Mar 28, 200604:24 PMThe Life

Moblog: undercover on location

Much to my surprise, the casting agency called last Wednesday to offer me a one-day gig as a background extra. Fifty-four bucks for eight hours. Excellent. This means I might be able to drive right past the Payday Loan storefront next week.

When I said that I was ready for my closeup, they told me to call an unlisted phone number at a specific time on a specific day. Very "covert ops."

So today was the day, and I made the call. A disembodied recording recited directions to tomorrow's top-secret location, where a film crew will be working on UKWP (the Untitled Kevin Williamson Pilot project).

Don't ask. If I told you where it is, I'd have to shoot you.

"As always, should you or any of your I.M. Force be caught or killed, the Secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions."

At this point, I'm already starting to feel like I need a security clearance, so I've decided to become a double agent, and will make the attempt to document my experiences on a moblog.

The word "moblog" is short for "mobile blog," a website which allows blog postings (and even phonecam images) to be instantaneously uploaded to the Internet via cell phone.

Some folks call this "liveblogging," but it's not really live. After the liveblogger snaps a mobile-phone picture, s/he will usually add a few words to provide context for the photo. In my case, this means struggling to input a reasonably coherent (and VERY short) message via thumb on a minuscule 12-button keypad. Most people are able to do this in a few seconds, but it takes me at least ten minutes just to remember where they hid the #$%^&* comma.

So your erstwhile double-secret-undercover moblogger (namely, me) will try to upload a few cell-phone snapshots tomorrow, along with some terse phrases. [See below.]

Experts say that your first day on a location set is the most exciting day of your life... and your second day is the most boring.

Later - here's a compilation of all moblog postings from the pilot shoot:
@ 16:25pm on Tue, March 28, 2006: Jeroboam, P.I.

This incognito moblogger will go undercover as a background extra at tomorrow's "Palm Springs" TV pilot location. And yes, Jeroboam is a much bigger P.I. than Magnum.

@ 05:54am on Wed, March 29, 2006: Tennis-playing background extra

As I was getting "in costume" this morning, my wife said I had cute knees. I know Anikó was telling me a sweet lie, but that's why I married her.

@ 08:09am on Wed, March 29, 2006: The weather...

...doesn't look too promising for an outdoor tennis match.

@ 08:18am on Wed, March 29, 2006: Food wagon

Thank God we won't starve.

@ 10:11am on Wed, March 29, 2006: They turned a fancy hotel...

...into a fictional country club.

@ 10:40am on Wed, March 29, 2006: My male tennis partner didn't show up...

...so I get to play Canadian doubles against Ashley Cintas and Rachel Madden. I'll be the envy of old geezers everywhere.

@ 12:58pm on Wed, March 29, 2006: Our tennis court is in the background...

...WAY in the background.

@ 13:21pm on Wed, March 29, 2006: Hey, the skies are now blue!

When it rained earlier, we thought the clay tennis courts would turn to mud.

@ 14:06pm on Wed, March 29, 2006: Kevin Kilner sighting

Kevin just stopped by to chat with us extras, and pose for pix. Other actors on the set include: Gail O'Grady, Taylor Handley, Amber Heard and Michael Cassidy.

@ 15:25pm on Wed, March 29, 2006: The lunch tent...

...protects us from the wind. But not from indigestion.

@ 16:10pm on Wed, March 29, 2006: Just a slow day at the pool

That camera crane is really popular with the anklebiters.

@ 17:20pm on Wed, March 29, 2006: Last shot of the day

"Background action!" <snore> "Cut! Print!"

[Update] [All UKWP coverage]