Wednesday night, and I’m driving back up to Saratoga Springs to film my final scene in Bottle Service, the upcoming webseries about life in an upscale New York City nightclub. My final scene involves me playing a paparazzo, photographing people as they enter the club.
I arrived at Mare – the shooting location – and set my camera bag down at one of the tables. One of the actresses, a blonde ingenue named Cyndi Snyder, asked me, “Do you have good eyes?”
Well, I did get a new pair of glasses yesterday, so I said yes.
“I’m trying to find a pair of my shoes, they look like what I’m wearing now,” she said, pointing to the red high heels on her feet, “only the pair I’m looking for are black and shiny.”
I told her I would keep an eye out for them. But in a morass of suitcases and jackets and handbags that populated the bar-turned-changing room of Mare, the black shoes didn’t turn up anywhere. I even checked under some of the couches and benches – found a $5 bill, but nothing else.
A few minutes later, Cyndi returned to the room.
“Sorry,” I said, “I don’t think your shoes are in here.”
She nodded, then went to get something out of her suitcase.
And lo and behold – her black shoes were in the suitcase.
Oh well…
Crews were filming scenes left and right; it would be the last time Mare would be available for filming Bottle Service, and time could not be wasted. I sat in the changing room with some of the other actors and made small talk – even added a few more people to my Facebook friends list (the list is now at my 150 maximum).
At about 9:00, Juan the director walked into the changing room and said, “Paparazzo, we need the paparazzo.”
I grabbed my Nikon D700 and went to work.
My scene involved photographing Cyndi Snyder’s character as she entered Club “It” (the name of the bar in Bottle Service), and snapping off dozens of flashes. She would pose and wave, and then enter the club.
We did two takes with Cyndi entering the club from the chilly outdoors, as she waved and smiled at the camera. We then did two more takes, this time with the production’s cameras focused on me taking her picture. I guess these will be edited together later on.
After the final “cut,” I was done. My participation in Bottle Service had concluded. I thanked the actors and actresses, the producers and directors and AD’s and PD’s and any other D’s. It was a fun experience, and it was a much-needed diversion from the waves of stress that had recently permeated my existence.
That, along with my appearance last year on the Glenn Slingerland Situation, means I can cross another item off the life list.
Chuck The Writer 
Hey, I lost a 5 there in 98….thanks for finding it for me 😉
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