So… a few days before I'd even graduated I signed to an agency and within a week of that I had my first professional job. A corporate video for a very well known company in which I'd be playing one of their employees.
After having begun the audition by telling them my life-story when they asked for my profile (rather than the literal profile of my face) I assumed I hadn't got it. But they must have liked my moxy because my agent rung me the next day with the good news. It was an afternoon shoot which would pay a substantial amount and an extra £50 if I provided my own costume. Now this proved to be somewhat trickier than I'd imagined. Having never really worked in an office (I doubt my three days a week as an admin assistant in my gap year counts). I wasn't sure what I could dig out of my wardrobe that would fit the "office smart" requirement. However I somehow managed to put a decent outfit together (I always knew that shirt I'd bought for my Uni graduation ceremony would come in handy again.)
The shoot went great, I was told by the director he couldn't believe this was my first time on set as I was so professional, and when I wrapped in less time that any of the other actors he even said "We'll definitely be using you again!"
Little did I know that this opportunity would arise rather sooner than I imagined.
A few months down the line I got a call about an audition for another corporate video, so I donned my new "office smarts" and off I went. As I was sat in the waiting room reading over the script the same director for the last video walks out, "Hello, how are you? Good to see you again!" I looked around at my competition smugly.
Oh yes, I was in with the director.
The audition was done in pairs and I had mine with a man in his early 30's who I did think looked familiar. We walked in and the director greeted me by name in the same familiar way and then asked my partner what his name was. Again, smug. It did dawn on me that I was wearing the exact same outfit I'd used for the last shoot. The director then asked if I'd seen a copy of the last video as it was very good, smugness returned slightly.
By now I was a dab hand at "profile" and everything else, but then it got to "So, tell me what have you been doing recently."
Well. I had done nothing professionally since that last corporate video with the same director, in the exact same outfit! As “Whats-his-name” began to reel off his various endeavours my smugness drained rapidly away.
All I could say was "Well... the last thing I did was actually a corporate video... which you already know about...!"
That was it, in my moment of panic I didn't even think to lie and the embarrassment definitely affected my performance in the reading!
I was almost tempted to quote the director back to himself. I envisioned my self grabbing him by the collar and pleading, "But you said you'd definitely use me again!!"
Needless to say, I never got the call.
Americano With Soy
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