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

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Donut Planet!

I wrapped up my first filming experience since I've been out here. Monday and Tuesday were spent about 90 minutes north of Los Angeles in Lancaster and Rosamond. There is not much green up there except on baseball fields. There are beautiful mountains...brown mountains...but still very pretty. Imagine the Breaking Bad desert scenes...minus Bryan Cranston in his underwear...and it looks pretty much like that.

So, the loose...and I said loose...premise of the film is that I am the driver of a bus/van for a mental institution. I pull the van over so that I can go into a store to buy some objects, but more importantly, I go in there to flirt with the cashier. While I'm in the store, the patients escape to the donut store (Donut Planet) where mayhem ensues. As things go down on film in the donut shop, they'll cut to me meandering through the store. Kind of like if the folks are away the kids will play.

Day #1 - Monday
So, a rundown of what went down...Monday's time for me to arrive ("call time") was noon at a place called Mr. Donuts in Rosamond. I didn't want to be late, and I wanted to scout the location out first, so I arrived (i.e. drove by) the shooting location and saw cameras and crew all set up. But, since I was 90 minutes early, I went and sat at a McDonald's for an hour. I was able to do some more online submissions for roles, etc. (which is how I got the Donut Planet gig).

 

I rolled onto the set about 15 minutes early, and I was greeted warmly. I was informed that they were a bit behind, so I got comfortable in the establishment next door.  Think Clerks and the video shop in relationship to the Quick Stop.

I sat in "Randall's video store" while they were shooting next door. There was no air conditioning.  The temperature was over 100, and there was a breeze...a breeze of hot air. Inside the building, there were rooms everywhere.  I was fascinated by the structure, and I was so curious what it was used for before it now sitting deserted.

 

I was informed that it was a former marijuana dispensary.  Of course it was. A pot store right next to a donut shop. Brilliant. I haven't seen that business acumen since Peyton Manning bought all of those Papa John's stores in Denver mere months before they legalized marijuana. Brilliant.

"A bit behind" was an understatement...two hours go by and I still haven't shot my scenes yet. I am in my scrubs and I'm ready to go. I hear someone say "lunch break" and they wonder why I didn't eat any of their lasagna. It looked good, and smelled good, but I said, "I haven't done anything yet. I haven't earned anything." Everyone on set...EVERYONE...was genuinely kind and pleasant. I got along with everyone.

Fast forward to 4ish, and I start to get my make-up done. If you didn't read the earlier posts. The role was originally intended to be a man in his fifties. They obviously can't pull that off with me, but they want to age me a bit. So, we went with graying the hair a bit, some glasses, and the more time-consuming stage...latex around the eyes for crows feet.

It wasn't until 5ish that everyone started wrapping up in this location, and we started getting into vehicles to drive/ride to the next location (Lancaster) for the market scenes. Finally, it was time for my close-up, Mr. DeMille.  Google it, kids.

It had already been a long day, but it was time to suck it up and shake it out. Game time! Bring it!

The cashier is a going-to-be sophomore at Boston University majoring in theater named Mollie. She's a SoCal girl, but enjoys schooling on the east coast. Film is west, east is theater.

My dialogue scenes were written as a four line flirtation. That's it. We did it one time like it was written, and then the director wanted to improv a bit. My ears perked up at the sound of that. So, he wanted us to do the lines as written but then keep going until he says "cut." So, I took the lead and led the cashier through a meandering scene that covered everything from ponytails to Bitcoins. It was awesome. I kept seeing the crew shaking a bit from holding in their laughs. He said "cut" and they all broke out laughing.  We did three more takes from various camera angles, etc. and the cashier and I kept building off the original improv for editing/continuity sake. It's easier to cut together three different camera shots of one scene when the dialogue is set in stone, but if it's rambling all over the place, then it can be tricky in post-production to reconstruct the dialogue. So, a few key words repeated from take to take was needed, but we could develop the story a bit.

Ironically, in my audition I was directed to make the character charming yet a little disturbing, maybe even a little creepy. However, through the improv a different character entirely emerged, which was cool. He was a little shy/timid person that was finally speaking to this girl after several failed attempts in the past. It really turned out to be very sweet and several female crew members said "awwwww" when we were done.  "He's just so adorable." So, the creepy aspect was nixed, and we focused more on the vulnerable/likeable character choice. I think it worked out well.

The director told me later that he had enough material from our improv that he'll be able to splice it into the film at key points of the shenanigans going on in the donut shop...instead of just a few times, which he originally planned to do. He can drop it in several times now since he has so much stuff to work with. So, White Shoes (my character's name) might have more screen time than was originally intended/planned.

We wrapped up my speaking scenes around 8:30ish, and in the summer, it's dark by that time. Weird. Back home, there's still roughly an hour of light left.  I was saying my goodbyes, and the last person I was shaking hands with said "I'll see you tomorrow." The director and I looked at each other. We had shot all of my dialogue, but we had neglected...or forgotten...that I still had to drive up to the shop in the first place, so I needed to come the following day to film that important scene. They graciously offered their couch to me, and I stayed in Lancaster for the night instead of driving 90 minutes back to LA and sleep for seven hours before turning back around the next day. It was very gracious of them, and I was extremely thankful.

Day #2 - Tuesday
I didn't have to put the makeup on as I wasn't having any close-ups, so the glasses covered the lack of latex. I did have grey put back into my hair though.  Here are some pix of the beast that I got to drive up and down the street to get the opening shots. 

We started about two hours after call time, and my scene took awhile to set up. They want the van to be blurry as I drive towards the stationary camera, and as I get closer, they want it to be in focus. So the trick is to focus on the final resting spot of the van. Get that in focus, and don't worry about the rest of the time that the van is driving because it will be blurry...BUT...it will be in focus IF I hit the spot.  IF is the operative word. They placed a sandbag on the street so that when I felt the van's tires hit it I knew I was good.

 

We did about 5-6 different takes of me driving up and exiting the van before I walked off into the distance, and the final shot was awesome. A thirty second (at least) uninterrupted shot that they can use to open their movie with...no cutting needed. All of that prep time to get things right saved a lot of hassle and wasted energies in trying to get the ultimate take on the fly.  We got it, and I was finished ("wrapped") for good.



Get away from my torch, Jeff Probst!

On Friday, I went to an open casting call for Survivor. It was conducted by a local CBS affiliate in San Dimas...about thirty minutes away from Los Angeles, or at least the part of Los Angeles that I'm residing in at the moment. Those that know me well know that I have spent over a decade auditioning for Survivor. I got my passport in April '01 for my first audition video when I lived in Beech Grove (SE Indianapolis). I remember my wife recording the video as I crawled around a ditch/water run-off pretending to be on the show.  Over the decade-plus of audition video submissions, I've tried sketches, jokes...I've had students help shoot my video and give me ideas. I've tried everything. My last submission this past May, I cloned myself in the video. The more Bobs the merrier, right?

So, what does an open audition entail? Well, ironically, or maybe not ironically, it's pretty much identical to the cattle calls that I discussed earlier with my Fast and the Furious 7 (and Star Wars 7) call. There was a line, and you stand in it to await your turn. Once your time comes, you get 60 seconds to sell yourself to a video camera. Why would you be the best survivor? What's interesting about you, etc.?

 

I've learned from my past auditions, and expected there to be hundreds, or more likely thousands, of people hanging around. I wanted to be the first one so that I didn't have the literal door shut in my face...like at FF7. So, I arrived early, and being the Scrooge with money that I am, I spent the previous evening on Google maps looking at satellite images of the location. I wanted to find free parking. The auditions were at a water park, and they charged $15. I later heard that they discounted it to $5, and some people paid $10, while others paid nothing. So, there was a lot of grumbling in the line about it.  I don't like to pay for parking...ever. So, I found an apartment complex a little under half mile away. I found a spot, and risking being towed, I parked and walked.

Funny story, I had trouble sleeping the night before, and I contemplated driving there and squatting to be first in line.  I didn't want a repeat of earlier casting calls. So, imagine my surprise when I found the line to be 50-60 people long, and I was there an hour early. I would've looked foolish if I had camped out, or been there 4-5 hours early. I was so close to just doing it. Better safe than sorry.

So, after about a 45 minute wait, it was my turn. We were processed (like Ellis Island, but less degrading) and given a number and told where to stand and what to say. My turn came, and I spoke to the camera for my sixty seconds. When finished, the camera guy had a sincere smile (trust me, I can spot phony) and said "nice job," and while I was going into my spiel for the camera, I could see the people waiting behind me all smiling and giggling. So, overall, I think my personality was shown, and I hope they like what they see. 

The CBS affiliate will send the tapes (or email the video probably) to the Survivor casting directors, and if they want us...they get in touch with us.  How cool would it be to be on the show? The only other obsession/dream that rivals Survivor is (obviously) Star Wars. Survivor is second.

 
Today, I went to my first Dodgers game. They were playing the St. Louis Cardinals. Both teams are always very good, and the pitcher for the Dodgers, Clayton Kershaw, is the best pitcher of this generation. It was an honor to watch him pitch. He threw a no-hitter last week. They won today 6-0, and he was awesome. He had 13 strikeouts (which is awesome!) in 7 innings, and only gave up 5 hits. It was a perfect afternoon...minus the sun blistering my arms. Next time, I'll go to a night game. But, man, it was beautiful! Oh, and I got TWO Dodger dogs...and a large drink...$17! I saw a sign for beer, domestic beer, for $13 a can. I couldn't believe it. I took in a one-liter of water (factory sealed per the rules) that I got for $1 at Dollar Tree. I should've just gotten one Dodger Dog for $5.50. They've got to pay the largest payroll team in baseball (it's not the Yankees any longer, folks) in some way.

 

 

 

Oh, I almost forgot. I had another audition yesterday. Based on my online submission of my headshot/resume/reel, I got an email inviting me to a video audition/submission. It's for a national commercial (or so they say) for The General Insurance. I've never heard of them, so maybe "national" doesn't include Indiana. So, I had directions to follow, and I set up a camera and recorded a few takes. I picked the best one, edited it down nice and neat, and then uploaded it. Pretty simple.  It costs a small fortune to get any sort of help out here...shooting reels, getting headshots taken and/or printed, etc. I'm glad I can do most of my computer stuff myself. I'll update the blog if/when I heard anything about it. I'm not holding my breath, but they must've liked my initial submission, and I think I did well with the video submission. Ultimately, I don't know what they want, what look, etc. So, I just did the best I could with what I was given, and hopefully that is enough to get me on set, and then take their direction in whatever direction they desire. That... I can do.

Tomorrow, I have my first film shoot...the one I blogged about last week. I have to drive 90 minutes to reach the set north of Los Angeles, and I'll blog about it in the coming days (probably Wednesday is my guess). 

Oh, and I found Bill and Ted's high school. Wyld Stallyns!!!

 

 

 

 

 

Boom! Booked it!

Well, the phone rang late last night, and I got the role. I couldn't believe it based on the write-up of the character, but they must've enjoyed what I did. The producer on the phone said that they really enjoyed my time with them, and they "want to spend more time with me on set."  Also, he did compliment me on my firm handshake too, so that's a positive. I really felt like I had a great aura about me when I went in, it was a fun interview/audition, so I knew that they had a good time...or else "they" were the good actors and had me fooled. I wasn't nervous at all, which I found a little strange. Typically, I do not get nervous in the least when I do a theater show. I look at it this way, if I was able to perform in The Full Monty a few years back, I have nothing else to nervous about on stage, or in front of a camera.

So, I was confident and relaxed when I went in, and I guess that showed. I'll have to remember that formula for future auditions...hopefully, there are more to come.

It turns out they want me in their short film, Donut Planet. When I find out what it's truly about, I will surely pass it along. I have no clue. Maybe there will be an IMDB link for it, or something. I'll keep you posted.  The only thing I know is that I will be shooting up near Edwards Air Force Base, which is north of LA. Isn't that were Will Smith takes his family in Independence Day to escape LA? Then Bill Pullman has his big "this is our Independence Day" speech. It's just a little further than Lancaster, which is where I intimately became acquainted with the sidewalk last Saturday for the FF7 casting call.

I'm sure the character will evolve throughout the shoot on Monday. I was joking on Facebook earlier that I'm shooting for something between Don Draper and The Yellow King. That would be a nice mix I think, someone that can be analyzed and dissected be the viewers. It definitely would make the character multidimensional and interesting, and not flat and forgettable.  We'll see what happens. Roll with the punches and be flexible...something I'm pretty good at doing, in my opinion.

Other tidbits and random thoughts:
1. I finally found Diet Mountain Dew. It was at a Chevron. I had checked several different gas stations and restaurants, nothing. I'll have to check another Chevron later to see if it was just a fluke. I told the guy at the register that it was the first Diet Dew that I found, and he looked at me like I was weird. He didn't say anything. Maybe he didn't understand me, or he thought I was just weird.  Probably the latter. It wasn't mixed (syrup to carbonation ratio) right, so it tasted weird, but at least it's out here. It does exist. Like Bigfoot.

2. I decided to sign up for Second City workshops out here too. The same improv troupe that is out of Chicago. They have a LA-based troupe too.  I have the time, so why not? So, I'll have completed The Groundlings and Second City introductory improv sessions by the end of my time here. That's being productive, I think.

3. I've got tickets lined up in the upcoming weeks for The Price is Right, Conan, Jimmy Kimmel, and I'm going to the Dodgers/Cardinals game on Sunday (Clayton Kershaw is pitching, and he just threw a no-hitter last week, he's the best lefty of this generation).  I'll need some help coming up with ideas for t-shirts for The Price is Right. We've got a few weeks, but send them my way if you've got any good ones.

4. Yesterday on the Walk of Fame, I found the star for legendary film actor/writer W.C. Fields...it was directly in front of a strip club. I wonder what he would've thought about that fact.