Renting in Los Angeles (and probably elsewhere too)

So, again with a bunch of auditions in the last weeks (well, not the last two weeks). No bookings in the last bit, but still getting the callbacks on a regular basis and getting closer again. I'm due for a hit before Spring leaves us with Summer.

We did have some drama with our ex-landlord, and since I had to do a bunch of research on the topic of security deposits and landlord/tenant law in California, I'll share a couple of links. The short of it is that he didn't mail us our refund within the required 21 days. Then he claimed he did and resent it. We finally received a refund from which he withheld a ludicrous amount for various nonsense. Paint-$425, Cleaning-$100, Carpet Cleaning-$100, Cleaning Fan-$25. Seriously, cleaning the fan? What was more offensive was that we left that place better than we found it. They can't charge you to paint the place if you've lived there for a couple of years as that's considered normal wear and tear, and we were given a clean exit inspection by the manager - verbally. However, sensing the owner might be the type to pull shenanigans, we did a detailed video of the place before we left.

Anyway, this nonsense had gone on since we moved on January 31. I figured we were heading to court, and I haven't had to sue anyone before. I am the type of person who researches a LOT and makes sure I'm prepared. I sent him a final demand letter outlining how he had violated California Civil Code 1950.5. He mailed us the balance of the deposit a few days later.

So, Los Angeles renters, beware! When you move in, fill out an inspection form and have the manager sign it. List all the defects and damage present. When you move out, insist on the process outlined by the law, and get your move out inspections in writing. In fact, every communication you have with your apartment management should be in writing. Also, LA people, you are most likely entitled to interest on your security deposit (Los Angeles Municipal Code is 151.06.02)!

Here are a couple of links that I found very helpful.
California Law and Security Deposits
CalTenantLaw.com
Los Angeles Rent Adjustment Commission scroll down to Payment of Interest on Security Deposits. This will point you to a pdf of the interest rates for each year. Their web addresses seem to change too often. So, you can also Google "rent adjustment commission payment of interest on security deposits".



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The breaks

Well, some good news and some below average news. January was a mad blitz of activity. We returned from holiday travels to find a notice of rental increase on our door. While rent control limits the damage, I still felt it was ridiculous and started shopping around. I found that rents in our area were BELOW what they were when we first moved into our place in 2008. The first place I looked at, purely out of curiosity, was a nice place, similar in size but in a better school district. With that info in hand, I wrote a counter-offer to our landlord offering to return to the amount of our original lease - a rollback/restart. Otherwise, we already had another option and were prepared to use it.

The landlord delayed getting back to us and then wanted to "work something out". What they didn't understand is that I was not negotiating. I made my position clear from the beginning. I also pointed out that a one month vacancy would cost him more than an entire year of what I proposed. They didn't respond, so we immediately submitted a vacate notice and signed a lease at the other place. Three weeks later, our old apartment is still for rent, and they're offering it at LESS than what I offered to pay with a free month's rent thrown in. That's business acumen I suppose.

In short (too late), part of the good news is we like our new place better and it's cheaper.

Good news part 2 is that my cars.com spot aired as expected in the first half of the Super Bowl. It was great to be able to tell people exactly when they could catch one of my commercials.

Now, the below average news. As far as I know, it only aired once. I've seen a 30-second version running since then, but my scene has been cut out. That hurts the bottom line significantly. So, "Hooray!" for major commercial and "Boo!" for lack of running. But "Come on!" for another 30-second version with my scene included.

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Shoot: Cars.com

Interestingly, there's no non-disclosure agreement on this, but I think I'm good at keeping a secret despite not signing some contract to keep my mouth shut. So, I won't really give away anything other than what's common knowledge on the internet. Cars.com has purchased a Super Bowl commercial for the last couple of years, and has decided to do so again. Our director is Craig Gillespie, who directed their spot last year. You decide what that means.

The shoot was great. My scene has a distinct feel and time period that was fun. The talent and crew were all a pleasure to work with. What a wonderful thing to book just before the holidays too.

We didn't get our tv, because the store with the deal was sold out. But we will. Oh yes, we will.

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Avail, Booked: Cars.com

Got put on avail again last night. Found out tonight that I booked cars.com! I KNEW I needed to make that callback. It seems the crazier the circumstances or the more in doubt the outcome, the better things work out. My buddy Will had talked to me yesterday about a deal at one of the major electronics stores for an flat panel tv. I joked that if I booked this job, I was going to go get it. My wife and I promised ourselves a few years ago that after I got a big job or two, we'd upgrade our old hand-me-down tv, but we still haven't done it.

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Callback: Cars.com @ Cathi Carlton

So, here's a story. Friday, I found out I got a callback for cars.com Monday morning at 11am. Last night, while getting my daughter out of the car, I felt a little twinge in my back. Not a major pull or anything, just a tweak. I was "aware" of it before going to bed, but no pain or stiffness really. This morning, when I awoke, I could not move without pain. I could not roll over. I could not get out of bed. I originally hurt my back playing basketball in high school. When I got home after practice, I made the mistake of lying on the floor for a few minutes and the same thing happened. Couldn't get off the floor. My mom was the only one home at the time and she couldn't help me either. It was terrible, and this morning was the remix.

At some point, I just had to bite the bullet and get up. The pain was unbelievable. I tried to walk a little and must've looked like I was 110 years old. It was ridiculous. I downed some ibuprofen and started icing a little. The pain was so sudden and stabbing that it took my breath away. There was no masking it. Then, it was decision time. How could I possibly drive down to Santa Monica and get through a callback that might involved playing with a kid?

I was close to bailing out, but I had this idea in my head that I was really right for the role and that this is exactly the kind of situation that would surround a booking. So, I went. I sat on an ice pack all the way to Santa Monica. The ride itself wasn't so bad, but it took me a couple of minutes to get out of the car. I had to park about two blocks away, but I thought that would give me time to get moving again. I also got there early to allow a bit of time to just keep moving. Despite being the first one there, I didn't sign in. I just paced around a bit.

When I felt the back was as good as it was going to get, I signed in and got the scoop. They had cut one of the bits that involved leaning over, thank goodness! All I had to do was kneel down and stay there until the scene was done...no real range of motion required. Someone was looking out for me. I went in, did the slate, got on my knee, and did the scene twice from that position. When I was done, I turned my face away from everyone and got up. Whew.

So now, lots of ice packs and ibuprofen. I have to sit out my improv show tonight too, which stinks, but I don't want to make it worse.
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Audition: Cars.com @ Cathi Carlton

This was a smooth one...good old dad type stuff. My audition partner and I worked well together. We had one bit and I had another by myself.

We're getting ready for a trip home for the holidays. My daughter is having a good time talking about seeing our family and riding on the plane. As she gets bigger, she's definitely more prone to roam, so I'm hoping we can keep her entertained on the plane ourselves.

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Shoot: Honda

The Honda shoot went very well. One word of advice to actors everywhere - know what your rate is and read the contract. If there's a question, get on the phone with your agent. There was a little mix-up on mine and my agent was grateful that I didn't sign until we got it worked out.

I got to set before there was a location move. After the move, we had some hanging around to do before getting down to business. The director knew what he was after and we knocked it out efficiently. The bits I saw in the replay monitor looked very cinematic. I hope I get a copy so I can see the final product. Or maybe a friend in Miami can hook me up.

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Callback: Honda @ Sheila Manning

Proof again that you just never know. I had a message on my phone last night as I left Cherry rehearsal, it was a little noisy at the theater, which may or may not be the reason I listened to the voice mail twice.

The callback was fun. We had a little bit of a wait in the lobby because they were taking their time with each set of actors in the room. I like it that way. I saw a few people I remembered from the audition and was paired up with another actor I had talked to that day. She remembered me being the guy in the suit. Speaking of which...when I got the callback, I tried to figure out whether to wear the suit again since it worked, or to wear the more casual style appropriate for the spot I ended up reading. In the end, I split the difference and wore a sport coat and tie look that could easily be made to look more casual. I really liked the director, who, I believe, is from Spain. He didn't mind my lack of Spanish skills (sorry to disappoint you, Mrs. Lawrence) and gave us a thorough explanation of what he wanted. We did it a few times with some adjustments, and then I stayed to do another spot solo. I was very comfortable and felt like it went very well.

That night, my agent called while we were having dinner to tell me that I was on Strong Avail and to ask if I was available for the shoot day. I'm always available for the work. She also said she expected them to finalize the deal tonight and she would let me know. By the time I recounted the details to my wife, my agent had already called back and confirmed that I booked the job.

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Audition: Michigan Lottery @ Vicki Goggin

It is ridiculously hot here and a light dusting of ash is falling from the sky. So, into this blizzard, I ventured with winter gear - jacket, gloves, winter hat and scarf - to audition. I wanted to melt just holding the stuff in my hand as I walked to the building. It was easy to spot other people on the street who were headed to the same place. We had a good laugh about it in the elevator. The audition was silly fun.

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Audition: Honda @ Sheila Manning

This blog is 7 years old. Crazy.

I gotta work on jotting down things other than just the wacky world of the business. If you haven't heard, large swaths of brush and forest have been burning in the LA area. We don't live on the edges where that stuff typically pops up, but, due to the nature of the topography, we do suffer the effects of the crazy smoke that clogged the air. It's brutal. I was in Malibu late this afternoon, and could see the smoke from there (quite a distance). We've mostly stayed cooped up with the doors and windows closed all the time.

Ok...so the audition was with a casting director for whom I hadn't auditioned previously. However, I did a drop-off at her office on my first or second ever round of drop-offs shortly after we moved here. I thought I gleaned the info I needed for this, but when I got there, I was the only one wearing a suit. Everyone else also seemed to be of Latin descent, but I look like I'm from a long line of Ohio-ans. Then, I thought I maybe misunderstood something or was there at the wrong time. But, just a few minutes later, I was in the room. The audition material wasn't what I had prepared for, so I was a little overdressed, but otherwise able to adjust. My scene partner had a line to give to me in Spanish, but I knew what the reaction was supposed to be and I didn't have to say anything back. There were a couple of bumps in the way the scene came off, but it was fine. Afterward, I called my agency to make sure I had the time right, and they assured me I did. You really never know what you're going to do when you get to an audition.


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Callback: Casino Arizona @ Craig Colvin; Improv - Cherry

I'm starting to see some more "usual suspects" as we follow each other around to auditions and callbacks. It was fun bantering a little outside the room. Inside the room, we did the spot several times in a couple of different ways.

Had a Cherry performance tonight that went ok. We're starting to tape the performances so our coach can see them for notes, and so we'll have submission material for festivals. I've been itching to do another festival.

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Audition: IHOP @ Kari Peyton

My favorite word in casting breakdowns recently is "like-able". In the world of commercials, that's a fairly universally desired quality in the talent. I guess you sometimes see a particular role that is meant to be antagonistic or stand-offish somehow, but not very often.

I hadn't been into Kari Peyton's office in some time, so it was nice to be back. They're working out of a really nice facility now. The place was jumping too, because there were a couple of spots and TON of kids.

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Audition: Casino Arizona @ Craig Colvin

Funny - I was just thinking about how it had been a bit since I had stopped in at Craig Colvin's office. I was paired up with another actor and off we went. Things are usually very smooth here.

While I was there, Craig mentioned to me that someone called him, mentioned my blog and asked if he knew me. He thought it was pretty cool. So do I. Someone else essentially put me in the mind of a casting director. And, I was reminded that people I don't know sometimes read this stuff. While this blog isn't really a tutorial by any means, I hope if you've happened upon me and taken an interest, maybe you will benefit from it. I'll also take this opportunity to invite you to email me as well and tell me a little about you and your journey. The "contact me" link is at the top.

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Audition: Pillsbury @ ASG; Improv - Jack & Johnny

Four in the room for this one, and I had a fun group. It's great when you find a quick comedic rapport with strangers at an audition. I felt like we had a strong take on the material and were funny to boot.

I completely forgot to mention the Jack & Johnny show from last Thursday. Will and I played at Crashbar Improv, a fun, small room. Our show was kickin'. While I've been entirely enjoying the group Harold work with Cherry at IO, I feel the two-person format is like going home for me from the years of JaCKPie. Cherry is also doing great. We're getting lots of shows and working with a fantastic coach. Next Friday, Cherry is playing with Craig Cackowski, one of my favorite teacher/performers at IO West.

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Audition: Sprint @ Karen Maseng

I swore on all that I hold dear (and signed a document to that effect) that I would say nothing about this. So, the mystery must remain mysterious.

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Audition: LA-Z Boy @ Dan Cowan

First voiceover audition in quite a while. I don't really market myself for voiceovers yet. It's an area I need to explore, but have yet to assemble the tools necessary to do so (voice reel, etc.). Soon! I do enjoy playing with voices, so this was fun for me. I also look forward to the day when I come home with a LA-Z Boy recliner, so it's perfect for me!

Now, here's a weird thing. I got a callback for Walmart. Then, I got an uncallback for Walmart, something about how they cut down the callback list. I think this is just the second time that's happened to me. Executive decision - it still counts.

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Callback: Samsung @ Jeff Hardwick

I expected a callback for this one and got it. In fact, during a time when things are traditionally slow, I feel that I've been very fortunate to continue to get out and land these. As always, it's great, but booking is better. There were more of us in the room for the callback and quite a range of people. It was more difficult to cultivate the camaraderie, but I felt alright - not rock solid - but alright.

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Audition: Walmart @ Alyson Horn

There were LOADS of kids in the casting facility, which always makes things a little interesting. I was on a tight schedule and hoping to get in and out fairly quickly, and I was! Good job session runner.

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Audition: Samsung @ Jeff Hardwick; Callback: Sprint @ Martin Casting

Sweet! I'm on the go again. Today, was a new CD for me - Jeff Hardwick. Somehow, I've made it this far without getting in there. There were some recognizable faces from other ongoing commercial series showing up for this audition. I felt good about being in their company, and about getting in based on the requirements listed in the breakdown. The Samsung audition went great. I felt it was really strong, and I even had an extra moment on the slate, which got laughs in the room with the camera still rolling.

The callback was good too. I had to sign a confidentiality agreement beforehand so I guess I won't say anything else about that.

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