Happy Halloween!

Thanks to my sister, Chris, Art and I have matching jester costumes to go trick or treating in.  Now, if I can only get him to carry his own pumpkin bucket...

Insanity, It Seems

I had a print audition in Santa Monica this week for National Rent-a-Car.  I was #388, which means they had already seen 387 other people.  According to the photographer, they had seen 276 the day before and planned to see "at least that many today."  Aieesh.  I guess companies don't always know what they want, but you think they could narrow it down a bit -- especially for just a print ad.  Oh well, just another day in the life...

Wal-Mart

I had an audition for a Wal-Mart print job last week. The photographer's studio was nice and close -- about 10 minutes away. There was no wait and I was in and out in 5 minutes. The good news: my agent called the next day and put me on Avail which means that I'm something of a 'finalist' and that they wanted to check to make sure I was indeed available for the shoot date. Great! The bad news: the shoot date was today, and I didn't hear back since last week which means I didn't get the job. So close. And yet so far.

(Or maybe, just maybe, they changed the shoot date and I'm still in the running? That would be nice.)

Gift Idea

My friend and former neighbor, Rebecca, just came out with this handy book filled with tips on saving moolah. It's a fun little read (ok, maybe I'm a tad biased since I did get mentioned in the 'acknowledgements' section ;) Anyway, if you want to check it out on amazon, click HERE.

Heroes?

I got called this morning to go audition for a small part on Heroes this afternoon. It was quite a (nice!) surprise, and I can trace it back to a workshop I did with the associate on the show several months ago.

The audition went pretty well. We chatted for a few moments and then I did the sides. She wanted to see it again, though she liked it and didn't have any suggestions for changes. We talked briefly after my second time through and she thanked me for coming in on short notice (umm, you're very welcome! thank YOU!) I'm not sure if I'm really right for the part, though maybe I can get them to change their mind about the character description ;) In any case though, it was just good to get in the office. Maybe if this one doesn't work out, my read will get me in the door for something else down the road.

Of course there are a few things I would have done differently in the room, but overall pretty happy with what is really my first real audition out here. Onward and upward...

Surviving the Crash

My posts have been on hiatus a bit over the past few days thanks to my MacBook Pro crashing on Sunday. After calling Apple (glad I bought the 3-year Apple Care package), they told me to take it in to a repair shop. Luckily, there is just such a place in my neighborhood -- open Sundays! The repair was covered under the warranty and I only had to pay $50 for the data recovery (worth it!)

Part of the Star Trek Universe

Thanks to a gentleman named ThomasHL (the site founder maybe?), and my time as a Starfleet Cadet, my photo and info is now posted on the Star Trek collective Wiki known as Memory Alpha! Check it out HERE. Ah, fun stuff!

Play of the Dead @ Psychic Visions

Psychic Visions is a small theatre company/space out here in LA, which I know about because I have a couple friends who have done shows there. One such friend, Suzie, who is also in my acting class, is currently rehearsing for the annual fall "Play of the Dead" production at the theatre. The Play of the Dead is a collection of original short plays that honor or remember people that have passed away.

Suzie mentioned this week that they needed a male actor for one of the vignettes and wanted to know if I would do it. I read the script and said Sure! So, now I am in rehearsal as well -- it opens in two weeks on Saturday, Oct. 31. It is a fun little story and I'm told the other short plays are very thoughtful/entertaining, too, so it should be a good show. And it will be nice to get back on stage! As it gets closer, I'll have more details regarding showtimes, etc. But, if you're open any Saturday in November, plan to come on down!

The Write Stuff

HERE is a link to the NBC Writers on the Verge Program that Gina is currently participating in. Some pretty amazing writers!

Weather!

Los Angeles TV and radio stations were abuzz today with talk of a 'severe October storm.' The "storm" was little more that a drizzle part of the day and some mean looking clouds. Still, it was nice to see some drops on my windshield and experience a little weather for a change.

EDIT: The rain continues into Wednesday, so not bad, "October Storm," not bad...

Dog Jack Premieres in Pittsburgh

Dog Jack premiered in Pittsburgh over the weekend at Sailors & Soldiers' Hall -- the same place where we shot a big ballroom scene for the film a few years ago now. Since I am broke, I did not make it to PA for the show, and so I am waiting to hear about it secondhand. But, here are a couple articles & excerpts from local papers last week in Pittsburgh discussing the (then upcoming) movie premiere:

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE REVIEW
In the movie, a bull terrier named Jack accompanies runaway slave Jed, whose "inner turmoil comes to a head when he learns his company is planning to destroy a key Southern outpost where his former master is stationed," according to the film's plot summary by director Edward McDougal.

The plot thickens when Jed learns that his former slave master might be his real father. The screenplay strays from Biros' novel, but Biros couldn't be happier that "Dog Jack" might become a Hollywood hit.

"We have several distributors that are very interested," says Biros, declining to name them. "A major distributor has shown considerable interest.

Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Shark!

You may remember when my buddy Nick and I took a surfing lesson last year (see pic) in Santa Monica. Well, this week surfers in those same waters have noticed a guest: a 10-foot long great white.

Here is a picture of the not-so-little guy jumping out of the water. If you want to read more about the shark, click HERE.

I'm sure he's just checking things out, but suffice it to say that I will be staying out of the water for a little while...

Mr. A-Z

Last night Gina and I went to see Jason Mraz at the Hollywood Bowl -- I had gotten her 'just-get-me-in-the-door' tickets for her birthday. Unlike earlier this week at the Star Wars concert at the Nokia when we were in the very last row, this time there were actually six rows behind us! But, just like that show, there really isn't a bad seat in the house (even as far away as we were, see Pic); you can still hear everything just great.

He put on a very cool show. And of course, sitting outside on a beautiful, cool fall night can't be beat. Highlights for me were his reggae-tinged version of "The Remedy," his amazingly intimate encore, and even the echo in the Hollywood Hills of 18,00o people belting out "I'm Yours."

Good stuff.

Dog Jack in Chicago

Here is a posting on Civil War Librarian about the movie Dog Jack and its upcoming premiere:
http://civilwarlibrarian.blogspot.com/2009/09/big-screen-dog-jack-premiers-in-chicago.html

Wells Fargo

Audition/Look-see for Wells Fargo print ad, role of "young father." The best part: unlike most of my recent auditions that were in Santa Monica (about a 50 mile/couple hour round trip), this one was right down the road -- less than 2 miles away. Gotta celebrate the small stuff!

NERD ALERT: Star Wars In Concert was AWESOME!

Gina and I went to see Star Wars In Concert at the Nokia Theatre downtown last night. The show consisted of a full 80-piece orchestra playing along with vignettes from all six Star Wars movies that were shown on a huge hi-def screen -- the whole event was narrated by Anthony Daniels, the actor who played C-3PO. It was quite a spectacle, and I loved every minute of it!

Older Than What?!

I had a print audition today for Orkin. When you get an audition, you usually get an e-mail with the details: role, suggested wardrobe, location, casting director, etc. I was surprised to see that this Orkin job had me in for the category of OLDER CAUCASIAN MALES.

Now, I know I have a few wrinkles and more than a few gray hairs, but I didn't know that I have moved into the "older male" category. It was pretty funny; I was wondering if I'd be auditioning along with a bunch of grandfather types. Turns out from the looks of the few other guys I saw at the casting that the CD's description of OLDER meant guys who look over 30. Way to make an actor feel old guys!

Here are a few more stills from the recent short film I shot (courtesy of still photographer, Gian Acosta.) Grace, written and directed by Paul Kampf, is now in post-production. The film itself is about a trio of couples who end up at a bed & breakfast on the same weekend. It explores their individual relationships while also chronicling the new friendships that develop. It was an amazing experience -- we shot on location at a B&B up in Idyllwild for five days in August -- and I look forward to seeing the finished product!

Sunday Reading

A week ago I got an e-mail from a girl I took a class with awhile back. She was putting together a script reading and wanted to know if I wanted to help out. A reading is usually an informal way for writers to hear their script read aloud. This helps them identify strengths and weaknesses, jokes that work, where the pace slows down, etc. And it's a nice opportunity for actors to play a few different roles (I had several characters) without much investment (there is no rehearsal process, for example.)

Of course I said yes, and after reading through the script a couple times and making a few distinct character choices, I was ready to roll yesterday. The reading was at a production company office in Beverly Hills, and the assembled group was a lot of fun. The script was as well; it was a kids/family movie, but very smart and contemporary.

You also never know what could come down the road from getting to meet the writers. But, even if nothing else does, it was still good practice.

Only In L.A.

Spotted today on Sunset Blvd.: A Billboard combining two of my great joys: Star Wars and baseball. Almost makes me want to become a Dodger fan...

Hi-Res Dog Jack Trailer

Back In Court

Or ON court, I should say. One (HOT!) morning last week, I got out on the tennis court with tennis/life coach, Zach Kleiman. I met Zach a few months back through a mutual friend, and I stayed at his house for a week in June watching his dogs while he was away.

It was then that Zach approached me with the idea of someday getting out on the tennis court for a lesson which would be filmed and then maybe edited down to a 2-3 minute webisode. Of course I was into the idea, though I had to tell him that I haven't been on a tennis court more than once or twice in 15 years. All the better he said.

After a few months, he called last week having finally worked out a time with his camera guy and we hit the court. It was a lot of fun, and very insightful. He truly teaches/coaches more about life than about actual tennis skills, and I hope to get to hit with him again soon. If and when a webisode of our lesson comes to fruition, I'll definitely post it. But, for now, you can read about Zach's clients and experiences in a column on the website Soul Pancake -- HERE is a link to his latest posting.

Bookman!

My good friend, Reds loyalist, In-N-Out Burger fan and book aficionado, Greg Zimmerman has started a blog, "The New Dork Review of Books." I urge you to check it out and become a follower! Greg is a voracious reader and insightful writer, so I expect his blog will be a lot of fun to read. Way to go, pal!

Me and Favre?

I had an audition for Sears appliances yesterday -- it was a spot with a husband (me) and wife shopping for a washer. If I got it, would that make me a teammate of new Sears pusher, Brett Favre? Who knows, but it would certainly pay the rent for awhile! That said, it was jam packed -- I waited over 90 minutes just to get in the room -- so the odds are long, but I felt good about the audition so we'll see...