Aw, I've missed you guys!

There has been a little uptick in commercial auditions over the last couple of weeks. It's been good to be out and about, and I noticed something interesting. I've really missed running into all the regulars and meeting new folks at the casting studios. And I've sensed a little bit of the reunion vibe in the waiting areas. For some, there may be a bit of the mercenary to this line of work, but it's good to be reminded that we're part of a community of interesting, creative, and very talented people.

Theatrically, I've had some cool jobs this year. One project is still going through the gauntlet of post production. Had a role on Kevin Probably Saves the World, and a fun one on Good Behavior. The teams working on both those shows were phenomenal! I wish them long, happy runs.

You can find me on IMDB for reel

The Dreaded Avail

Perhaps "dreaded" is a bit extreme.

The generic hiring process for most jobs goes something like this:

1. Submit resume/application

2. Resumes are reviewed and evaluated for next steps

3. Candidates are interviewed

4. Discussions are had, offers are made

5. A candidate is hired

Of course, there may be more steps, phone interviews prior to live interviews, drug tests, etc. But that's the general flow of things.  For the everyday actor, the hiring process for most jobs goes something like this (and assuming the actor already has an agent for brevity's sake):

1. Agent receives casting notice and submits clients' headshots for the roles

2. Casting director receives hundreds of thumbnail-sized headshot submissions and scrolls through to select those called for audition

3. Candidates audition

4. Directors, producers, casting directors and/or mystery people view some or all of the auditions and select some (a few, or most, or all) of the candidates for another audition, a callback.

5. Candidates audition again

6. Directors, ad agency folks, production folks and/or mystery people select a few candidates for each role to be placed on "avail" by the casting director
7. CDs call agents

8. Agents call candidates to inform them of the "avail"

9. Meetings are held. Catered food is consumed. Decisions are made.
10. One candidate is selected per role

11. Some agents inform their clients of the happy news, and some inform their clients of the other kind of news

The "avail" is the Big Tease. "Hey, we love you for this...well, some of us do...ok, ONE of us does, and if we can talk the ones that don't like you for this into sort of liking you for this...you'll be hired! In the meantime, please don't do anything else." Now back to your normal, everyday routine.

Does that happen in the general job process? I've never experienced it, but I haven't really been beating down doors for outside jobs lately. Maybe people do know they're in the "top 3" or whatever. 

I can usually, though not always, tell when the room enjoys what I'm doing. People laugh or there's a looser energy, a collaborative feel to the creative work happening. There have also been times when I've thought, "No way. That was terrible," and still booked the job. But the avail...

I haven't done the statistics for how many avails I've had that progressed to getting the job. I do know that I've had some streaks where two or three avails in a row went south, and streaks where two or three in a row went to the bank. 

But so much of a thing is one's perception of it.  So even when avails aren't panning out, I must perceive that I'm on a hot streak. I'm making good choices in the room, doing good work and performing at a professional level. That's my job. The pay isn't great, but that's what emergency funds are for. 

Set Family

In my experience, actors usually develop a camaraderie quickly on a set or during a stage production. Ideally, the projects are conducive to developing a tight-knit family of cast and crew who look out for each other. We all have to work to protect that safe environment. We must take care of our family to avoid tragedies like the recent deaths of Sarah Jones and Gary Joe Tuck. 

As a dad-type, I've worked with a lot of different kids (and their parents) on sets over the years. As an actual dad, I'm also really sensitive to the potential awkwardness of the set environment and having strangers pretend to be your parent, or your kids' parent. Well, today, I read THIS ARTICLE on Deadline about impostors posing as studio teachers and compromising the safety of kids on sets. To be honest, it really freaked me out as an actor and a parent.

So read the article. Learn about the "green card" certification for legit set teachers. Let that info sink in and let's all be aware on the set. Help take care of your family.

3-for-3

My batting average for booking soap auditions remains perfect. I had the pleasure of working on Days of Our Lives this week.  Being on the set and working with some of the true icons on the show really brought back a lot of memories.  Both of my grandmothers, my mom, and many other relatives were/are fans, but my maternal grandmother in particular stopped everything to watch her shows. I vividly remember watching Days with her.

It was kind of surreal to walk into that studio and work with Deidre Hall and Drake Hogestyn, to sit in the makeup chair next to Joseph Mascolo, and hear stories from Thaao Penghlis. Having worked in the genre several times before, I'm definitely inspired by how professional they all are and how challenging it is to work with so much dialogue on a daily basis.  On top of that, the pace of production is incredible, episodes may be shot out of order, and scenes from a couple of different episodes may be shot on the same day. Those actors earn their living.

The cast and crew could not have been more welcoming and friendly.  It felt a bit like that archetypal family from your childhood, the one with the open door where everyone is welcome to visit, share a meal, drop by for a "hello" or stay for a while longer.  I hope to have the opportunity to drop in on Salem again.


View my REEL and RESUME

Back to one

One year later, and things seem to be on the same cycle.  The commercial auditions have been few and far between for a while now. I did have to make an emergency trip to Atlanta back in February, was gone 3 business days, and somehow missed 2 auditions (of course!).  I did, however, pick up a few auditions in Atlanta.

There's been quite a bit of heavy stuff going on in the general life department. It's been a rough several months overall for the family, highlighting the challenges of living so far away from everyone else.

Since the last post down there, I have completed my commercial VO demo and I'm pretty proud of it. I'm currently working on getting a website up and running. Both of those things I should've done years ago. So let that be a lesson to you 20-somethings.  I've recorded a number of VO auditions, primarily visiting a studio because it's relatively inexpensive for the peace of mind that comes from not worrying about airplanes flying over, refrigerators firing up, clocks ticking, kids screaming, and dogs barking. 

I got a last-minute notice yesterday, so I did record at home. I have a decent mic and can get good sound when it's quiet out. The moment after I began recording, the neighbor's large dog went bananas for about 20 minutes straight. So THAT took a while. Much better to go to the studio...

Back in December I booked a job that shot in January. December has been good to me over the years. It was great to enjoy the idea of having a job for a full month over the holidays! The spot is supposed to begin running in another month. That's a more long-range and extended process than I've experienced before.  It was a great shoot with fantastic folks all around, so I'm looking forward to a long and happy run.

Well, perhaps things are picking up again. There has been a slight up-tick in auditions this week, though the normally bustling casting facility I went to the other day was desolate but for one non-union spot and the one I was in for.  Today, I auditioned with my daughter about an hour after I pulled her loose tooth. She's got such a fun sense of humor and play. I hope she never loses it, which is one of the reasons I've been hesitant to get her involved on a more regular basis.

I've been working with a private voiceover coach for quite a few months now. Jumping into this arena has always felt like something I should do, something that matches up with my skill set, but something I put off for way too long. I took a class last spring in which I was the only person with a background already in the entertainment business. It was just OK. It got me in the booth, reading copy, and hearing playback, but I didn't feel like I got actionable direction or critique.

As in every other arena of acting and entertainment, competition is fierce. There are many hopefuls and not as many jobs. I decided that if I'm going to do this, I want to do it right. I want to invest my time, energy and money into being really competitive, rather than spinning my wheels, rushing into a demo and being just another so-so semi-pro. I want my demo and auditions to pop. I also want to have the confidence that comes with training and technique when I do book a job.

All that lead me to go the private coaching route with a really solid guide. She's a pro with a track record of success. The best thing is that I can trust her feedback. It isn't all good. And when it's critical, it's constructive, on-point, and easily converted into better performance. I think we may be nearing the demo production and branding stage, and I'm excited about it. I feel that I'm absorbing the techniques and getting more and more comfortable letting it fly. 

In other news, a good friend of mine and I took an idea that had been bouncing around in my head and went out to shoot a really short bit.  It's all improvised, and it's raining in LA, which makes it cool.  Hope to crank out a few more soon.  Have a look and give us a thumbs up!

The Bureau on YouTube

The Bureau on Funny or Die

Cheers...maybe

I'm here because I'm juicing...maybe. Typing this does prevent me from eating solid food, so perhaps I'm using you as a distraction...maybe. Pulling up the blog, I was stunned at the date on that last entry. So I'm feeling guilty about that...maybe. The subject of actors blogging came up at an audition today in a "not good" kind of way. So I was inspired to get back to work at it and make it good...maybe. I read an article about modeling and acting "school"/talent show scams cropping up more in Atlanta. So I got angry and wanted to add to the chorus singing, "Research this stuff before you sell the house and move the kids to Los Angeles so Sally can be an actor..." maybe.

Anyway, I'm here. And I recently shot something. So if you happen upon my blog, click on over and give it a watch. Then share it with your friends if you feel like it. Goodness knows they probably share worse with you. I'm looking at you Buzzfeeders and Find-Out-What-Tool-You-Are'ers (I got drill press, how about you?). So here's The Bureau, and here it is again on Funny or Die where you can even vote for something!

The last couple of years (wow) have been good. I've had a lot of different experiences in civilian and professional life that have been invaluable lessons. I lost a family member, my aunt, who took me to my first really professional theatrical production, which, I believe, was Pirates of Penzance. While I didn't ride down the river of musicals, I have actually performed in one. So cheers, Aunt Julie. Thanks for the affirmations hiding in the critiques. Couldn't have done it better myself.

Cheers also to Sarah Elizabeth Jones. If you have somehow managed to avoid reading about her, please do so now. Slates for Sarah on Facebook is a good place to start. She was a second assistant camera person killed on the set of a movie shooting in Georgia. I didn't know her personally, but the incident has set off a firestorm of emotion and awareness regarding safety on sets, and the need for everyone to take it upon themselves to look after each other. The story struck a real chord with me, but I'll spare you my diatribe. Others have already said it, so I leave it to them.