The Most Spectacular Implosion of My Entire Acting Career (Improv Debriefing)

One of the main focuses (foci?) of my trip out here was taking improv lessons with The Groundlings. As I’ve mentioned in earlier blogs, I have learned so much about improv…does that mean that I’m good at it? No. It means that I’ve “learned” about it, and now I’m more knowledgeable about it than I was before the summer began. When I got started out here I realized that I had additional time that I could fill with other learning opportunities, and I checked out Second City. They had a set of classes that fit my timeframe for being out here, which I thought was fantastic. I signed up that night on the spot. I also check Upright Citizens Brigade, but their schedules didn’t jive with mine, so it was Second City.

 

I used to think that since I was quick at coming up with what to say on stage that it was improv, but it’s so much more than that. It’s a whole different way of thinking, and in fact, there were so many little principles that one can take from the classes and apply it to their everyday lives, not just when they’re performing. I’ve always known that acting is mostly listening and then reacting thanks to my early theatrical performances at First Presbyterian with Thom Hofrichter. Listening is so important. And now that I’ve done some shows, and I’ve seen several more, it is obvious when you see someone on stage that isn’t listening to the other actors. They’re speaking when they’re supposed to, but you can see them not reacting honestly. It’s pretty easy to spot at times, and that’s one of the biggest acting tips that I ever got as an actor…LISTEN to the other actors. Don’t just “hear” them…but “listen” to them.

What else did I learn from these two very good, and very different, schools/institutions of improv? One of the biggest things that I had to go through and will continue to battle…improv is NOT about trying to be funny. It’s about living in the moment. It’s about being the best group that you can be…not the best individual.  The people that say the crazy stuff, and come up with the most detailed/developed content when performing improv are generally those individuals that already had something planned and they want to shake things up.  For example, they’ll throw in alien abductions or other outlandish things when the scene is supposed to be a couple unpacking groceries while gossiping about the neighbors next door. While the alien premise might be interesting, it doesn’t go with the scenario that the other actors are working on and developing. It might be something that would work better in a scripted sketch situation/scenario, but not improve. There’s usually a place for everything in comedy in some form, but one must find the write form/medium that will do the content justice and get the bigger honest reaction from the audience.

My time with Second City was outstanding. I felt very comfortable and free to make choices, and free to fail as well. Not everything worked, and the rebounding quickly from failure with a positive attitude is something that I admire. The other participants were much younger than my Groundlings group. I don’t know if that had an impact. The setting was vastly different than Groundlings. At Second City, we were on the second floor, and we had a ton of natural light coming through the windows, and we were on a busy street (Hollywood Blvd. – a few blocks east of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre). There were about 15 people in the class, which was similar in size to The Groundlings classes, but in Second City’s there was a group of four friends that did it together, and two other duos that knew each other before hand. So, roughly half the class already had connections when they walked in the door, and it felt a little more comfortable off the bat based on all of the chatting/bantering going on.

 

I honestly had more confidence going into Second City. Perhaps I am building confidence in my improv abilities, or perhaps I was just more comfortable in that particular setting, I’m not sure. The teachers for both schools were kind, talented, and both very knowledgeable…but as a teacher myself, I found myself critiquing their time management and classroom management. I couldn’t shut off that part of my brain, and I felt like Second City could’ve been a little tighter with the scheduling, but I felt like I grew more in my time with them than I did with Groundlings. Maybe it’s just that I had already blown off my comedy cobwebs with Groundlings, and now I was ready to play/work/refine with Second City.

With both institutions, we played a number of games geared at getting your brain to think in a different way, and as I mentioned before, it’s important to not try to be funny necessarily. In fact, we did an activity at Second City where we were to respond to a situation/scenario and dialogue directed at us, and right before we were to speak, he wanted us to stop/pause. Whatever the emotion we were going to play when we opened our mouth, he told us to do a different emotion. This was to train us that sometimes our first reaction/emotion isn’t the only one to play. Sometimes it’s easy to jump into rage/anger, but what if you reacted to your underage daughter’s pregnancy as a concerned parent with excitement instead of rage…it would probably make a much more interesting improv scene.

I completed my Second City experience prior to wrapping up at The Groundlings, and when I went back to Groundlings for the last time, I had the best class that I had all summer. I had an uber-amount of confidence. I don’t think I necessarily was the best in the class or anything, but I had no nerves, and I made choices without fear of failure. That was a HUGE transformation from the beginning of the summer, heck, from a few weeks ago.  I’m pretty confident that my additional workshopping with Second City helped to refine my focus for improv prior to wrapping up down the road.

As I said previously, the instructors were both good/talented teachers. The Second City instructor was much more personable and approachable. That’s not a slight against Groundlings, but it was a noticeable difference. In fact, upon completing Second City, the instructor had a little one-on-one chat with me about my experience.  He was beyond complimentary, and he made me blush. I had to miss a portion of the course so that I could do the Star Wars tour (blog post to come shortly), and when I returned to Second City both he and three classmates said that I was missed. I sheepishly said, “Yeah, right. Thanks though.” And they all defended their statements, “No, really. You could sense such a different dynamic without you here.” I thought that was pretty flattering. 

When I had my conference with Mike (Second City), he reiterated what he said previously about missing me. He said, “There are three of you in the class that whenever you’re performing you can just ‘see’ something special…you more so than them. Your poise, your confidence, how you hold yourself when you’re on stage, the way you look at them in the eye all the time and you’re not fidgety. It’s a bright, shining light that everyone notices and it gives them something to strive for.”

He made me blush. I couldn’t believe it. I at no time ever felt like “a bright, shining light” when I was up there. I was always working on what the objective was for that particular activity, and I kept building on the principles of improv (listening, agreeing with what’s been said to me, helping the group not yourself, etc.). That’s all I was thinking of…that and not falling flat on my face. I always work really hard at my acting, or in this case improv, and it’s always nice to hear positive things….but from a relative stranger(s) to go out of their way to make me feel good. It worked, I blushed, and I don’t embarrass very easily, but they succeeded.

Finally, my biggest fail of my very limited improv experience(s). The last hour and a half of Second City dealt with singing. I have no problem with singing in front of people, but this was Whose Line is it Anyway? singing.  I was petrified. I have NEVER been petrified to perform, and I rarely get even an elevated heartbeat when I’m getting ready to perform on stage. My brain was screaming at me to excuse myself from the class for a restroom break and sneak away. You know, the coward approach. But as I’ve said since before I came out here I want to experience everything that I can. I’m here to learn. I’ve gone out of my comfort zone so many times this summer, and now I was going to plunge even further down that path. As Robert California said, “Fear plays an interesting role in our lives…how dare we let it into our decision-making, into our livelihoods, into our relationships?” Well, I wasn’t going to be scared of performing. That’s why I’m here.

A new/guest instructor that has 20+ years of musical improv experience at Chicago’s Second City is a recent LA transplant and he’s working on developing a musical improv curriculum at the LA training center. He walked us through the two types of responses…now, everyone, think of Whose Line? and you’ll know what I’m talking about. When they start playing the keyboard on that show, the audience gives a scenario, and then BOOM, then the actors start singing. They start with either a blues riff (“Sweet Home Chicago,” for example) or they do a hoe down. It’s usually one of those two. For our purposes, we did “Sweet Home Chicago”…we did the blues route.

He broke it down much like I break down sonnets/poems in class…with a rhyme scheme. So, he asked for volunteers…and I was petrified, but I literally threw myself out of my chair and I was the second one in line before I could think anything of it. I’m here to combat any nerves/fear and go for broke.  To express my nervousness let’s just say that I was zero nervous when I jumped out of my first plane, and I was plenty nervous now.  Crazy, I know, but it’s the truth. I was completely foreign to this concept, and I was always in awe of how they did it on the fly. He taught us a few tricks, or rather, he gave us some advice…mostly involving rhyming (single syllable words at the end because it’s easier to rhyme, etc.) and then we were off.

The first type of response from us needed an AAB rhyme scheme. And really, the first two lines are simply repeated…think of a blues song you know, and how they wail the same line over and over at times, that’s how it starts. In essence, we had to come up with one line (which repeated) and being able to rhyme a third line to the first two…and obviously, it has to make sense too…all on the fly.

My turn came and someone threw out GUN as my topic. They could say anything they wanted, and I wish I could remember what I sang, but it was something similar to this:

 

“I just came out of Walmart with a shiny new gun.

I just came out of Walmart with a shiny new gun.

Can’t think what to do, let’s go have me some fun.”

BOOM! Did it, nailed it, sounded good as I took on a raspy, bluesy voice just for fun. Actually, I was hoping my character voice would earn me points for my inevitable BOMBING of my first attempt. The guy before me unfortunately did bomb, but we were told to push through it, and who cares, we’re just learning. So, we all cheered for him anyway, and he smiled. But when I actually made it through and hit the objectives, all of them (timing, phrasing, RHYMING) they went nuts. It was a pretty good feeling.

Now, the second time we went through this exercise it was much more developed in our responses to the topics. In all honesty, I NEVER grasped what I was really supposed to do. I knew I was going to fail, I tried my best, but I bombed…spectacularly. If someone had nightvision goggles on and watched me, it would’ve looked like one of those missile strikes we saw back in Desert Storm in the early nineties…for those alive at the time.  Or that video of that one smart bomb dropping with a camera on it, and we see the building get closer, and closer, and then BOOM! That was me. I don’t think I’ve ever failed so magnificently, but I knew that I would, maybe that was the problem. I am used to having confidence, and I had already determined that I was going to fail. So, I failed.

The rhyme scheme was something like ABCBDD. Something like that. I couldn’t visualize the actual lines ahead of time. I was too busy trying to simple THINK of lines to fill the stanza, and then I have to rhyme 2 and 4? Oh, and set up 5 and 6 to rhyme too? I thought to myself, “Give me one minute and some paper and a pencil and I could do it.” But that’s the trick, isn’t it? Doing it off the top of your head. I was so inexperienced…or petrified…that I couldn’t clear my mind. It’s like if you’re on stage and you completely blank. Like the Actor’s Nightmare. I had it that day at Second City.

 

 

I’m was so grateful for the opportunity to do the musical improv, and I think it would be something that I could do better if I could study it a bit more…in all honestly, a lot more, oh, and actually find out what the rhyme scheme was before hand and practice. It would really be a great addition to any improv comedian’s bag, and not everyone can do it the instructor said. I can see why. It was so challenging. It was exhilarating, and when I walked out at the end, I was proud of myself for not backing down. I was proud of myself for my little success even though I blew up the second time.  Maybe it was this massive failure that gave me the added confidence going into my last Groundlings lesson.

I really had a different mindset or something when I walked into that last Groundlings. It must’ve been a compilation of all of my lessons/activities over the last six weeks all rolled into this last day. Or I knew that there was NO way that I could bomb as amazingly as I had just done with the song, so I was golden.

I went all out at Groundlings, more so than I had done in the past, and ironically, we did “four line poems.” Four people stood in a line, one person steps out and does one line, the second does a different line with a non-rhyming ending, and then the trick comes, the third person has to rhyme to the first line, and then the fourth has to rhyme to the second. ABAB is the rhyme scheme, and all four lines have to be complimentary to each other and build from each other in substance, not just rhyming.  There was no singing required, and I had zero nerves. I was the first one to jump up again, and I nailed it. We did it 5-6 times, and I was very confident. More confident than I typically was at Groundlings, so I was pleased with that. I was able to make bolder choices than I had previously, and I wasn’t playing it so safe.

In conclusion, it was a very eye opening summer for me as a performer as I’ve stated above and in previous posts. I’m beyond grateful to have had this opportunity to play in these imaginary worlds and learn from two of the most well-respected comedy troupes in the world. It truly was an experience that I hope to not soon forget, and I’m excited for future acting opportunities where I’ll be able to tap into and apply some of the principles that I’ve learned this summer.

 

 

 

Night Shoot Commerical Recap

So much to talk about, so much. I'm going to split it up into multiple posts to kind of keep the topics (commerical, Second City/Groundlings, and STAR WARS!) related so it doesn't go on-and-on.  It takes awhile to put one of these together (pics, links, editing...which still doesn't catch everything) and I want it to be an interesting read to those that are interested in living vicariously through me (as a number of people have shared with me over the last several weeks), or for those that have no clue about what it's like out here...it's a learning adventure for all.

So, let's begin with my night shoot for The General Insurance, and it appears that I'm still the only one that doesn't know what that is. The young people (young...meaning college students as background extras) had heard of it and could describe the commercials. I still don't remember seeing them. I guess if I didn't DVR-blast through the commercials, I mentally clock out and stop paying attention while they're on the screen...or that gives me a chance to head to the kitchen. I now have some added incentive to pay a little closer attention going forward.  The director said that he'd send me the "cut" (final version) when it gets done. I'll post it to the blog when that happens.

The story line sounded to me a lot like the Geico commercials where "you can save 15% or more by switching to Geico"...see, those are memorable.  This commercial is made up of several vignettes (short scenes). I think I overheard that it ultimately will be a 60 second commercial...my segment is 10 seconds, maybe...and probably 5 seconds of screen time...based on what he was saying last night.

For those that missed my earlier posts chronicling the process up until this point, this was the commercial that a few weeks back I submitted electronically my headshot/resume/acting reel, and they sent me an email wanting me to send in a video submission online. So, I set up a camera, shot a few takes, editing them down and sent off the best one. A week later, they emailed and said they wanted to do a personal interview, which ultimately was an audition. That's the one that I almost didn't go to in Sherman Oaks because I had my family in town, and we were heading to Anaheim (DISNEYLAND!). I went in before my call-time, and they squeezed me in a half hour later, I did the same reactions/expressions that I did in my video for three guys in a room...and mid-week the following week, I had a voicemail telling me that I had it. So, from start-to-finish, it was around three weeks from my submitting to shooting it.

 

It was a night shoot because the restaurant had to be shut down. It was a sports pub with a ton of pictures and trinkets on the walls, and a heavy dose of Chicago sports stuff too. So, that made me feel a little closer to home. It was located in Mission Viejo, CA, which was about 20-30 minutes south of Anaheim (Disneyland) if you take Interstate 5 south out of Los Angeles.  I got there over an hour early, which I've started doing while out here...let's see if I can keep that going when I get back home. I doubt it, but it is nice, there's no stress in the driving since you know you have time. You can relax a bit. Plan things out and things roll smoothly...thus far at least.

Ironically, I got there right at 10 P.M., and everything was closing. EVERYTHING. I couldn't believe it. Yes, it was a Monday night, but I have already become used to LA where everything is open really late, and most things never shut down. So, I ended up at Taco Bell. Not really a sacrifice, but Subway had sounded good to me. I killed an hour, and then went to the shoot.

 

I was welcomed warmly by the crew, and the casting director introduced me to my co-stars. Everyone was very polite and smiling.  We chatted throughout the night, and a handful of people asked about my history and I told them about my story concerning this summer, and their first reaction was "Your wife is awesome and so supportive!" I (of course) agreed with them, and then they asked if I had any luck. I told them I've electronically submitted a ton, and only heard back on 5-6 things, and I had two auditions, which I was fortunate enough to book both of them. They couldn't believe I got this commercial so quickly. Lucky, I guess. They said, "Really, two bookings so quick doesn't happen." So, that made me feel good.

Early on, everyone seemed to have a lot of energy. I had just driven 90 minutes, and sat at Taco Bell for 60 more, so I wasn't that bubbly. I kind of wondered if anyone had taken a nap, and/or how long those smiles and bubbly attitudes would last. Cut to the end, the actors kept it together very well, while the crew was getting a little punchy. I'm sure everyone has experienced "too tired to think straight" but these people still had to shoot an expensive national commercial on budget, and on time. So, it got a little heated a few times...let's just say "passive aggression" is huge out here. They'd say something and I could just feel the vibes.

 

The crew started setting things up at 11, getting the lights/rigs hung up, staging the set, etc. We didn't get the cameras rolling until 2 AM. Before then we had makeup, wardrobe (which they liked what I was wearing, so I just kept my red shirt on), and we had to do paperwork. 

The paperwork was a first for me. I knew I'd have to fill out tax papers (W4), but it was cool looking at how we were to be paid. I signed away my rights to the commercial being used for one-calendar year. If they want to re-up, or re-use it next year, they have to re-pay me my fee for shooting it PLUS a 25% increase.  So, if you see it a hundred times, I'm not making money on each viewing...a royalty, or commission, nothing like that. I've given away my rights for one year, and really forever with this commercial, because as long as they keep paying me...and increasing the rate...I'm cool with it.

So, it was finally time to shoot. They were in the finishing stages of setting up the lights, and altering them with the talent (that would be me, and my co-star) situated on the set. Once we were ready to go, they took light measurements to make sure things were good.  The funny thing was that I was sitting with my back against the glass, so you could see outside the restaurant from the cameras point of view. It's pitch dark outside, but they rigged up lights and reflectors/bounces to brighten up the patio outside the window. It looked like high noon. It was crazy how natural it looked when we watched the playback of the scene.

The camera was set up to get our reactions to the waitress coming up to take our order. The weird component of the commercial is that she is wearing an army helmet...which is an allusion to her just getting The General Insurance coverage...a lot like "switching to Geico can save you...blah blah blah."

So, we were all ready, everyone was quiet on set, and ACTION! We did the scene...and then we did it again, and again, and again.  We had about thirty takes in all. It was neat to see the evolution of just a few lines over the course of so many takes. A little different inflection here, a different gesture there, etc. The first takes were nice and solid, I thought at least, but obviously the director (and ultimately, the editor) want more to work with in post-production. I'm glad we did so many, because the ones at the end really stood out.  After getting the last take, they were ready to move on. It turns out that I was wrapped, but no one told me...probably no one thought about it...so I hung around for another hour or so.

 

 

While they broke down the set to reposition the camera to get the other actress in frame we had a chance to get something to eat. Ironically, they had some Subway and other little things to snack on. So, I sat for a bit and ate and talked to the other actors. Then I sat and read a book for a few minutes. About 30-45 minutes after we stopped shooting, they were ready to get going again. Everything was repositioned and relit, and then boom...knocked it out in 8-9 takes. That's a wrap! (Which of course I heard Admiral Ackbar in my head going "It's a TRAP!")

We were done, and the actors bolted out of there. We were told we were going to help load the trucks up if we hung around, so I took that as my cue and I left. I looked at my watch and it said 4:40 AM, so I made my way to I-5, got to the speed limit and hit the cruise control.  I wasn't necessarily wired like after a performance on stage, but I wasn't very sleepy. I hadn't pounded any caffeine since Taco Bell. However, when I hit the outskirts of Los Angeles, and with the sky starting to lighten up...the realization that everyone was waking up and I hadn't been to sleep yet hit me pretty hard, and I started getting pretty tired.  I made it back without incident (thankfully), and I crashed at my friends place around 6 AM.

As I drove back to Los Angeles, I realized that this could realistically be my last film experience out here this summer. As I've mentioned before, these things take a lot of time from electronically submitting and auditioning to shooting the actual spot. In both experiences for me, it's taken roughly 3 weeks. I'm not out here that much longer, so unless I find something online that is a "rush casting" for the next day, or in the next few days, I probably am done out here. I still get a 100+ emails of possible submissions daily that the subscription sites think I'll be good for...really, it's just that I'm aged in a certain range and I'm white. Based on those characteristics, if there's a posting that calls for my characteristics, I get an email shot to me.  I'm still submitting where I can, but as I think I mentioned in a previous post, a lot of the films/shows/etc. are shooting AFTER I return home, so I don't submit for those.

As the sun was coming up on my drive back...or at least the sky was getting lighter, I was reflecting on how my sun is setting out here...and probably pretty quickly too.

National Commercial (Boom!), Funny or Die, & Paramount Studios Tour

Well, the three-stage audition for the national commercial for The General Insurance paid off. I got it. I was walking out of the new Planet of the Apes movie (which was great) and I turned the phone back on...and there was a voicemail wanting me to call the casting director. I gave him a ring, and he said I got the role!  It shoots next Monday night...a late night shoot, 11 p.m. call time and he thinks it will go 4-5 hours. So, it looks like a nap for me.

So, I'm 2-for-2 (number of auditions and bookings)...like Derek Jeter last night in the all-star game. It's funny, each of the gigs that I've booked are a multi-week effort. There aren't many things that are posted/shot within a day or two. There are some, but the ones that I'm submitting myself for online don't have too many of those.  This commercial was one that I blogged about awhile ago about me having to self-video an audition and send it in. I had to be invited to submit, so my headshot/resume/reel was good enough to get me that invite to submit. The in-person audition from last Friday (when I was hosting the VIPs) was the third stage of judgment that I had to go through...and it appears that they liked me. I had a good feeling with them, but I knew they had a plethora of other people auditioning for the same part as me, and I was just the first of many that day. They/we laughed and had a good time, but I didn't walk out thinking I was going to book it. The odds were too stacked against me. I guess I was wrong.

Ironically, the last two weekends I was offered gigs as well, but I already had plans the following day(s). I don't know if someone dropped out, or if they just wait until right before shooting to contact me. 

The more high profile job that I had to pass...again, they called me the day before shooting...and I had my VIPs with me. It was a Funny or Die video that was shooting all day, and I was already occupied with my VIPs, so I had to turn them down. The opportunity sounded great/interesting, but I would rather be with the VIPs for the day on that particular day.

One was a short film, they needed a "body man" for a mobster. Ironically, I don't remember submitting myself for it. I submitted for an Office-type show, and the man on the phone said that they were going a different route from The Office.  Mobsters? Uh, yeah, I think they went a different route. Unfortunately, I had to turn him down too as I had just solidified some plans for the following day that couldn't be changed.

I know it isn't good business sense to turn down roles/offers especially as I'm just getting started. You can't network and people can't learn who you are if you aren't doing things. I understand this. However, with my limited time out here things have to be sacrificed. It's funny how nothing can be coming down the pipeline work related, and then boom, there's a text, or a voicemail for something from a week (or two) ago that I submitted for. Everyone works at their own pace, that's for sure.

I don't want to give the impression that I'm working non-stop out here. In fact, it's pretty much the opposite. I surf the acting sites throughout the day and sift through the dozens upon dozens of job postings that are available for my type of actor. That takes a lot of time to get through.  Unfortunately, I'm starting to find out that most of the postings are looking at shooting after my time here ends...late August to September.  Pretty soon, I think the well will dry up as to my availability for most of the work opportunities. So, this commercial might be the last chance out here to be in front of the camera...then again, maybe the phone will ring this evening for something else.  Who knows.

Paramount Pictures Studio Tour

I just took the Paramount Pictures Studio Tour. It was two hours, and it mostly consisted of riding around in a golf cart and hearing stories of the set. The Warner Brothers tour had more to see, but the stories on this tour were better. Overall, I'd recommend the WB tour for movie fans who want to see the most stuff, but this one was a close second. I have personal pictures that I'm having trouble uploading, so I'll keep working on it. Check back later (if you care).

My favorite stories:

1. Lucille Ball was a beginning actress and admired Katherine Hepburn's dressing room, and she said that someday it would be hers. Fast forward to when she's the biggest star in Hollywood, and she moved into the dressing room, and flew in bricks from her hometown on the East Coast to add some hometown flair to her dressing room.  Desi Arnaz, her husband, had his dressing room right next door. They met on the set of Too Many Girls, and ironically, she used to say that they started with Too Many Girls and ended with too many girls. When she heard about his cheating, she had his dressing room door cemented shut. See the picture with the air conditioning unit in it now, that was his dressing room door.

2. A tour guide left his cart full of people alone while he ducked into a door to see if they could sneak onto a movie set. Unfortunately, while he was gone, a man jumped in the front seat and said "You want to see celebrities, right?" Everyone screamed "yeah!" and he pulled away. The tour guide emerged from the door and couldn't find the cart or his tour group. He started panicking, and called in that he had lost them even though he feared that he lost his job.  The man who stole the cart was Tom Hanks.

3. Another Tom Hanks story. He was on site shooting Larry Crowne and had some time off, so he started strolling around the studio lot. He shot Bosom Buddies at Paramount in the early 80s, and he wanted to just walk around.  As he was looking around, he stumbled upon the Forrest Gump bench right in the front of the studio. He had no idea it was there. So, on his next day off, he dressed up in a white suit and red running shoes, and he sat on the bench and handed out candy to people (IN CHARACTER!) as they passed by the bench.  Awesome story, and awesome guy.

 

All twelve Paramount Best Picture winners.

A map of the studio, which is the largest production studio in existence. RKO was the western portion of the map and then it was absorbed into Paramount.

I liked this shot because of the Hollywood Sign is displayed nicely down this street.

The exterior from the latest Indiana Jones movie where he sits down with Mutt (his son, spoiler alert!) and educates the boy on the native culture in South America.

Interior of café. Indy sat against the window on the right, and this is the big bar fight between the jocks and greasers right before they hop onto a motorcycle and speed through the campus.

Recognize the insignia on the door? Community shot on the Paramount lot.

 

The Joker Would Be Proud (Going Toe-to-Toe with the Agent)

Sorry for leaving you hanging concerning my audition for a commercial agent. I've been busy hosting a few VIPs over the weekend. So, I was a little bit preoccupied with them. Oh, I'm not really apologizing...I'm just informing everyone why I haven't updated in the last few days.  Just trying to be polite and all. I also had a second audition that I talk about near the end. Lots of details, folks. I hope you find them interesting, I know I did.

I went all Joker on the agent and conducted my own social experiment. I think he'd be proud. Read on to see the results.

 

Audition for Representation
As I said in my previous blog, I didn't know what to expect when I got an email inviting me to audition for him. I didn't seek out representation, so I felt like this was a little like email SPAM, or phishing. However, I felt like even if it was a bust, a joke, it was another story to tell about my adventure out here this summer. And if by some miracle he was legit, then who knows what doors it could potentially open for me.  He found my information on one of the websites I talked about earlier where I upload a headshot, an acting reel, my resume...and a space to put if we have an agent, a manager, etc.

The audition was located in Sherman Oaks, and I arrived about fifteen minutes early as was dictated in the email invitation.  Let me back track a moment, my first conversation with this individual was on the phone a day earlier. I called him "during" my "Walking with Walt: tour at Disneyland (I was scouting out Disneyland for my VIPs that were coming in a few days), and I did so because he was very specific in his email about what hours to call during. I wanted to follow the directions, and I called him during the window. I was put on hold for two minutes, and then the same male voice came back on, and said, "Your time is tomorrow at 4:30." I said, "Oh, good, that's perfect. It's the only day that I'm available." (I knew the VIPs were coming out in two days, and I wasn't going to be available during their time out here.)  His response was "We don't reschedule." I paused for a beat, and said, "Well, as I said, the time is 'perfect' for me. I'll see you tomorrow." So already, I was having some weird feelings about the guy.

So, I arrived fifteen minutes early, and stood in front of the building confused. I was staring at an apartment building. I went to the buzzer to get buzzed in...because that's what buzzers do...they buzz.  I looked for suite #202, and there wasn't one. It seemed to skip right over it in the numbers of the other suites/apartments/rooms. So, I knocked on the door as I saw two other people sitting in the lobby. They just shook their heads and didn't move. Strange. Usually one opens the door when it's clear the other person wants to get in. I mouthed that I can't find the button, and they just pointed over to the buzzer again. So, I went back and looked, and the button was there, but it wasn't in the correct order. It was way, way, way at the bottom of the board, and stuck in the bottom right corner. I never looked that far. So, I pushed it. A few seconds later, a six-foot elderly woman comes and holds the door open. No greeting, nothing. I walk in and joke that I couldn't find the button, and the two people that were previously sitting in the lobby politely nod and smile. Still nothing is being said...other than by me. The elderly woman crosses to a table, picks up a clipboard with a couple of papers on it and a pen, and hands it to me. She said, "Fill this out." And then she retreated to a door off the lobby, and she closed it behind her.  She had to be about six feet tall. Imagine a combination of Miss Daisy and Anton.

After she left, I looked at the two people who wouldn't open the door for me, and I said hello to them. They instantly both apologized for not opening the door and said that they were told to not answer it for anyone. They were to sit there until they were called into the office. I mentioned I didn't have a very warm phone call from the previous day concerning my scheduled time, and the male responded that he had the same thing happen to him. So, I went about chit-chatting with them as I filled out my contact information, etc. I sat there for about ten minutes before the elderly woman stuck her head out and called for the female to enter the office. Five minutes later, it was the male's turn. Right before he went in, I noticed there was a second sheet of paper, a half-sheet really, attached to the clipboard. It said "Staples.com" on the top and there were three sentences advertising a new email service that reminds subscribers when they should restock on certain office supplies. I had glanced at it and thought it was just an advertisement that they were passing out to anyone that comes in the office. It wasn't until right before the male went in that I saw him reading it and mouthing the sentences. Then it hit me...they said "audition." I'm going to audition, not just have a meeting. So, I instantly looked at the half-sheet and realized it's a script. No one had said anything to me, not even the elderly lady. Miraculously, I had five minutes to get it down. In fact, I had it memorized in three minutes. It wasn't Shakespeare, or Noel Coward...which I recently found to be much more challenging for me to memorize than Shakespeare. Weird.

So, my time came, and I went in. The room was "maybe" 20 feet deep by 15 feet wide...a little more than a square, really. Behind a desk in the center of the room was a 50ish, overweight man with big eyes. The description I told my wife was Stephen Root in O Brother Where Art Thou, you know, the blind radio station operator/owner.

This guy had huge eyes, and he didn't seem to blink. From his demeanor, I figured out instantly that he was the person I spoke to on the phone. He had an aura of importance...or rather, he had the aura of him "thinking" that he was important.  Maybe in the commercial world he was a big deal, but I saw a man in a very washed out polo shirt eyeing me from the start.  And there was the fact that there was a window unit air conditioner right next to my head, and it kept dripping onto my chair in this room that was about the size of my apartment bedroom in college. I decided to just answer his questions and that was it, no real elaboration...just until I could feel them out a bit...see what tactic I needed to play.  A job interview? A party atmosphere? Do I need charm, or humor? Time will tell.

Oh, yes, I said "them." The elderly woman had a chair just to the side of the desk. She wore glasses and I don't know how well they helped her as she seemed to be eye-balling me. Not in the same way as the man, but she'd squint her eyes and stare at me. I don't mind a good staring contest, heck, I have staring contests with my cat back home, and I usually win too.  This was weird though, like she was sizing me up, or something. I decided right then that I could probably take her if it came to that. Probably. I hoped it didn't come to that, but looking back, it would've made for a heck of a blog entry.

So, right off the bat, he asked me if I had any questions, and I led out with the statement that "I was surprised to get your email because-". He interrupted very forcibly like he had done this before, and he didn't care that he was interrupting. He said, "Why were you surprised? You submitted under 'non-representation' on the website?" I explained that I'm only beginning to learn how those sites work, and I'm not familiar what the casting directors see on the sites, but I'm sure that it's different than what I see when I log in.

Long story short, he didn't seem to agree with anything that I said, or he wasn't completely listening to what I said early on, because he always had something to pontificate about that contradicted what I said. I'd come back to telling my story about why I'm out here, and why I'm doing things. He seemed offended that I wasn't in Chicago trying to make it, and I had to explain that I wasn't trying to make it during my short time out here, and I love Chicago and what it has to offer. In all honesty, I hope to get some future work in Chicago (commercials, whatever). He couldn't get over why I leapfrogged Chi-town for LA...it comes out later that he's a Chicago native.

At about five minutes into the meeting/audition, he asked me to read the script. Five minutes, seems to be the time given to each actor up to now. So, I figure this is going about like all the others.  I stood up and read it, he gave me a note to try it again but slower. I took a breath, and did it a bit slower. I nailed it, in my opinion. He said, "Good, you can sit back down." Weird. I wasn't asked to leave like the others. Huh.

I know I'm new to this whole thing, but I just couldn't get comfortable in that room. I didn't like the dynamics between the three of us, and I just couldn't be me. He started to go on about how successful he is, and how he doesn't poach clients. He "scrapes the bottom of barrel" and makes something of the actors. 

The words "bottom of the barrel" were barely out of his mouth, and I smiled to myself. He just insulted me to my face, as well as insulted all of the other actors he sees...and even the ones he represents himself. I thought to myself that he probably does this a lot, he's enjoying himself. And the best part, he thinks that he has power over me. If I were desperate, sure, he'd have the upper hand, but I'm playing with house money. I have nothing to lose. I'm here for the experience, not necessarily a job.  He has nothing over me.  It might seem a little cavalier, but I didn't like the way that I had been spoken too from the phone call the previous day to my non-welcome in the lobby from the elderly lady through this current conversation.  So, I decided to switch things up...I decided to play with them. I flipped the script if you'll pardon the pun, and I took control. It was awesome!

Bob's Dark Knight inspired social experiment commences.

I decided that whatever he said...whatever statement he spoke on with authority...I would contradict him. So, for the next fifteen minutes I kept saying "I disagree" or "I couldn't possibly disagree more" over and over again. The reactions were priceless. The elderly woman stopped squinting at me, and the man's eyes got even bigger when I disagreed the first time. He was visibly stunned. Silence. It was truly golden. I felt like I struck a blow...a little blow, mind you...for all those people that this guys steam rolls on a daily basis. All of those at the bottom of the barrel. For those two people that were petrified sitting in the lobby with me, I know they were intimidated when they went in there. Maybe the industry is like this, and maybe a lot of lower agents feel the same way about actors...they're expendable. I can see how one might interpret actors to be such based solely on the sheer quantity of people trying to make it as an actor and how few jobs there are. I don't think it's right to treat someone that way...and these two needed put in their place...so for the next fifteen minutes, I made it my mission for them not to forget me.

The funniest thing happened (beyond their eyes getting wider)...we chatted for another fifteen minutes longer, and by end of that time, I stopped my little social experiment of contradicting them. They listened to my opinions, stories, theories, etc. and we had a conversation. It was very civilized. I took it as a good sign that I spent almost half an hour with them after witnessing them spending roughly five minutes with the previous two actors.  Maybe I was the last person of the day so they could take their time, or I'd like to think that they were genuinely interested in me.

Ultimately, he decided not to pursue a relationship with me going forward due to my limited amount of time remaining. I can smell BS a mile away, and that's one of the reasons I think I'm a slightly better than average poker player, and I didn't sense any BS from him. In fact, I think I honestly sensed a little disappointment from him. I could be totally full of it, but his body language was a complete 180 from when I entered the room thirty minutes prior. He gave me his card and said when I come back to LA on a more permanent basis to give him a call. I thanked them for their time and left. Within the hour, I had shot off an email to him thanking him for his time though the result wasn't what he was hoping for.

Looking back, it was a story. That's all. A story that showcased what actors have to put up with on auditions and from industry insiders. I'm sure not all have the same experiences, while others have exactly that experience to the letter. I got to experience it, and I'm glad I did. It's the whole point for me being out here.

I'm also glad that I had a little fun at their expense.  You know what I mean? Everyone meets a person or two from time to time that just needs to be put in their place...not because I think I'm better than them, or anything...just because the world needs to be balanced again. And I'm just that person to rebalance it at that particular moment...and I took just a little joy in it. What's wrong with that?

Audition #2
The day before the VIPs' arrival, I received an email that invited me to audition in person for a national commercial. I blogged about this audition earlier, The General Insurance (a national commercial). I recorded an audition of myself and emailed it to them. That was the second stage in the process, and now an in-person audition would be the third stage. They wanted to meet around dinner time on Day #1 of the VIPs visit. I confirmed with them that it would be ok, but I wasn't sure I was going to keep it. I had things planned for the VIPs, and auditioning wasn't one of them. I didn't want them to be sitting around waiting on me for who knows how long.

I told the VIPs about it, and they were more than supportive. We were in the neighborhood (roughly 10 miles away), and I thought let's go see if I can get in early, and then we can continue to Anaheim (45 minutes away). If I can't get in early, I just won't do it. I toyed with the idea of dropping them off in Anaheim and then coming back for it, but I figured it wasn't that important to me. Spending time with the VIPs was the most important. So, I drove up to Sherman Oaks (yes, the same place as the previous audition...different building though), and I walked into the studio office. The VIPs sat in the car and read and played on their Nintendo DSs while I was inside.

When I walked in, it was pandemonium. There were four studios located in this one open room, and each studio was conducting auditions. There had to be 50 people milling around, and it was noisy. I eventually found where I was supposed to sign in, and I told the lady of my situation. She said they'd try and get to me sooner than my call time. I sat for about thirty minutes before my name was called.

I went to a back room, and I was escorted in front of a green screen. I pulled a chair up, and I had to "react" to an imaginary waitress (the sightline was just over the camera straight in front of me). I was to react to seeing a waitress wearing an army helmet.  I gave them 3-4 takes, and we joked that I could've gone on a bit longer. We laughed for a bit, and that was it. Back to the VIPs for me. I think I was memorable, and I think I did well, but who knows beyond that. They've got a lot more to see. I'm more concerned with my VIPs outside...let's get to Disneyland!

Representation? Already?

I'm over the halfway point to my experiment/experience/adventure out here. I'll be home in less than a month. I'm glad that I took the advice of my new contacts out here and subscribed to various acting websites that post breakdowns (audition notices) online: LACasting; Backstage; CAZT; ActorsAccess. I then find what I think I would be good for, or could do well, and then I electronically submit my headshot, resume, and an acting reel of my commercials.

As a result of these submissions, in the first three weeks alone, I had one physical audition for a short film, which I booked and shot (see Donut Planet blog posts for me insight). I had two video submissions: one for a national commercial for an insurance company, and the other for a feature film. With video submissions, they send me directions for what they want in the video audition. I shoot it, and I upload it. However, the only one that I submitted was the insurance company one. I didn't shoot the 3-page scene for the feature film. I couldn't get clarification on when they were shooting, and I feared that it would be past my time out here. So, I didn't want to waste their time...or my time. On a side note, I received an email from the feature film that confirmed my fears...so it would've been wasted effort across the board.

All in all, I think that in three weeks, that's a pretty good rate-of-response for my efforts. Now, I did submit for dozens and dozens and dozens of prospective acting jobs, but I look at it that there are (potentially) thousands of people doing what I am doing...looking at what I'm looking at online...and they're submitting too. So, just to receive an audition, or an email asking for more from me, I take that as a success at this stage of the game. It's like saying "it's just an honor to be nominated." With my mindset, I'm just glad to make the first cut. I think that if I can get in a room with a person, or group of people, I'll win them over.  That's what will set me apart from others, in my honest/humble opinion. That's been my mindset with Survivor too for all of these years. If I can just get an interview, I'll win them over. So far with Survivor, I've struck out for 10+ years...but I'll keep trying. No one remembers all the failures when you finally succeed in the end. Right?

Before I get into the main purpose of this post...what else have I done recently? Well, I'm still doing my Groundlings workshops. Here's a picture of the stage that we work on. The room is probably twenty feet across by 60 feet long...not really that big. Definitely a "block box" type theatre/stage. This is their school stage...not their professional performer stage (which is pictured below).

Practice space at their G2 (Groundlings 2) school.

The Phil Hartman Theatre at the Groundlings.

 In another week or so, I'll start up with my Second City workshops. I'll be completely honest. "Improv"...real improv is much different than what I thought it was originally. I always considered myself good at "improv"...boy, was I wrong. What they consider to be improv is not what I thought. I always took great pride in my ability to make stuff up on stage in front of people during a performance...when needed. Not just because I could, but because I had to cut/paste a scene together to make sense because someone missed a cue, or someone skipped a page in the dialogue...sometimes that someone was me too.

For example, during one of the last rehearsals of the last show I was in someone missed an entrance. My co-star and I on stage had exhausted all of our dialogue up to when they were to arrive on stage. Just when they should come on stage, there was nothing, crickets. That lasted a beat or two, and I realized, ok, they aren't coming. No what? Instead of stopping the action and laughing about it, which wouldn't help us in the long run...because what would we do if this happened in a real performance? We need to learn what to do, or say. I need the practice at covering the scene, and as I said, I kind of enjoy that aspect.  So, what did I do? I made up a two-minute monologue on the state of my character's mental state at this point (my dead wife was haunting me, stressing me out). My co-star on stage was wide-eyed and slowly nodded as I was sharing my feelings. She had no idea where I was going with it, and she was along for the ride.  Eventually, I was able to construct an excuse to leave the room (the stage) and venture off stage to escort my other co-star back on stage with me.  I never get mad at them, it happens. I do it, everyone does it. We're human. They learn from it, and I learn from it, and in all honesty, I find that to be really exhilarating.

Another one that jumps to mind happened during A Few Good Men a few years ago. It was in a court scene, and my buddy, the prosecutor stood up and said "the defense rests" for some reason. It was the wrong cue line for me to begin my lines. And his line is so final, there isn't room to hold a discussion at that point. He ended the scene. As the defendse attorney, I still hadn't done my cross examination of the witness. The moment he said that he "rested," I felt every eyeball on stage look to me. All of them.

"What is Bob going to do? We're screwed! There's still three pages of dialogue." I took a breath, looked at the witness on the stand and made the motion for him to leave the stage.  I stood up and began the motion to my co-stars to transition to the next scene, the apartment scene...which was five pages down the road. After the apartment scene wrapped up, we went back to the court scene as written in the play; however, we needed to cover the five pages of missed dialogue from before. That was key to the plot. So, when we came back from the court scene. The witness wasn't there anymore, so I riffed about some "lawyer jargon/terms" and how "I know the prosecutor thinks this case is cut and dry, and arrogantly seeks to wrap up the trial without giving my clients the opportunity to cross examine his witness"...after which I recalled the witness from before (thank god he was still standing in the wings).  The witness showed up and I told/reminded him that he was still under oath, and he said he understood...and we proceeded to backtrack to the five pages that we skipped. Once I got my cross-examination completed...I handed it back over to the prosecutor with a little emphasis on his pick-up line. I gave him a little nod, and he picked up on the hint that he was to say his line again...and off we went. Back on track.  That was my favorite cover moment of all-time, and everyone on stage just held their breath to see what was going to happen, and then when we got back on track, you could just see everyone was relieved as well as on their toes the rest of the way.

I thrive in that pressure. I actually love it. I know some people dread it, but for me, that's when it's the most honest. It proves how well you know the content. You can riff and add what needs to be added script-wise, or blocking-wise...all while remaining in character...that's the real trick. I always thought I was really solid at it. But, that is not improv-ing based on the Groundling philosophy of comedy.

It's a reprogramming on how I think with regards to acting, or at least this one component of acting. There isn't really any character study, script study, or anything else like in a theater acting class. This shows you how to listen to your partner (a HUGE theater component) and think/construct on your feet. Creating a story isn't the most important thing...the more details, the harder it is for you to tango with your partner throughout the scene you're building. It really is like Who's Line is it Anyway? in its structure.

What else have I done recently? I spent yesterday at Disney Land, and I took a big tour of the park called "Walking in Walt's Footsteps." It was a guided tour throughout the park and culminated in a tour of his private apartment that he stayed in with his wife when he was visiting the park. It's located over the fire station in the Main Street USA square. If you look closely by the window, you'll see a lamp that is lit. The story goes that when Walt or his family were in the park, the Victorian Lamp was lit. The employees liked knowing that Walt was in the park. Now, the lamp is always lit...24/7, 365. Like Kennedy's eternal flame in a way.

 

 

 

 

 

Alright, enough stalling/teasing...so, later this afternoon, I've got an audition for representation for a commercial agent.  Based on those actor submission websites that I mentioned previously, I was contacted a couple of days ago based on my reel/headshot/resume that I uploaded to the site. There is a place to list your current representation/agents on the site, and I left that blank...obviously...as I don't have any of those since I'm just starting out.  The email was inviting me to audition to see if they want to take me on as a client.  I tend to be pretty skeptical of things when I don't initiate them, so I've dialed back my enthusiasm until I know more about it. Even if nothing comes from it, or it seems too good to be true, it will be another audition for me, and it will be an experience. And as I've said from the start, that's what this summer is...an adventure.

Oh, and remember that national commercial for an insurance company that I mentioned earlier too? The one that I video-submitted myself for after they contacted me initially. Well, I've secured a follow-up audition...an in-person audition with them for tomorrow too. So, it appears that I made the cut, or at least the last cut, who knows about this upcoming one.

It's funny how things happen so quickly sometimes. Just a few days ago I was telling someone how I didn't have anything in the pipeline...and now I have two interesting meetings/auditions in the next two days. Who knows what will happen because of it, but it'll make for a good story nonetheless.

After the audition, I'm going to see a play, Buyer & Cellar downtown. It's written by Jonathan Tolins, and he's the playwright of The Twilight of the Golds, which I was a part of with First Presbyterian Theatre a number of years ago.  It was the first "real" dramatic role that I took on post-college. I was really proud of the message of that show, and I loved my experience during those few months. 

 

Warner Brothers Studio Tour

The two-hour tour of Warner Brothers was pretty cool. We saw soundstages, sets, and rode around in little carts around the set. I didn't see any celebrities walking around. However, I went to a Groundlings show last night with my friend Collin, and when we were leaving, I was looking at my phone, and a guy on a bike rode by us on the sidewalk. Collin said, "Oh my god, that was Seth Rogan." "Are you sure?" I asked. "Yeah, he even chuckled."  So, I missed my first celebrity.

The main attractions/stops were the Big Bang Theory set, which we couldn't take pictures of. I had hoped I could sit in Sheldon's spot on the couch, but I knew that wouldn't be allowed. If they won't let you walk on the grass during a Fenway Park tour, or any baseball park tour, then they won't let you sit in the holy shrine of Sheldon.  They're on hiatus for the summer for a little while longer, and they had tarps over everything to keep dust from dirtying up the set. So, while we could see the vast layout of the sets (including Penny's, the comic book shop, and the stair case), we couldn't see details of the set. Still pretty cool. We also got to see the set from Friends of the coffee house, Central Perk.

The other main attractions were a studio museum. On the top floor was Harry Potter set pieces/costumes/etc. And on the bottom floor was Batman-related content from ALL of the movies. Costumes/props/etc.  The last stop on the tour was a warehouse with ALL of the Batmobiles, bikes, tumblers, etc. that were used in the movies.  I'm going to post a bunch of pictures below, and you can click them to make them bigger for a closer look. All were taken on the smart phone, so I was pretty impressed with the pixel-rate on some of those pics.

Before I get to the HP/Batman pictures, here are other key/neat things on the tour.

They call this backlot NY street Hennessey Street. Cagney/Bogart movies were shot on this road.

This was the salon in Don't Mess with the Zohan...it was also the pet store where Pee Wee comes running out when he's freeing the animals. I wasn't going to take a picture until I heard Pee Wee. I know a few people who love him.

Dick Tracy's office.

Miss Hannigan's orphanage in Annie. The only exterior fascade on the street that is never changed/altered.

 

The French Street, like the NY Street, is named this solely for this location. The last standing set piece from Casablanca.

80's fans will recognize this as the Seaver house from Growing Pains.

Harry Potter


The Sorting Hat told me I was Gryffindor. I was bummed, I wanted Slytherin! Thank god it didn't say Hufflepuff.

 

The closest I'll ever get to Kenneth Branaugh. His Gilderoy Lockhart costume.

Harry, Hermione, Ron from Deathly Hollows Pt.2

 

SNAPE!

Sirious Black



Gringott's Goblin

Obviously...Doby

 

Tom Riddle's Diary and Basilisk Tooth

Harry's Quidditch uniform & broom

 Batman