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The Business of the Acting Business Consultations!!!
Chapter 1 May '93 to Mar '02
Chapter 10 Nov '05 to Feb '06
Chapter 2 April '02 to Feb '03
Chapter 11 March '06 to April '06
Chapter 3 Mar '03 to Jan '04
Chapter 12 May '06 to May '06
Chapter 4 Feb '04 to Aug '04
Chapter 13 June '06 to July '06
Chapter 5 Sept '04 to Nov '04
Chapter 14 Aug '06 - Aug '06
Chapter 6 Dec '04 to Jan '05
Chapter 15 Sept '06 - Sept '06
Chapter 7 Feb '05 to April '05
Chapter 16 Oct '06 - Nov '06
Chapter 8 May '05 to July '05
Chapter 17 Dec '06 - Feb '07
Chapter 9 Aug '05 to Oct '05
Chapter 18 Mar '06 - April '07
MARCH 1st ‘06
Also this morning I met with Kelsey Edwards to discuss shooting my zed card for print. I really liked her and I think she liked me…..imagine that!!! She even liked what I wore, which was great because I don't have a whole lot of style to speak of. We were on the same page as far as what I'd be trying to sell so I think that's a great start. I also met with Karl Preston and I liked him too, but I think I'm set on shooting digitally. I'll be meeting with a few others and checking websites to make a decision and get on with it.
Audition: "McDonald's" @ Cervantes/Nomad Casting. Went great!
I haven't been on my regular workout schedule for a minute, but I sure snuck one in early this morning before going in. Thankfully, I had that motivation because I definitely would NOT have been at the gym. Maybe this is a good sign to breathe new life into my print career. Ha! Time will tell. Off to the races in
MARCH 7th '06*Ya know, I've been in Los Angeles for almost 8 years and I have yet to have a single audition for a daytime soap. Not even once and I've tried. I was in
Another market I've tried to crack at various times with absolutely no success is the SAG background work market. I did a lot of it in
One: I was a little confused by the having to register with a "background agency". What? I don't remember ever doing that in
Two: I literally started auditioning for principal roles in commercials the first day I landed in
The last thing I wanted to do was have background work conflict with principal auditions that my agents were working so hard to get for me. So I didn't pursue it.
A couple of years later after leaving my job @ The Hollywood Standard I decided to try to open up more revenue streams in "the biz". So I submitted to 3 or 4 commercial background agencies to attempt to get in their files. I mailed and I mailed and I mailed some more and nobody would ever call me to get in their books so I could actually be submitted for work.
I never got upset or frustrated. Actually, I thought it was kind of funny. Here I was able to book a series of commercials that ended up being 4 days of work in Los Angeles and later 5 more in Japan and a role in "The Terminal" with Tom Hanks directed by Steven Spielberg all from dropping off my own photo. Yes, a drop-off BUT I couldn't get a call from a commercial background agency to save my life!
So, needless to say, I was shocked when
It's great timing because I didn't have one single audition this week, which is kinda rare for me.
Anyway, a friend of mine who I hadn't spoken to in a while read about some of the things I am currently up to........for better or for worse, lol!
He's a photographer and offered to shoot my zed card for a very, very, very reasonable rate. Last Summer/Fall he went on an incredible 6-month photo journey to
He recounted a harrowing experience in
His name is
MARCH 11th '06*Of course my scheduled background work was while there was a big storm in town. The forecast was cold and wet. Dag!! I hate being cold and/or uncomfortable if I can help it. At least I'm getting paid AND the earnings go toward my SAG insurance.....gotta keep that coverage.
So I show up on-set in the Media Center Mall area of Burbank. Okay, the irony in my life really needs to stop because.......well just because......long story.
I gotta tell ya, it was interesting to show up as a background player. I'm much more used to being part of "the cast" and having a trailer. I checked in and took a seat outside under the canopy. Fortunately, it was a pretty small call, only about 10 background total. It was cool, I don't have a big ego or anything like that so I was chillin'.....literally, LOL!.
Sitting under the open-air canopy I realized immediately that one of two things was going to happen. Either this production worker, Mike, was going to be able to light the huge propane heater that sat in front of me OR all 10 of us were going to freeze our asses off. Afterall, it's only 8:30pm and they said we won't finish until daybreak. Needless to say, I was hoping for the former. After a few minutes it wasn't looking good, he couldn't get it to fire up. Oh nooo!
He put in a call to PA "Burke". A moment later, "Burke" made a guest appearance and sparked it right up. Thank God for Burke! That propane heater really put out some serious freakin' heat. We were almost as good as being inside.
Usually, in this business the name of the game is "hurry up and wait". I was prepared, I had my big "East Coast coat", 3 pairs on thermal underwear, gloves, several magazines, this new life altering book I've been reading for a couple of weeks and of course my trusty PDA.
Believe it or not after only about 15 minutes they came to get me and 3 others. Two of the others, actually a husband and wife team, seemed to know quite a bit about the business of SAG background work. While we walked to set they explained a bit of the "Background language" to me and the other first timer. They also told me it was double pay since it was Saturday, plus a night premium and an extra fee for the use of my car! Okay, cool. I knew when I've worked as a principal on a Saturday it was double pay, but I wasn't aware it was the same for background.
So we get to set and I see that it's a "VW Jetta" we are working with. I'm thinking to myself "not only is this a VW spot, but why a Jetta? Of all of the cars out there why a Jetta?" Don't get me wrong it's a beautiful car; I'd love to have it. Matter of fact, my first car was a VW Super Beatle back in the day. I know this seems weird for me to trip about this..........but it's a long story. Trust me, long and depressing, LOL!.
Immediately, I'm instructed to get in the drivers seat. After a moment or two I figure out that I am actually doing stand-in work. I've never been a stand-in before, actually I'm more used to having a stand-in. I guess that puts me one step closer to being able to say "I've done it all" LOL!
After 20 minutes of stand-in work sitting in the driver's seat. I sat in my car for about 3 hours and read, wrote and slept. Then dinner came at like 1 am and more sleep. After a while the 2nd AD came to get me to stand in again. I stood in for about 1 minute and went back to my car to read, sleep and write. At 5 am some of us were finished, but they needed 6 drivers. I volunteered to stay; we were already into overtime so it was good for the bottom line. I spent almost an hour waiting in my car for them to get the shot ready and then worked for about 7 minutes. After that @ 6am it was a wrap!
What a pleasant experience; 10 hours of sleeping, reading, eating and writing.......oh and a little bit of work. Everybody I met was very nice and personable, cast and crew. I was prepared for the worst, but it ended up being a very positive experience plus it didn't rain AND double $$$$.
MARCH 14th '06*Audition: "Wachovia" @ Deborah Kurtz Casting. I was a father and husband in the spot. My "daughter" was the cutest little 4-year old girl. I booked a "Pizza Hut" through Deborah years ago. Time to strike again or at least get close.
MARCH 15th '06*Audition: "Washington Lotto" @ Ross Lacy Casting. I felt great about this one. My auditioning partner and I did a "Denny's" commercial together years ago.
MARCH 16th '06*Print go-see: "AOL" @ Lien/Cowan Casting. This is great! Jenny, my print agent, called to say she put my zed card together and sent it to the printers to be proofed. She seemed really happy with the outcome and thinks I will be the same. I gotta tell ya, I can't believe I got the card done in the time frame she requested. Getting my mojo back? Perhaps.
MARCH 17th '06*I got some great news from my friend Jonathan Julian. Jon and I have been friends for more than 20 years. Actually, he introduced me to my first acting teacher in Virginia Beach.
Anyway, back in 2002 he self-submitted for a project called "Noah's Arc" on www.nowcasting.com. He got an appointment, auditioned and booked a recurring role. It seemed like it took a year before they even shot the two episodes, but he was patient. Periodically, Jon would hear from the director, Patrick-Ian Polk, saying that he's "still writing" or "taking meetings". Jon didn't sweat it. Ya know how it is in Hollywood, everybody has something they're writing or pitching.
Patrick gained success some years ago with a feature called "Punks", so Jon knew he knew how to get something shot and finished.
One day in late 2004 Jon got word that Viacom was interested. They were starting a new network called "Logo". A couple of months later it was official! The deal was done; he was to recur in 6 of the 8 scheduled episodes.
He shot them, learned a lot, met a lot of people and even did some press junkets in and out of town. The episodes aired and were well-received.
They were picked up for a second season and just this week he got the news that he's been upgraded to a series regular. I am so excited for him. The gig will take him to Vancouver for two months of filming.
The funny part about this or not so funny is that he still doesn't have a theatrical agent therefore he doesn't get too many TV/Film appointments. Last pilot season he booked 5-6 days of work in the pilot of ABC's "In Justice" through a direct call from Zane/Pillsbury Casting. Just this week Zane/Pillsbury called him again for another pilot called "Alpha Mom" and he booked a role in that too. Through some other deveolpments I looks like some agent meetings are on the horizon for him. Go Jon!
Largely, the way I look at it if you’re not going to run it please release me and give me the chance to book some thing else in that category. I’ve others that have held me for a year and not run in busy categories like beer. So now I am free to audition for hardware and software again. Watch out!!!!
MARCH 22nd '06*Jury duty. Ugh! I was selected about 3 years ago, shortly after my mom passed away and was excused. So here I am again. I gotta tell ya, dealing with the City/State is always interesting. It's as different a world as Hollywood; it's like going to DMV. I guess I'm getting used to Hollywood; I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing......or both.
Fortunately, I was to sneak out to my commercial audition during lunch from jury duty.
Audition: "LendingTree.com" @ Joe Blake Casting. I think I might be a little young for a bank manager, but it went well.
I made it back to the courthouse just in time. Thankfully, we actually had a 2-hour lunch so that worked in my favor. Shortly after lunch I was called to be a potential juror. Me and about 18 others waited outside the courtroom for 20 minutes and then the defendant plea bargained. As a result we were sent back to the holding area and released about 30 minutes later. I gotta tell you being at the courthouse sucks. I wouldn't want regular visits there to be in my future, no no no!. I mean, I guess there are other reasons to be there, but it just doesn't feel good.
All in all a good experience. They were nice and I didn't have to pay for parking. I wouldn't mind serving on a jury; I bet it's a very interesting experience. It's just that it could play havoc on my schedule. Since auditioning is my current job I can't miss them unless it's a great reason. One day, I'll get to serve.....if the timing is right.
MARCH 23rd '06*Audition: "Lowe's" @ Kathy Knowles Casting. As soon as I walked in the session director informed me that my character had changed from "customer" to "employee". Hmmmm, I would have worn a different shirt. That's okay, I'll give 'em what I got. I felt great about it, hopefully I'll get a callback.
Since I’m in the process of getting my zed card done I really wanted to get my sizes right. Well the verdict is in; I AM smaller than I was years ago. How the heck did that happen? I thought I wore a 38R suit jacket. Well, I did, I have one and it used to fit. Actually, it was a suit that my father bought for me. Imagine that; my dad buying me something. It was a while ago. I have another suit that I usually wear on the rare occasions that I wear a suit. I “thought” it was a 38R. Upon closer inspection I saw that it’s a 36R. WHAT!!! I’m freakin’ smaller than I was when I graduated from high school!
I don’t get it. I mean I’m not trying to gain weight or anything like that, I just think that I would naturally put on some weight as I got older…..and I am getting older. At the same time I don’t want to waste away in my later years either. Both of my “little” brothers are bigger than me too. Maybe it’s an LA thing! I work out and I am pretty active, but I wouldn’t think I would be getting smaller.
I’m going skiing next week so I pulled out my ski pants that I haven’t worn in years thinking they would be too small because they were a little snug the last time I wore them. I tried them on they fit!! WHAT!!?? I mean that’s great because I won’t have to buy new ones, but dag I’m a waif. I guess the last 6-7 months have been as rough as they have felt. ……..hmmmm if I could only do something about these size 11 feet.
It hasn't always been easy, but sometimes it's been very easy. I've lived a pretty good life since entering the entertainment business, especially after moving to
I remember when I first considered leaving The Standard; I didn't know if or when I would need to return. What I did know was that is was a chance that I had to take. The way I looked at it I wasn’t making that much money for the effort I was putting out. I worked the graveyard shift,
It’s funny, my fellow employees would ask how in the heck I could stand to work the hours that I did. Let me tell you, I played a lot of mind games with myself to justify it. My answer would usually be, “I’m doing this so I won’t have to do this”. Remember, I was working the graveyard shift at a Hollywood Hotspot on The Sunset Strip. Whew!
There were so many shifts when I would be at work at
The moment I knew I had to leave was the morning I got off work and parked my car in front of a driveway from like 7:20am until 2pm! Ooops! I was lucky that I didn’t get a ticket or worse towed. Something had to give, I was going crazy.
At first when I left I'd drive by the hotel and wonder if or when I would return. That eventually changed to "I am on a leave of absence from there" to "I used to work there" to "Wow, I used to work there!" to now I can drive by there and not even notice the building. I have to say that is a really great feeling.
Although, it doesn't always feel like such an incredible feat; I know when I look at the numbers of SAG members and the odds against me making a freaking dime in the business it's something to be very excited and proud about.
Being an actor is the best job I've ever had, but I have to say that working at The Harley-Davidson Café was a close second. That was a great time. Well, wait a minute. I HAVE to include my 15+ years working for my parents at the family deli, Philadelphia Cold Cuts, in
In my opinion SAG has been behind the curve for far too long. The current leadership seems to honestly want to break the mold of what has gotten us in such a tough position. Breaking that mold may include a strike in the near future. I don't look forward to being on strike, but I think it's an important tool for the leadership to have at its disposal.
I really wish I would have seen more of my fellow performers in attendance. This stuff is so important to our futures in the business. If the opposition could get away without paying us any residuals at all I think they probably would. Many think just getting a couple of national commercials can take care of everything. As someone who has done a national or two or three I can tell you that is not the whole story. These figures are based on a very complicated formula and it’s very difficult to keep track of it. I have had at least two of my commercials that others have said they saw in
I’m not saying you have to be on the board of SAG or anything like that. I just think it’s really important to be informed about how we are compensated. I must say I left there with a better feeling than I have in the past. The commercial contract expires in October and I’ll be watching what happens like a hawk.
This went well, I guess. It took all of 37 seconds after waiting an hour. I wasn't complaining though, I saw several people that I knew and hadn't talk to in a while. A good day.
MARCH 30th '06*This morning I helped Casting Director Debra Zane and her associate Tannis Vallely move out of their offices on Wilshire. They just wanted me to watch the truck while the movers brought loads down. Okay cool, so I grab my new skateboard and I'm on my way.
When I arrive, to my surprise, the elevator is not working. Oh no! They are on the 6th floor of the building! So, of course, I dove right in to help. OMG!!! I must’ve made 10-12 trips up and down those stairs to the basement. For me it was the work out of all work outs. I didn’t eat anything before I left the house, which is normal because I’m a FREAKIN’ WAIF! After about the 3rd trip my legs were quivering for real. I kept it moving, slow and steady, and never stopped till we were done.
I gotta tell ya, being in an office of that magnitude is crazy because you hear and see how it all goes down at the very top level of the game – to me it’s fascinating. On top of that Deb and Tannis are so cool. Out of respect I won’t mention anything or any names I heard, but being a businessman by nature that kind of talk excites me to the max. I just love deal making.
Another thing that was really cool was taking the movie poster one sheets down to be loaded up. They were all films that Debra cast – “Men in Black”, “Seabiscuit”, “Catch Me If You Can”, “Road To Perdition”, “Ocean’s Eleven”, “Traffic”, “American Beauty”, “Pleasantville”, etc. and they we all autographed by the cast and/or director, producer or writer. Wow, what a body of work go Deb! .....hmmm I wonder if she's casting "Ocean's Thirteen". Hopefully, I'll know first hand in a couple of months.
This one went great! It actually felt like an on-camera commercial audition. Normally, when people ask "how it's going?" I can give them a true, resounding "GREAT! or "FANTASTIC!" and mean it from the bottom of my heart. It was funny because I could not really say that over the last several months. It would be "I'm aiight" or "Just tryin' to keep it together" or "I'm still here". Well, today when the casting director ask me how I was I said, without having to think about it, "FANTASTIC! and I meant it. It felt so good.
That doesn't mean I don't have any issues; for instance my zed card still isn't finished and I'm having a little situation with my dental insurance coverage. The great thing is that I went to the printer to find out what is going on and then made an extra phone call to see if I could make something happen sooner. With my dentist, I showed up at the office to get to bottom of situation with Delta Dental. THAT is how I would normally handle it; not making a phone call, leaving a message for someone that may or may not call me back. Now that I think about it the guy from SAG Pension and Health didn't call me back. Looks like I'm marching to the office in Burbank tomorrow to get to the bottom of it. Yeah, "don't wait for it to happen, make it happen!!"
Print go-see: "IBM" @ All Print Media. I've done a couple of TV spots for "IBM" maybe that will give me an edge. Probably not, but wishful thinking. This one goes really well too. I guess.
Hey!! Remember me saying that my “IBM” spot was dead? I got a residual check today. That was a nice surprise on a already great day. I don’t expect to see anymore though.
FINALLY, I got my zed card today. I and my agents are really happy with the outcome. As soon as I left my agents office I went straight to LA Casting to get it scanned in the system. I'm not wasting any time. I'll hit Breakdown Services on Monday.
Something I was wondering was this: Why was I getting so many print appointments all of the sudden? I had 4 last year and 7 this month alone. I'm new in the print game so I'm not really sure how it works. I mean my zed card wasn't complete until today. Was Jenny submitting the new photos separately before the actual card was done? Well I got to ask her today and the answer was "no". She was only submitting my headshots like she's done for years. I was surprised when she told me that. I'll chalk it up to "it must be in the air" I guess things happen when they are supposed to. Well, I don't wanna just get appointments; I wanna book!
Photo: www.aaronwulf.com (818) 613-0002
coming soon!
Photo: www.aaronwulf.com (818) 613-0002
coming soon
Also, the SAG rep called me bright and early this morning letting me know he straighten out my dental claim and it will be reprocessed. Cool, another great day. I'm getting things done.
Anyway, she understands the entertainment industry and guides me in the right direction concerning my business as a performer. I always leave her office feeling like I accomplished something during the previous year. Maybe it’s because I see exactly how the numbers lined up for my business. Don’t get me wrong, they are not large numbers by any means, but they are “my” numbers and I solely make my living as a performer. It just kinda does something to see what I can deduct as operating expenses and what I invested in my future over the previous year.
Even years ago it was always interesting to me to hear other aspiring actors say “it’s like running your own business”. I would think to myself “No, it IS running your own business”. This is as real as it gets. My earnings as a performer are reported to the IRS just like when I worked at Old Navy or The Standard or anywhere else.
Part of our conversation always leads to real estate. I’m trying to position myself to jump in the world of a mortgage. It’s something that I need and want to do if I’m going to stay in
Some things I am super aggressive about and others I just take baby steps forever! Ugh!! I’ve been talking about real estate for a while to my friends, but I need to step it up and face it head on. I think it’s time. It was just so exciting to hear her talk about how she purchased her home. I thanked her for the pep talk and told her that our conversation was going to be instrumental in me having a great day.
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Afterwards I went to 2 of my 3 favorite places to shop, Costco & Target the other being the 99 Cents Only Store. I was shopping for my new place!!! At least in my head I was. At Costco I saw a bedroom set and it looked almost foreign to me. I’ve been living in this studio here in LA for almost 8 years. I haven’t had a chest or a dresser since I left
Here is where reality sets in. Real estate prices in
When I consider the number of people who come to this town every month to be professional actors it gives me confidence. And it should. I can’t think of many more difficult ways of making a living; yet I have been relatively successful. Go figure. Can buying a condo be more difficult than making a living as an actor? I doubt it. I know people who have bought property in the last couple of years and if they can do it I can too! I think THAT is how I should be thinking. That way of thinking got me out of
I am so excited these days! I feel I have real snap in my step; like I’m really eager to get things done. I remember when I was a waiter at The Harley-Davidson Café in
- Greet my tables!
- Would you like that in an HDC souvenir glass?
- Get drinks at the bar!
- Get your side work done!
- How long on table 45?
- Can I get you another Sam Adams?
- Would you like that wrapped to go?
- Check Please!
- Well, hopefully next time you’re in The City you’ll stop back in and see us. Bye!
They asked me why I was in such a hurry. I’m thinking “Do I really move that fast?” I wasn’t aware of it, but I thought about it later. It was because I was so happy to be working there; it was like the greatest job! Ha! I used to come into work 45 minutes early in the morning to make sure everything was set up right. Yeah my time waiting tables in
After leaving Costco and Target I did some drop-offs and even dropped a few of my new zed cards to some places where I’ve been to print go-sees in the past. That snap in my step feels great. I even called my dentist called to prepare for some extensive dental work I am trying to budget. I also talked to my little brother about Money Market accounts, Certificates of Deposit and his idea of building a strip mall back home.
The other day I got a letter from one of my former agents who left the business to spend more time with her daughter. She has since partnered with her husband as a Real Estate agent. It’s funny, because when I said goodbye to her on her last day at the agency she said maybe one day I’ll be another kind of agent for you.
CUT TO: A couple of years later.
This evening I called her at home to catch up with all that has happened since we last spoke and to talk real estate. It may not seem like a big deal, but it was HUGE to me to get these thoughts out of my head and into the space of a professional. Even though it was just an informal conversation it was great for me. This was the next step I needed to make. I’m still going to move at “my pace”, but I now know what my next move is.
Obviously, if I’m going to purchase something I have to bring in more income. Last October I decided that at the end of the year I’d take a break from casting director workshops. I’d done a lot of them over the years, mostly at Actorsite, and they’ve been an absolutely incredible investment in my career. I'm sure I'll do more workshops in the future, but right now I'm changing my approach a little. So I studied at
I wonder if the snap in my step will wake me up to go to the gym in the morning…..hmmm. I doubt it.
I really believe that the commercial class I’m currently in helped me particularly for this one. So, needless to say, this is a good thing. It’s funny because I was accepted into the advance class based on my cold read in the interview and resume, but I opted for the intermediate class instead. One reason was that I felt it would move at a slower place; I really want to “get it”.
When I first considered taking the class I discussed it with a friend. The friend was like “You’ve booked like 25 spots! Why do you need to spend $400 on a class?” My response was “Maybe those 25 spots could’ve been 60 if I was really on my game.” I explained that, case in point; I was up for the new “Washington Mutual” campaign that is now running. That is a 10 spot campaign. If I booked that I would be much closer to buying a condo. The African-American actor that they booked is also from KSA. His name is Wayne Wilderson and he works A LOT. I wanna be like Mike…I mean
I fully believe that I have gotten a lot of things in my career that, in theory, I wasn’t supposed to get. There is no way that my experience with “The Terminal” or going to
I realize I didn’t choose a career where things are just going to happen out of the thin air. I’ve always believed in “Making things happen, not waiting for them to happen”. I’ve watched people take that “wait and see” approach to their career and I just don’t think it works. I’ve also seen people bust their tails, do everything right (whatever that is) and just not get the breaks along the way. It’s not easy no matter how you slice it.
Back to my point…yeah my point…what was my point? My point was I could hang on to those 25 commercials or I can keep trying to make things happen. I think I know what I have to do.
So I booked out and then got the call for the callback. I again e-mailed all of my other agents again letting them know I was going to be in town, a least in the morning because I was still considering driving to the mountain after the
I’ve just wanted to go skiing/snowboarding for so long. I haven’t been in like 5 years. I could never find anyone here in LA to go with. I used to go with my family back East, but motocross has completely taken over.
Today I also went to look at some condos from the listing that Kelley, my talent agent turned real estate, sent me and some I looked up on my own. It was kinda weird, but it felt great. The first condo was still partially under construction and the front door was open so I went in. I didn’t want to talk to anybody so I stayed in stealth mode. Funny enough, it felt a lot like doing a drop-off.
I don’t really know what I’m looking for just yet, but I have to start somewhere. I feels great to be moving in the right direction. I also have to say that my family is wonderful. I had a great conversation with my older brother who lives in 
My new niece in Prague - Nikita
My two “little brothers” both have more experience in the area of real estate and have been incredibly helpful. One of them made it very clear that he will be there to help me in any way possible. That just meant the world to me. I guess I’m still on my “just got my taxes done high”; I hope I don’t crash and burn.
For this callback I was part of a group of 3 guys. I gathered one of the guys and then asked the other guy if he would like to rehearse and he declined. Ooops. In the room they had us each read all of the three roles. It felt good or rather great. And I think I’m really right for it. So that was it and they sent us on our way.
Audition: “Comcast” @ Lien/Cowan Casting. This one went okay, I guess. I don’t think I was horrible, but I got some of the words and inflections wrong. I had donwnloaded the copy from online and I wasn’t sure which one was correct. When I got to the audition I was informed that neither was correct; there was another, different piece of copy. So we’ll see. It’s a multi-spot gig.
After the second audition I had to decide if I was still going to go skiing and the answer was a resounding YES!!! So I quickly packed up my gear and got on I-10 East. My friends had gone to Big Bear, but I couldn’t make it there in time and decided to go to Mountain High since they have night skiing.
So here I am on this beautiful drive to the mountains and I’m thinking about how fortunate I am. I moved here almost 8 years ago to further my career and it is happening. I am continually amazed by the reality of that. I moved to Los Angeles on Tuesday, July 28th ’98; my connecting flight came in from Chicago to LAX @ 10pm. I had my first audition the very next morning @ 10:30 and haven’t stopped since. I mean it really “is” my job. I’d planned on going on this ski trip with my friends and I had to pull out at the last minute for one of the best possible reasons……because of my job. THAT is a great feeling.
So I’m on I-15 North @ 4:40 pm talking business with one of my brothers and a call is coming through. It says “KSA” on the screen and I let it go to voicemail. I let my brother go so I could check the message. Of course my mind started to think of what it could be.
· An audition for Monday
· A go-see for Monday.
· An avail from one of last weeks go-sees.
· A booking from one of last weeks go-sees.
· A booking for the “Sprint” spot. (I was not expecting that)
So I call my voicemail and it’s the familiar voice of Don and he says:
“Um..you have 2nd callback…..”
My world went into slow motions at that moment. I’m thinking “WHEN!?!?!?! WHEN!?!?! Please don’t let it be this evening!” You see, I was on I-15 North going 2 mph in a 70 mph zone. There was no way I could get back to the Casting Studios in less than 2 hours with traffic. In a split second I could feel my heart beating in my throat and I stopped breathing…..completely.
Of course I was thinking he was going to say it’s “this evening”.
Back to Don:
“……..Monday morning @ 9am and you are on avail for Friday the 14th….”
My blood started to flow again and my breathing resumed. Needless to say I was very happy to get the news. I called to confirm with Don and continued moving along at 2 mph on the 15 North. Again, it made smile when I thought about the reality of possibly being 15 miles away from the mountain, but needing to rush back to LA……….for my job. THAT’S what I’m talking about!!
Let me tell you something. This brother right here can ski. I ain’t trying to say I’m the man or nothin’ like that, but I can get down wit the get down. I hadn’t skied in like 5-6 years, but I think I got better during my layoff. How could that happen? I think riding motocross helped out a lot. I have a much better understanding of the sport than I did 5 years ago. I was out there skiing not just getting a ride on some fiberglass. That is my same approach to riding motocross and my career. The question is: Are you simply getting a ride on that motorcycle? Or are you “riding that mofo?” I had a shift in attitude and it helped a lot. It was a blast.
I fell a couple of times, but they were nothing more than “welcome back, you’re gonna feel this tomorrow” falls. Actually, the first time I fell I watching this little girl who could not have been more than 5 or 6, but she was at the top of the mountain. I was wondering how the heck could someone that young learn to ski that well in such a short amount of time. Obviously, I know the answer – it’s an activitely that her family enjoys. I love seeing kids out doing positive things with their families. I can definitely see my family in the future participating in alot of outdoors activities.
APRIL 10th ‘06*2nd Callback: “Sprint” @
If you’re curious about the rates:
· 1st and 2nd Auditions: No payment is due for the first hour from the call time or arrival time, whichever is later. For each additional ½ hour, a performer is entitled to $33.45.
·3rd Audition: A performer is entitled to $133.75 for the first 2 hours. For each additional ½ hour, $33.45 is due.
·4th Audition & thereafter: A performer is entitled to $267.50 for the first 4 hours. For each additional ½ hour, $33.40 is due.
The 2nd callback went well I felt. There were only 6 actors there for 3 or maybe 4 roles. I was the only African-American; there was at least one other African-American actor at the 1st callback. According to the copy, the 4th role was a man then changed to a woman, but they kinda had me doing it. I hope they didn’t think I was “woman-like” because I’m kinda small framed, LOL! Trust me, I am all male.
There was only one actor there for the role of the “Guy 1/Boss” so I’m thinking that he may be as good as cast…maybe. They did a bit of mixing and matching for the other roles. At the 1st audition I was “Guy 2”. At the 1st callback I did all of them “Guy 1/Boss”, “Guys 2 and 3” and here at the 2nd callback I was doing “Guy 4/Woman/Guy 4”. Go figure. Had they already cast the woman or is it really going to be a man? Who knows.
It was interesting to see the different approaches that actors’ take, because when I was in they rotated in two of the other actors and the spot had a completely different tone than with the other two actors. It was also interesting to be aware that I was being watched on monitors by the rest of the creative team in the next room.
So that was it. I did what I had to do and felt great about what I left in the room. When I was signing out me and the other actors were joking about who they would cast. I joked that I was the only Black guy there and that could be really good, really irrelevant or maybe I was fulfilling some quota. Just kidding, I doubt that. So I guess at this point I’ve done all I can do and I’ll either get a booking or a release.
The audition goes well, so hopefully I will get called back to the next round.
Callback: "Comcast" @ Lien/Cowan Casting. YES! Another callback. I was a bit messy in the initial audition, but I remember the notes I got from the session director and I should be able to put it together for the creative team at the callback.
With the season slowing down my hustle has changed a little; I'm not slinging my photos around as much and did my last casting director workshop about 4 months ago. My goal is to make more out of every opportunity. When I moved here 7+ years ago my goal wasn't to get jobs; it was to figure out "how to get the 'opportunity' to get jobs". I've done okay in that area and have built up a pretty good foundation along the way.