From the Inside Out

I had my first adventure as a TV extra today! It was a neat experience being behind the scenes of a new show being filmed for Fox TV. The show stars Bradley Whitford and Colin Hanks in a quirky cop comedy with the working title of “Code 58.” The show was created by Matt Nix who is also the creator of Burn Notice (one of my favorite shows). For more info about Code 58, check out this article.

Once I arrived at the Dallas Convention Center Arena, I checked in and completed the necessary paperwork to verify that I am a US citizen and a Texas resident. I also had to fill out a voucher which would allow me to get paid for my work. With paperwork in hand, I then sat down to wait with the rest of the extras who were cast in the show.

It wasn’t long before the staff members were giving us instructions and directing us to wardrobe to check out our clothing choices. We were instructed to wear our first choice, but also to bring additional wardrobe options (2 business; 2 casual) in case changes were required. I received approval on the outfit I was wearing, and they selected a second option just in case a change was required later in the day.

Once my wardrobe was approved, I went back into the extras holding area in the arena to await further instructions. After a short wait, the extras went to the set and were strategically placed along the corridors. We were supposed to be passengers walking through an airport. Each of us were given specific instructions (where to walk, who to partner with, how to carry our luggage, etc), and we went through a couple of brief rehearsals before filming. We were then told to stand by.

Rolling…background action….and action!

Those were the shouts we heard before all of the activity started. For the first few takes, we simply walked back and forth across the hallway acting like we were heading towards our next flight. It felt pretty realistic. There were pilots, flight attendants, and lots of passengers rushing through the hallways. It seemed just like the countless times I’ve walked through an airport for business, but this time it was for TV. WAY cool!

As we progressed through the morning, they moved people around to get different shots with the principal actors. Hallway shots, entrance shots, walking shots, standing shots, talking shots — you name it, they did it, and extras were in the background the entire time.

I had a few shots where I was passing right behind the actors as they did their dialogue. I was also close to them during some of the hallway shots, so it’s possible that I may get some screen time. As an extra, you never know if you’ll actually end up on the show. And if you do make it, it may only be for a fraction of a second. Regardless of whether I get screen time, it was a fun learning experience.

I really enjoyed watching first-hand how a professional network television show is filmed. It was efficient, professional, and thoroughly enjoyable. The staff members were easy to work with and made sure we knew what to do at all times. I would definitely do it again given the opportunity.

It was a closed set, so I couldn’t take any pictures. However, you can watch the show when it airs on Fox in the Summer (May/June timeframe). I know I’ll be watching to see if there’s a glimpse of my shoulder or a blurry image of me appearing in the background (haha)!

So, that’s the “wrap” on my first day as an extra on the set of a television series. Hopefully, there will be more to come in the future.

Everyone knows that being a couch potato and watching too much TV isn’t healthy, but now there’s proof of just how bad it is — and it’s worse than you thought. According to the Australian Diabetes, Obesity, and Lifestyle Study, each hour of TV-viewing is associated with an 11 percent increased risk of death from any cause and a whopping 18 percent increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease!

It doesn’t matter if you are young or old, male or female, skinny or overweight, the findings hold true. Those who watched TV for four hours or more per day had an 80 percent increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease compared with those who watched less than two hours per day. And before you start thinking that the Television is evil, the same results apply to any sedentary activity. Four hours (or more) spent in front of a computer, playing video games, or even reading could be hazardous to your health. In fact, anyone who sits down for a long period of time may be at risk, the researchers say.

“What has happened is that a lot of the normal activities of daily living that involved standing up and moving the muscles in the body have been converted to sitting,” said David Dunstan, study author and researcher at the Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute in Victoria, Australia. “For many people, on a daily basis they simply shift from one chair to another - from the chair in the car to the chair in the office to the chair in front of the television.”

It’s not difficult to figure out why being a couch potato is unhealthy. You don’t burn many calories while sitting on the couch watching TV. Frequent exercise, even engaging in light activity, can reduce the risk of heart disease and help prevent premature death. Those who watch less TV tend to be more active. They aren’t necessarily fitness freaks, but they are moving about.

Now, this doesn’t mean you have to throw your TV in the trash and join a gym, but it should make you think about being more active. Get up. Go outside. Take the dog for a walk. Clean the house. Play with the kids. It’s good for your heart and could help you live a longer, healthier life.

I’m a big fan of 24, the television show starring Keifer Sutherland, so when I saw this I just had to share it. It’s a video of Jack Bauer interrogating Santa. Hilarious!

The real show finally comes back in January, and I can’t wait! If you don’t watch it, you should. Go buy the season one DVD; it’d be a great gift for Christmas!

One of the frustrating things about getting involved in a television series is that it eventually ends. The good shows always seem to go out on top — leaving you wanting more stories about the characters you love.

That’s where fan fiction comes into play. Avid fans of televisions shows and budding writers continue the saga by submitting their stories online for other fans to enjoy. From old shows like Remington Steele to current shows like 24, you can find thousands of new stories online.

The quality of stories range from poor to extremely good — so good you find yourself wishing it were a real episode. When you find a writer you like, you can subscribe to that writer and get notifications each time they submit a new story or add a new chapter to an existing story. A good way to find the best writers is to look for stories that have a large number of reviews.

It’s a fun and entertaining way of continuing your favorite stories, even after they are gone from the airwaves. It’s also a neat way to support amateur writers and connect with other fans from your favorite shows.

One of the most comprehensive sites that I’ve found is FanFiction.net. If you’re bored and have some time to read, check it out.

In the late 80s and early 90s, I was an avid fan of the MacGyver television series starring Richard Dean Anderson. MacGyver would use everyday items to get him out of life-or-death situations — all he needed was his handy Swiss Army knife, a bobby pin or gum wrapper. According to the show creators, all of his solutions were based upon real scientific principles and the inventive use of common items.

The show was entertaining, clever and fun. It even spawned some new words. When people try to jury rig something, it’s called a “MacGyverism,” or some might say that they “MacGyvered” a fix to a problem. A survey commissioned by the McCormick Tribune Foundation in Aug. 2007 even showed that MacGyver was the favorite fictional hero that Americans would want to have if they were caught in an emergency.

Saturday Night Live even created a parody of MacGyver called “MacGruber” with Will Forte as the title character. As a fan of MacGyver, these sketches always caught my attention. I found them to be funny because MacGruber is the anti-MacGyver. He’s a jerk and always fails to save the day.

I was really surprised to see a MacGruber commercial while watching the Super Bowl on Sunday. I was even more shocked when Richard Dean Anderson appeared in the commercial as the real MacGyver. He complains about the poor job MacGruber is doing and accuses him of being a sellout. It’s hilarious!

There are three commercial spots in total. Check ‘em out, and kudos to Pepsi for giving us a clever, entertaining ad in the midst of mediocre (and dare I say, boring) Super Bowl commercials. I wish other advertisers had tried this hard.