I should go back to acting…

I’ve been working like a dog putting in retarded hours (lots of nights) on the Xmas movie I’m ALM’ing for Director Ron Oliver. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m over tired, over worked or just plain distracted but I had an accident at work yesterday.

While dropping the tailgate of the truck we have to hold our gear my left pinky finger got caught between the tailgate and the chain that attaches it to the truck itself.

Here’s the result:

Underneath the bandage is a deep puncture wound only a few millimeters wide but very deep. I bled like a stuck pig all over the parking lot and my clothes (namely my favourite jeans and nice green shirt). The security folks who were luckily still on site assisted getting the bleeding stopped and then I drove myself to the hospital where I sat for (thankfully) only an hour before I got patched up, given a tetanus shot and booted. I then had to go and buy new pants and new jeans before heading back to work as I looked like a murder victim in my bloodstained duds. Not very Christmassy at all.

The people at work were very understanding, compassionate and helpful but I got so tired of telling the story I shortened it to “the location truck bit me”.

Question though… Why is it when you’ve had a tetanus shot (which is very painful for days afterward) those are the days that people choose to give you a friendly slap on the arm while chatting? Ouch!

Luckily I still have a finger. It could have been a hell of a lot worse, but it got my attention. What do I really want to do in this business? Is it put out cones, deal with the plunging of toilets, ensure garbage gets onto a flatbed or listen to people moan about how far a truck is from set? No. Is wounding and possibly maiming myself worth it? No.

I like working with Ron and the other directors I’ve met as well as lots of the actors. I enjoy writing and being creative and started off as an actor, but was not psychologically strong enough at the time to deal with the rejection that the job sometimes requires one to endure. I’m a little further along than I was back then and perhaps now I should take another run at that aspect of the business as well. I can keep working, making connections and forging forth with my DGC membership as I am becoming established in the small film community here and that means a lot.

Anyway, as my finger aches and the tetanus shot in the other arm throbs away I couldn’t sleep so I got up early and emailed Jason Bourque, another director I know and told him that I’d be a great delivery guy or some other simple part for one of his projects. I told him I would make a wonderful delivery guy as I am very good at pointing to a clipboard and saying, “Please sign here” and “Thank you. Have a nice day”. Hey you’ve got to stick it out there before someone will grab it. Right Schlemiel? Who knows?

I’d love that one credit to get into the UBCP as an apprentice member and then would need only 5 more credits (my year of acting school would count for another making only 4 more).

Anyway, it’s off to work. We wrap tomorrow morning. Another one in the can and 12 more days toward DGC membership. I’m over 1/3 of the way there.