Theatrical

First audition through my theatrical this year. That feels good, although the wait wasn't to pretty. I saw Craig Colvin over at Coca Laca for a super secret project. That's my second super secret project this year for those of you who are counting. It went pretty well, especially the second read with the adjustments. I do feel I could have done better on 1 slight thing but overall I'm good. Just before that I was at Cathi Carlton for what I believe is a new product. It's a funny spot where things get crazy. It was an all CC day, that's gotta mean something

I just acquired a new DP for Saft, the old one prefers to be camera opp. Which is fine & probably a good idea since he'll be on steadicam, and my awesome DP doesn't mind wearing a couple hats. Man I have to crash, more later. Oh, so far people seem to like the script which means there's a decent chance we won't barrel into suck town.

Edited 6/10/06 for professional courtesy. I have absolutely no problem with that, thanks for letting me know. -Bill

Draft

Finally finished putting Saft into Final Draft today & only crapped my pants 1.5 times, quickly learning to back-up. Got copies out to the cast, crew & SAG, completing my simple paperwork. So simple that I had forgotten about the whole"include a copy of your script " part. Derp! <--anyone get that refrence? And, in a small way to further prove that work begets work, the minute I typed "Fade to Black" (the second time, damnit) my commercial agent called with an audition.

Mr. Anderson

Three auditions today. Grad film at AFI, Grad film at USC and a SAG Short with Ava Shevitt and/or her associate Lindsey. I already heard back from the USC gal- No thanks but she's keeping my info. I actually had fun at that one (well, at all of them really) read with three different ladies & it was a small Mall Security role. The other....just a sec.

OK, this is f'd up. I was just looking for the name of CD who was casting the AFI project (it was Angela Campolla) on Actors Access, and the "Video of the Day" on their start page happens to be Katherine O'Connor, the last woman I auditioned with at USC today. This is the 3rd coincidence like this today. Or maybe 4th. One was quite profound but I don't remember it, damnit. Another was reading the words "Cocoa Crispies" just as I heard them on the radio. Weird ...or cool ...I'll take cool.

The Short had me in trenchcoat, fedora, suit & one of my Grandpa's 50 year old thin silk ties. The session runner/director gave me the Hugo Weaving comparison. It happens sometimes with that suit. Yeah, were not that close but I'll take it. This and the AFI thing would both be fun leads.

Light it

Just emailed my SAG rep to light a fire under his ass, as we used to say back in Jersey. I did light it nicely though. I haven't locked in a shoot date(s) yet but the more ducks I have in a row, the better. I did a third (fourth?) pass on the Saft script this week on breaks at the day job. And there were many as I worked a ton, which is highly unusual. Thankfully my kick ass Commercial Agent got me a nice appointment on my only day off. Although often we can move an appointment to late afternoon & I can do both.

So back to that one audition. It was the super secret one I talked about earlier. I can tell you it was for Apple. I can't tell you that I kicked ass. Yeah, Me, the big Apple /Final Cut Pro / Zealot / half a geek. What can I tell ya, I mean I think the read went ok until the final bit. I don't think I hit the final funny bit the way they & I wanted. Plus I may have been better in the other role but I think that one was younger anyway. Ah well, onward & upward! I'm sure I'll have a geeky booking soon.

I'll be doing another pass on the script today as I put it in Final Draft. Such a cool program, I've been having fun relearning it. And I have to work on some tax stuff, uggh. That's one thing that has been keeping my posts short lately.

Sweet

Douchebag of the week? Isaac Hayes.

I'd tell you but I'd have to kill you

Cool, I have an audition that requires a signed confidentiality agreement tomorrow.

Southpark

Here I am as a Southpark guy. Play here.An old friend, Laura, in Denver was an artist who could make anyone a Simpsons character. I'm going to have to look her up & finally do that.

Little Victim screening

This weekend the Ronalds Brothers are in town to screen Little Victim for the San Fernando Valley Film Festival. You may recall their last visit at the premier for this film. You can catch me in some of the pics at their site. It's a fun short that's getting in to a lot of festivals. Check it out for free on Sunday. Lots of good stuff going on with these kids, more news soon.

Cinderella

Last night I attended a fundraiser for the Indie film Cinderella Drives A Pickup. What a great way to drop 20 bucks. You get to help fund a friends film, hear the bands from the soundtrack, network a little, enjoy some old school brief nudity (with song), eat some awesome brownies and generally feel good. They're slated to start shooting this feature in April. Rock on Susan & Chairman!

Dorothy

Had an audition at the Dorothy Chandler Pavillion tonight. That was a fun one to walk up to. It's just for a staged reading, which is great. I enjoyed walking past the production of Chekhov's Three Sisters on my way to the audition...someday soon.

Talent

I secured my talent for Saft today. The 2 leads will be played by Timothy Brennen and this guy, who was pretty hard to get. And that's it, casting is complete!

I dare you

not to laugh at this, and not to play it again. Still somewhat addicted to these new video sites but I can also loosely classify it as research for Saft. Speaking of which I nabbed a second cameraman who's willing to grip, sound, or anything else today as well as a inexpensive small light kit with another grip attached.

motion

Just got a call from my SAG rep. He emailed me the next set of forms to complete & email back. I should be official in less than a week. Woohoo!

*Note to everyone: It's freakin EASY to go SAG when making a Short, and the other contracts aint to tough either.

Also, I have a print callback for tomorrow, because I'm pretty.

Yeah, I shave it

Or rather another butcher shaved down a few clumps on my chest at the doctors yesterday. I think I'll spare you the pic this time. Yeah I took some.

fill in

Downloaded the preliminary information form for Saft (Short Film Agreement) from SAGIndie.com tonight & I'll be faxing it in tomorrow. Hell, I may just walk it in, have to hit the credit union anyway. Gettin all legal like is psyching me up for the shoot.

more video

Further proof that I can get addicted to anything...and a video test:

Genius. click the lower play button not on the video itself.

Video

There are now, officially, 6 billion sites to see short films. So it's really impossible for me to link to all the ones that I find funny. However this one, which explains the mystery of women, got me laughing this morning. Plus it was made in 1995 when only about 1/100th of us had internet & we had to actually go outside to interact with people. But that's really another subject.

So, there is a dire need for content on these 6 billion sites (& 5 billion festivals) and I'm happily doing my part. Work on "Saft" (working title) is coming right along. We didn't shoot it in February but we will in March.

Blacklist Union

Finally going to see a couple of friends' band: Blacklist Union. Good rock/metal with a hook. Check out their site for info, it's a free show & they go on around 11. I have a couple extra tix or see their site for more.

Eliminate the middle man

Had a few good auditions this week. Saw Danny Goldman for a Walmart spot. Yeah, I don't support them but I'll take their cash! It was a super quickie; 6 guys at once, slate, answer a quick question & outta there. I wonder if the guy who said "I'm about to be a Dad, hire me" got a callback...hmmmm. Today it was Francene Selkirk-Ackerman for a super secret project called "Product X". Or maybe it was a super secret product called "Project X". Pretty secret & stealthy though, right? I can't say anything but I'm fairly sure it's a irelessway ompanycay.

And tomorrow I have a print go-see, but the best was yesterday over at Sessions West Studios. It was great to be there because I hadn't been in a long time. I read for Gabrielle Schary for a Hundai campaign (yup, a series of spots). I was the first one there, had plenty of time with the copy & saw my friend Ivar who was there for a callback next door. Going in first was great, Gabrielle asked if I minded running it a few times as they fiddled with camera position & tweaked a line of dialog. Hell no, I don't mind! She gave a few adjustments & I had it down by the time they were ready. Well, except for mispronouncing Hundai 1/2 second into the first one on tape, after just saying it 800 times before that. D'oh! I actually did something I've rarely done(for good reason) & asked to start over. The situation just felt right & it was no problem, Gabrielle even made sure her assistant erased the f-up. Pretty cool, huh? But that's not even the best part. No. The best part was afterward when, sniffing around for a drop box, I wandered over to the outer lobby/parking type area & stumbled upon this:
Oh my god! Their box is an actu.... wait a sec, is that a plastic liner? Can this get any funnier?
Yes it can! I checked, that's McDonald's refuse & some assorted slop. Just awesome!