Holly Daze

Holy smokes! It's been almost a month since my last post?! Where did the time go? It was an extremely busy time. I spent much of it working and preparing for our trip to Atlanta for the holidays (where I am now).

Ok, to catch up on some of the most recent industry-related stuff - I had to pass on a last minute Kellogg's audition last week. It was the day we were leaving for Atlanta, and there was only a 3-hour window for the audition. And, of course, the 3 hours had to be the only 3 hours I simply could not get there that day. I can only think of 1 or 2 times other than this one when I had to pass on an audition because of scheduling. Just a weird conglomeration of circumstances. I still hated to miss it.

I auditioned for a theatre company and was invited to join. The company members that I met all seemed very cool, but I asked to have time to see some of their productions before making a commitment. I hope it didn't offend them that I was hesitant to just jump in, but it seems like a sensible approach to me.

My class has been going ok. At some point in the last month or two, I've gotten further "into my head" in class. I mentioned this before about seeming not to have as much fun or play with things. I didn't quite bust out of it in recent weeks. I've wondered if some of my listening issues in class scenes have been related to my relative lack of improv performance lately. I may have to rectify that soon. Listening has always been a strong suit of mine, but I think I haven't trusted myself in class as much for whatever reason...perhaps trying to tailor my performances to other people's styles -- a recipe for disaster. My plan at this point is to finish out the upcoming class session where I am, and then take a break from that particular training and branch out to other workshops or some improv work, etc.

The holidays with family and friends have been fun so far. Tomorrow night, JaCKPie returns for a show here in Atlanta at the new space you can read about on our home page. I'm excited about it. We have a lot of people coming, so it should be fun. We've been on the go ever since we got here, which means we're tired most of the time. However, the last day or so has been a little more relaxing. The show tomorrow ought to add a charge, and I'm glad I finally get to meet some of the new people Jim has been working with and to see the space.

We head back to LA Saturday, but probably won't venture to any New Year's Eve parties as we'll have been travelling most of the day. We'll be gearing up for Sugar Bowl watching!

Audition: ABC 7 Promo

Wednesday, I had another audition at Danny Goldman casting. It was an AFTRA promo gig for a local news show. I haven't heard anything but getting it would probably cost me money as the pay wouldn't cover the AFTRA fees. I'm eligible for SAG, but haven't joined yet so I can still compete for nonunion jobs. When the time comes, I have no problem joining. SAG, although in some turmoil for the last few years, has done a lot of good things for performers. Anyway, this is the second time in a couple of weeks I've been in Danny's office, so I take that as a good sign.

Class last night was great. We're getting much more detailed in refining our work. Several of us were discussing it afterwards and we all feel that the level of work and re-work has jumped up a notch recently. We all need to take more responsibility in coaching one another during rehearsals, so that we push ourselves past comfort zones. One of my classmates told me I didn't seem to feel free enough to have fun lately, and she's right. In my first couple of months, I had that sense of play and gamble that I've lost while I've gotten more and more inside my own "actor head". I'm taking her words to heart and working to cut it loose again in the coming weeks.

Audition: 2 short film auditions this week. It was a great chance for me to put into practice a lot of what I've been learning in class. The techniques helped immensely and I believe I was able to make more specific choices. Class last night was great. I'm surrounded by dedicated, talented, supportive people who inspire me to work harder and do more. The instructor is great with the insights.

Point of Pride: Fixed my car antenna myself. Last week while I was parallel parking near the casting office where I help out, my car's antenna was bent by a weird plant/shrub thing growing too near the curb. After that, it wouldn't retract all the way. So, after a little internet research and shopping, I found an inexpensive replacement part which I installed today. Works like a charm! There's something insanely rewarding about fixing something yourself. I've often thought it would be great to take a car maintenance course somewhere to learn how to do more of the repairs on my car. Perhaps some day... In the meantime, I've got access to the tremendous amount of information available on the web. Truly, how did we get by without it?

Audition: Chrysler - CD: Danny Goldman

I did a postcard mailing on Monday to some commercial CD's about my recent signing with KSA and the AAMCO spot which just apparently started running (according to friends and family in Vermont, Georgia and Florida). I got called into Danny's office on Wednesday for the Chrysler spot. I don't know if it was a direct result of the mailing or just a happy coincidence, but it doesn't really matter.

Callback: Chrysler
Thursday afternoon, I was notified of the callback for Chrysler scheduled at 7:45pm. They're moving quickly because the spot shoots this weekend. My acting class meets on Thursday nights, so I was obviously late for class. The callback was a positive step for me and KSA. Each one gets us a step closer to making money. At the callback in Santa Monica, there were quite a few people since they're doing a Spanish version of the spot as well. Their session was running pretty late. We waited for a while, but you get used to it in this business. I guess some people get antsy, but you just have to look at it as additional preparation and relaxation time.

One of the other actors was from my Thursday night class. It's still a small world after all. As I looked around at the various faces, I was struck by that crazy sense of familiarity that happens here. Basically, you feel like you should know people, but it's not because you really know them...you realize you probably just recognize them from various commercials, shows, etc. The same thing happened to me when I was in the make-up trailer on the set of Bobby Jones. I was waiting for my chair to open up when a guy walks in and I immediately think [to myself fortunately], "What have I worked with him on?". Yeah, that was followed quickly by, "Idiot, it's Jim Caviezel." It pays to think before you speak.

Auditions

Audition: Chevrolet; CD - [skirts]
My first audition through the agency went well. It was basically a Christmas spot involving cheerily prepping for the BIG DAY and an unexpected (or too expected) visitor.

Audition: Stanley Tools; CD - Kari Peyton
Back-to-back is nice. Once again, I felt pretty good.

Commercial auditions can be entertaining but brief. You just have to bring your "A" game and let it go. I'm confident that the callbacks and bookings are on the way, which will be a good thing for me and the agency. Everybody wins, everybody makes money.

I've got some additional headshot repro's coming back next week after some color corrections were made. Once I have them, I'll be able to add some pics to the online casting sites employed by my agents. I'm also looking into postcards to announce my representation to the commercial CD's in town. While I was in acting class last week, I was feeling down about not being in class for Nov-Dec. Even with the expenses elsewhere, this is, after all, why we've moved all this way. We're here basically so I can do this. So, I decided I'll make sacrifices in other areas, not this one. I'm back in class next week. As with the move out here and all the things that have gone right, I believe I'll be validated in this decision as well. "Life has a way of proving you right."

Chill

The weather has been very "Fall-like" here -- overcast, rainy...I actually like it. It's a nice change. I'm still helping out in the manager's offices and at Ronnie Yeskel's casting office. They're currently casting "Threshold" and a new series incarnation of "Blade". I've been in several casting sessions running the camera. Here's a piece of advice for auditioners everywhere: Don't just suddenly launch into the scene. Check and see if the camera person and your reader are ready to go, and then take a moment for yourself and everyone else in the room so we all know it's showtime. It really is fascinating to watch a day of auditions. I can tell you that a good audition, even if it doesn't go any further for you on that particular project, will endear you to casting directors. They take notes. They'll bring you in for something else.

Class is going ok this month. Unfortunately, I can't participate in the joint Nov-Dec session because of the holidays, trips home, buying plane tickets, etc. My commercial agents picked out a couple of additional headshots they want to use online, so I ran a couple of errands today to get proofs of those printed up. The folks at Argentum are nice and seem to do quality work. I'll see Friday when I go see the 8x10's. I'll probably only get one of them mass produced as a more theatrical shot to counter balance the commercial ones I already have. Once this supply is exhausted, I'll make the commercial switch to the other one the agents like. There's always plenty to do. I've been making independent submissions to CD's and will begin focusing on adding a manager or theatrical rep to the team now.

Commitment

We traveled back home last weekend to attend my brother's wedding. It was odd to arrive in the Atlanta airport as the first leg of the trip (i.e. not the end). On the drive up to my in-laws' house, we both had the feelings of confirmation that Atlanta is definitely not where we're supposed to be right now. Overall, the weekend was nice. We visited with all of the family and some friends, and it was great to see my niece again. Though the wedding day itself was a little stressful with helping my brother try to secure last minute necessities and make arrangements, it was still a nice occasion and an emotional one for a number of reasons. Now, we're back and a little tired, but catching up.

As a result of my meetings, I signed with KSA's commercial department. The two agents and two assistants were all very nice people. I chose to sign with them because of their reputation as a solid department, but mainly becuase I just felt more comfortable with them. They also remind me a little of my agents in Atlanta, with whom I had a great working relationship. I'm doing some drop-offs today and will need to get some postcards and additional headshots printed up.

I had to switch my days at the casting director's office in order to accomodate this month's acting class on Friday afternoons. As a result, I ran the camera in a producers session last week. Generally, casting for supporting roles on television starts with a pre-read for the casting director. The casting director brings some of those people in again for the call-back, which now involves producers, writers and possibly the director. Being in this session allowed me to see the interaction between the CD and the producers, the quality of the talent brought back, and to hear the selection process. I still don't know who was ultimately cast, but got a better sense of what they were looking to hire.

Meetings

My recent meetings with a couple of different agencies have gone very well. Even though we all know we're evaluating the situation from moment one, it's nice to go in and have a rounded conversation and get to know a little about the people I'm meeting. We're all people first and business people second. In this way, no matter what happens, I'm richer for the experience. You control what you can, and let go of what you can't. This philosophy is also entirely applicable to casting meetings. Actors should do their homework first. Then, you go in, relax, trust in the work you did, and focus on delivering your performance rather than worrying about needing the job, the other actors in the waiting area and all of that other goo that gets in our heads. Desperation and neediness might be called for in a character, but who wants to work with that in an actor? And having been in on some casting sessions now, I know it shows.

The AAMCO spot should be up and running at the end of the month. I inquired about getting copy for my commercial reel, and the gentleman who was assisting me said everyone there was really pleased with the result.

Class is going very well. We've had some complicated scenes and focused rehearsals. This month's work is blending the casting scenario with scene work, and how the two are interdependent. I'm continuing on next month with the goal of really being prepared to step into the theatrical arena when I have the opportunity.

My wife and I attended a stand-up taping for AOL & HBO (connected to The Comedy Festival in Vegas) last night with some friends. It was the first time I've been in the audience for a stand-up show, and the comics were great. Initially, we were told the taping would last about 4 hours, but it ended after 2. So, it was just right. I guess you can look for it in streaming content on AOL, but don't ask me how. I have never really investigated AOL.

Today reminds me of Atlanta a lot. Driving home last night, we saw lightning...first time since we've been here. In the middle of the night I woke to the sounds of thunder and rain which persisted on and off until this afternoon. When I got out of bed this morning, I just looked out the window for a while to watch the rain. It's been so long since I've seen it. Kinda miss that a little.

I had my first theater audition in LA on Friday. It went very well I think, but my scheduling issues may have been too much for them to deal with. We're going back to Atlanta for my brother's wedding at the beginning of October. Football season is underway once again. My university has a great alumni club out here that gets together to watch the games at a local bar. It's so much fun to watch in a group of fans...almost like being at the game...sort of...in a small way...with beer service.

My September acting class at Lesly Kahn & Co. is great. It is really energizing to focus on work in class and to rehearse outside class as much as we do. I look forward to putting what I've learned to work for me on audition material.

Another agency called and wants to see some of my work, so I have to put what I have on tape and let them know I'm still tracking down copies. Getting tape can be difficult. It seems that I have to really hound people to get a copy of the material I've performed for them. In one example, it took me a full two years of requests and broken promises to finally get a copy of a 30 second commercial. When I finally received it, the person who sent it was kind enough to include a bill. I have no problem reimbursing expenses, but if I'm going to pay a service fee, I'd appreciate a little more service. There are some exceptions of course. Most of the small indie films and many of the commerical/industrial folks have been very responsive. I'm continuing to try to assemble as much of my commercial material as possible to complete my reel, but it's tough. Tomorrow, I'm checking in on the AAMCO spot to see if that's available.

"Opening Night" and progress

Our class BBQ turned into something more of a pot-luck. It was nice to learn more about people and we talked about the business some too. A couple of mates offered to walk in P/R's to their agents and managers. Referrals are good.

Last night, I joined some friends from Lesly's intensive in attending another of our cohort's show "Opening Night: The Improvised Musical!" at IO West. Fantastic show. Go see it. I've seen an improvised musical attempted one other time, and it was not in the same league as this crew. Some of them have been performing this together for 7 years, and they are all very talented story-players and supportive of each other on stage. This was also my first trip to IO West since I've been here. It's a nice space, perhaps a little fancier than the Chicago space, at least in the lobby/bar, and the high-ceiling in the mainstage makes it much less claustrophobic. I did not see the basement (2nd stage).

I'm starting to book meetings with some of the agencies that the AAMCO commercial casting director referred me to. I've also got my schedule for class in September. My brother is getting married at the beginning of October, and we just got a great deal on plane tickets back to Atlanta. I repaired my window seal myself with a little advice from the folks at Alan's Auto Glass. My wife is working a big job in OC all weekend, and I'm working at the Mouse House for about 8 days for some cash. All good stuff.

It's hot in the desert

I just spent the weekend in the desert where my buddy lives. Holy hot! Why do people live there? It is interesting and almost otherworldly how water is used to appeal to people. By that I mean restaurants, apartment complexes, golf courses, malls, etc. put water features outside their establishments to lure people. Oddly enough, I found it enticing even though I was completely aware of their intentions and also not in dire need of water myself. It's just a symbol of comfort and wealth in the desert I guess. This may have nothing to do with the desert but while washing my car tonight, I noticed that the seal around my rear windshield was coming up in one corner. It seems odd that would just happen for no apparent reason. So, tomorrow I must have it repaired.

My first acting class with Lesly met for the final time last Wednesday. It was a great group. I really enjoyed the daily rehearsals, as they were excellent exercise. We're having a BBQ this week to get further acquainted outside the acting biz, but also to lay the groundwork for maintaining the connections we established together beyond this month. I'm continuing my training next month, but will have a different instructor. I've got to do a mass agent mailing. That'll be in the works for this week. Last week, I ran the camera in a casting session. That was an incredible learning experience. Note to self and actors everywhere: DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Work that script over and squeeze every drop of info out of it. If you slack off, it'll show in your reading. Be a pro.

Classy

The AAMCO shoot "Leaky Oil Guy" was great Wednesday. I arrived at 5:30am, an hour and a half before crew call, to start the SFX makeup on the trick ear. Early...tired, but excited to be working. The ear didn't quite turn out to be what I was expecting, but it's tough to make something flawlessly realistic when it has brass and plastic tubing running out of it and down your head. The contraption was too big to conceal in my own, rather short, hair. So, they decided to go with a wig. Everything was great until wig-time. Now, my head is a size 7 and 3/8. That's a fairly big hat. Despite my having been in the SFX shop, they didn't try out the wig before this very moment on the day of the shoot. My scene was scheduled for 8:30am. At 7:45am, it was brutally clear that this wig wasn't going over half my head, let alone the whole thing. Emergency ensues, PA's are dispatched to wig shops, and my scene is bumped to 12noon. The replacement wig ended up being far less realistic than the other wig was, but at least this one fit. We hadn't tested the oil rig, and didn't until rehearsal in the setup. It worked like a charm, and we knocked the shots out in fairly short order. It was a really strange, sticky and funny experience. I hope the spot works out.

My acting class is also fantastic. I love being around people who are focused on progressing, and the teacher is very good. I'm continuing on next month, and probably the month after that because I really feel I'm growing there. My hope is that I'll be artistically prepared for pilot season, and if I'm really fortunate, I'll have an agent and/or manager in time for that too.

Batting 1000

On Tuesday, I was informed that I had a callback for the commercial I mentioned. That was great news. Unfortunately, I also had some rather problematic news in other areas of my life that were weighing a bit on my mind. But the callback news was great. The location was in Santa Monica, which is an area I do not often venture to on weekdays, so I did a few drop-offs beforehand. I guess I had expected some first LA commercial callback jitters, but they didn't show up. I'll admit to feeling a little self-conscious, but strangely proud, that I didn't have anything to put on the size card next to "Agent". The scene had changed a little for the callback. Instead of taking place in an elevator, the scene was a company meeting - no dialogue, only circumstances. Things change all the time, and you gotta be ready to do it. Thank you, JaCKPie. The director directed me through it, and guys from the production company were there. At one point, I got laughs in the room, which is a good sign, and as I was leaving, the director said, "King of deadpan." Nice. I love Leslie Nielsen. I hustled over to CTG, the managers, and got the call booking me on the job later that afternoon.
To add to the joy, the CD has offered to help me get some meetings with commercial agents. First commercial audition in town leads to first comm. callback, which leads to first comm. job in town, etc. Given some of the lows I experienced over the weekend and that very day, that was a HUGE pick-me-up.

So, today, I spent two hours at a special effects shop getting my ears "Lifecast" for prosthetics that I wear in the spot. That was cool, but I'm still dealing with spirit gum in my hair these many hours later. Still, my ears are immortalized! Maybe they'll hang the molds on their wall next to Robin Williams' face and all the other faces they have up there.

Tonight, my good buddy Jim who put the JaK in JaCKPie, helped me put the HTML in a very basic web page that will help me IMMENSELY in my marketing efforts. Marketing is a huge topic at TAN, and marketing was one of the main topics of discussion in my first acting class last night with Lesly Kahn, who is a wonderfully insightful and direct coach. We meet for 6 hours, count 'em up, once a week in class, and then rehearse for 3 hours every day outside class with our mates (not our spouses). My world is busy, busy, but I feel more every day that we're on the right path. Glenn Morshower, fantastic character actor and another insightful person, said something like this a couple of weeks ago, "Life has a way of proving you right." What do you want to be right about?

Activity uptick

I mailed off some headshots last week in my pursuit for commercial representation. Having done a decent amount of commercial work before leaving Atlanta including one major national spot and several more targeted spots available nationwide, I'm hopeful that I will retain a quality agent soon. Starting tomorrow, I will be helping out at the management company I mentioned in the last post for two half days each week over the next several weeks. Additionally, I will be doing some work in a casting office next Friday, which could lead to a similar engagement there (though only once per week). Both opportunities afford me some experience with the side of the business many actors do not understand fully. I hope that the work gives me additional insight and turns out to be engaging.

Of course, immediately after I commit to those schedules, the temp agencies start calling. I took these positions on Wednesday and got two temp-job offers on Friday. You get nothing for weeks and then bam! Well, I turned them down despite the need for income. A commitment is a commitment, and I'm here to focus on MY business. Now part of that does involve staying alive financially, so I picked up another job with an event staffing company. I worked my first event Friday night, and although it's relatively thankless work, it felt good to be working.

Holy Hot

It has been H-O-T here, but the weather broke a little yesterday. My in-laws were our first official visitors over the last couple of weeks. We had a good time and did a number of things that we hadn't done since we've been here. The Getty Center is very impressive. We only spent a few hours there, but you could take much more time to see everything. My wife and her parents went on a whale watching cruise Friday, but I was unable to attend because of a last second commercial audition. It was a quick meeting that I landed myself. I took a little extra time beforehand to drop off some headshots elsewhere. Tomorrow, I have a meeting with a management company where I may intern for a while to see how that side of the business works. I previously attended a discussion held by one of the managers there and she seemed like a cool, ethical, real person. I like those kinds of people. So, we'll see. I'm looking forward to learning even more about the business.

I start with my new acting coach a week from tomorrow. That's tremendously exciting. One of the reasons I came out here was to get access to the higher quality training environment and the experienced coaches LA has to offer. Of course, you have to weed through the hundreds of poseurs, but I think I may have found a gem. As I've mentioned, I have attended several discussions involving agents and managers, and this coach has been mentioned by all of them. She seems to have a reputation for comedy specifically, which is fan-freaking-tastic for me. Since I haven't mentioned it already, allow me to encourage those of you who live in LA and read this little journal to check out The Actors Network. It's located in Studio City-ish off Moorpark, and it's a great place to get info on the biz from people who are in it and share ideas and insights with other people who are pursuing this career. So, look into it. If you go to an orientation session, tell them I sent you.

Debrief

Last night's Mayfly was great fun. I'll admit to having a few nerves running before the show, but they faded quickly. The assembled players were all top notch, the band brought the funk, and the audience was fantastic. The show itself was a disturbing trip through various nightmarish scenarios with monsters in the bedroom, evil-weird centaur devils, a dad in prison, etc. It was a great breath of fresh air to perform after taking quite a break. I felt energized, and can't wait to get further into performance/training mode.

I passed the necessary certification tests for my new day job. Since the company is relatively new, the business is still building. However, I hope to get enough work in the near future to alleviate some of the financial burden of moving, classes, headshots and all the other start-up expenses. The training was not bad at all, and the people are nice. Those are all good signs.

Break from the break

After not performing for a while now, I will be playing in this week's incarnation of Mayfly at Hothouse STC. I've been watching a ton of shows and definitely have the itch to play. The show is Saturday, July 16 at 10pm off Lankershim in NoHo. It's only $5, so you've got no excuse...unless you won't be in LA Saturday night at 10pm. BYOB. Loads of fun.

Got the headshot proof sheet back, having gone with full color instead of black and white for the first time. I picked the top 40 and had them printed as 4x6's at Costco for 17 cents each. That's an inexpensive way to narrow the shots down even more. My photographer gave me a great session however, and now I'm left with a ton of options. With some help from my wife and her parents, I narrowed it down to about 7. Each one has a characteristic that makes it a candidate for specifically targeted submissions. Too bad it's so expensive to get them reproduced; otherwise, I would just get all of them. The photographer is Kelsey Edwards, and I recommend her. If you go, tell her I referred you.

Jobs and shots

In the latest acting biz news, I had new headshots taken Tuesday. That's another step on the road to landing decent representation. I went with a 3-look session aiming for a couple of commercial, relaxed and fun looks and another more serious and theatrical look. I generally hate headshot sessions, but I'm not sure why because I usually end up having a good time. I've also been attending discussion groups with industry people and learning a lot.

It seems as though there are catch-22's around every actor's bend. There's the SAG catch...you can't join unless you work SAG, and it's hard to get SAG work without already being a member. Then there's the agent catch...agents want to represent people with credits, but it's harder to get decent credits without an agent. I've already handled the first one, but the second one awaits. I've got credits, but I'm probably still considered "developmental". However, I've been focusing more on learning to work the business and make it work for me. So, I'm sure it will all come in time.

In more mundane news, I got a job that required pre-employment drug testing, a physical and a background check. Let me tell you that's a barrel of fun, but it only took a couple of hours to accomplish...so not too bad. It'll be interesting to see how it works out. I'm hoping to get enough hours to be productive, but not so many as to interfere with upcoming classes, etc. Until I'm pulling in acting paychecks again, however, it must be done. I read another actor's outlook on day jobs. He basically said not to knock that work, because it enables you to stay here and further your other pursuits. That's true. My last regular day job didn't always agree with me, but it definitely helped me to get where I am. This new job has the potential to be entertaining as it involves being out and working with people rather than just sitting at a desk all day.

Scary business

I read an article in the Wall Street Journal today about the Supreme Court ruling in Kelo et al v. City of New London. At issue in this case, was whether or not a municipality could seize property from private citizens in order to build a privately owned and operated office complex. Governments have authority under "eminent domain" laws to seize land, in return for what they call "just compensation", for public use like roads and schools.

In the past few years, more and more politicians have been twisting this concept to make "public use" include anything that will generate more tax revenue than what is currently on the land. Now, the Supreme Court has given carte blanche to that practice. Say some MEGARetailer or big time development company likes the land your house is on, but you don't feel like uprooting your family to move from the house your father built just because someone offered you money. Does that MEGARetailer or development company accept your answer? Why should they? Now, they go to the City Council or whatever government is responsible for your little piece of America, and they make some donations to campaign funds, offer a few vacations, maybe just take a good old boy to a ballgame and buy the beer. Next thing you know, the City Council orders you to sell your land at "market price" to the city or county. Guess who determines "market price". Yep. Once they force you out, they often just give the land to this MEGARetailer or development company in return for the supposed future tax revenues generated by whatever development they're dropping on your former little piece of America.

There was a case in Georgia not too long ago in which a couple had already signed a contract to sell their land to someone else at a price (let's say 2 million) when the local municipality came along and decided they wanted it for a park. This municipality decided the "market price" of the property was some far lesser value (let's say 750 thousand). Because of a massive publicity campaign which highlighted this blatant thievery, the municipality eventually dropped their pursuit of the property.

How can a private citizen compete with these big developers in terms of influence on the politicians who make these decisions? Justice O'Connor wrote in her dissent, "The beneficiaries [of this ruling] are likely to be those citizens with disproportionate influence and power in the political process, including large corporations and development firms." The competition is not in public hearings. It's in the back room dealings, bribes and campaign contributions that politicians (good and bad) accept all the time. The private citizen cannot withstand such an assault. I suppose we have the right to pursue happiness as long as our happiness does not live where their MEGAStore is going.

Property rights are one of the central pillars of our freedom, and this ruling cuts us off at the knees. While people talk all the time about Patriot Act this and Patriot Act that, these large corporations and development companies are walking out the back door with our homes. We all better pay attention to what is going on in our communities.
The article

The new bias

Important stuff first...

My meeting with a potential acting coach went very well. I will be joining her for a class in August and going from there. It is an intensive track, which I like, with focused work for several hours at a time and required rehearsal time outside class with mates. I moved my headshot appointment back a week to better allow me to ponder ideas of "type" and make sure I have the wardrobe in place. That was a source of some concern as we left so much behind for the move. We did a little bargain shopping and found a nice suit and tie and a couple of shirts. One of those shirts can now claim the title of "Priciest Single Item of Clothing I've Ever Purchased", and I got it from a consignment place. So, just imagine... Well, it's a great shirt and, knowing me, I'll wear it for the next 10 years. That lessens the blow to my thrifty reputation.

Now, the tedious...

I encountered my first personal bit of anti-actor bias in the world of noncreativity. One of my temp agencies called with a month-long job that was just data entry/spreadsheet stuff. It sounded like minimum brain damage commensurate with the low pay. I said "ok", and they submitted me to the client. The next day, I got a phone call from someone at the agency I hadn't really spoken with before. They said the client was very interested in me but was afraid that I wouldn't work for the month because I am an actor. I chatted with the agency a bit saying that I wasn't really auditioning this month, and that if I said I would do the job, then I would do it. The agency seemed confident that I was a responsible person, and offered to arrange a meeting so the client could actually meet and talk to me. I didn't get the meeting, and I didn't get the job.

Consider, any company employing a temp knows that any temp, no matter what their pursuits, could call in at any time and say they don't want to be on this job and leave. That's the whole thing with a temp. It's temporary. For that matter, any full-time employee of theirs could come back from lunch, drop a resignation note on their desk and leave. How many of their full-time employees only want to work there for the rest of their lives? That's employment at will. So, what do they have to go on besides one of these people saying they'll do the job for a period of time and a resume that supports these assertions and capabilities? Nothing. So, what's the difference between me and these others? I'm an actor. You supply the logic because I cannot find it. Someone must've really hurt their feelings at some point.

I have a new prospect that I am following up on this afternoon. If it works out, I won't have to deal with calling the temps for work for a while. Nice.

Shake, Bake, and Flakes

The first noticeable earthquake since we've been here occurred today. It wasn't anything dramatic, but it's a little strange to feel your floor dancing under you. For the last couple of weeks, I've been joining a small contingent of musicians and friends for beach volleyball at Manhattan Beach. We've been to Venice Beach a couple of times, and it really doesn't even compare to Manhattan Beach. Guess I don't understand that attraction some have to Venice. It was a gorgeous day. I'm generally not a beachy person, choosing the hills and forests instead, but I do love beach volleyball. With the weather today, the good times, and the great setting, I actually considered that I might like to live at the beach some day.

We're about to embark on the treacherous waters of car registration. California is supposed to have tougher emissions laws, which could mean expensive repairs to our cars. I am having nightmares about it, but I'm hoping I'll be pleasantly surprised --- overwhelmingly overjoyed would be good.

One of the things people seem to say about Los Angeles is that everyone is so fake. While I feel quite certain that a sizeable number of people are like that, so far we've managed to meet a lot of good folks who seem genuine. (And all the jaded will say, "That's because you're a relative unknown from whom people don't want something...yet.").

Has anyone seen this trashy E! show called "Fight for Fame" or something like that? Basically, four people each week "compete" to win a 1 year contract with an agency. Each week, there's an improv scene component. Wow. Here are a few of the gems from some of the "actors". "She was giving me nothing." "I wasn't going to let her steal my opportunity." "I could tell she was so nervous. What am I supposed to do with that?" I watched one actress go from trying to get a married man to "give me a chance" to [when he basically said, "Ok, let's go right here and now"] "I can't do this, you're married."

What did the agents say? "It didn't seem like they were listening to each other."

Ok. If you haven't already, see also "My partner didn't give me anything"
and "On improv and awareness"

Underway

After finally working last week at one of the studios, I've spent some time this week doing some housekeeping for the acting side of life. I've got an appointment with my headshot photographer, with an acting coach who was recommended to me, and with a local actors' support network. The acting coach requested that I bring a scene from a previous or upcoming audition for our meeting. Of course, after the move and all that, I have no idea where my file of past audition sides is buried. Let that be a lesson to all of us, keep up with those. So, I picked a scene from a TV show that includes a character that I believe fits me. Even though it's not something I was actually submitted for, I think it should give the instructor some information about where I am.

On another topic, I've hit a rough poker streak. It's so strange, but occasionally a player can fall into a rut of getting consistently beaten on great hands. Getting beaten while playing a good hand usually means you lose more money. It's tough to keep your mind together when you're losing to 7-3 off suit. You just have to maintain your game and not freak out. So, I'm down this week, but still up overall.

Once more into the testing cubicle...

I've been in a temp-drought. Of course, it's partially my fault. Immediately after registering with 3 agencies, I got a call about a job I had auditioned for the previous week. After the callback, I got the job, and had to inform all those eager agencies that I would be unavailable for two weeks. Maybe that put me on some naughty lists. Now that taping on the aforementioned job is complete, I still have no job. So, after learning that my car battery was dead, I took an alternate vehicle (one of the many benefits of marriage) and ventured once more into the temp world and applied with a different company. Anyway...forms, software tests, typing tests... I've taken 4 of these things now, and they're all virtually the same. On the bright side, this particular agency seems to work more with the studios. If I'm going to work a day job, I figure I might as well be interested in what they do. The jobs are mostly short-term, which is also good as it means more frequent breaks in the routine.

Over the weekend, we attended several free shows at the local theatre and arts festival. One of the tremendous upsides to encouraging a theatre district is that it enables a festival like this to take place. Everything was within a 3 or 4 block area, including open container areas, the Colossal Dog, and an afternoon performance by The Platters! We did not hang around for the Peruvian blues singer. We live in a great neighborhood.

Catch Up

This is a repost from elsewhere in the ether. I'm trying to migrate my thoughts to this instead of that.

4/9/2005 - The Mrs. and I arrived in Los Angeles about two and a half weeks ago. It took us a few days to find an apartment. At one point, we found a great place, but after we looked at it twice, the landlady pulled the old switcheroo on us and told us the rent was actually more than she had advertised it for. Ummm...no thanks. The next day, we found the apartment where we now live and got a great deal.

We've spent the last week getting some minor furniture items to flesh out the place, and getting utilities and such worked out. Now, we're looking for jobs and getting in the flow of being real people, not just mad apartment hunters/decorators.

4/15/2005 - I spent a fair amount of time this week taking tests. Wha??? I know, it felt so weird. Actually, I got a lot more anxious during them than I remember getting in the past. The tests were various mundane things related to office work, accounting, etc. I was applying at temp agencies.

Typing tests, Word tests, Excel tests, math tests, spelling tests, alphabetizing tests, following directions tests...it can be pretty ridiculous considering the bulk of the jobs they want to offer you pay a glorified McDonald's wage. What happens if you score better? Do they pay you more than the other guy they could get to file their paperwork at $9 or $10 per hour? Probably not. So, why test me? If I come in and can actually put a sentence together in conversation with you and have some kind of education, let alone a freaking college degree, how about you just pass me through right there.

Sure hope I get that month-long, rote, $10/hour, bring-tears-to-my-eyes STOR-IT-HERE data entry job that's gone neglected by their own $40k/year employees for 2 years while I've been patiently awaiting my opportunity to get their ship together for them.