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Health & Fitness

Lights. Camera. Sunburn.

Coverage of my 30 hours on the set of "The Dark Knight Rises" as an extra.

If you are unaware of the presence of director Christopher Nolan and actors Christian Bale, Anne Hathaway and Tom Hardy being in town, then I would assume you don’t own a television, computer, newspaper or radio. Pittsburgh is in full out Dark Knight mania as the final weeks of filming to the third movie in the most recent Batman franchise are coming to a close.

Back in June, my brother and I decided to attend the open casting call for extras to The Dark Knight Rises. It was something to cross off of the bucket list. Sign up to be an extra in what is anticipated to be the biggest blockbuster movie of all time. Check.

A few weeks went by, and we didn’t hear anything. Then, my brother received his call: mercenary for the movie’s villain, Bane. I received an email to be a stand-in for a girl of my height and hair color but with a pale complexion. They requested additional photos. I am not pale on my palest day of the year. No dice. Last Tuesday, I received a request to be a female fan at a football game. Score!

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I will not reveal anything that I saw or heard while on set, but instead, give you the gist of what the extras experienced.

It is a long, long, long two days. Up at 3:30 to be in the parking lot by 4:30 and on set at 5 for hair, makeup, wardrobe, processing in and breakfast. Sit around for a while, because about 500-600 people need to go through the same routine. People start to clan up into groups that they will stick with as much as possible. Good luck finding each other again if the crew separates you, because you are not allowed to have your phone on set. Yeah, kids. Paper and pen for exchanging information. If you are under the age of 15, you probably have no idea what I just said because you have had a cell phone since you were 3.

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Reach the actual set at around 7. Sit around some more. Move around a lot while the crew figures out best placement and sets up cameras, pods and tons of other equipment for the shot. Make more buddies and get everyone within a 20-foot radius’s back story. Listen to directions. Rehearse. Rehearse. Rehearse. Rolling! Background! Action! Cut! Sit around some more for reset. Possibly move to a new location. Run into my brother occasionally. Get my section to chant his name as he walks by. Get used to repeating the same scene over and over as the crew shoots from every possible angle.

Start getting delirious and goofy, possibly cranky. Seven hours in the sun and/or rain have passed. Eventually break for lunch. So tired that you don’t even care what you are eating. Perk up, back to the set. Start over. Hours pass, your second wind starts to fade. Public Assistants walking around for their umpteenth time to bring everyone water, electrolyte pills, sunblock and headache meds. (These people are the best! Be good to your PA! They help get you through your day!) Drink my 15th bottle of water or so. Shoot some more. Time to go home! Process out. Get time for arrival for the next day. Lucky me! Up at 3:30 again!

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. And love and hate every moment of it. I would do it all again, but I would never do it again. By this, I mean that I am so thankful for this experience, but I'm not sure that I can handle that type of schedule again (plus, the 30 hours missed with my son, even though I'm getting some nice extra cash!).

I have a new appreciation for film and everything that goes into making a movie. I met some absolutely awesome people that I will keep in touch with, learned a lot, and best of all, will be able to tell my son someday (and hopefully show him if I make it onto the screen!) that his mom, her friends and his uncle were in Batman.

Is it summer 2012 yet?

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