This past Tuesday, Shaila had her first job as an extra on the set of Cane, the new CBS drama starring Jimmy Smits.
From the moment we arrived on set in Long Beach, everyone was very welcoming and friendly. There were seven more kids on the set as well, which was great since Shaila had an opportunity to meet other kids to share in the experience. We were shuttled to the closed set where we signed in and then went to wardrobe.
Shaila was involved in two separate scenes for the show. The first scene had her playing in the park with some of the other kids, throwing a frisbee and generally having fun. There were multiple takes, which was a huge plus. With each take, Shaila was more relaxed and at ease, as though the cameras, crew and equipment were not even there!
Later in the day, the 2nd scene was at a park bench, and it called for Shaila to walk her bicycle along a path with her friend. In the background, there were other walkers, as well as joggers, bicyclists and skateboarders. The narrow width of the path was a factor in getting the best background shots, and after a few takes, imagine my surprise when Shaila actually pulled the background director aside and made a couple of suggestions on how to get the ideal background shot...which they ended up doing on the final take! This was her first time ever on a set! Not only do we have a performer, but a budding director as well!
In between scenes, Shaila was in “school” with the other kids, with a lot of one-on-one attention and guidance. Having that kind of attention actually helped her complete her schoolwork faster and error-free, which made the on-set experience even more enjoyable. Then of course,
what on-set experience would be complete without craft services? The food was incredible!
Virtually every kind of dish imaginable, with every dish more mouth-watering than the
next! Breakfast included an array of fresh fruits and juices, muffins, and fluffy
omelets made to order. Later in the day, quesadillas, mini-tacos and burritos
(I am not kidding when I tell you the burritos were the size of a football), along with
salads and snacks. We actually thought that was lunch. Boy, were we wrong!
Lunch brought a variety of dishes for virtually every palate. Every bit of it was
incredible. There was only one downside, which was when the day had to come to
an end! It was so much fun that time flew by very fast. All in all, it was a great day,
and all we can say is “Thank you.” Shaila had a great time. This is something that
I know she will not forget for a long time.
Maria Diaz
