by having him participate in the classic carnival game "Milk Jug Toss." You know the rigged carnival game where you throw a baseball at three milk jugs that are weighted. If you knock them all down, then you win a prize. Needless to say, he won all of the stuffed animals. It should be a pretty funny commercial when it comes out.

People think being in a commercial is pretty simple, quick and a lot of fun. Those thoughts would be right and wrong. I thought the shoot would only last a couple of hours, but it lasted almost 8 hours. Of the 8 hours, most of it was me and other actors sitting around and waiting. You have to wait for scenes to be shot; you have to wait for actors to arrive; you have to wait for the make-up, lighting and camera people to get everything right. There are also a lot of rules. Some of the biggest rules for this commercial were not to take pictures of Felix and his family and don't ask for autographs.

The commercial was shot in a local amusement park. The thought of hanging out in an amusement park sounds like a lot of fun. It can be if you get to ride the "good" rides. The memory of sitting on a carousel horse for almost one and half hours is still a little painful. I could still be dizzy from go around over and over again, or it could be listening to the same music over and over again. I believe me and the actors might have set a World Record for time spent going around on a carousel. People at the park had to think we were crazy. Every now and then, park guests were allowed to get on the ride, as we stayed on. The "Special 50!" The carousel people who never got off. It's a pretty funny image to be honest. Little kids got on the ride and got off. 50 adults get on and never get off.

The good news is, by the end of the night, one of the directors assistants did grab me to be in a scene behind Felix. I also made a few extra $$$$, which are needed to pay the bills. I did manage to sneak a few pictures of the set. When the commercial airs, I'll be sure to post it on here. I'm not sure if you'll see me walking in the background or riding the carousel, but I'll be sure to let all of you know.

Until next time, go out and "Live Life" and remember that you can OD (Over Dose) on carousel riding! =0 )