I'd located the local production office address quite accidentally a few weeks back. I quickly submitted the proposed location report and a resume, saying how much I'd like to be a part-time production assistant.
I didn't hear a thing, even though I'd exchanged E-mail with one of the producers and one of his assistants.
Figuring I had absolutely nothing to lose, I went in search of the local production office. I don't really want to say where it is - the last thing I want to do is send too many fans off in search of it. So, while I had the address, it was in an area where I wasn't 100% sure which building it was in. There isn't even a street sign in front of the building that matches the mailing address! And, as you might expect, there aren't big signs up saying "Hollywood Movie Production Office Here."
I made an educated guess, walked into a building, got in the elevator and pressed the button to go upstairs. Two skinny guys in dark jackets got in and got off at the same floor.
The first thing I noticed about the floor was that at least half of it was inhabited by a local high tech company. Ironically, I'd interviewed at that company about 12 years ago.
On the other side of the floor, I saw some signs on vivid green paper.
"Art"
"Production"
Hmm....
For some reason, I walked into the "Art." There were about eight young people working on various workstations in a very large room.
Suddenly, it clicked - this had to be the place. Any real company would have actual signs up. A movie production office would probably try to hide in plain sight. And I realized I needed to go to the area marked "Production."
The Production Office was down a hall on the other side of a freight elevator.
The first door on the left said "Payroll" and "Extras." Around the corner, was a sign saying "Fittings."
Bingo!
It turned out the two skinny guys who were in the elevator with me were extras for the movie. If you've read The Road, you know all the extras are skinny.
At Payroll I asked for directions to the rest of the Production office and was sent to the back room. There were three youngish people doing things in a big room. Still no obvious signs up; just a bunch of folders on a wall (I was busily looking for location maps and didn't see any).
I spoke to one young woman, and said I'd sent my resume before and wondered if there were any production jobs left.
"No..."
"Oh."
"How did you know we were here?"
"Your address isn't that hard to find...and I mailed you my resume a few weeks ago."
I gave them another copy of my resume anyway, and said I was still available.
I turned very slowly and tried to see whatever I could. A very attractive young man (well, 35ish) said "Hi" as I left.
I did see a room full of costumes. Heaps of green, black brown and gray clothes and burlap bags on the floor. And three really large plastic carts (the ones that look like deep wheelbarrows). I resisted a ferocious temptation to go in and poke around, but kept walking. No photos, no maps, no recognizable actors.
I'm still glad I went, even if visiting the office didn't add up to anything (other than a slightly amusing story).
I later spoke to a person whose friends also found the production office and asked about being a production assistant. At that time, they were told you had to commit to working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. Oh well. Too bad local productions never seem to use part-timers.