The Biz

2004-07-02T12:02:00.000-07:00

One Click Shopping

Because some of you requested it...and because of my limited internet access, I will be only updating my primary blog for a while. Click here if you want to see it.

2004-05-17T22:44:00.000-07:00

Data

I have an audition tomorrow for a local commercial and another Wednesday for a new Second City Improv show at the Flamingo. I'll keep you looped

2004-05-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

So, you're a star, huh?

I had another audition today for what was supposed to be a video game and ended up being a reading for a commercial of some sort. I would play a poker dealer...which shouldn't be a problem. I did some extra work on Miss Congeniality 2 last week. (See below for my thoughts on extra work.) It worked out well though. I was pulled to the front and asked to do a scene with Sandra Bullock. She has a stool thrown at her and ducks....and then I have to jump over it. It contained about 2 seconds of real acting, so that was exciting. She introduced herself to me as Sandy and seemed friendly enough. I wasn't star struck at all. Quite the opposite. I think that being awed by a famous person is ridiculous...but so is being jealous of one. That's my weakness. I don't want her fame or money...just her ability to act whenever and with whomever she wants. Overall though, I'm managing the envy pretty well. It's silly. I have all I need with my faith, my family and my friends. Sometimes you just wanna get on the phone, call your agent and say "I feel like playing a jaded ex-con with ocd and a tatoo on my forehead...make it happen." Is that so bad?

2004-04-25T22:57:00.000-07:00

Still Going

I picked up a little job this week shooting a trailer for a mobster movie. It pays very little, but its only a few hours and I get copy/credit plus a guarentee to audition if it gets picked up by a major studio.

Tomorrow I shoot my new headshots with the new haircut.

I guess the biggest news is that I was offered a nonspeaking part on Miss Congeneality 2 which would have made me SAG eligible. I couldn't make it work with my schedule at such short notice, but it was an exciting call none the less.

2004-04-21T23:36:00.000-07:00

In the Can

The commercials are in the can as they say. The Mandalay shoot was a 3:30 am call, so needless to say I was a little tired yesterday. I got a callback tonight for an indy film that i auditioned for. It's a $2 million picture, which isn't big or anything, but more than some guy with a camcorder. I'll know more about it after my reading Saturday.

2004-04-18T13:11:00.000-07:00

Captain Commercial

This week I was cast in a debt consilidation commercial, which will run in several markets nationally. It's rather high on the cheese factor, but what are you gonna do? I am also doing a commercial for Mandalay Bay that will run in west coast markets. There are no speaking parts, I'm pretty sure that I will be playing craps.

All told, we should rake in about $1k for the two shoots...not bad.

Oh yeah...I had to cut my hair for the shoots. My agent and both casting directors assured me that I will get more work with this look. I like it...I was getting tired of the long hair anyway. It does mean that I have to get new headshots asap...which will eat up about 20% of the aforementioned profits...such is The Biz.

2004-04-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

Finally

Its been a stretch of auditions with no luck, but my agent just called to let me know that I got a part in a commercial. I have no idea about the details yet. I am glad to get something with Cody. All of my other work I've gotten on my own.

2004-04-11T16:41:00.000-07:00

Still Going...

It's gonna be hard to make a living acting. There I said it. I'm having pretty good luck, but its so inconsistent. I want to be SAG eligible by the end of the year so that I can audition more in LA. It's also hard to set goals...but there I just set one.

Peace.

2004-03-30T23:09:00.000-08:00

Please Don't Look for me on The OC

As it turns out, this OC stuff is going to be all extra work. It's not really acting, but they still give you money. There is a slight chance that something good may come of it, but its really nothing too impressive. I'm quite troubled by being an extra and I'm not sure why. It's humbling for sure, but I need money and sitting by a pool all day for $100 aint a bad job. The other extras are so excited about it...I'm kinda ashamed of their enthusiasm I guess.

Reasons to be an extra:

1. You like to hang out with TV/Movie Stars.
2. You think its real acting.
3. You have some delusion that you will hook up with a model.
4. You got nothing better to do.
5. You are good looking, but too dumb to do anything else.
6. You need money.

Reasons I am an extra this week:

see #6 only (and maybe the second half of #5)

2004-03-29T23:04:00.000-08:00

The OC

So I guess that I will be working for these people this week. A few days of extra work and then I get to play a poker player. Hopefully that will be enough to justify putting it on the resume. It means that I will be working 15 hour days since I will straight from there to TNT. But then again, "work" tomorrow entails sitting by the pool at the Hard Rock for 10 hours...

2004-03-27T22:13:00.000-08:00

Takin Their Time

People wait until the last minute to let you know if you have a job or not. It's rather frustrating. Tonight at TNT Jody asked that we give him seven days notice if we need a night off for another gig. I haven't had seven days notice for anything else that I've landed. I have three possible things out there...realistic things...for next week. One is a high paying gig in Laughlin Wed-Sat. The others are day jobs in Vegas. I feel like at least one of them is going to go through, but I don't know if I can get off work.

2004-03-24T23:37:00.000-08:00

Update

Well...all is normal on the uncertain front. Hawaii is looking more and more possible, but for 4-6 weeks, which is better for us anyway. I'm playing Michael at TNT every night except Sundays because the other Michael has been suspended for missing a show.

Next week I may have a small spot on The OC as a "young, hip poker player." I'm a poker player at least. I may also be in a (say it aint so) infomercial. Who knows what will happen, likely nothing.

2004-03-09T23:26:00.000-08:00

You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and then you have the facts of life.

My agent called today with two auditions. The one that would have worked out well was for an improv radio comedy hour that is airing live March 20. Unfortunately I am out of town then so I had to pass. The other is Thursday for a commercial. On a less positive note, I had a terrible show tonight at TNT. I missed two cues and the director scolded me for the first time. I did have a bad show...it just really sucks to be told about it. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

2004-03-09T13:45:00.000-08:00

Work

Got a little job with "Dinner and a Movie", a TV show, that shoots tomorrow on the Strip.

2004-03-09T11:55:00.000-08:00

Hawaii

Hawaii is becoming more of a reality. I should know this week if TNT wants me to go for sure, then we just need to see if we can do it without losing $. I would get paid around $2,000 per month...which is good for 15 hours of work per week, but not quite enough to survive there. Deb or I could get a day job a few days per week to make do.

Debbie seems really excited about the possibility, so I'm rather motivated to pursue it. I would say that it has gone from a 1% chance of happening to a 50% chance. I find out tomorrow about a pilot that I auditioned for in LA. I'm not really expecting to get it, but they were very positive during the audition. That could wrinkle Hawaii planning as well.

Ah, the joys of uncertainty and possibility.

2004-03-05T00:59:00.000-08:00

I may need a daytimer

Its so hard to know what the future will hold. So far I've just been following most every lead that comes my way. The problem now is that I could possibly get three or four jobs that would have me work on the same day. It's hard to find that balance of flexibility and taking the $ when its there.

I may have an opportunity to go to Hawaii for 8 weeks with TNT. We'll see.

2004-02-29T22:45:00.000-08:00

Got Work?

We have a new stage manager at TNT named Jody. He sets the schedule now and has given me five days this week (Tues-Sat), which isn't officially full-time, but good news on the cash flow front.

I will find out March 10 about the LA audition.

My friend Rolan has gotten me in the door for a murder mystery that will play on the Nevada/Utah border in coming weeks. I don't even know if I could work it out with TNT, but I'm going to meet with them on Wednesday.

2004-02-22T00:23:00.000-08:00

LA and Back Today

I'm not sure what exactly I went to today. It was an audition for a reality show about the making of a TV Pilot. I would say that it went very well. It was very much American Idol for actors...not quite what I was expecting. I'll know more in a few weeks. It's called Pilotproject.

Oh...she did say that I would have to grow my hair longer for the part, which is funny considering the last entry.

2004-02-20T10:45:00.000-08:00

Hair

So...it was really just one audition for 3 spots by the same production company. It went very well. At the end of the audition they asked if I would cut my hair. The gig pays $500...I had to decide if my hair was worth $500 in a split second. My initial thought was "sure, what do I care." But then I remembered that I have to care these days. I just paid $175 for headshots and I would have to get new ones with short hair. I technically have to get permission from TNT to get my hair cut. I was the only guy with long hair at the auditioin, which would have been a really good thing had they wanted that.

"I can get a short trim...a few inches all around." That was my answer.

"OK, we'll call you." They haven't. It shoots tomorrow.

2004-02-19T11:44:00.000-08:00

Just Found Out

I have auditions for three different commercials today! Having an agent is cool.

2004-02-17T22:50:00.000-08:00

Barry Wheeler

Somehow I ended up playing Barry in TNT three days in a row. I really enjoyed the part. Now I go back to Michael for the next three days. That means 6 days in a row for me...a record. The cool thing is that my family has been out of town anyway, so its not like I'm missing time with them.

I will be going to LA Saturday to audition for a TV pilot. It's a long shot, but I'm sure I'll learn something by doing it. My friend Tommy may be coming with me, so if nothing else we can hang out.

2004-02-10T16:34:00.000-08:00

Jerry Mc-f'n-Guire?

Cody Garden is my agent. Today I signed with McCarty Talent. It was my #1 choice. So...yeah, that's good.

2004-02-09T23:22:00.000-08:00

You take one shower and...

I was in the shower yesterday afternoon and received two voicemail messages. One from an agent that I am hoping will sign me. We are meeting in the morning. The other from an acting coach, Gerald Gordon, that I am hoping will let me study with him. (I'll have to go through an interview process and audition to be his student.)

So far I have been struck with how much of this industry is waiting to have a phone call returned. Until now in my life I have normally been the guy that people waited for a phone call from...now its the other way around. It is humbling and makes me feel a little bad about my tendancy to wait a few days to return calls. (I have always had a slight fear of speaking on the phone...I know its strange, but with the exception of about 10 people I have to force myself to pick up a phone and dial. I guess its some form of shyness. Phone calls are very intimate compared to other forms of communication...enough about my oddities...)

I also received another call today from yet another agency. I will wait and see how tomorrow goes before calling them back.

On another note, TnT is directed by one of the original writers, a man named Larry who lives in NYC and visits us every few months. He will be here this week and they have finally scheduled my to play my other part (Barry) while he is here. It could help my chances to go five nights per week there.

2004-02-06T11:53:00.000-08:00

The Biz

Life is so much more than business. Business, however, is a part of life. I have started this second blog to keep a record of my journey as a professional actor. So...let's get caught up:

My name is Joe. I'm 30 years old, married with two kids. I live in Las Vegas. And I have no idea how I became a professional actor.

I graduated from seminary in 1995 and moved to Las Vegas to be a clergyman for the rest of my life. Somewhere along the way I grew disinterested in religion and church as business. If you are more interested in my faith journey and spritual quest, you'll wanna read my primary blog.

Early last year I began exploring acting in my free time. I took some improv classes with The Second City and The Groundlings. I landed a few interesting gigs including playing the role of Michael in Tony n' TIna's Wedding at The Rio.

As of this week, I have reduced my church work to 10 hours per week in an effort to make my living in acting and storytelling. I have no idea what is to come, but I am ready for the journey.

Today I met with an agent who "really liked me" and thought I was "unique and talented." She was however, "not ready to sign me" because "I don't know enough yet to be excited about being signed." Interesting. Truth is, I wouldn't have signed today anyway because I'm meeting with another agent next week. That agency is my first choice. So I am hopeful. The lady today did say she might call me if something comes up. She mentioned a show called Scare Tactics in which I would scare unsuspecting people...I'm thinking no. Improv is more fun when people know you are acting...

On the way back from that meeting I got a call from a dinner theater in town that might hire me to act on my off nights at Tony n Tina's. I'm currently working at TnT 3 nights per week and on a waiting list to go fulltime. This could fill in the gap until then.

I think you are up to speed now. Here's to professional pretending.