Detroit Free Press
November 23, 2008
Mom's small movie role turns into something extra
By Patricia Montemurri, Free Press Staff Writer
SPOILERS!
Vivian Brock, above, a Troy mother of three teens, got more than she expected when she showed up to be a Michigan movie extra. She answered a casting call for the movie "Demoted," starring actors Michael Vartan and Sean Astin. She was supposed to be a face in a cafeteria crowd. But when she was selected to be a face in the movie's on-screen secretarial office pool, a one-day gig turned into a seven-week stint. Here's how she did it.
CASTING CALL: Vivian, who has worked as a narrator and spokesmodel for Chevrolet, is signed with local talent agency the i Group, which alerted her to a casting call for "Demoted." The scene involved an office cafeteria, and as she stood in the cafeteria line, "the director tapped me on the shoulder and said, 'Follow me.' " He placed her at a lunch table with the film's main female actresses, who include Celia Weston and Cleo King.
THE PLOT: Michael Vartan and Sean Astin play salesmen who get demoted to secretaries. R-rated comedy and romance unfold as they claw their way back.
COSTUME CLOSET: Vivian was her own costumer. She was asked to bring five changes of "secretarial-like clothing" to the set. From home, she brought a silver-blue skirt and jacket, and shopped for other outfits.
MEMORABLE MOVIE MOMENT: It was more like a memorable day watching Michael Vartan strip to his underwear in a Milford suburb. "That was a shocker," says Vivian.
ON LOCATION: The movie sets included a Bennigan's, an unused office building in Dearborn, the Orchard Lake Country Club and a cemetery in Milford. In one scene, they used Vivian's car, a 2008 Chevy Impala.
COMPENSATION: She got $100 a day. She worked six days a week, usually 12 hours a day, and she got free breakfast and lunch. "They took good care of us," she says.
QUIET WORK: Whatever actions she did, she did in silence. In a cafeteria scene, she'd pretend to get her utensils or a drink. "And it would be in mime. If you picked up a utensil, it would have to be very quiet," says Vivian. "If you see us talking, we're miming."
EXTRA IMPRESSIONS: Extras were told initially not to speak to the actors. But as the weeks wore on, the actors spoke to Vivian. "They were very kind," says Vivian. "Celia Weston... was the first one who spoke to me, and inquired about my life." On the last day of filming, extras were allowed to take photos, and Vivian attended the cast party. The actors and the cast told her they liked Michigan. "They were surprised by the beauty," says Vivian.
SHOWTIME: The film is to be released by early summer. To see a trailer, go to www.parallelmediafilms.com
© 2008 Detroit Free Press
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