Rounders

It's official, the slow season has started. A lot of the pilots that are due out in the fall have wrapped production on their first and second episodes. I feel very fortunate that I have been able to still find enough work to stay a float. There seems to be more feature films filming this year than last. Which makes me feel like we might be back on track from the writers strike.

I have received the script to the film that I landed a role in. My first day of shooting is on June 14th. Not too sure as to where they are filming or when the movie will be out. Or whether or not it's a straight to DVD/Blu-ray or if it will be screened at film festivals and shopped around to get a wide release.

Even the work has been slow, still hasn't kept the shenanigans from happening. I worked on the new Aston Kutcher / Natalie Portman movie last week and was paired up with a few interesting people. I was booked as one of four hacky sack guys in the park. A gay Latino, an Armenian, myself, and the whitest white boy in L.A. were the 4 dudes picked to play hacky sack on set. I felt like we were the little rascal rejects.

I have started to get auditions for my voice for voice over work. I have signed up for a website called Voice123 and they look at my profile and my demo, and send me a script to read and tell me how they want it to be read. I then record it, email it back, and wait to hear for another audition or if I actually got the job. Those jobs can range from $10 to $1,500. I haven't gotten a job yet, but I am not surprised. It's going to take some more practice and time to earn my keep.

"Life, like poker, has an element of risk. It shouldn't be avoided. It should be faced." - Edward Norton

Untitled

I've been a little busy lately, so i apologize to those who read this as a way to kill some time at work, take a break in-between your kids, or just not listening to your professor in class. Cool things that have been accomplished include, an audition for a Music Video, a recording session for my official Voice Over Demo, and another audition for a feature film titled 'Delivery' that takes place later this afternoon. The audition for the Music Video was somewhat easy. They wanted me to present a comedy monologue. So I went with Vince Vaughn from 'Wedding Crashers' where he gives his speech about dating and the infamous line 'just the tip' is delivered. Sounds a little inappropriate, but I got some laughs.

The voice over demo was done at a studio inside of actor David Lawrence's home. David is well known for his role as 'Puppet Master' from the show HEROES. The last time we interacted was when he came to my apartment to set me up with my own equipment so I can record auditions myself, rather than pay an arm and a leg to use a studio EVERYTIME I get an audition. The process was a success! I am very pleased with what we came up with. Plus, the process helped with my ability to take direction. In the voice over world taking direction is a little different than it is when you are using your body.

The audition I have this afternoon is for a feature film called 'Delivery.' The role I am reading for is for a man in his 20's who gets his girlfriend pregnant, so they sign up for a reality TV show to follow their pregnancy. It's going to be a different kind of audition. They don't want me to come prepared with a monologue. They won't give me anything to read when I arrive. It will be strictly improv, on the spot type of deal. In other words, I'm coming in hot. I'm confident that I have the quick wit and ability to knock this out of the park. I'm really hoping that if I do get paired up with someone, that they also feel the same way, and are quick on their feet.

The one thing that I don't think people understand about auditions is process of it all. If it happens to land on a weekday, I've got to take the day off from making money to go. With that comes sitting in traffic to get there, the process might take about 7 mins or less, then hop back in the car to sit in the same traffic to get back home. All for a job that I MIGHT get. And if you get the job, you are working on the project on a range of 1 day, or 3 weeks. Then that job is done, so now you gotta do it all over again. The upside to it all is, Everytime you get work on film, that is your audition for other jobs. Directors and Casting Directors see it and know what you're capable of. From that you get offered parts instead of auditioning. Or, when you audition, you have a leg up on the competition.

The actor Chris Evans who just scored the role of 'Captain America' didn't even audition for the role. His work as 'The Human Torch' from the 'Fantastic 4' movies was his proof that he can take on the role as a super hero and is able to take on the responsibility of Captain America. That's just an example, personally, I feel other actors could have fit the part a little better. Anyways, it's part of what makes the whole industry fascinating to me. You work hard enough, earn your keep, and the rest will fall into place. With a little help from the big guy upstairs of coarse. He kinda has the last say in what we do at the end of the day.

You Only Live Twice

I can't believe it's almost May. Towards this time of year, all the regular season shows go on hiatus, which leaves us with all the brand new shows that have gotten the green light. This is the most productive pilot season I have seen in awhile. I say this because of the famous SAG STRIKE of 2008. 100 days of next to no work for EVERYONE in the entertainment business. It was AWESOME. The only thing that really kept me somewhat afloat where commercials and doing audience work for 'Deal or No Deal.' That's right, the audience are people like me! HA HA HA. I will never EVER do that work again. It just gives me nightmares thinking about that. So we won't go into it. ANYWAYS, because of the strike, there wasn't a pilot season that year, and set motion to another off year for the 2008-2009 season. Basically this is a good place we are in.

Today was an interesting day to say the least. It's an untitled sitcom. The cool part for me today was that it was the same crew members that work 'How I Met Your Mother.' So that made it for a fun environment to work in. Especially because it was a 13 hour day. With new shows, come very small budgets. So that means they skip on the food for people like myself. This isn't true for all shows, but for the most part it is. I had a bagel and banana to start the day and 2 chilli dogs for lunch and just hungered it out til I finished tonight at 9pm. You have the option to go buy lunch on the studio lot, but us background don't really feel like spending $10 on a meal when you make around $55 minimum in a day. So you just kinda learn to wait it out on days like today. I just tell myself Peanut Butter & Jelly today... ...Steak and Lobster tomorrow.

The web series I worked on over the weekend was a fun experience. Everyone working on it is my age and it was a fun atmosphere. Felt good to be apart of something like that again. I go back to work on that next weekend. I also sign and mailed my contract for the feature film I will be filming for 2 weeks starting June 14th. It's funny how extreme this line of work can be. Where I have days like today where you go on very little food for such a long day, and another day I am in a featured role on in film. All you got to do is get in the mind set of taking it day by day; doing what you got to get done and look forward to what will happen when you work hard. It's a little easier when you put it in God's hands as well.

"There is nothing like a challenge to bring out the best in man." - Sean Connery

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Another week down. A busy one at that. After working on the pilot 'NEXT' on Monday, I went on to work the show 'Lie to Me' the following day. That took place at L.A.'s Union Station. ALWAYS an entertaining day when you work in a train station, downtown, or Subway area. The public always want to watch and get in the way of what we are trying to accomplish. I personally don't mind it, but it does get a little old when the 8th clueless fool walks through the shot brushing shoulders of the star of the show. There was this one woman, who recognized me from something we worked 3 years ago. WHAT?!?! I told her it's hard to keep track of who I meet and where, and she took offense. Sometimes I feel like Woody Woodpecker will come out of nowhere and carve 'That's All Folks' in a tree at the end of days like that.

My favorite example; I was working on Iron Man 2, and we were at some Museum shooting an exterior scene. A slick looking Bentley rolls up, Robert Downey Jr. gets out and starts walking through the crowd of people that were just there to visit, and makes his way to us on set. I'm under the shade of a tree getting water watching all this. I just shook my head, because these people didn't even realize that one of the biggest actors on the planet right now was just weaving in and out of them trying to get to his destination.

Yesterday I was working down on the Venice beach boardwalk for NCIS: Los Angeles, and it was the same situation. The regular folks were cool, it was the crazy store owners that were causing a bunch of ruckus. One VERY INTERESTING woman, who runs a "dress" shop was throwing her hands around screaming that we were taking away business from her. Lady, if anything, we were bringing you business to your wack-ass store. Venice is full of the most original people you will meet in your lifetime. From the colorful homeless to the folks who think YOU owe them something.

Tomorrow I start production on the Web Series 'Dead Grandma' that I have a small part in. So that should be interesting to see this all goes.

"With any part you play, there is a certain amount of yourself in it. There has to be, otherwise it's just not acting. It's lying." Johnny Depp

ROCKY

Well, the time has finally arrived. I landed the role in the SAG low budget Feature '3 Times a Charm.' The one I have been going to auditions for over the past 7 weeks. It will film here in L.A. sometime in the month of June. The movie has got the same idea as the feature 'Groundhogs Day' staring Bill Murry. It just centers around a High School kid. I play a Football Player/Bully of the main characterer. I can't wait to see how it all works out and be apart of the process. So if that coming up, I also start work on the web series i got a small role for this upcoming weekend. I've got a good little momentum going on right now. It feels good to have projects to look forward to that are not background acting related. But you can't forget your roots. Doing background has given me so many opportunities, and will continue to do that. I'd like to thank everyone who has supported me thus far and for all the prayers.

Today I worked on the pilot called "NEXT." It stars Paul Reiser from 'Mad About You' from back in the day. He plays himself in this project. And it follows how he is trying to get his career back off the ground. I guess it's a sitcom? We'll see. It wasn't so bad of a day. We shot in Beverly Hills at a restaurant. Nothing too out of the normal. But tomorrow I work the show 'Lie to Me' at Union Station in Downtown L.A. I'm almost positive that it'll be a circus and stories to follow.

American Graffiti

My callback audition for the feature '3 Times a Charm' last Saturday went very well. They recognized me when they saw me in the waiting room. So that was a good thing. I felt like I got positive feedback. So now we wait again on whether or not I get another callback or even landed the role. I wore the same clothes I wore the first time I auditioned; because I have learned that if you get a callback, then you did something right the first time, including your look. Plus it helps them remember you, because that is what they saw you wear the last time. We can all relate to that. How many times have you said to your friend, "didn't that person wear that same shirt last time we saw him?" I can't really talk considering I buy a new shirt once in a blue moon.

It was a pretty busy week work wise. Monday started me off on a weird foot though. I had a night call. Which means I went to work at 3 in the afternoon, and came home the following day at 7am. With those comes a good paycheck, but its hard to book yourself on another job the following day, because the call time could be 6am and they would overlap, and you wouldn't be able to make it. Sometimes it can be pulled off. I've done it before, but you are like the walking dead come Thursday. I worked on the show 'The Mentalist' as well this week. Cool thing about that was, we shot it at this Hotel where I filmed an episode of 'HEROES' 4 years ago. So that was kind of surreal.

Yesterday I worked a Japanese Commercial. I was a basketball player, so i was outside playing basketball for the first 6 hours of the day. So I got some sun and a good workout. Plus my friend Griff was there. I run into him from time to time on set. The second half of the day felt like a Verizon Commercial. They basically put all of you in a group and have you walk 20 feet, then stop, and go back to where you started (of what is called 'back to one') and you do that OVER AND OVER til they get their shot. Then they change the camera angle and do again. It makes you want to kill yourself, but we're all so poor that we can't afford the bullets.

The shoot was filled with great comedy relief though. The craft service lady reminded me of the slug monster from the movie 'Monsters Inc.' With the voice to boot. It cracked me up. There was also a dude with a barbed wire tattoo on his bicep. I thought that, that was a big enough joke that people stopped getting those. Another guy had a tattoo of a pair of red lips on his bicep. A+ to you my friend, you won the award for tool of the week.

“Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine.” - Elvis Presley

A Hard Days Night

IT has been a really productive week on the work side of things as well as getting my name out there. I received an email about being apart of a "table reading" for the feature film. I am getting the loose ends tied up as we speak to get the final word if I got the job. I wouldn't get a part in the feature; However, it's a great way to make more connections and sharpen my craft. I also received a callback for the feature film "3 Times a Charm." I auditioned for that 3 weeks ago, and now I get to audition again tomorrow, Saturday, to show them what I got. It feels good to finally be getting somewhere other than a featured spot in the background.

I worked on the new pilot "The Cape" on Monday. It's a pretty cool concept. It's a different spin on super heroes. So that will be out in the fall. On Wednesday I worked on 'How I Met Your Mother' for the last time this season. They are going on hiatus til August. This season went by fast. The downside to that is, that is the show where I get a steady paycheck. Even if it's only once a week, some people don't even get one job a week, let alone a regular spot on a show.


Last night I worked late into the night on the show 'FLASH FORWARD.' It's my favorite new show right now, so I love it when I get the opportunity to work on it. Plus getting a hello from Gabrielle Union isn't too shabby either. She is a FOX in person, holy smokes. My head turned into a whistle like Jim Carrey's character in 'The Mask.' Anyways, keep me in your prayers tomorrow as I go audition. Hopefully, I will get to the next callback and so forth.

"To me, acting is the most logical way for people's neuroses to manifest themselves, in this great need we all have to express ourselves." - James Dean