And... we're off

Today was the first day of principal photography on Am I Blue? I am dead tired, and I did hardly anything compared to most of the cast and crew.

We had four locations today. The first was Simon's office suite at San Diego State University. Simon told me they used to film Veronica Mars on campus. *sniff* Because of the layout of the suite, I had to spend my time there either hiding in an office with the door closed or outside in the parking lot so that I wouldn't be caught on film; so unfortunately, I didn't get to witness much improv, though what little I did overhear was amusing. I developed a huge crush on a cast member I met this morning. His name is Peanut, and he is a 5-month-old chihuahua-terrier mix. Sadly for me, he has eyes for only his owner, the lovely Miranda, and his dried pig's ear chew toy.

Our second location was miles away, a beautiful little cottage in La Jolla just two blocks from the beach. We ate lunch there -- mmmm, steak sandwiches and cheesecake from Ruth's Chris. After that, we took off to a funky little house perched high atop a hill about 10 miles from downtown San Diego, where we spent most of the afternoon. I met two German Shepherds there, but they did not capture my heart the way Peanut did. The place had a spectacular view of the valley; all afternoon the house was filled with the aroma of slow-cooked meatballs in marinara sauce, some of which were used as a prop in a scene and the rest of which we got to eat for dinner.

Beatrice, the assistant makeup artist, was unhappy with the coverage of the airbrushed blue makeup, so about mid-afternoon she noticed I wasn't doing anything important and pulled me aside to test some different makeups that could be applied with sponges. A combination of blue grease-based makeup mixed with a white cream (which is currently covering both my legs and my right forearm) was deemed the most successful formula, so the production fell about two hours behind schedule as Sean and Simon took off in search of supplies. In the meantime, Beatrice and Christina, the head makeup artist, continued to try various other combinations on my face, neck, and limbs, hoping to achieve that perfect balance of coverage, even application, and long-lasting wear. I washed myself off again and again so they could have a clean palette for every new effort; they left me alone only when I told them my skin was starting to burn.

Now I'm back in our dismal room at Motel 6, which, shockingly, has WiFi. Unfortunately, I'm having trouble adding pictures and/or links -- not sure if it's Blogger, the connection, or the laptop itself causing problems. I'll try to add some visual aids tomorrow if technology will let me. Now... time for a shower to get rid of the last of my blue makeup.