A lot can go wrong on set - Two Unemployed Actors - Episode 86

Max Belmonte 00:12
Welcome back to Two Unemployed Actors. I'm Max.

Sam Folden 00:16
I'm Sam.

Max Belmonte 00:17
Today we are going to talk about the worst things to happen to us on set. So hopefully you can
learn and avoid them. And I've actually got a list through of some other real examples from
people on set on all actors and various crew, basically, because last was just before Christmas I
posted, because they said oh, look, you know, here's some pretty shocking experiences I've
had. Has anyone else? You know, is anyone else want to share theirs? And it's a private group.
And there was 186 comments. It's like everyone... each one was like, Well, I see your problem,
and I raise you with mine. And I posted one. It's like the worst, literally the worst experience. I'll
go into a little bit again today, but full detail in Episode 76. I've also got a freshie... a fresh one.
I don't think I've actually talked about this in any great detail on the podcast. I think I alluded to
it in the past.

Sam Folden 01:23
I have a couple but not many. Not many to do with with other people per se. I mean, I've been I
think I've been very fortunate with the amount of people.

Max Belmonte 01:35
What about that time... I know you tried to be very nice and diplomatic. But there was a time
you actually got assaulted on set.

Sam Folden 01:43
I got assaulted?

Max Belmonte 01:44
You know, with a guy hit you.

Sam Folden 01:46
Oh, yeah. That's, uh,

Max Belmonte 01:48
That's not ideal. Because he kept doing it didnt he? For a few takes? I think that's because I
remember at the time going, he what? Thinking I would have slapped him back. But y'know.

Sam Folden 02:03
Yeah. Yeah but crew wise, and director wise and working with all that sort of people.

Max Belmonte 02:09
Yeah.

Sam Folden 02:11
Like, I can't really even think of a time where they've done anything. You know. So I've been
fortunate like that. But there are plenty of worst experiences that I have caused,

Max Belmonte 02:22
You've caused!? You're a danger.

Sam Folden 02:26
Mostly caused to myself. To be honest. This is like the first bad experience. It's not the biggest.
But it's one that that I had early on coming back into acting Believe it or not up on the Gold
Coast. As a teenager in the 90s doing featured extra work and running amok and DJing on
radio, everything all my experiences were all amazing. It was great. It's part of what made me
want to come back to acting you know, all that sort of stuff. Anyway, was a student film
because early on I'm just getting my confidence back I'm finally shaking off the corporate you
know, you can't cry in a meeting, bottling your feelings up, it's all about bringing them back up
to the surface and playing with them as an actor. And I needed some work on my show reel
that wasn't just me in a scene on my by myself or you know, talking to a reader. Yes. So with
that preamble in mind, I went to this student applied through this platform to and when went
for an audition and the first alarm bell was the fact that they were running quite late. There was
like a room booked in this university. And I've turned up and I could see a lot of others turned
up. But it wasn't just all guys that looked like me. It was like there were kids there were found
it's like everyone has been booked. At the same time. I'm thinking this is really strange unless
they're running really late. Anyway, and then I'm looking in the in the meeting room, like, oh,
there's a meeting going on in there. So I'm like, I'm waiting. And I'm waiting and we're waiting
and we're all looking or we're doing that thing. And, and then I'll look and make eye contact
with the guy in the meeting room and tweak just to that moment. Oh my god. That's them.
They're just having a chat. Everyone is waiting out here. Yeah, sure enough, yeah. stands up,
opens his door come straight to me because I've made eye contact. I must have had my What
are you doing look? And he's like, Oh, you're auditioning blah blah. Okay, it's come to me. It's
alright. We'll do a little audition. I gave my audition I gave him all the emotion he asked for it.
Everything's great. Then he sent me the script, which was different to the original script. No, I
mean, student films always like to see the final script as in final script because it gives you an
idea what you're in for. Right? And some of them I mean, are you just read it and just go no
way mate. Not a chance. But it was kind of intriguing, and I've looked at the script, it was very
different. I thought this is a bit strange? Anyway, so still thinking I'll get a good 30 seconds out
of it for the show reel, because there's a great emotional monologue. Anyway, as it gets closer
to shooting, you just get this random message or we're ready to come to your place. Can we
shoot at your place? And like, Okay, what? And this is when I was living in an apartment in
Sydney, and I'm like, Well, there's a lot of room like what exactly where shoot. So he turns up
with the person, talent playing my wife and two females that are over 18 Playing younger
children. And he was there with his DSLR I'm like, okay, so no sound No, camera, man. So we
went through the scene. Then there was a bit of other toing and froing scripts, scripts kept
changing. I'm thinking now I'm like, Okay, how the hell can I get out of this? But I've come
forward, we filmed some stuff, and I turn up again. This time, it's in the university. And it's in
the nursing school, actually. So we could shoot me in the hospital bed. Yeah. So I did a little
piece that was interesting but my children have changed. I've got one daughter now and one
son. So how's that work? With continuity? I'm having a check to the DP the DP site, what type?
What were you feel me? What do you mean, I was in there. And we can't we can't put DSLR
footage against the real camera I'm using like, it's not going to... Oh God.

Max Belmonte 06:25
So I don't know what that day was.

Sam Folden 06:28
So anyway, something random.

Max Belmonte 06:31
We were about to go through the scene and I'm chatting to this guy is going to be another
actor in the scene. He said to me, I said, I haven't done this before. So you know, sort of held
his hand a little bit. Got him prepped, we did our line runs and all that. And then the director
comes across and says, Oh, I think I'll play this part. The guy goes oh okay, and just walks off.
Okay, well, what the hell, and then he kept doing the scene over and over. And fortunately, this
was a moment where my eyes were closed. And I'm just remember going if I could look at him,
I would just burst out laughing. I was just crazy. It was crazy. Like every scene is different. They
struggled to get the what they what they wanted, which is what he had told them. Yeah. And
he's in there doing something different every time and it was just getting creepier and crazier.
Yeah, I got the hell out of there. I thought I'm not coming back. That's it. You've got what you
got. Make it work. I'm not kidding. But anyways, they sent me another script that was just
changed again. And then he said, Oh, I'm going to for the dream sequence, we're going to get a
belly dancer in and we're going to film a music video. Is that? Okay? If we do a music video, I'm
like, What the hell is going on? As I just replied.... Also, also, he shouted at one of the young
female talent who's first time on set. So I pulled her aside and said, thats not on, I said to him
that's not on. And, you know, put ourselves back together again.

Sam Folden 07:58
Did he shout back at you?

Max Belmonte 08:00
No, I just said, Look, mate, I just asked you a simple question. I didn't need you to talk to
anyone like that. And I'm like, What the hell. So anyway, I sent an email. And you know, 20
years of corporate it was to the point, I didn't pull any punches either. Based on the
performance that is based on, you know, what had happened on set, and I detailed what have
happened,

Sam Folden 08:24
Yep.

Max Belmonte 08:24
I don't want to be a part of this production moving forward. And he responded in all caps,
talking about how I'm ruining his vision. And I'll never work in the industry again. And then
replied five minutes later with more expletives.

Sam Folden 08:45
This was a student thing?

Max Belmonte 08:47
Yeah. as a student, so at a university, film school, and had under the supervision of the dean,
and whoever was tutoring that particular semesters subjects. And what I did was rather than
engage with the idiot, because clearly this is just off the charts crazy. This is Yeah, something's
going on. And I don't want to deal with this anymore. I'm like, you know, I don't want to get
emails again, whatever. So I forwarded it to the dean. I just said, FYI, I thought you'd like to
know what's going on in your film school.

Sam Folden 09:29
Oh God, I want to know...

Max Belmonte 09:30
I got a phone call from the tutor the next day. So its come down the line from the Dean.

Sam Folden 09:35
Yeah.

Max Belmonte 09:36
And she confided in me that she had felt unsafe at times, with this guy that she had actually
asked for a third person to be in a meeting that she has with him one on one about his work,
because he doesn't take criticism well. I'm like, okay, hell of a warning bell there and you're
letting this guy loose on the industry. But anyway, and said, and that, yes, he kept changing
the script. And I think he ended up with one that he kept changing with her but then a real one
that he was trying to play with his vision or some I dont know what was going on. And she was
so concerned that this was the first time she'd learned that he'd filmed at my house, because
you're supposed to do OHS like safety inductions, and she's got a location to visit as well. It's
part of the assessment and everything properly, what the hell and she's, and then she's like,
I'm so sorry. So I said, look, don't apologize to me apologize to the teenager who turned up for
first day on set and thinks this is normal. Yeah, and was yelled at. It's disgusting. And then I got
another email like a week later, from the guy. And again, rather than just engage as forwarded
to the dean with an FYI. So it was another deal. I never heard from him again. But I'm like, Why
in the world would you let loose this guy? First of all, how the hell did he get a... ok look it's like
in the corporate world, some guy some people are really good at interviews, they interview
really well. And you like, wow, you know, you walk away going far out, but they just crap it their
job.

Sam Folden 11:14
Yeah, right.

Max Belmonte 11:14
They're good at selling themselves, but nothing else. And, uh, maybe he got through, but like,
that's sort of when you when you're talking about someone feeling unsafe. And oh, no worries.
We're just letting loose in the industry.

Sam Folden 11:27
Yeah, right. That's a that's a good story.

Max Belmonte 11:29
Boom, boom, that was my first bad student film it to the point where I won't work with anyone
from that university I had worked with to others to other school projects that turned out kind of
okay, one the sound was just horrible was atrocious. And then they tried to play with it and post
to make it just basically a waste of my time. And and and then it was like the pointless like,
they just accept anyone. You know what I mean? That's the vibe I got. Whether that's true or
not. People queuing up to get in, but I'm like, it feels like they just accept anyone, so I just
won't work with them.

Sam Folden 12:07
That's the thing I had a similar experience with with it was like a design and film school. I won't
say which one, obviously. But years ago, and it seemed cool, got on set. It was cool vibes. And
then I watched the finished product. And it was like, What the hell, it just the color grading was
different from scene to scene, the audio was shots and all that stuff. So now, like pretty much I
don't I don't really work with. Like,AFTRS is my go to. Yeah, if I want to do a student.

Max Belmonte 12:40
Was there a first year student and that was fantastic. And that was during COVID. And that was
the school that wrote the COVID regulations, which Australia adopted and then took overseas
to say, look, we're working with COVID. And they became international standards. They just
they're super professional.

Sam Folden 13:00
And I've done a couple of crew jobs with them as well. And you can see , once you're a crew
member as well, how seriously they will take it it's like, you know, they work with industry
professionals, because they're around the corner in Fox Studios, you know, so,

Max Belmonte 13:14
I mean, I told the lecturer who visited the set. And and I mean, you know, it's complicated
enough, right, with a student, but but also with COVID regulation. So like, you know, it was
doubly complicated, but we managed it. And I said to him, I said like this is, you know, these
guys, credit to them, they work so cohesively as a team, always communicating. I know exactly
what I'm doing. This is better organized than most professional said. I was about to say yeah,
often. Yeah, these kids, you know, they're just finished high school the year before. Yeah. Yeah.
And they're telling me what to do and stuff. And like, I know exactly what's going on out
fantastic.

Sam Folden 13:57
Some of my worst set experiences have been mostly in theater to be honest.

Max Belmonte 14:01
Oh really?

Sam Folden 14:02
Because I mean, you do get that one chance per performance.

Max Belmonte 14:05
Yes.

Sam Folden 14:06
So it's kind of within that realm. But one that comes to the top of my head is, I went forward
and auditioned for the Book of Mormon when it came to Sydney. And that that wasn't for one of
the ladies, it was for one of the ensemble members, one of the Mormons who wasn't a lead
role. But this was years ago,

Max Belmonte 14:25
I saw that by the way, it was really good. I enjoyed that.

Sam Folden 14:28

And it's an awesome musical. It says, This was years ago, and I was a lot younger, like I was a
little bit fat. And I just you know, I went for the audition and I'm walking through standing in line
and looking at all these guys like what the hell they're like mid 20s I'm like, I don't know what I
am. I'm like 18 haven't got any facial hair got this weird my hair was messy. Didn't look like a
moment at all. And I'm just there like, Oh my God, I don't know how I even got it anyway went
in the room and there was this giant table like, it was a massive room. It was at NIDA. They
were doing the audition. Had to be like 15 People just staring back at me and then one pianist
on the left. I walk in schizo out already, because I'm like, I don't look the part at all. No way. It's
horrible. Like it's bad enough you know during those open all those those auditions anyway.
Yeah, like Yeah, and and to top it all off, I give the pianists like one of the hardest pieces to
play. So I'm there. I say hello. Only one person is talking to me up from the table of 15. All the
others are just staring and Oh my Oh, my lovely God. Lovely. I will come back in 20 years. All
right. Oh, wait, just wait a little longer. Anyway. Needless to say, I didn't get it. But that's okay. I
think I wouldnt have wanted it at that point.

Max Belmonte 15:51
You made the pianist work hard, which is something positiybe

Sam Folden 15:53
Yeah, yeah.

Max Belmonte 15:54
I remember when I did the Odd Couple, a fantastic. Neil Simon play first theater experience.
Coming back to acting. And I was so still apprehensive with impostor syndrome. So we're
talking about a theater in a country town. An hour and a half from Sydney. The good old Picton
Theatre Club... And which is fine. I made it to every rehearsal all rest of it.

Sam Folden 16:24
Yeah.

Max Belmonte 16:24
And then it turns out, there's roughly five directors. So you know, turn left turn right. Walk
forwards, walk backwards, say it faster, say it slower.

Sam Folden 16:38
There I think actually, that's a, I worked with two directors once on a Musical.

Max Belmonte 16:43
Oh Amatuer theatre.... god.

Sam Folden 16:45
So they separated it. One director would direct one scene. Sorry, the scenes, and then another
director would direct the scenes. And that's how they separated they didn't just do it together.
So then when you watch the musical.

Max Belmonte 16:56
Thats strange.

Sam Folden 16:57
You could see the different visions?

Max Belmonte 16:58
Yeah, that's really wierd

Sam Folden 16:59
Between each scene.

Max Belmonte 17:00
Yeah. I mean look, there was there was one director, but formally, but I mean, there was one
person who is she really was trying to be the alpha male on all things acting with her vision.
She did a course. So you know, and the worst person possible to put in any position of
authority. So I'm like, let's keep it this way. And then the next the next rehearsal, and we've got
an assistant director. Of course, it was worst person you could pick. But they're just so happens
that in and out are three others who are very ah fine at giving their feedback, even if it's
immediately after someone else who said something completely different. It could be as literal
as I want you to walk forward and turn left in terms of blocking and then the other ones actually
walk forward and turn right. I think that's better. So I'm like, im not your plaything I'm not your
play thing. So anyway, I said no more amateur theater. Big cross. But it did what it did in terms
of made me realize I still love acting so want to get on stage and God knows if I still want to do
it.

Sam Folden 17:15
Yeah. And a lot of amateur theatre can be good. A lot of amateur theatre can be good. Like it's
just I guess it's difficult when you have five different directors.

Max Belmonte 18:12
Oh, my God, they just wouldn't shut up. Anyway, we made it. So the biggest, the biggest fail for
me in a professional setting. The one that we talked about episode 76. Were in a professional
setting. You know, that's like, first of all, it was the poor communication. It was the... Can you
do it on this day? I'm like, Sure. And then the day before, I'm like, Guys, news? I'm hearing
crickets nothing. So I'm like, Yeah, fine. I went to another audition. And then I'm getting a
message actually, we need you. Like, okay, all right. I can do it. What time? told them? Yep,
told them I was available. And like, then they replied, by the time I'd finished the audition
going, actually, we don't think we need you. But we need you. So we want you to be like on
standby. So what that means is we'll pay you X, which was half of what they originally said, just
to turn up and be ready.

Sam Folden 19:08
Yeah, yeah.

Max Belmonte 19:09
And if we use you we will give you the full rate. Now, there's so many things wrong with that
scenario. I was like anyway, but I'm like, it's on the way home. It's fine. No worries. So long
story short, I get there I walk in I said to the runner, what's going on? He's like, I've been busy.
But it's this big ad agency that do full service from embedding their marketers in your company
to come up with strategy all the way through to buying the media and putting the TV See
they've produced the greenhouse director they've got in house talent, blah, blah, blah, for
various things. And when we say that, it's like slashes, you know, like the receptionist can also
do the data wrangling or something you know, so it's kind of and it's for a bank so decent
money, right? They got big, big purses, but it was for their conference. So it was like piece to
camera that people are doing in breakout rooms so people can watch the there for their
conference. So there's no usage agreement needed any of that sort of stuff. So I'm like, okay,
piece to camera piece of cake. No. So I turn up and the guys, one guys approached me didn't
reduce himself. Just here's a page of copy. Can you memorize this in 30 minutes?

Sam Folden 20:14
Yeah.

Max Belmonte 20:17
I'm like, right. I said, Do you want it word for word? Or can it be you know, just hit the key point
sort of things like No, no word for word or phrase. Anything? What word for word? Yeah. You
know, it's for a bank. It's for financial. I'm thinking, Okay, well, that means they are going to
broadcast you know, they gotta be careful now, what sort of words they use in terms. Yeah,
yeah, very specific. So there I am going through walking up and down pacing up and down
there could see another one doing it another actor who's being directed on set and then left to
learn lines again and go back to semi that's unusual. And so anyway, finally, 30 minutes later,
then then finally direct comms introduce himself for the first time, like a great. And my first
question, because I've only just memorized it is Yeah, can we break down to each question? Or
are you going to shoot it all the way through? Like, no, we're gonna shoot all the way through
and I'm just gone. The look on my face. I was thinking in my head is going to take a few shots,
right? It's gonna take a fair few takes, yeah, and he's gonna but we've got to have autocue.
And what's worse is if you've memorized and then the words are scrolling at variable speeds,
because it changes because this person who's sitting on the laptop moving the autocue. So it's
not like we didn't notice there was an auto cue, oops, we accidentally told him, the guy is
sitting in the corner with his mates. It's just told me to memorize this. Don't memorize that.
Now I'm going to be distracted because I'm trying to forget it. And I'm reading it. But anyway, I
just want to get the hell out of here as quick as possible. We finally get the first take done all
the way through, I missed a sentence because the person is the order queued scroll too
quickly. They said okay, that was good Bob lobster, great, you know, because it's like, you
know, walk in, pick up the cards with the questions on it, read the questions out loud. And it's
as though you've just heard them for the first time and then answer, obviously, you know, he's
the autocue. So I'm like, all blocking was fine. Everything is just reset for for sound, then I
personally, oh, he missed the sentence. I'm like, well, it was scrolling a bit too quickly. But I'm
sure you know, you can change the speed for the next piano drums. Yeah, so I'm standing
there. And the only feedback was technical. So the director asked sound to remove like a hide
the wire that was hanging down. So I'm standing still on Facebook Messenger doing chatting to
someone I can't remember now. And sound is trying to tape the cord. And the camera needed
to be reset as well. So the directors talking to camera. Sound is fixing my cord. I've got nothing
to do, right. I don't have to memorize anything. I don't have to like I know my blocking.
Everything was fine. All my notes were great. Yeah. So I'm standing there on the phone. And
the person who I noticed that the cormar was on the audit, she just strolls up and then just
reaches out, snatches the phone from my hand and pulls it up in the air. Like like I've been
using it in class in and I'm six years old, you know, and oh my god, she's caught me. No, I've
just gone excuse me, like up like, why? And that moment when everyone on the set is listening.
But no one's listening. Like they're all busy. But like, there's that quiet. And it's like, I've just
gone excuse me, like, what do you think? And she's, she realized she's made icon. I'm like, um,
I didn't move. I'm just like, what? She's like, Oh, I thought you might want me to take photos of
you on something like, looked at like she's like, we're like, whatever I think actually said
whatever. She's still got my phone mentioned. She dropped it anyway. Anyway, I'm okay. Yeah.
So we go through it. Well, then the director grabs me. Sounds okay. You know, Mike is good to
go. Cameras, good to go. I wanted to talk to me about something. Meanwhile, she's flipping her
arms around trying to work my phone. And then she comes in between the director and I and
says, I can't work out how to do the photos, took the phone back and said I don't want you to
take a photo. Just put my phone like in other words, just off just go Just leave me alone. I just
wanted to get through this and get the hell out. So I've, I've I've put the phone in my pocket.
I'm nuts. These people are crazy. I just got it. Took me two takes had it perfect. No worries. I
couldn't like I think I said hello, thank you goodbye. And then Microsoft move just as I speak my
bag up and my like I hit the car so fast. And of course, there was so disorganized they screwed
up the pay as well. Oh, yeah. They paid me in standby right then that to set up another job
department. And then I queried them and they're like, oh, sorry. It's been so hectic. You know
some people have got paid, some people haven't been paid at all, some people have been paid
twice. So that's not your problem. That is not your problem. So I wrote that on this thread and I
tagged the production company. It was a private, you know, Sydney, actors, filmmakers, group.
And so I take them, I said, this is what happened when I was working for blah, blah, blah. And a
week later, I get an instant message from the director of the company. No, Max, I'm so sorry
that that was your experience. You know, I was an actor too. I completely feel the situation.
This is unacceptable. Can you give me more details I said it was for this brand. And for a bank
for a conference, and it was on this day. You know, glad to help. And you know what I did? I put
the link in to Episode 76. So and here's here's some more context for you.

Sam Folden 25:56
Yeah.

Max Belmonte 26:00
And I was looking back the other day, actually. And I could see a spike in at around that time of
the episode downloads in Sydney. Like it was just a bit of a random blip in my data.

Sam Folden 26:16
Yeah.

Max Belmonte 26:16
So, I'm a bit of a data nerd, so that's been going around the office. Let's hope that doesn't
happen again. He's like, thank you so much for the feedback. I hope the next time we have you
on set, you know, it'll be a much better experience, but there won't be a next time. Because
sometimes you complain, and you know, and then that's right, you go, Oh, well, I'm gonna work
there again, but I'm gonna fuck it. I'm gonna say who it is, I'm gonna attack him. It's up to
them. If they want to do something about it and be better. You're not You're not saying
anything rude or unjust about them. Anyway, you're just stating a story that you what makes it
extra stinky, though, is the fact that it was the week after we did this whole thing on let's follow
your instinct, you know, and how to say no. Yeah, I remember you telling your story back in
that sense. I mean, like, I should have followed my instinct. There's something weird going on.
If only I'd have actually listened to what we were saying seven days before. It's why you guys
have to listen to two unemployed actors. So remember, another big? Another big another big
markup on set? Worst day? When a data wrangler member we're talking to Christian van
Vuuren? Episode 82. Yeah. And he said that data wrangler accidentally deleted the entire day's
shooting. Yeah, like 100k is just gone. And had mentioned God, I had a very, very similar ish
experience.

Sam Folden 27:31
Actually going back to when I was when I was a runner for an AFTRS film, short film. First time,
I'd been a runner properly on set, and we were in a different location was about an hour away
from from afters. And I was sent to go collect some hard drives and bring him back so we could
download the footage for that day. And there was this awful system going on where the people
who are handing over the hard drives were just the security and they had no idea what I didn't
know what which ones I were getting at. They seem to know, thought they knew. They gave me
someone else's hard drives. I took them back, was driving around doing a bunch of other stuff.
And then I get a call from Afters being like, Hi, is this sermon? Yes. Is that this is whoever from
afters. I think you have taken the wrong hard drives, it belongs to another project. And no one
on set when I dropped them off said anything. I don't know what's going on there. And I
thought oh, sorry. These were the ones I was handed. I asked for something specific. And I was
handed these ones. And she's like, Okay, well just just call them and I need you to bring them
back. So right now she's back right now. Call them and make sure it hasn't been wiped yet.
That's all their footage for their project. Yeah. Wow. Call and I'm calling and I'm calling and I
asked them back on set and they were like No, we haven't wiped it yet. It was that okay. Don't
touch it. Do not touch it. Because imagine it like you're not going to miss they're not going to
know on set, right? Because here's the data hard drives. Yep, no dramas. But it's the people
who have gone Wait a minute, where's my hard drive gone? Was a very very, or is it going like,
yeah, yeah, it was a weird system. So apparently meant to keep the same numbers throughout
the whole because the hard drives were numbered the whole time. I wasn't explained this very
well. The people handing it over obviously wasn't explained to very well

Max Belmonte 29:25
to manage this massive in fairness. So here's a few years if you have collected from various
forums or from one specific forum thread, right?

Sam Folden 29:33
Yep

Max Belmonte 29:34
When your boss on a low budget video shoot says could I have you bring your car tomorrow?
Don't worry, nothing dangerous. Don't bring your car because it's something dangerous. Never
let them use your car. Never let them use your house. You don't want to especially if it's the
low budget or it's the student film was a new here's another guy's who's gone on crew.
Everyone's busy. either running behind is going to pick up the lens case it was closed and the
latches are down but they weren't locked. So it's picked it up and out tumbled a $40,000.
Canon EF prime lens is lenses plural. But they were they were okay. But I mean up at that
moment between the DEP picking them up and going wow, they're actually survived. Would
that's that's like that'd be that'd be that'd be torture. No here's one from another location shoot
in North America on a shoot in the mountains the truck came to empty the honey wagons and
after doing its thing got stuck on a steep dirt incline. Every time the truck would back up and
come sliding back down the hill. Poop would volcano out the open port of the trucks tank. Why
the smell because it's gone to empty the portal is right it's gonna empty. What happened it's
gonna happen. Someone's got to do it. And it's trying to get the steep hill and kept sliding
backwards and every time it came to a stop. It would slosh out and the smell would be
unbearable no doubt but the incident was happening 30 yards from the set. Can you imagine
that? Definitely. I love the last sentence. Definitely the crappiest day I've ever had.

Sam Folden 31:21
Yeah.

Max Belmonte 31:23
Shooting in the woods. No washrooms. No drinking water or sunscreen. And crafty. left all the
food and stuff in a hot car, resulting in food poisoning.

Sam Folden 31:37
Oh, my God.

Max Belmonte 31:38
could have been resolved with a budget and some brain cells. They had neither. She definitely
had neither. Here we go. Here we go. The brother of the director was on set and at any
sentence it starts with the brother of the director. It's not gonna be good. The brother of the
director was on set and asked to play a gangster in the film. While we're setting up lights the
brother was drinking. I'm guessing it's not like it's an outdoor? Yeah, correct. We had real and
prop knives on set. The real knives had fluorescent gaffer tape over them. Okay. And we told
him in particular, because he's drinking not to touch the knives on the table. Then he
proceeded to tell us he's a professional and to prove it EagleEye to the knife across the palm of
his hand. And of course it was the real one. So to no one's surprise he sliced his hand open
before saying oops. And putting his pants the director decided to shoot his scenes last to get
him to sober up. Of course he didn't with his hand bandaged up here's one for you Sammy.
Here Here we go. Got assaulted by an actor on a stunt three times he decided to improvise and
county in the ribs on three separate takes was I didn't like me because I was the line producer
as well on stunt guy as well as the stunt guy and I couldn't get him a call sheet because we're
still shooting so he decided to be an asshole.

Sam Folden 33:07
actually yeah on that if anyone remembers I've spoken about where I was I was slapped
physically actually slapped across the face multiple times I feel no prep like you know what
happens in the scene but they've gone action and then he's just gone. Yeah, I mean, it's a
brilliant short film but um yeah, that that moment was was it got to a point where I actually
said Okay, that's it we've shot enough you've got that freakin take I got pretty angry Yeah,
never allow it you shouldn't actually be be physically assaulted by other actors. It should be
faked and sound effects and if you do give them permission, you don't use your full force.

Max Belmonte 33:47
Imagine imagine you're doing five takes and three different camera setups you're being hit 15
times I mean yes that's why you don't stop guys know how to move so they don't get don't get
hit. And they can get pretty close as that is weird. We're only allowed to get like a foot if that
towards someone when it comes to you know, fighting because we're not certainties. Yeah, so
don't let someone Oh, yeah. Yeah, don't let any director tell you that. Oh, yeah, by the way,
we're going to do it for real Wednesday. Just say Yeah, well, you're not allowed to do that. Here
we go. fog machine setting off the fire alarm mid take twice on the same shoot. Well, that's a
bit dumb. Research throwing that throwing that the idiot ad using the fire extinguisher in place
of a fog machine. Bad idea what the hell? Oh my god, completely different. The last shoot when
I did that last week, the word or I did actually had to use a fire extinguisher. One thing I
learned. They, they these are the big fire extinguishers. They last like 45 seconds. Here. I get
very long. That was an interesting learning. The other thing is we're now down to five and we're
gonna go and there's like all these moving pieces in the in the take and it came down to like
this like the last one and I'm like oh, dont fuck this up Max. Here we go Pyro stunt explosion in
a car under uninsulated powerlines carrying at least 3000 volts so what happened was as the
flame shot up power jumped from the lines down the flame because there's a conducting
column of ionized gas. Yeah science lesson and our detonating lines through the special effects
guy. It was it was okay but only just he's one to just reflect on being COVID times norovirus
spreading like wildfire due to lack of facilities. There were 10 porta potties for about 100 crew.
Plus 300 extras only emptied once a week. No running water, ran out of soap, no electricity
either. Lunch was packaged in the morning and sat till the afternoon and the end end because
it can only get worse. They accidentally fed everyone raw chicken and you accidentally feed
the raw chicken was booked for you think at a cook in the car was booked for three weeks
solution left after two days. I like that. That's good. Yes. Oh my god. This there's so many like
just trying to disseminate we'll have to do a full episode just working. Working on an indie film.
The producer rented a location from an owner who demanded to be on site. Too bad he was
drunk and carrying a loaded gun.

Sam Folden 36:40
What the hell?

Max Belmonte 36:44
Oh my god. Dont be the guy actually dropped something and breaks stuff.

Sam Folden 36:48
Just use your imagination for the rest of that story.

Max Belmonte 36:50
My god. This is a good one about bad talent. Two of the five talent. Two of the five talents
showed up on set 45 minutes late. So he's a great start. Yeah, then demanded that they get a
raise before they started. Once that was settled, no, they never got the raise. Then they
demanded that their contract be reworded. Then when they got to shooting, if they hadn't even
memorized a single line. This is from the deeper users witnessing it all go down in slow mo. Like
a car crash like geez, shocking. That's shocking. Okay, last last one. Last one before we wrap
up. I kinda hope it's a goodie. Yeah, working on set. So just nice generic crew term. We
exploded the building with a glass owning the night before. The next day, most of the morning
was cracked, but still up and we're walking back and forth under it into the building. It didn't
occur to anyone to keep people from walking under the broken glass until the whole thing
actually fell down randomly in the middle of the workday. Either pull the glass down, I have
people use different entrance. The last sentence I got life insurance that month.

Sam Folden 38:07
Yeah, cool. Good idea.

Max Belmonte 38:09
Don't be that guy. Oh, my God. I know there's there's there's some shockers in there. And it's
hard to feel like you just you feel especially as an up and coming actor like you just so far from
being in a position of power. It's really hard to sort of say, Look, I don't feel safe or but you
don't have to be that but yeah, but like but say it because say yes. No good apologizing after
you lose your arm or something. Exactly. It's crazy. And I certainly learned to be so careful in
my vetting with those student films and vetting projects, especially the ones that are below
industry rates. So you know, definitely so many reasons. Yeah. Great, shocking. You're listening
to unemployed actors. I'm Max.

Sam Folden 38:53
I'm Sam.

Max Belmonte 38:54
Make sure you subscribe. Next week, you're going to hear an interview we do with Darren
Gilsenan on working with comedy and following that we've got an interview with one of
Australia's top talent agents in Mark Morrissey. He's, he represents Chris Hemsworth. So lots of
exciting tips on how to get an agent what to do when you get one and more. So make sure you
subscribe and you hear us next week. Bye.