Ethnographic Study on Hollywood TV and Film Sets

As the night cools, the crowd of background actors warms up. Gregarious laughter pops like a satisfying gum bubble, pink and saccharine. There are about 75 of us and the chatter has evolved from quaint whispers to a tidal wave of noise. The two production assistants scramble to and fro trying to quell the crushing crest but are severely outmatched. And that's when the assistant director strolls in with a practiced ease and announces, "listen. I just came from set and we just might have a line or two being added to the show, but we need it to be absolutely quiet so we can think about how to work it in. So for whoever wants the line, we need to see you on your best behavior."
The effect is immediate; the room plunges to a profound silence and I realize I've just witnessed the power of the dream. Power is rarely held by the numerous, but rather by he who holds desire.