Secrecy

Much of being on set is very hush hush. Film makers love surprises. They don’t want everyone to know the movie magic and plans before they hit the theaters and television screens. So, part of my job is being an excellent secret keeper.

For example, I was on a set recently for a commercial. It was a Coke/Netflix collaborative effort commercial. I had to sign two intense documents stating that I was not allowed to take photos, talk about the set or even hypothesize on social media or in person etc.

This particular commercial had ten hairdressers, ten make-up artists, four costumers (even though everyone had been pre-fit into costumes earlier in the week), and about a hundred and fifty background actors. We all had to look perfect. We were dressed in our best 80’s outfits (the only reason I can even tell you the genre is because the commercial is out now). And boy did I look snazzy. I was wearing a denim collared jumpsuit, with a retro stretch belt, and white high top Reebox.

Sexy, I know. I totally get why onesies are making a come back. They are awesome! Oh, and this was before the hair and makeup got a hold of me. I ended up with a french braid and crazy amounts (and colors) of eye shadow. So… yes, I generally do take photos of me in my costume for my own personal stash. Because the commercial is released I’m not worried about sharing it with you all.

The entire day we were filming in a retro movie theater with a few big name actors. I was sitting just two rows behind them, but not right in the middle by any means. Take a second and watch it… then tell me if you see me. Click here: Stranger Things New Coke Ad

Did you see me? Did you see me? 🙂 Watch it again, I’m in a couple frames of the 24th second.

Now did you see me? … Well… rest assured. I’m in there. Oh, and by the way, I was also in the theater on the right… a few seats out of range of the camera.

Okay… really though. It was all a grand big secret until it was released. Why? Because of the wow factor. The I-can’t-wait-for-the-new-season factor.

Now imagine it was a new Avengers movie or a season finale where they reveal something shocking about a character. Now, by releasing information early, someone could really ruin the big release. For that reason, they often have a team of people and lawyers monitoring the internet for any sort of breaking of the privacy contract. They could fine people for a lot of money for breach of contract. I mean… A LOT (damages could be in the multi-millions).

I’m sure we’ve seen things like this happen. Remember the movies Ants and Bugs Life? I wouldn’t be surprised if someone chatted too much on that one. Ben was on a Will and Grace episode a few months back. A background actor posted a picture from the scene they were filming on his Instagram. The picture happened to tell a lot of “wow factor” from the upcoming episode. The second day on set the Production Assistant announced that the lawyers had the picture and that it needed to be taken down immediately. Charges were possibly going to be filed anyway. Yipes. I would hate to be that guy. So… word to the wise. Don’t share info that you have no permission to share (that’s a good rule for life, but specifically on set). Sometimes that even means I can’t share the name of a show, the place it was filmed, the celebrities I saw, the scene I was in, what I was wearing, what genre of film, etc.

So, sorry for the secrecy. I will let you in on the secret as soon as everyone else is let in on it too. Sorry… not sorry. But I hope you enjoyed watching me on camera for a whole couple of milliseconds. 🙂