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Dirty-South Blues Harp forum: wail on! >
The Hollywood Harp Shuffle Good story
The Hollywood Harp Shuffle Good story
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Michael Rubin
794 posts
Sep 23, 2013
8:55 PM
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So I get a call, "We're making a video for a major food company. We want you to audition for the role of the harmonica player. It pays $X." X being a really decent amount. It sounds like it is like a commercial and will go international. They explain no one will hear my harmonica, just see me play.
I go to the audition. I am the only harp player there. I feel pretty good about the audition and my chances. I get home to an email from my local harmonica club encouraging everyone to go audition.
3 days pass. The callbacks are the next day. I assume I didn't get called back. Then, at 5pm on Friday, I get the call to audition again on 3pm on Saturday.
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Michael Rubin
795 posts
Sep 23, 2013
8:56 PM
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"I have a gig. Is there any way I can come in earlier?" No, they say. I consider my choices and sadly cancel the gig. Luckily this is a band I have been with 7 years and it is the first time I have cancelled last minute. They're not happy but they understand my reasoning.
I get a call from Jose Ruiz, who if you do not know who I'm talking about, you should. Jose started as a total beginner, taking lessons from me and working harder than anyone I have ever worked with. 11 years later, he is a great, very original harp player. He is also one of my best friends and was a groomsman at my wedding.
Jose says, "Hey, have you heard about this video? They want me to go to a callback tomorrow."
"Don't do it Jose, " I joke, "They just want to use you." I explain to Jose that I am joking and wish him luck.
Now here's the thing about Jose. He dresses sharp.
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Michael Rubin
797 posts
Sep 23, 2013
8:56 PM
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I get a call. They decided not to use harmonica as a principal character, but more as an extra. It pays much less. Like a quarter of the original price. And you have to do what the other extras do. Still interested?
At that point I felt like it was a bait and switch. Get me interested for a large amount, get me on video playing for a small amount because something is better than nothing.
But in the world of this professional harp player, something is better than nothing. "How long will this take?"
"You'll get here at 10am and it will only be a half day." Now to me, a half day means 4 hours. I do not remember if I aksed specifically, but my first of 2 students wasn't until 5pm, so I said fine.
I arrive at 10. I am supposed to bring a biz suit, biz casual and jeans and t shirt. I also bring the nice hat. I don't look incredible, but i look good.
There's around 100 extras. They put us through the paces, I really got my exercise, running and climbing in a suit.
We get in a bus Third mistake. Never lose control of your mobility. We drive to the second location. It is 1pm. They call for the harmonica player. I am placed front and center with 100 extras behind me. But I guess I am just not cute enough, because they place me in the middle and never ask for the harmonica. At one point, one of the two directors gets close to me and I give him the best stare down into your soul look I can without looking pissed. More of a, "Hey, remember me?"
It seems to be a wash. I'll get paid, but not for any harmonica work.
We get on the bus to the 3rd location. It is like 2:30pm, so I am beginning to feel nervous about my first student. I send him a text, he's cool. Thanks, if you are reading.
They say the next location is 20 minutes away. An hour later, we arrive. 30 minutes of sitting on the bus later, I have called my second student, who is also cool. Thanks!
They call for the harmonica player. They drive me to ANOTHER location. It is behind the scenes. All the smiling happy bigwigs are yelling and screaming at each other and on phones. They want to record me. There had been no agreement to record me. I agree and give them some good stuff for 5 minutes. Then I befriend a bigwig. Then I explain to him, recording wasn't in the contract, please, would you be willing to more than double my pay to around 3/4 of X? He says yes. Perhaps I should have asked before I played, but I took my chances and it worked out.
Now at this point, they have no video of me playing, mind you.
Then I am driven back to the extras and finish the work by running in a cowfield that is essentially a mine field of cow dung. If you ever see this video and wonder why all the extras are running while looking down, that's why.
I make it how at 9pm. Only 11 hours worth of work, not to mention around 4 hours of auditioning and driving.
I get on there computer and there's an instant message from Jose. They just called him and want to to come shoot tomorrow, presumably for X amount of money. We joke that it will be his face and my playing.
Lessons learned? Next time I make X, spend it on sharp clothes. Whatever the other people are wearing around you, stick to your first instincts. No matter what an interviewer asks you, resound with a YES! Get the hours in writing. NEVER get on a bus if you have a 5pm appointment. Continue to go for what you want and ask for what you want.
I cook my dinner made by this company, type this out and hopefully go to sleep.
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FreeWilly
339 posts
Sep 24, 2013
5:34 AM
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Thanks for sharing your story!
I hate it when other people just presume your time isn't valuable, or don't care. Same with doctors. If you're letting me wait for 2 hours, don't make an appointment. And if you do, apologize as though you were actually meaning not to keep me waiting that long.
I love waiting and am very patient btw. Just not when someone thinks his time is more valuable than mine :) I like that your patience paid off in the end. It's a good thing when people are like that. Makes the world a better place. Sad that some many take advantage of that.
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FreeWilly
340 posts
Sep 24, 2013
5:37 AM
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Hey Frank, he describes an unpleasant situation. If it gave you a headache, it was written convincingly! Your comment sounds negative somehow..
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Frank
2813 posts
Sep 24, 2013
5:50 AM
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as does yours my friend :)
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jbone
1365 posts
Sep 24, 2013
7:18 AM
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Wow, what an odyssey! Glad it worked out halfway.
Sort of similar story here:
A year or so ago we answered an ad on craigs, looking for extras for an indie movie being done by a college bunch. We headed to location one nice Sunday morning and did our little bit as street musicians. Took one take pretty much. A couple of weeks ago we got an invitation to the movie's release. We had pretty much forgotten even doing it but we got this nice card and since we could, we went ahead and drove to the campus- nice college too- and found the hall. The film maker and his wife- both very involved in its production- met us at the door and remembered us, which I thought was very cool! We really didn't know anyone else at all but we hung out and chatted with some other extras until the doors opened and we went and found seats. This is an 82 minute feature film, shot and produced in central Arkansas by students at Arkansas Conway University. It was low budget and a very grass roots undertaking. I think nobody got paid.
We watched the whole thing, a romantic comedy titled "Sympathy Pains, A Comedy In Nine Months". It was a bit of a letdown that our scene was edited out, but with 157 extras, and about 3 dozen locations, not a big surprise. We were mentioned in the credits as extras. We received a complimentary dvd and a thank you from the producers, which we appreciated. All in all it was a nice night out even if we weren't made into stars. We both agree that we'd do it again just for laughs.
Two summers ago a friend of my wife Jolene's asked if she could use some of the music off our last cd in her 48 hour movie. We said yes. She then asked if we wanted to be characters in the movie, and I said yes. I am a ham, my wife is not! This is a deal where you sign up and are given 48 hours and a few elements which have to be in your finished movie. You start on Friday evening and it has to be wrapped and in the can by Sunday evening. The movies are shown and judged soon after. This is a nationwide thing, it's pretty cool. So I got to do a bit of acting and our original music was the background for it! It didn't win but some of the cats doing this stuff were really talented and insightful. The winners earned their glory. Still, it was cool to get to act for a day and to have our material as score for an 8 minute movie.
I'm keeping my day job but I'm also looking up.
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http://www.reverbnation.com/jawboneandjolene
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000386839482
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa7La7yYYeE
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Michael Rubin
798 posts
Sep 24, 2013
7:44 AM
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My friend Johann Wagner (sometimes records under the name J. Wagner) has a great song that is basically his anthem, "When I Find All of You". On one of the recordings, I play harp. He was asked if it could be included in a movie. When the movie came out, the song was THROUGHOUT the movie, but not a single word was sung. They had taken my harmonica parts and looped them. I didn't get a dime from that, but I get to lord it over Johann every now and then.
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nacoran
7157 posts
Sep 24, 2013
12:00 PM
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A friend of a friend answered a Craig's listing for an extra video. She ended up singing on the album as well as being in the video.
Of course, no offense, she is a little more fun to look at:
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Nate
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