Jennifer Tong
Dive into the dynamic realm of filmmaking with the latest episode of Behind the Scenes by Set Tracker! Actress Jennifer Tong, celebrated for her recent starring role in Netflix's 'Fakes,' engages in an in-depth conversation with host Kyle McCachen.
Join us as Jennifer speaks about the challenges of managing time pressures on set and provides insights into the fast-paced world of TV production. Jennifer opens up about her commitment to creating films that echo current cultural movements.
In this candid exploration of the industry, Jennifer and Kyle discuss the delicate dance between authenticity and the demands of satisfying film and TV studio executives. Join us for an inspiring conversation that goes beyond the screen as we uncover the nuances of Jennifer Tong's journey.
Behind the Scenes by Set Tracker isn't just a podcast; Set Tracker is also a film and TV app. The app helps solve problems on set with communication tools and up-to-date scripts and schedules. Our mission is to help filmmakers save time all over the world. Subscribe on Spotify, share the love of film, and connect with us on social media @SetTracker, @_jentong, and @stokeshow to stay updated on all things cinematic. Immerse yourself in the magic where creativity meets the big screen!
Transcript below.
SET TRACKER
Today, on Behind the Scenes, we have actress JENNIFER TONG, star of Netflix's ‘Fakes’. Born on the West Coast she is presently acting and involved in various theater companies and Jen and I discuss how to navigate the incredible time pressure as a film actors, how to avoid crashing after wrapping a big project and the need to express your own honest opinions even when working in Hollywood. Thank you for being here.
JENNIFER TONG
Of course, thanks for having me.
SET TRACKER
So, right off the top, you were saying just now that you're kind of like a kid, like acting and playing make believe for your job. How does that make you feel about being both a professional, and a creative?
JENNIFER TONG
Oh, I'm eternally grateful because, you know, sometimes I forget that not everyone gets to play for a living. It reality checks me because I live in this bubble where I'm surrounded by different artists, all pursuing our passion for our career. Even though it can be hard sometimes, it's such a privilege. So, when the weather's right, I teach improv classes to first-time improvisers. Seeing the joy sparked in class, them being able to be silly without the constraints of what being an adult means is so refreshing. It makes me realize that not everyone gets to do that every day for their job.
SET TRACKER
Absolutely. In film, too, it's like, wow, we're lucky. It makes me think about being an adult, whatever that means, you know?
JENNIFER TONG
Totally.
SET TRACKER
When you're an actor, it's like you're trying not to be an adult in a sense. You're playing, you know? When I was in an acting class, someone asked, "Do you have anybody that you really tell the truth to, someone you're not trying to hide from?" It got me thinking. I realized, yeah, my brother, I never try to posture or pretend I'm too cool with him. But with a lot of other people, we have these barriers. In acting, is it true that you're trying to get rid of those barriers, be connected to whatever emotions are just coming up?
JENNIFER TONG
I think it depends. You know, there are characters where that is their true self, they don't have a filter, and they're more willing to share their true selves. But I find that most characters, most characters that I've played, have an inner world and an outer world. It's about who you let into your inner world and who is still on the outside.
SET TRACKER
Right. So when you're thinking about a character, when you're doing background, you're thinking about who does this character let in? They keep their posture up with some people.
JENNIFER TONG
Yeah, like, who sees the real me, the character me? And who am I still trying to prove something to or impress?
SET TRACKER
Mm-hmm. So you make a note in the script, like, "This person I'm trying to impress?"
JENNIFER TONG
Yeah, I mean, it depends. If I'm working on a project for a couple of months, you already know because you've been in rehearsals or shooting for weeks. You don't have to notate on the script every day. But if I get an audition, and I'm doing script work on the scenes they've given me, yeah, that's something I keep in mind. Part of my process is writing down the relationship I have with each character in the scene or the moment before.
SET TRACKER
So you write down the relationships with these characters on an audition, even if you don't know sometimes?
JENNIFER TONG
Yeah. Depending on the project, some are more guarded. I've had ones where they send sides like secret spy shit, and you can't print or save them. But for auditions, I might make it up if I don't know.
SET TRACKER
What did we give you for Bad Press?
JENNIFER TONG
I think you gave me the whole feature. I got the full script.
SET TRACKER
You're not supposed to, and I can't remember.
JENNIFER TONG
Yeah, I think you gave me the full script and the audition sides, right?
SET TRACKER
Mm-hmm. Did you read the whole script?
JENNIFER TONG
You did read, I think. Yeah, I read through the whole script. Yeah.
SET TRACKER
There's a secretive nature to people's scripts, and every creative is different, every showrunner has a different need of security.
JENNIFER TONG
Oh, my gosh, I've met people who, you know, they'll be like, "Yeah, I'm working on this script," and I'll just be like, "Oh, cool. What's it about?" Just trying to make conversation. They're like, "Oh, like, I don't think I should talk about it. You know, I want to keep that close to my heart," which is, you know, respect. I think that, in this industry, to connect and make connections and build community, you never know who's going to be able to help you along. But I also get it, like, maybe they've been burned before, and someone has, like, stolen their idea or something. So...
SET TRACKER
Yeah, I mean, this is maybe not related, but I heard that to trust somebody is a risk. And when you get wisdom as you get older, it's because you have been burned, you've been hurt, but you're brave to continue to try and trust people. That's what bravery is. And early on, if you don't know you can be burned, then you're just naive. So I think that's, yeah, that's definitely something, like, how much do you share about whatever projects you have?
JENNIFER TONG
Who do you share it with?
SET TRACKER
With people you don't want to get their hopes up. If it doesn't go ahead, and you look like an idiot, you need to share certain things with other people to connect, to certain people. Like, "I love that script" or "I love that idea." Right. So that's probably, as an actress, you probably get people pitching you ideas a fair bit, right?
JENNIFER TONG
Mm-hmm. Yeah. I mean, I've built enough community in Vancouver where I have a lot of filmmaker friends who are constantly doing new stuff and ask me to read their scripts or to read for a role or just trying to test out the waters. Yeah, I recently did a table read for a feature that a couple of friends have been writing for two years, and it was just so nice to have everyone get together and share their thoughts and feedback on the script. And I could tell that my friends who wrote the thing really appreciated it and were so happy to see how people responded to their story.
SET TRACKER
Yeah. Now that's if you can get people to read your script. Like my brother, on his own, set up a table read at a library. Mm-hmm. Before it, it was a different version, but it closed a lot of stuff. I just can't believe that he went and got all these people to do it, and they did it, and it was great. It's so exciting to see your work actually get out there. Mm-hmm. Another funny part about our jobs is you make the movie or they make the TV show, or you write the script even, and then it's like, who's going to look at this? I know. I know. The show's done. Sometimes you just want to do...
JENNIFER TONG
Yes, of course. And you want eyes on it, and you want people to watch it.
SET TRACKER
Yeah. And that's so, like, what's that like for you? Like, let's take, like, when Netflix's face came out, like, you're like, "Okay, this is great. Now you go into the show, in fact has marketing events for you and all kinds of... Right? Mm-hmm.
JENNIFER TONG
Yeah. I mean, I think there is so much content these days, and with Fakes, it was, you know, a lower budget, kind of smaller scale Canadian production. It was made during the pandemic when we were still COVID testing and we were still having to wear masks. A lot of things were selective. And I think that it's just, what's the word? It's so not concentrated, but there's just, yeah, there's a lot of content out there. So how do you make your project stand out?
SET TRACKER
What is it? How do you do that? Even on screenwriting Twitter, I follow that. There's people who talk about, you know, like, every project you can be good technically, project needed technically. But if it's not saying something about the world, that kind of needs to be centered on a topic. What is your script? You're just having more drama between actors. My character wants something. But what makes it interesting is when he's, when it connects to his culture or a greater thing. You know, like, right now, I don't know where you create film about that made me feel like, "Wow, I really want to see that." Because it's happening right now.
JENNIFER TONG
Yeah. But no, I think I agree with you because things are moving so fast, and people don't have a long attention span, right? So they want to see stuff that's relevant. They want to see stuff that they can relate to right now, that's poignant right now. But, you know, production takes time. And so how are projects supposed to predict what's going to happen in a couple of months or a year when their project is actually going to be shown to the world?
SET TRACKER
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it is. Well, like, how do you think, like, it takes forever to make something? How do you get people to, like, really connect with something? But you hope that once, you know, sometimes you're like, "We did that." Yeah, you still have to tell. I know, I know. And then feedback comes, and then there's, like, a process, right? Yeah. And how do you think about marketing as an actor? Mm. Because some people are like, "Oh, that's the business side."
JENNIFER TONG
And it is. Yeah. I mean, it is kind of the more business side that I don't like. That's not the reason why I came into acting. Right. So and that's not my forte, but I think more and more I've been hearing that it's almost like you, me, Jennifer Tong as a person, as the actor, or as the Lee Jennifer Tong Chang as the actor, and both have to kind of coexist harmoniously in terms of, like, your social media presence. How you present yourself to the world is people are starting to look at that. Casting is starting to look at that, and producers and stuff like that.
SET TRACKER
You have to be honest about what you believe and who you are. The more people that do that, it will probably be better. That being said, if you're on a big Apple show, and there's $100 million at stake, and you don't know if somebody has a political opinion when you might be running the show, are you going to take that risk? I think a lot of people have that question these days. On the last interview, Andy Hodgson, a producer, cinematographer, mentioned creating a persona for himself on social media, allowing him to separate his work from himself. It's like saying, "Judge this work, but know that I'm still a good person even if it didn't do well." I found it interesting because he deliberately curates an image on his social media to distinguish it from his personal life.
JENNIFER TONG
It's almost like trying to sell not only your work but also yourself as a person. As an actor, it's prevalent because we've seen projects with issues due to the cast's bad history or unfavorable stances on world issues. But it feels dystopian, like my personality and values now have to cater to whoever gives me the next job.
SET TRACKER
So it's always about protection, not showing and hiding. Then you don't express what you truly believe.
JENNIFER TONG
Yeah, but it's to the detriment of yourself. You feel like you're not being your true self, and that can hurt your soul.
SET TRACKER
It definitely can. If you start lying a little to get ahead, you may forget to be honest as you climb higher. It's a slippery slope of losing who you are, lying for success.
SET TRACKER
It's funny because in job interviews, I was just telling somebody, "Don't tell them everything about yourself. Express your interest in the job and make them feel important."
JENNIFER TONG
Yeah, selective truth.
SET TRACKER
I'm really backing up on it though...
JENNIFER TONG
No. I know what you mean.
SET TRACKER
There's a space for it. I also think that's the same with holding on to some opinions. Being careful when expressing political views online, knowing there's a big audience and understanding that culture shifts. How is that going to affect me?
JENNIFER TONG
Sure. Yeah.
SET TRACKER
How do you think about the project from a marketing point of view?
JENNIFER TONG
Yeah, I'm in an interesting point in my career. I just had a meeting with my team two days ago, talking about the kind of projects we want to pursue. I feel like I can be a bit selective. If there's something I really disagree with or a network I don't want to work with due to promoting a certain lifestyle, I feel comfortable cutting off that arm or leg. Still open to opportunities that come to me. I guess what I'm trying to say is, there are some blatant things I won't touch. If it's detrimental to my career, so be it. But doing something that goes against my values would really hurt me internally. I won't compromise on that. If there's a chance for conversation or understanding, I'm open to it. Shutting people out completely isn't the way to create change or spread opinions. There has to be an open dialog.
SET TRACKER
Yeah, that's the smartest thing. Discuss and connect instead of disengage. It's about helping others understand your perspective and vice versa. As an actor, turning down every controversial role might mean missing opportunities to work on impactful projects. You might lose the chance to be part of movies that explore complex characters on both sides, like stories about the Holocaust or characters like Walter White in Breaking Bad.
JENNIFER TONG
You never know where an opportunity will lead or how it will grow. But, you know, it's easier said than done. I've definitely been emotional in debates and discussions. Keeping an open mind is easier said than done.
SET TRACKER
And it's easier said than done to speak your opinion. I was making political commentary a couple of years ago, being clever, and then I got hired for an Apple show the next day. I realized I had to stop.
JENNIFER TONG
It's hard because so much in this industry is out of our control. It's not always a meritocracy. Sometimes you have to do a bit of people pleasing and ass kissing, which sucks. Unfortunately, as of right now, that's just how the industry works.
SET TRACKER
People might teach you more if they think you're open to learning. It's a tough balance between pursuing your ideals and the reality of needing a job. There are certain projects you won't do, and that's fine. You have to know where you draw the line. For example, someone in film school suggested Adult Entertainment for good money, but I knew it wasn't for me (laughs).
JENNIFER TONG
Yeah, it's great for him, but it's just not something I feel comfortable doing.
SET TRACKER
Right. It's about being open to various projects while having a goal in mind. There's a direction you lean towards, but it doesn't mean you won't do other things that eventually contribute to reaching your ultimate goals.
JENNIFER TONG
Yeah. And I think right now I'm like, open to a bunch of different types of projects, but there is, you know, a goal in mind, a way that I'm leaning of like the ultimate kind of types of projects that I want to work on. But that doesn't mean that I'm not going to do all this other stuff that is eventually going to help me get to where I want to go.
SET TRACKER
Yeah, what are the types that you get? Because I really like the role that I asked you before. You in your personality. Do you know what roles you get all the time.
JENNIFER TONG
Oh, yeah. I mean, I was just talking to my team about it, right? So I think that ultimately I want to do stuff that can change opinions and impact people's way of thinking. I think I also have a soft spot for comedy as well. So. And I don't think that doing a comedy isn't necessarily, you know, shallow and doesn't have anything to say. Usually comedies like, ah, it's kind of like a Spoonful of Medicine or sugar or whatever the metaphor is. You know.
SET TRACKER
I know a lot of quotes about what comedy is politically like. It's you can get comedy gets under the door while politics is fumbling at the handle.
JENNIFER TONG
Yes, I love that. Yeah. That sneakily getting itself in there by making you laugh and it's, you know, making you comfortable and stuff. But ultimately, yeah, something that says something I love, I would love, you know, fakes was definitely a dream project of mine. So when I did that, I was kind of like, Ooh, what's next? Like, what's something else I want to accomplish that I haven't done before?
JENNIFER TONG
And I was like, I would love to do something with action or, you know, I, I've done Muay Thai for the past couple of years, so like, something to, like, flex that skill off. Yeah. Flex.
SET TRACKER
So, do you shoot guns.
JENNIFER TONG
No, but I would love to learn, you know, how to shoot.
SET TRACKER
Guns shooting range.
JENNIFER TONG
I mean, yeah I'm in.
JENNIFER TONG
I mean, I am very much like, want to try everything, so yes to Action, maybe even like, I don't know, like a bridgerton esque kind of thing.
SET TRACKER
What's that show?
JENNIFER TONG
You don't even know what that is? Ok. It's fine. (Laughs) No judgment. It's just a Netflix show. It's kind of, um. It's kind of like Pride and Prejudice, sexy, like teen Buffy.
SET TRACKER
I’ll check it out. It sounds good. So what did your parents think of your choice to be an actor when you were telling them or when you were starting?
JENNIFER TONG
Me and my sister were raised by my mom, single mom working like three part time jobs. And, you know, she sacrificed a lot for us. And so I graduated high school. I was very much I had applied to the SFA communications program because everyone had kind of like urged me to do that because, you know, they were like, “you're outgoing, you're sociable, you're great with people, like this is something you should do.” So I applied for this, a few communications program and I got in, but I had also, you know, auditioned for the acting program at Capilano University.
Ultimately, I decided to do the communications program and so paid my deposit, went to the info session with my mom. And, you know, I'm like fully committed to start this in a month or two or whatever. But in the info session I just like was listening to the kind of stuff I would be doing in the next four years. And I was like. “Oh, hell.” Like, I can't. I don't want this to be my next four years. And so on the car ride back, I'm just like sobbing my eyes out and like I turn to my mom and I'm like, difficult. I think I have to, give acting a try. I just think I just got to at least try and if I hate it or if it doesn't work out, I can always come back and do communications. And my mom just looked at me and she was like, “I don't like it. But I understand.” And so I ditched the deposit at S.F. you and I went to CAP FILM and did the three year acting program there, and it was the best decision I ever made.
SET TRACKER
And it's so crazy. Yeah. Now, like, you know, you think about how far you come when you've starred in a Netflix show.
JENNIFER TONG
Yeah, it's kind of crazy. It's, it's definitely wild to think about and I think some like as an actor, the career is very much up and down and it's very rollercoaster. Always kind of if you are constantly working at your craft and you're constantly trying and really dedicated, I think you know the possible odds are endless. And if you've got a good team that supports you, like you're going to be able to keep rising. And I have faith in that. And I'm excited to see what's next.
SET TRACKER
That's crazy. That's a great story.
JENNIFER TONG
I know sometimes I'm wondering, like, what is a corporate job like? Jen Look like does she live in Maine? Silver lake? Is Jen dating like, a tech, bro?
SET TRACKER
I heard somebody else say this, but I think every now and then, maybe we should all do a boring 9 to 5 job. Maybe we should all go in and you stock shelves or something. Every now and then when I'm like, “Oh man, this film is so difficult.” Or “This film fell apart.” Or “We were so close here.” And then that didn't happen. Or when we're actually filming something and you're going and then two days before you get sleep, you know, and I imagine forgetting about all that stress. Because film is mad. I understand why people have a job landscaping.
JENNIFER TONG
Oh, my God, Yes.
SET TRACKER
When I was 17, I did construction. I get that. I know people who do regular jobs. I know somebody who is a plumber who is very happy makes good money has a nice family and I really I get it. Of course I say that now. But I would never do anything else but film.
JENNIFER TONG
That's the thing because I too I'm like I sometimes envy the people with like a 9 to 5 who can just leave all their work at the office. And then they have weeknights and weekends are just completely their own. I think in this industry we're constantly thinking about the industry and our jobs and stuff. It doesn't really ever turn off.
SET TRACKER
When you're on set, like when you're on set and you have to go to work. You don't have 9 to 5 hours. No. You have that massive scene coming up. So you can’t sleep.
JENNIFER TONG
Literally when we were shooting fakes I would be out of the house from, I don't know, 5 a.m. until 11 p.m. or 10 p.m.. And then I would get home and I would pop a melatonin, say hi to my boyfriend and learn my lines for the next day, sleep, and do it all over again. And that just the life and I wouldn't trade it for anything else but it's because and I think that's when I know that I like, really love what I'm doing because if I say that to someone and they're think, “That is frickin fucked up,’ you know what I mean? But for me, I'm like, “That's so exciting and I love it" and it's so fun and it's what I want to be doing.
SET TRACKER
Yeah, it's pretty wild. It's lucky. But when I get the rare opportunity to direct something that. That's more than, like, a day shoot, I will drop 10 pounds. Because you're just going and going.
JENNIFER TONG
You're just nonstop.
SET TRACKER
And my pal is a director who did the movie “Influencer” shout out to Kurt Harder. He says that after you finish shooting and you got the film in the can, there's always a crash because you're so high filming that you have to crash.
JENNIFER TONG
Oh yeah.
SET TRACKER
Like as soon as you're down and you got to do post and there is so much to deal with in post-production. And he's like, “I usually have a downer episode.” And I for sure understand that crash.
JENNIFER TONG
So the down happens in between, like after you wrap?
SET TRACKER
You are still going hard in post. But I think that just directing is such a high for a lot of directors and maybe I think it's different thing for Kurt and for myself. I've been involved in like spending my own money. Probably what I was thinking too, it is like producing and directing gives you a crash when you are done.
JENNIFER TONG
Yeah.
SET TRACKER
As well. This project that he did recently, he raised the money for it. He wrote it and he directed it. So then I think the crash is: “how is this going to shape up?” And when you're directing, especially for Kurt, he was all over the place for 30 days. 40 days. He was so high for so long. So that crash is pretty harsh after, but is it typical? Do you have a little bit of a crash when you wrap?
JENNIFER TONG
Yeah, I think the crash is both physical as well as, like, mental because you're just like running on adrenaline for, you know, three months straight and then suddenly you're like, Whoa, I don't have to be anywhere at 5 a.m. tomorrow. Nothing I have to do. Like, I get to choose what to wear. Like, you know, it's kind of like, Oh, but it's exciting. And you got to find that balance, which is difficult.
SET TRACKER
Yeah, that's the thing I think about it is as your career, there's stories of really successful people who like Will Smith even or Johnny Depp in the last couple of years. These are the top. In the industry start to see like the cracks. I wouldn't want to be in a relationship that made me stress out to the point that Will Smith seem to have gone through that, you know, like his problems are being aired publicly and it must be so difficult because he's so famous. I think for a while all of us assumed that he was the most successful actor ever. I think there's a shift about like star power in Hollywood. Look at Tom Holland who talks about getting off of social media and Hollywood being too much. I believe there's a little shift happening with the expansion of international movies as well, where the star appeal is shifting and people are starting to take mental health issues seriously. Like in Vancouver we used to shoot 12 hour days or each shoot 12 hour days. They still do, but we used to go long all the time.
JENNIFER TONG
I think COVID really helped with that. Like when, you know, the pandemic hit and there were all these new rules they did talk a lot about we got to like shorten those hours and stuff. But I don't know studios, they're kind of like to get the shot. I feel like they're willing to go overtime. And I was sometimes, some studios and stuff want to shoot long days.
SET TRACKER
It’s directors. And all directors would cut off their arm for another shot.
JENNIFER TONG
Yes, exactly.
SET TRACKER
So they're the ones that always want to get more shots.
JENNIFER TONG
Yeah. And then, you know, I've been on set where it's like the fight is the tension because it's like the director is like, we need to get this last shot. None of this makes sense without it. And the producers are like, “No, you literally have one minute.”
SET TRACKER
Now I actually know that feeling of like you need this shot or else this will not cut together.
JENNIFER TONG
Exactly.
SET TRACKER
And I've also been the guy who's had to shut down. Yeah, but those shows, when I've said that it was on like really high end. Actually, there's one time I was on a show where I kind of screwed up and I told the AD, “Now your calculations are off”, and our director was standing right there. I said “we don't have 40 minutes, we have ten more minutes. We have child actor here.”
JENNIFER TONG
And they've got to pumpkin.
SET TRACKER
Exactly. Like you cannot change that rule.
JENNIFER TONG
Yeah, I mean it's about yeah it's efficiency in time. That's where you're 100%. Pretty much 100% always running late on a production. Like I. I don't think I've ever been on a production. We're like, Oh, we have lots of time.
SET TRACKER
Totally.
JENNIFER TONG
Like, damn, like, everybody take an extra like our lunch break. Like, that's I don't think that has ever happened to me.
SET TRACKER
What's it like when you have to, like, hurry up and wait? Like when they're like, “Go to your trailer and then you go in a trailer and wait.”
JENNIFER TONG
Literally when you go on set they got everything timed out. For you as an actor, they've got everything timed to the minute. So it's like you have this time to this time to have breakfast and then we're going to get you to hair makeup at 1023. And by 1057 you're going to be done hair and makeup, and we're going to travel you to set for like 1101.
JENNIFER TONG
And they they've blocked it out so, so well. And but that's like best case scenario, right? Like, this is their dream, their ideal. But, you know, there's so many moving parts on a set that like the ideal usually doesn't happen because there's just so much going on all the time. And so often instead of traveling to set, they'll send me back to my trailer and, you know, they've rushed me through hair and makeup because they've only allotted this amount of time because they're hoping that we'll get to shoot at 1115.
JENNIFER TONG
But camera, something's going on with the camera. And like, you know, this person's missing or like the director wants to make a change or whatever. And so I'm waiting in my trailer until like 12 p.m. or whatever or, you know, I've taken naps in between hair and makeup to traveling the set. I've had friends say that they get all done like they're wearing a frickin long ball gown.
They've got their, like, hair and makeup done. They're in the trailer for like 8 hours. The end of the day around, they're not used at all. They're scenes cut there. Yeah. So it's like.
SET TRACKER
Oh, that's wild. I do like, we always try to make sure we don't hold somebody for 6 hours wrap, but it happens.
JENNIFER TONG
And it's just there's so many moving parts.
SET TRACKER
The reason we do that is cause like when, when I was in the production role and we would have that kind of thing happen, it's like it's better to keep them there just in case that director needs them back and they're going to get paid.
JENNIFER TONG
So but now somehow costs the production more money ?
SET TRACKER
Yeah, but it's necessary.
JENNIFER TONG
Just in case.
SET TRACKER
Yeah, it's weird, but you do it because you don't want a situation where your leads actors have to switch or the director wants to bring up a shot. We worry about turnarounds and stuff. So when it comes to it, number eight or ten or whatever, you're just like, just hold them here. Yeah. It's like and that sucks. The worst is when you hold them and then you don't need them at all.
JENNIFER TONG
I mean, I think as an actor, as, you know, a working actor, it's kind of like, Oh, if you're not on an episodic rate, which is when you get paid just kind of like a flat amount per episode. So usually that happens for series regulars like for Face Me and Amelia, we were on episodic raid, so it didn't matter how long we were on set for, how many days we were called for. So they worked us to the bone. No, but you know, the show very much revolved around our character, so we were pretty much in every scene, blah, blah, blah. But like, if you're just a day call or if you're going like by day rate, like it's some actors are happy to just get hair and makeup and chill in their trailer for 8 hours, get paid their thousand dollars or whatever and peace you know so it depends but it still is kind of like.
SET TRACKER
It's a weird thing like, getting the guy into makeup. He was supposed to have been shot in a comedy, and so he's like getting a little get blown quick. I mean, like our lead actor had to get on the private plane and they were out early. So we're like, Bring this scene up with you that's going to play like we're running out of daylight or something.
SET TRACKER
So there is like three or four people putting blood on properly, like make up artists. Then, we're running out of time. And we all jumped into a golf cart that I was in the golf kart as well with three makeup artists.
JENNIFER TONG
They were doing it as you were driving?
SET TRACKER
Cleaning the blood off of them.
JENNIFER TONG
I mean, that's the thing. Also, like specialty makeup and like, props to all the like SFX makeup artists out there. I did an episode of like Fire Country where I was messed up and it took like, like every day I was in the chair for maybe like 4 hours, 3 hours and stuff because there's like, put on and then there's also like removal too. So, you know, the hair and makeup people are, they're like, like if you're shooting from top of day to end the day, like for like 14 hours, let's say they're there for 16 hours or 17.
SET TRACKER
Transport does like 18hrs.
JENNIFER TONG
You know. Yeah, but they do get to nap in between.
SET TRACKER
Yeah, this is true.
JENNIFER TONG
Me I sleep soundly in my trailer.
SET TRACKER
I'm like, I've had a few naps. Okay, so that's really awesome. I would just like to ask you a question about can you share? I have a story about the first day on set. Using a smoke machine gun and I just like completely blacked out the set, the monitors are black and you can see actors coughing and I was so embarrassing because everybody sees you on set. Do you have any story you can share like that?
JENNIFER TONG
An issue? I'm trying to think, oh.
SET TRACKER
Too much fresh air? I don't know…
JENNIFER TONG
I mean, there's the I mean, there is one day where I'm wearing this like, white ass blazer. It is like pristine. And we're obviously already running behind. And I'm like, having my second coffee of the day and I'm like, trying to drink this coffee and like, the lid wasn't put on properly or something. And so it just spilled all over the front of my like white blazer.
JENNIFER TONG
And they had already set up the shot. We had already done blocking and we were about to rehearse and I just tried to take a sip of my coffee and it was just like it was very much of it. And they had.
SET TRACKER
A bunch of coffee all over everything.
JENNIFER TONG
And so it was all of a sudden it was like code red, like people were literally texting code red to the producers. I was like, like, do we not have like a duplicate?
SET TRACKER
Do we not have like a back up?
JENNIFER TONG
Second white blazer? And so it was just like, yeah, sometimes you don't have duplicates. And so they had like costume come from circus to set with like they're like still like steam cleaner. And they were like trying to get this and like, you know, I heard about that for like weeks after.
SET TRACKER
You need a plastic bib. Well thank you so much. Like, this was been an amazing chat. I knew we'd be able to just chill and chat about things and. Yeah, I was. I'm so thankful that you could come.
And our this interview series is supposed to shine a spotlight on Canadian talent and talented people, and it's brought to you by Set Tracker, where that's our goal is to hopefully inspire people to be bold in their careers and help people make films.
JEN
Oh yeah. Thanks so much. That was excellent.