Life in the Background: My Day as TV Extra

*The following is a guest post (the first of what I hope will be many) from my Ahmad-Rashad-Certified-Main Man Blake Murphy. Follow Blake on The Twitter at @BlakeMurphyODC  and check out his writing archives – with articles for a dozen sites more reputable than LCHC – over at http://blakemurphy.com/

I am a student right now, and as such I have no money. I need money, because I like fancy things like bread and chocolate milk. As a “journalist,” I make next to no money blogging and freelancing.

With only a six-week window before returning to Ontario for a several week visit home, rendering myself a “real” part-time job would be silly. I’m therefore stuck trying to find temp work. Searching Craig’s List (for jobs, not weird sexual encounters), I came across a posting for extras for a TV show shoot.

It didn’t pay well (minimum wage) and it promised to be a long and boring day, but at the very least it could make for a fun story. So I filled out the profile.

Tuesday night around 10 p.m., I got a call. Could I commit to a full day tomorrow? Did I have these particular wardrobe items? Could I be clean-shaven and could I make a 7 a.m. call time? Yes, yes, begrudgingly yes, and yes.

Read Blake’s journal of his day spent in Extras-ville after the jump…