Callback: Aviva; Audition: NCB @ Ross Lacy

I had another fine day of multiple auditions. First up was the NCB audition. We had to adjust my call time so I could make it back up to Studio City for my callback. The audition was good. We did two takes. In the first, I probably played "the funny" a little too much. The second, we toned down a bit and played it more real to better effect.

The callback was huge. There were quite a few people there including a group for a different spot and it took a while. It's difficult to stay focused and relaxed when things run late. The waiting area was crowded and I was getting sleepy. When I was put on deck though, I just shook it all off and got ready. There were four of us at a time reading as a group. In that situation, I've learned to consider how I can be a contrast. This group was very low-key and dry, so I played the optimism and eagerness of the scene. It seemed to work well without tromping all over everything. There were laughs in the room again. Wait and see.

On Location: Culver's - Houston

A driver picked me up early Tuesday morning for the trek down to LAX. Even at 6am, we hit a snag in the traffic, which led to an adventurous detour. The guy got me there on time. It was nice to have the driver and the sleek SUV. Sweet ride. I flew out to Houston first class. Four of the five actors hired out of LA for their 4 spots were on my plane. I chatted with one of them on the way out. This plane had individual video units for each first class passenger. We had a selection of 19 movies, various TV shows, etc. So, I ate, watched a movie and we landed. The trip went by fast.

We were picked up by a PA from the airport and driven to our hotel. After a few minutes of getting checked in and settled in the room, we were driven to the fitting. I ended up wearing some new pants and a new sportcoat I just bought last week with a shirt from the production. Some of us had dinner at the only restaurant near our hotel, which was not in a great area, but the food was good.

Wednesday
Call time to leave the hotel was early and the weather was not cooperative. My spot was to be shot mostly outside, a drive-thru theme. I was concerned that we may not get it in. On set, there were contracts to fill out, makeup, hair, wardrobe, and then we got rolling about an hour late on my spot, even with a light, misty rain falling. The crew worked hard to keep the car clean and clear. With only a few different shots to knock out, and then some voice only versions for the sound, I was done and out of there by about 1:30pm. Before I left, they told me I was coming back to finish up on Thursday. I got back to the hotel, tired, but in need of a little walk. I walked to a mall that was about a mile or so away. When I entered, I could tell I was a little out of place. Without dawdling, I made a quick circuit and exit, walking back to the hotel.

Thursday
Another morning call time to wrap up the last few shots for the drive-thru spot. It was nice to get the extra day. The rest of the actors I flew with were travelling back to LA Thursday. A new actor arrived Wednesday night, and her spot was up first in the day. Today, I told the PA/driver about my jaunt down to the low-end mall. He told me the locals don't call our area "Greenspoint", they call it "Gunspoint". Yikes. Wish I had known that yesterday. The sky was overcast and it was even colder than Wednesday, but at least it wasn't raining...until I got in the car of course. This time, though, it only sprinkled a little and then held off until we were done. These shots were mainly on me for the reactions that form the "joke" of the thing. I felt good about the process, had fun on the takes and managed to flub my lines just once, and even then, there was a sound problem anyway. We had fun and played around with various tag lines and reactions. People around the monitors seemed to react well and laughed, but I didn't see any playback. We'll find out in the end. Thursday night, I was able to meet up with a cousin that I've rarely visited with. She was older than me growing up. Well, she's still older than me, but you kind of "catch up" at a certain age I guess. It was fun talking with her.



Friday
Back to LAX, back in the same SUV with the same driver, and home at last. This was the longest my wife and I had been apart since well before we got married. We moved some stuff into the new apartment in the afternoon. She had already moved a few things. We're making the transition at a comfortable speed. And so, it's back to work of a different sort, doing the day to day and working to get the next job. We all hope the Culver's job is the first of many this year.

Booked: Culver's

I got word late last night from my agent that I booked the Culver's job. It's nice to break through the avail gates and book a spot. It's my first official acting business trip.

Callback/Avail: Culver's @ Craig Colvin

I nailed this callback. I got the laughter immediately in the room, and they'd already seen it done 6 other times by my predecessors. After my first take, someone threw in the comment, "Check the gate," which, on a set, basically means we're done. The director redirected me twice more, solid laughter each time, and I was out of there. On the way back home, my agents called with the avail notice. I'm ready to break the avail cycle and shoot this thing in Houston next week. Pre-audition was interesting. I read the new copy and had a strong instinct for the vibe they wanted. There were some notes from the session runner that were a little contrary to what I was feeling. Sometimes, you have to just go with your gut. So, I decided I would go in with my instinctual read anyway, and let them adjust me if they felt it necessary. Before I even began, the director mentioned that I should feel free to let it fly a little bit and get bigger if I felt it. Precisely my instinct. It was nice to know that I was on track already.

My buddies met me over at our new apartment to help me move a fridge from another apartment in the complex into our place. That thing was a beast. It was the first time I've seen the apartment since we first viewed it. There's new carpet, new countertops, a new sink, and the cleaning crew is coming Saturday. I think we'll try to get our stuff shifted over next week sometime, pending the utility switcheroo.

Audition: Aviva @ Francene Selkirk-Ackerman

This spot involves swimming in open water - exciting. They asked us to rate our swimming abilities on a scale of 1-4. I hate these kinds of ratings. I'm a good swimmer, no racing. I don't do laps all the time and I don't swim often, but I can swim. Is "4" Olympic quality? I mean, it IS the top rating, so I wouldn't think you could find a better swimmer than a "4". Is a "3" someone who couldn't compete in the Olympics but did swim on their high school team? Is "2" someone who can swim across the short side of a pool, but not without a break in the middle? Is "1" someone who requires swimmies? I overthink these things and that's why I hate them. I put 3.5, which is a cop out, maybe, but at least says I don't think I'm the greatest swimmer you'll see but I won't drown on your shoot.

Callback: Pizza Hut @ Ross Lacy

Sound the trumpets! I had my first callback in the office that has called me in more than any other. My original scene partner and I were teamed up again for the callback. I know for a fact that our dialogue portion was solid again. We were redirected a few times. Since he was playing the "hero" guy, he had to stay and eat a slice of pizza. As I was signing out, the session runner popped back out to ask me to hang on and run the thing one more time switching the roles. That went well too. Then, I also had to eat the slice. I didn't feel quite as good about this. They get very, very specific with how they want you to eat something in a commercial. I did the take multiple times with slight adjustments in the direction each time, but I'm not sure I nailed it. I think I was better for the other role anyway.

Audition: Culver's @ Craig Colvin

Had a quick audition today in Craig Colvin's office. I hadn't been there in a bit. The audition was for Culver's, which is apparently a restaurant chain in the Midwest. I also just got a call from my agents with the callback info for Pizza Hut tomorrow.

Life: Apartment Successfully Hunted

A big relief...we found an apartment and came in under our max budget. The place is massive compared to our humble one bedroom, which has been very good to us. The new two bedroom has wonderful closet space with built-in shelves and cabinets. We'll have a real, full-sized kitchen, and an area where we can have a proper table and chairs for eating instead of eating on the couch all the time. The building is well cared for with a pool, and the manager has been there a long time. We're excited about the move and getting ready for our new roommate's arrival in May.

Audition: McDonald's @ Deborah Kurtz

This audition was ok. It was one of those "sit in the chair and give a couple looks like this..." kind of deals. Who knows? Watch these fast food spots and pay attention. You will only see skinny people associated with the company doing the advertising. A regular Joe might appear to represent the competition. For instance, that Subway spot I got called back for before Christmas is running all the time now. There's a guy who eats burgers (my role) who gets not so subtly nailed for having a big butt. I guess I should be flattered that they didn't cast me.

Our meeting with the doula was good. She seems like a very nice, knowledgeable birthing helper person consultant. Not sure what the exact description is. We spent the entire morning driving around looking for "For Rent" signs. Why do people put out a "For Rent" sign without saying how many bedrooms? They must get a ton of calls like ours - "How many bedrooms?...oh...thanks." Click. We're at sea in a world of people who don't think. Unfortunately, we seem to have experienced a serious rent escalation around here. The stuff we looked at today was already at the top of our price range and most were not acceptably appointed. We walked into one place that was renting for $1250/month (sadly one of the cheapest), and every single apartment's patio was loaded with trash. The whole place smelled like a dump. It was startling that someone would let their property deteriorate to that level.

Life: Belly moving

Last night was another milestone in the pregnancy adventure. While I was brushing my teeth, my wife said, "Ok, I just saw my belly move." I finished the brushing, and then we watched her belly for about 10 minutes straight. It's so wild. The visible movement is small right now, just a little fluttering here and there, but it feels much stronger than previously. We hired a doula, which is basically a personal childbirth assistant, since we don't have a lot of resources ourselves out here and it's our first time. My wife has obviously met her already, but I'll be meeting her for the first time Friday. We have to find a childbirth class, I have a couple of books to read, and we have to find a new apartment before things get out of hand, or rather, belly.

Audition: Pizza Hut @ Ross Lacy

This office calls me in more than any other, and I'm waaaaay overdue for a hit. The audition went great. "Must eat meat." No problem. I love these pizza or food auditions in the morning. They frequently have the real food there, but you know they can't get it at 10am. So, it's been in someone's fridge overnight. Delicious.

Audition: Purina @ Jessica J.; Production idea?

Today was cool. I had an audition for Purina in a new (to me) office. The audition felt really strong again. No actual dog in the room, but a stuffed bear filled in nicely as my scene partner.

Over the last week, a reality show idea has taken root in my head. It's not a stupid reality game show, but more along the lines of something you'd see on TLC or HGTV or something. A friend of mine works for a successful producer in this arena and arranged a phone call for me. We talked for a few minutes, he gave me some good ideas about what to do next and offered future assistance as well. I've got to do some more conceptualizing, but it's fun to bat it around.

Callback: AT&T @ Joe Blake

The audition was before the holidays. Luckily, the callbacks were scheduled to be after we got back. I was supposed to have a scene partner, but the guys for the other role weren't there at the time. Instead, the session runner played along with me. I think it was a solid callback. The director gave me some re-direction a few times, let me improvise a little, and I got laughs in the room, which is usually a good sign.