Oh man, oh man! That was so much fun!

I was going to post all about my day as a reality-tv-host last night, but I was so tuckered out that I went promptly to bed. And apparently the movie business has gone to my head, because this diva slept in until 9:00 this morning. Thanks in large part to Grammy’s ability to run Ava right out of energy.

So, here’s the story about how I hosted a reality show for a day.

I have these great friends, Wes and Nica, who have this little production company, HappyFunTime.

They were working on a project in which they needed someone to teach proper ettiquette to kids getting ready for prom, so they called me, the never-has-been actress that I am. I enthusiastically agreed to join their band of merrymakers and promptly forget that I really don’t really have a clue.

Then at 7:00 am yesterday, their crew, as in a real crew with real equipment and other actors, as in ones with agents and headshots, arrived at my doorstep. And I panicked.

“Dang, I’m really doing this. What am I doing? I don’t know what I’m doing. Ah great.”

But see, here’s Wes. He’s a fine director. He knows how to put everyone at ease. And he even gives you good pointers.

See, right now, he’s saying: “Okay, Rach, it would be really great if you could wait until I say ‘Action’ before you start talking.”

Since the premise was a reality show, there wasn’t a hard script. At each take, Nica would look down at her clipboard and say something like, “Yeah, in this next shot I need you to talk about what do do with your hands during the meal. Here’s the points you need to cover: hands stay on your lap, hands don’t sit on the table, no elbows on the table, don’t gesture with your utensils, don’t fidget or tap your class, and don’t reach over and take other peoples food. Got that?”

You want me to “what?”, I can’t even remember to bring my keys out to the car.

“Ah, yeah, got it.”

“Rolling.”

“Speeding.”

“Action!”

“….Uh, what was the first thing again?”

“Cut.”

Eventually my sleepy brain would kick in and I shoot out all the necessary information. Then Wes would clap his hands together and say, “Ah, that was great! Let’s roll it again from the top.”

Somehow between my lack of lingo, absence of a short-term memory, and the 747′s that land in my neighbor’s backyard, Wes somehow managed to capture the footage he needed in a surprisingly efficient manner. I was very impressed.

Filming is seriously hard work on both sides of the camera. It’s amazing how much work goes into a single shot, and how much footage is needed for a short film.

Being a part of that whole creative process was so fun! I loved it! Plus playing make-believe with adults has the added benefits of edible food, good jokes, and costumes that actually fit. Oh, and I got to hang out with Nica, she’s great!

At 8:30 last night, little Ava came bounding onto the set with all the energy of a day spent with Grammy, immediately bringing me back to the reality of my sweet life with her.

Right now Ava’s setting up a picnic of goldfish and water in the dining room and wants me to ward off the monsters. Ah, the life of an actor. There’s always a new role to play.