Whew I am spent. I just woke up from a 30+ minute power nap at my real estate desk. Actors and Actresses: stop messing around with temping, catering or whatever side job you have and get in real estate. What other job is 100% flexible, has an uncapped earning potential and allows desk naps? It's a trick question, it's only real estate.
Anyway. I worked late yeterday, until around 8pm showing apartments around Hells Kitchen, and I was thinking about the next day (which is now earlier today). What did I have today, you ask. I answer: a commercial audition for Guinness. That beer is friggen delicious.
The CD was the same one who gave me a call back for the Kraft mayonnaisse gig. My slot was 11:55am and they were recording in groups of three. The CD told us that they are casting 9 regular guys and one hero. The hero will be someone famous. The premise is that 9 out of 10 drinkers order boring beer at a bar. Are you that tenth drinker? You are indeed if you order Guinness.
"Ok guys, this will be the best audition of your whole week" said the CD "First we slate our names, then we talk about whatever, then I will film each of you one by one standing at a bar drinking a beer and waiting for your friends. Don't be interesting, just stand there, it's impossible for actors to nothing, but try. After a while just walk off camera."
The CD recognized me from the Kraft callback and asked me if I was getting tanner. I told her yes. It's funny, I've gotten a little tanner, but she probably noticed the weightloss and wasn't sure what the difference was. So the CD had us improvise back and forth and just talk with each other about whatever. My conversation with the other two actors ranged from my tan, to what the middle guy did (he taught) to what the other guy does. He doesn't have a day job and just does push-ups the whole day.
It was actually a very fun audition. The other two guys did a lot of stuff when they were up there, they looked pretty interesting to me. Which is cool, but also the opposite of what the CD specified. They would stand there, mime sipping their beers, mime burping, whistle and then mime order another beer. That was very interesting. They also stood there for 20+ seconds.
I stood there for maybe 10+ seconds with my beer in my right hand and my arms down by my pockets and stared off into space. A specific point in space, nontheless. After that time I gave a slight nod, as I would if I saw my friends enter the bar and walked off camera. YOU CAN NOT POSSIBLY BE MORE BORING THAN THAT! Here is basically what I did:
When I walked out of the audition I saw my great friend Mark. I hadn't seen Mark in I don't know how long, even though we talk via phone frequently. It's funny, when I walked into the audition holding room I thought "I wonder if Mark will be in the waiting room." When he wasn't I was a bit deflated, and when I re-entered the room after my camera time, there he was. When he was done we had a cigar. It was great to see him again. It'll be awesome when we both book the job and hang out September 30th :-)
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
Becoming a working actor: Real jobs vs. "Reel" jobs
A talented director I have worked with many times before once said, "As the saying goes 'we either do it for the pay check or we do it for the reel.'" Truth, such truth. As a struggling actor focused on becoming a working actor, I find myself in the middle of a balancing routine. What am I balancing? I am balancing paid work with work for my acting reel.
Yes, of course we would all love to be in constant demand for juicy character roles on the stage and voice overs and day player roles in movies and recurring roles in TV, but before that happens, people have to know about you. You get yourself known by networking. You network by acting with people and having a great reel.
Remember actors, just because producers can't always pay you with cash, they can usually figure out another way to hook you up. Is the project edited by a professional? If so, ask them to put together your reel for you. Is the sound mixed by a pro? If so, as them to put together your VO reel for you. Does the director work for a big office of some sort? Ask her about temping by the hour so you can leave for auditions when you have them. A reel can cost $1,000.00 - so having someone make the reel for you gratis, is a really good thing. Good survival jobs are hard to find, so a flexible temp job in a friendly environment would be very beneficial.
I hate to use this phrase but.....think outside the box. Think about what you need and use your free acting work to get it. Does one of the producers work as a personal trainer? Have him give you 5 free sessions. Who knows? Just ask.
And by all means, get it in writing (email is fine) that you will get the footage when the project is done. You can't have a reel without footage? Am I right, or an I right? Right? right!
Yes, of course we would all love to be in constant demand for juicy character roles on the stage and voice overs and day player roles in movies and recurring roles in TV, but before that happens, people have to know about you. You get yourself known by networking. You network by acting with people and having a great reel.
Remember actors, just because producers can't always pay you with cash, they can usually figure out another way to hook you up. Is the project edited by a professional? If so, ask them to put together your reel for you. Is the sound mixed by a pro? If so, as them to put together your VO reel for you. Does the director work for a big office of some sort? Ask her about temping by the hour so you can leave for auditions when you have them. A reel can cost $1,000.00 - so having someone make the reel for you gratis, is a really good thing. Good survival jobs are hard to find, so a flexible temp job in a friendly environment would be very beneficial.
I hate to use this phrase but.....think outside the box. Think about what you need and use your free acting work to get it. Does one of the producers work as a personal trainer? Have him give you 5 free sessions. Who knows? Just ask.
And by all means, get it in writing (email is fine) that you will get the footage when the project is done. You can't have a reel without footage? Am I right, or an I right? Right? right!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Actors need to have momentum
A working actor in my class told me that while there is no such thing as a big break, most of his work can be traced back to one original job. Hmmm, that is a very interesting thought. You do one job, and the DP likes what you did, or you caught the producers eye and he remembers you for a future project. I can see how this can be true. I can actually trace back my securing of a ultra-spacious rent stabilized one bedroom in Astoria Queens to an off-off Broadway production of "Merchant of Venice" in June 2005. That was 5 years ago, we moved into the aforementioned apartment last year. I am not shitting you. I am so not shitting you.
In June 2005, a mere 2 weeks after I graduated from Union College with a theater degree I saw in Backstage an audition notice for a non-union (but paying) production of Merchant. Great, I will audition for this I thought. I went to the audition on Manhattan's lower east side. It was held in a former middle school turned performance center on Suffolk Street. It was about 100 degrees outside and around 110 inside the waiting hall, and man oh man there were many many people there to audition. Merchant boasts many male roles and three EXCELLENT female roles, including the highly coveted role of Portia.
I came in with my "tennis balls" speech from "Henry V". I had a callback about a week later, and bombed on the cold read for Graziano. Either other people previously offered the role of Solanio turned it down, or Tim saw something in me. I was cast. I was elated. From the audition I met an excellent actor, Ben Curns. Turns out I saw Ben in a play the year before. I thought he was awesome then, and I still think that today.
Through Ben, I met his friend Mike Burdick. Mike is an excellent playwright. I did a bunch of shows with/for Mike. Through Ben I also met his girlfriend at the time Synge. Synge directed me in a show written by Mike. Then Mike put on a showcase of a few of his plays. One of the actors was a talented gent named Skid, he is Synge's sister.
The next year when I helped start up Fire Island Shakespeare company, we ended up firing our director and an actor quit due to this. We needed a third actor and a director. We brought in Mike Burdick and Mike recommended Skid. I saw Skid act, and thought he would be great. So the cast was myself, Rob Brown and Skid Maher for "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: Abridged". The three of us enjoyed about 50 performances together and the next year we continued the trend with "I Hate Hamlet!"
The next winter, Skid was in a show that an actor dropped out of. The show was to go up in less than 2 weeks and they needed someone who was a quick read and not a quitter. That's me. On that show I met Laura Jo Schuster and Dee Beider, two very talented comedic actresses.
The next summer I brought in Dee and LJ to act in "I Hate Hamlet". LJ, Dee and I needed to run lines, and we went to LJ's apartment, which was only 3+ blocks away from where I lived. I walked in the apartment and totally went apeshit. I loved the place, I needed to live there. It was HUGE.
I hounded the super and management company with phone calls until a one bedroom came available. It was a mirror image of LJ's place and just one floor higher. Our old apartment could fit in the living room of this place. It was also 200 less than our old place and with laundry in the building.
Ha.
I hope that in 5 years, I can post something like this that traces back big money to Tuesday's Onion job. :-)
In June 2005, a mere 2 weeks after I graduated from Union College with a theater degree I saw in Backstage an audition notice for a non-union (but paying) production of Merchant. Great, I will audition for this I thought. I went to the audition on Manhattan's lower east side. It was held in a former middle school turned performance center on Suffolk Street. It was about 100 degrees outside and around 110 inside the waiting hall, and man oh man there were many many people there to audition. Merchant boasts many male roles and three EXCELLENT female roles, including the highly coveted role of Portia.
I came in with my "tennis balls" speech from "Henry V". I had a callback about a week later, and bombed on the cold read for Graziano. Either other people previously offered the role of Solanio turned it down, or Tim saw something in me. I was cast. I was elated. From the audition I met an excellent actor, Ben Curns. Turns out I saw Ben in a play the year before. I thought he was awesome then, and I still think that today.
Through Ben, I met his friend Mike Burdick. Mike is an excellent playwright. I did a bunch of shows with/for Mike. Through Ben I also met his girlfriend at the time Synge. Synge directed me in a show written by Mike. Then Mike put on a showcase of a few of his plays. One of the actors was a talented gent named Skid, he is Synge's sister.
The next year when I helped start up Fire Island Shakespeare company, we ended up firing our director and an actor quit due to this. We needed a third actor and a director. We brought in Mike Burdick and Mike recommended Skid. I saw Skid act, and thought he would be great. So the cast was myself, Rob Brown and Skid Maher for "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: Abridged". The three of us enjoyed about 50 performances together and the next year we continued the trend with "I Hate Hamlet!"
The next winter, Skid was in a show that an actor dropped out of. The show was to go up in less than 2 weeks and they needed someone who was a quick read and not a quitter. That's me. On that show I met Laura Jo Schuster and Dee Beider, two very talented comedic actresses.
The next summer I brought in Dee and LJ to act in "I Hate Hamlet". LJ, Dee and I needed to run lines, and we went to LJ's apartment, which was only 3+ blocks away from where I lived. I walked in the apartment and totally went apeshit. I loved the place, I needed to live there. It was HUGE.
I hounded the super and management company with phone calls until a one bedroom came available. It was a mirror image of LJ's place and just one floor higher. Our old apartment could fit in the living room of this place. It was also 200 less than our old place and with laundry in the building.
Ha.
I hope that in 5 years, I can post something like this that traces back big money to Tuesday's Onion job. :-)
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Orson Welles, so so very excellent.
Notice how quickly he leaps into character once he steps away from the makeup station. It's a really thrilling piece and a fine tutorial on old style stage makeup.
I was once compared to a young Orson Welles in a review and it made me swell with pride. It also made me want to buy the reviewer a steak dinner. I see this video and shed a single tear looking at his greatness.
So check out this stellar video of Orson Welles at the Dean Martin show. When it's over take a few moments to soak up what you just saw and then take a few moments to fathom how much those two boozed after the show was done filming.
I was once compared to a young Orson Welles in a review and it made me swell with pride. It also made me want to buy the reviewer a steak dinner. I see this video and shed a single tear looking at his greatness.
So check out this stellar video of Orson Welles at the Dean Martin show. When it's over take a few moments to soak up what you just saw and then take a few moments to fathom how much those two boozed after the show was done filming.
Audition for the 39 Steps
I worked on the sides last night in acting class. Steve asked "How do you think you did?"
"This is a really hard piece." I non-answered.
"Well I hated it, and I rarely say that, but I truly did hate it. When is the audition?"
"Tomorrow at ten thirty in the morning."
Steve chuckled "OK you're pretty much fucked."
I went up again later in the night after Steve gave me some pointers and ideas/tips etc. The class laughed, Steve laughed. It was a grand ole time.
The piece requires a Scottish accent and I spent yesterday before class and last night after class and the wee hours of this morning working on said accent. I used a technique that Steve taught me. You say a line in your regular voice, repeat it in an accent, repeat it in your regular voice, then back in the accent. You get the point, here. You can't have the piece be about the accent, the piece has to be about whatever the lines are, the intentions are etc. So I did a lot of that. And I gotta tell ya, the audition went ok. Not amazingly well. But I don't think that I bombed either. I think I saw the CD crack a smile, which is promising. This theater is based in Sarasota, Florida and they put up about 16 shows a year. This would be a good group to get in with.
If I am what they need, then they will cast me. If not, they won't. It's as simple and as cold as that. That is a mantra that all thick skinned actors should repeat over and over again.
"This is a really hard piece." I non-answered.
"Well I hated it, and I rarely say that, but I truly did hate it. When is the audition?"
"Tomorrow at ten thirty in the morning."
Steve chuckled "OK you're pretty much fucked."
I went up again later in the night after Steve gave me some pointers and ideas/tips etc. The class laughed, Steve laughed. It was a grand ole time.
The piece requires a Scottish accent and I spent yesterday before class and last night after class and the wee hours of this morning working on said accent. I used a technique that Steve taught me. You say a line in your regular voice, repeat it in an accent, repeat it in your regular voice, then back in the accent. You get the point, here. You can't have the piece be about the accent, the piece has to be about whatever the lines are, the intentions are etc. So I did a lot of that. And I gotta tell ya, the audition went ok. Not amazingly well. But I don't think that I bombed either. I think I saw the CD crack a smile, which is promising. This theater is based in Sarasota, Florida and they put up about 16 shows a year. This would be a good group to get in with.
If I am what they need, then they will cast me. If not, they won't. It's as simple and as cold as that. That is a mantra that all thick skinned actors should repeat over and over again.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
SAG AFTRA and AEA: To join or not to join?
Sometimes you don't even have a choice. Look, I am a union guy. I believe that actors should earn fair wages. After all, coming up, we are the most ripped off profession in the world. Just do a quick google search and you will see "networking seminars" on sale for $500+! These seminars make outrageous claims like "You will have a huge career jump" or "You will brush shoulders with the who's who of the casting world."
Lies I tell you, lies!
If these seminars were marketed towards any other profession they would be shut down and the organizers would be incarcerated. I'm serious. You can't charge money for an interview! That is essentially what they are doing, too. They call is "networking" - bullshit! It's a friggen interview. End rant.
The point of the above rant is that, by joining an acting union, you are making a stand for fair wages for fair work. You are making a stand that employers should not only pay you for the day, but they should allocate a portion of that cost to your pension. By joining a union you are effectively shoving your middle finger in the face of clip joints like "The Network" and "Actors Connection."
Monday night, when I was on the phone with The Onion CD's and being offered a role, I was asked if I belonged to AFTRA. I told them no, I belong to SAG. They asked me if I was a "must join". I told them "I don't think so." "If you were a must join, would you join?"
Of course I would. This would be the first job landed with my legit agency and I needed to get the ball rolling with them and I'd like to get in good with The Onion, as I love their sense of humor and they seem to bring actors back for repeat work. What is a "must join?" You ask. I answer: when an actor does an AFTRA job, he/she has 30 days to do as much AFTRA work as possible, then starting on the 31st day, if you want to work AFTRA jobs again you must join their cause, you must join AFTRA. It's totally fair and I agree with it. It also costs $1600.00 - so the good news is that I can now join AFTRA because I forgot that 2-3 years ago a JVC commercial I did was AFTRA. Check it out here, it's the first clip on my comedic reel. So unbeknownst to me, as of 31 days after March whatever 2008, I was an AFTRA must join.
Since I was cast late Monday night, well after AFTRA was closed, The Onion was not able to get a definitive answer and I was unable to give them the correct answer. That was my bad. Either way I would have done the job and assured them that I would join AFTRA. I hope they didn't get too much of a scare when they were notified that they had indeed cast a "must join" actor and was already on set. Geeze, woe is me.
So I will join AFTRA this week. Mrs PhillyRay and I talked about this and she had a funny remark. "Do you have anymore acting clubs to join or is that it?" Ha, no worries Dawn, this is it.
PhillyRay actor and card carrying member of SAG since 2005, AEA since 2009, AFTRA since 2010.
Lies I tell you, lies!
If these seminars were marketed towards any other profession they would be shut down and the organizers would be incarcerated. I'm serious. You can't charge money for an interview! That is essentially what they are doing, too. They call is "networking" - bullshit! It's a friggen interview. End rant.
The point of the above rant is that, by joining an acting union, you are making a stand for fair wages for fair work. You are making a stand that employers should not only pay you for the day, but they should allocate a portion of that cost to your pension. By joining a union you are effectively shoving your middle finger in the face of clip joints like "The Network" and "Actors Connection."
Monday night, when I was on the phone with The Onion CD's and being offered a role, I was asked if I belonged to AFTRA. I told them no, I belong to SAG. They asked me if I was a "must join". I told them "I don't think so." "If you were a must join, would you join?"
Of course I would. This would be the first job landed with my legit agency and I needed to get the ball rolling with them and I'd like to get in good with The Onion, as I love their sense of humor and they seem to bring actors back for repeat work. What is a "must join?" You ask. I answer: when an actor does an AFTRA job, he/she has 30 days to do as much AFTRA work as possible, then starting on the 31st day, if you want to work AFTRA jobs again you must join their cause, you must join AFTRA. It's totally fair and I agree with it. It also costs $1600.00 - so the good news is that I can now join AFTRA because I forgot that 2-3 years ago a JVC commercial I did was AFTRA. Check it out here, it's the first clip on my comedic reel. So unbeknownst to me, as of 31 days after March whatever 2008, I was an AFTRA must join.
Since I was cast late Monday night, well after AFTRA was closed, The Onion was not able to get a definitive answer and I was unable to give them the correct answer. That was my bad. Either way I would have done the job and assured them that I would join AFTRA. I hope they didn't get too much of a scare when they were notified that they had indeed cast a "must join" actor and was already on set. Geeze, woe is me.
So I will join AFTRA this week. Mrs PhillyRay and I talked about this and she had a funny remark. "Do you have anymore acting clubs to join or is that it?" Ha, no worries Dawn, this is it.
PhillyRay actor and card carrying member of SAG since 2005, AEA since 2009, AFTRA since 2010.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
I was a professional actor today.
Well, that was fast. Yesterday as I was leaving my boxing class, I heard my cell ringing. It was the casting office for the onion. What I auditioned for earlier in the day had been pushed up to tomorrow and I was being offered the role. I took it in a heartbeat of course!
Within an hour I had a finalized script emailed to me in addition to two alternate lines. I also received my call time, I was to get in a 6:15am van at 14th and Broadway the very next morning. Mrs. PhillyRay and I went out for a bite to eat to celebrate.
I felt joyous, at peace and relaxed. It felt totally calm. I felt like I did on my wedding day. Everything was falling into place, if only for a little bit. It felt great. I barely slept at all last night I was so excited. Today was pure adrenaline and the shooting itself took about 2-3 minutes. We filmed in Long Island, and it was supposed to be Cleveland. I arrived around 7am, had breakfast at the truck, went on a van back to holding, filled out 4 identical contracts, had wardrobe check me and sat until it was time to go. Go-time was around 12 noon.
I will recap more for everyone tomorrow, as I have to memorize an audition piece that I'm gonna use on Thursday.
Tomorrow's recap: a must-join AFTRA saga and learning to take a little sour with your sweet.
Within an hour I had a finalized script emailed to me in addition to two alternate lines. I also received my call time, I was to get in a 6:15am van at 14th and Broadway the very next morning. Mrs. PhillyRay and I went out for a bite to eat to celebrate.
I felt joyous, at peace and relaxed. It felt totally calm. I felt like I did on my wedding day. Everything was falling into place, if only for a little bit. It felt great. I barely slept at all last night I was so excited. Today was pure adrenaline and the shooting itself took about 2-3 minutes. We filmed in Long Island, and it was supposed to be Cleveland. I arrived around 7am, had breakfast at the truck, went on a van back to holding, filled out 4 identical contracts, had wardrobe check me and sat until it was time to go. Go-time was around 12 noon.
I will recap more for everyone tomorrow, as I have to memorize an audition piece that I'm gonna use on Thursday.
Tomorrow's recap: a must-join AFTRA saga and learning to take a little sour with your sweet.
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