What do you think? Remember most of the time you are contract employees on a production. So if you miss a day you are not getting paid. If you are not in a critical role you could be replaced. This might sound harsh but, think about the cost involved to call off a day of shooting! You not only have lost the day to produce work, you also have to pay the people that showed up to do the work. So in short you should show up unless you are in the hospital.
That is all pretty blunt I know... but, I have been sick the last few days with sinus issues. I still hosted my show... you might be able to tell I was not on the top of my game. I had a few technical issues I had to work through as well. When you are not feeling well those are amplified.
So What Do I Do To Stay Healthy?
Sleep is probably the biggest culprit for most people (I have not been getting enough because of the project I am working on.). The thing is your body needs the time to recover... if you never give it down time then... well you don't feel well and you get under the weather!
Keep a positive mental attitude. This can be a challenge at times. Just remember this is only a temporary situation and not your final destination! You will grow through challenges in your life the key is how you face them. I had on my show "The Scene a friend of my who does personal development Carlos Marin. Listen to what he talks about during our discussion. It is about your belief system... your preparation... your focus!
Eating well - This does not mean go and by fast food everyday on one end and eating the best food everyday. It means eating healthy so if you have to eat poorly on occasion you can. When you are on set with a major production you will most likely have healthy food. When it is a independent short film you might want to consider bringing your own. The difference is simple the budget. They both do the best they can with the finances available!
Now you might be on a project where you are an employee. Just remember that if you are sick for any length of time you are in jeopardy of losing your role. It is just a matter of the numbers so don't take it personal.
Remember no matter how you feel... you have to portray how the character feels not how you are feeling! That is the sign of a really good actor. In fact, you will do some of your best work when you simply give in and portray the character as the character and not yourself!
Until next week... break a leg! Be safe and stay healthy.
