After a summer in the doldrums (workwise), despite the odd barbeque and sitting in the sun practising my backovers and splits - don't ask - well, actually, I'll tell you that I was impressing my daughter with my flexibility, I am back to the usual round of castings and work.
I've also given up the quest for a decent VHS to DVD conversion supplier. People charge the earth for five minutes of a dance routine converted to a DVD, don't give you a case to keep it in, and take weeks to do what at most would take half an hour to whack into the conversion machinery. I've lost count of the times I've turned up to take collection only to be turned away with a promise of "next week" which turns into a fortnight. I'm probably in the wrong job. I should purchase a converter and just offer that service myself.
I shouldn't rant, as it's probably better than waiting by the computer to be able to access a portal accepting a possible job. I don't know about you, but my phone isn't as smart as it makes out. I often can't respond to emails containing portal links to possible work when I'm on the move. I have to log into a main computer and that means being around home. Anyone that knows me knows that I hate to sit still, especially remaining cooped up. It's not that I don't love my home, but I love fresh air and doing things outside a lot more.
I sometimes co-opt my mum to check my work emails while I'm out doing other things. She knows the sort of things I will accept and the dates I am free, so it's a case of her knowing my staff log-ins to accept on my behalf, and then pinging me a text to say what she's accepted. I love having my mum around for all the essential (and to me boring) background-y type things. Updating computer settings, sorting out technical problems, even DIY. When she goes back to volunteering again I am going to pile stuff up for the weekends!
Being a plus sized model means that I get some unusual castings. Although I'm considered a pretty average size, particularly around the area where I live (i.e. NOT Chelsea) I am still large to casting agents. I turned up for one recently where they needed a large woman to roll under furniture. As an ex-dancer turned dancing teacher, I was rolling under furniture like a crazed stuntwoman. The woman they chose was around twice my size and awkward, which fitted the brief to a tee. I'm just not 'comedy large'. I don't look like one of those vintage seaside postcards where the woman is red cheeked and twice the size of her henpecked partner. I have to accept that I'm not going to get comedy parts, despite my daughter finding everything I do hilarious (still not sure that's a good thing).
The shoot I did for a design mag was more my thing. I sometimes wish I could post which mag and when, but I'm actually not allowed to publicise myself more than allowed by the director of the shoot. What I can do is show you roughly where I was for the shoot, with a quick snap someone took when I first arrived. South London very evident behind me, for non-Londoners, Battersea Power Station.
Also, I've been doing early mornings lately to catch the best light. Great shoot outside Buckingham Palace where security held back the few tourists in the first rays of morning sun. Again, you'll have to take my word for it, as I'm not permitted to share snaps. Perhaps it's just as well, as we all know we shouldn't put out on social media where we are going to be - there's been a big enough fuss about Locations being leaked(?) via Snapchat and Instagram which lays people over to either robbery or burglary. There's no real need to Instagram your every movement as it happens, is there? I do release pictures but not in real time. I have a family and there's no need to show where they are or when I'm not at home. Kim K take note!
There are the usual jobs where you're reacting to the main character, so they don't give you an idea what's going to happen (one in a cinema, where we have to react to someone causing a disturbance).
The one I was interested in was the face and body recognition software testing. I walked, attempting to disguise my walk some of the time, for an hour whilst being monitored. Surprisingly, it's ok for me to talk about this anti-terrorism software as it's soon going to be in use. It can tell by your gait, who you are and no amount of disguise is really going to mask that.
One thing I can share is that last Saturday night I popped to the 24-hour supermarket for some fruit juice, and almost fell over a collapsed man right outside my door. I knew enough to knock for a neighbour to call an ambulance as I swear my mobile is known to the ambulance service, due to the amount of times I had to get someone to look at my grandmother when she kept falling. I reckon I'd have had to wait more than an hour if they'd seen it was me calling. They came pretty quickly and it turned out he'd had a stroke, along with having a pacemaker he was not in a good way. I'm so glad I ventured outside. My place is so quiet with very few passers by, and he could have been there until morning and I don't think he'd have lasted the night.
Did I stay calm. Of course. I'd been drinking tea during the day in a 1920s tearoom around Shepherd's Bush. Just the thing for steadying the resolve.
Until next time...
I've also given up the quest for a decent VHS to DVD conversion supplier. People charge the earth for five minutes of a dance routine converted to a DVD, don't give you a case to keep it in, and take weeks to do what at most would take half an hour to whack into the conversion machinery. I've lost count of the times I've turned up to take collection only to be turned away with a promise of "next week" which turns into a fortnight. I'm probably in the wrong job. I should purchase a converter and just offer that service myself.
I shouldn't rant, as it's probably better than waiting by the computer to be able to access a portal accepting a possible job. I don't know about you, but my phone isn't as smart as it makes out. I often can't respond to emails containing portal links to possible work when I'm on the move. I have to log into a main computer and that means being around home. Anyone that knows me knows that I hate to sit still, especially remaining cooped up. It's not that I don't love my home, but I love fresh air and doing things outside a lot more.
I sometimes co-opt my mum to check my work emails while I'm out doing other things. She knows the sort of things I will accept and the dates I am free, so it's a case of her knowing my staff log-ins to accept on my behalf, and then pinging me a text to say what she's accepted. I love having my mum around for all the essential (and to me boring) background-y type things. Updating computer settings, sorting out technical problems, even DIY. When she goes back to volunteering again I am going to pile stuff up for the weekends!
Being a plus sized model means that I get some unusual castings. Although I'm considered a pretty average size, particularly around the area where I live (i.e. NOT Chelsea) I am still large to casting agents. I turned up for one recently where they needed a large woman to roll under furniture. As an ex-dancer turned dancing teacher, I was rolling under furniture like a crazed stuntwoman. The woman they chose was around twice my size and awkward, which fitted the brief to a tee. I'm just not 'comedy large'. I don't look like one of those vintage seaside postcards where the woman is red cheeked and twice the size of her henpecked partner. I have to accept that I'm not going to get comedy parts, despite my daughter finding everything I do hilarious (still not sure that's a good thing).
The shoot I did for a design mag was more my thing. I sometimes wish I could post which mag and when, but I'm actually not allowed to publicise myself more than allowed by the director of the shoot. What I can do is show you roughly where I was for the shoot, with a quick snap someone took when I first arrived. South London very evident behind me, for non-Londoners, Battersea Power Station.
Also, I've been doing early mornings lately to catch the best light. Great shoot outside Buckingham Palace where security held back the few tourists in the first rays of morning sun. Again, you'll have to take my word for it, as I'm not permitted to share snaps. Perhaps it's just as well, as we all know we shouldn't put out on social media where we are going to be - there's been a big enough fuss about Locations being leaked(?) via Snapchat and Instagram which lays people over to either robbery or burglary. There's no real need to Instagram your every movement as it happens, is there? I do release pictures but not in real time. I have a family and there's no need to show where they are or when I'm not at home. Kim K take note!
There are the usual jobs where you're reacting to the main character, so they don't give you an idea what's going to happen (one in a cinema, where we have to react to someone causing a disturbance).
The one I was interested in was the face and body recognition software testing. I walked, attempting to disguise my walk some of the time, for an hour whilst being monitored. Surprisingly, it's ok for me to talk about this anti-terrorism software as it's soon going to be in use. It can tell by your gait, who you are and no amount of disguise is really going to mask that.
One thing I can share is that last Saturday night I popped to the 24-hour supermarket for some fruit juice, and almost fell over a collapsed man right outside my door. I knew enough to knock for a neighbour to call an ambulance as I swear my mobile is known to the ambulance service, due to the amount of times I had to get someone to look at my grandmother when she kept falling. I reckon I'd have had to wait more than an hour if they'd seen it was me calling. They came pretty quickly and it turned out he'd had a stroke, along with having a pacemaker he was not in a good way. I'm so glad I ventured outside. My place is so quiet with very few passers by, and he could have been there until morning and I don't think he'd have lasted the night.
Did I stay calm. Of course. I'd been drinking tea during the day in a 1920s tearoom around Shepherd's Bush. Just the thing for steadying the resolve.
Until next time...
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