The shoot

Wow...what a day. There's a lot to tell, but here's the reader's digest version.

I roll up last Sunday morning to a parking lot next to this artsy loft-complex in Venice, CA. There's an RV parked with some people hangin out that I figure are the crew for the shoot; I ask the small crowd if I'm at the right place and this guy casually says, "yup...there's breakfast in the trailer if you're hungry" before ignoring me again.

Umm...okay.

I go in and they've got 6 different kinds of breakfast burritos all ready to go (I didn't even know bfast burritos came in 6 different varieties). I make my selection and one bite in this girl comes from the back of the trailer and says, "when you're done come find me; I'll be doing your hair and makeup".

So after the tasty burrito I get seated in this chair so this girl can do my hair and makeup. I feel a little weird...you know...like when you get a hair cut? Are you suppposed to talk with the person or not? They're all up in your grill. I usually don't, but this girl seemed cool, so I start making conversation and we chat it up while she does my hair and makeup. Fabulous.

I hop off the chair and this other girl gives me a once-over, disappears to the back of the trailer, and brings back these designer clothes that I never would have picked out for myself (dudes actually wear jeans that tight?), but that looked pretty good on (if I don't say so myself).

It's about 9:45 now and I'm all ready to go, so I ask the producer where I should be.

"Oh just hang out...they probably won't need you for another hour".

An hour?! I grab my trusty Economist and sit down to wait.

Finally I'm needed...awesome. What do they want me to do? Oh, just sit in this chair over here and talk to this other model while they take pictures of us. Okay, I can handle that.

After 10 minutes, they're done with me, and it's more waiting till lunch time (catered, with dessert). After lunch they shoot me looking at a painting (mind you, I've also had a wardrobe change...oh, and every 5 seconds the hair/makeup lady comes to make sure my hair/makeup still "work"). Then I wait for another hour or two and then it's on to the "profiles": all eyes on me. As glamorous as it sounds, it was kinda weird. Eight-ish people working to make sure everything is perfect (photographer, lighting, set, makeup/hair, wardrobe, producer--and assistants), and everyone is looking at me while I'm being told to "smile! a little bigger! okay, you're an animal...you're an animal!!".

I hang around for another hour before someone comes to tell us (there were four of us that day) that we can go.

Key takeaways for me:
1) It's all business for the crew. They see actor/model types come, and they see them go. Also, it's okay if they talk inches away from you about you; we're just objects.
2) Models are waaay overpaid.
3) I wanna do it again.

I booked a print job!

My bad for taking a couple weeks to post, but at least I'm doin it with some f'n GREAT news: I booked a print job, and it PAYS!! It's not quite what I got into the business for, but hey -- I ain't gonna say no to gettin paid for smiling in front of a camera; plus, AKA (my commercial agent) is stoked cause they get some decent return on their so-far minimal investment in me. I'm just happy it's for a company I believe in (a technology company, in fact) and not for some anti-diarrhea medicine (or worse...and believe me, there's pleeenty worse).

All around, the good news capped a good week: I had a big audition for a lead role in a feature length film yesterday, and even got a call back -- but will be out of town for it. I'm hoping my agent can convince them to take a look at me next week; we'll see.

Anyways, I have to write about these Casting Director workshops I've been going to, and this even more interesting Groundlings class I started (Improv). Next week I guess...till then, thx for tuning in!

[On a side note, these used to be kinda funny, didn't they? What happened? Hmm...I'll try to work on that in my next post. Although I'll trade poor attempts at humor for posts with solid news any day....]

I had four - count 'em, FOUR - commercial auditions last week

I was told to be stoked about signing with AKA by nearly everyone I mentioned it to, but last week I understood why. I had four auditions with them, and for big-name clients: Microsoft, Mercedes, Wells Fargo, and Comcast (the Comcast was a callback...woohoo!...didn't book it though...booh!). This week I had an audition Monday I couldn't make, and a callback Tuesday for Wells Fargo (which I probably won't get...I think they were deciding between "asian" ethnic and "indian" ethnic....guess I'll find out when I see what airs in a couple weeks).

Soo...what have I learned? It really is ALL ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS in this town. For starters, most of these auditions don't filter down to people without agents. No agent=no f'n clue that it's even happening. And even when I did submit headshots/resumes/flowers to get an audition, NO DICE. Enter AKA, and doors start opening.

Thing is though, an audition is just an audition--an interview, but not a job. I met a guy at one audition that has been getting out 3-4 times A WEEK for A YEAR. He says that of those, he averages 1-2 callbacks A MONTH. And in all this time, he's booked...are you ready?...a whopping ZERO commercials.

ZERO.
ZERO ZERO ZERO.

I've signed theatrically with BKI

That's it. I'm officially represented theatrically (movies and TV) AND commercially. I ended up with three offers for theatrical rep, two of which were from "brand name" agencies. Turned out that one of the brand's reputation is like Enron's reputation to investors: stay the f away. I ended up signing with Baier Kleinman International, which is really one guy (clever marketing, huh?), Joel Kleinman (think a lighter John Goodman with a beard). I've been getting good feedback from industry folk when I mention his name, so I'm stoked.