The illusory nature of credit card late fees.

It's getting close to the 1st of the month so I'm getting all of my accounts in order (rent, credit card, cell phone, etc). When I was reviewing my Bank of America credit card bill, I noticed a late fee charge for $39. I distinctly remember paying this bill, so I called up Bank of America to ask why I was being charged. Here's what I learned:

• The goal of all credit cards is to get your money, whether that be through interest, or in my case: late fees.
• Very often you will be assigned a late fee for no good reason in the hopes that you won't notice and pay your bill anyway.
• With B of A you must make your payment between the 11th and 30th. If you pay your bill before the 11th you will receive a late payment notice, even though you have paid your account EARLY.
• The online auto-pay feature won't auto-pay your account once you get your replacement card because your old card expired.

But the biggest lesson is: If you mention any of the above to a customer service person they will remove your late fee on a "one-time courtesy basis".

This is a good thing, 'cause papa needs that $40 right now. And yes, I did just refer to myself in the third person as "papa", and no, I don't know why.

Meeting with a Commercial Agent on Friday

I received an email today in response to a headshot submission I sent to a commercial agency about 3 weeks ago. Apparently, they're bringing me in to see if they want to represent me commercially. This is really encouraging.

It's a relatively small agency that suffered a coup not too long ago (2 of the partners left). It's also all the way out in Agoura Hills, which is pretty far out of the action. I don't know anyone represented by them, so it's hard to suss out the current standing of the agency. I'm already psyching myself up to not immediately sign. I'd really like to have representation, but I've discovered some agents that I'd like to submit to and meet with.

But in the end, it all comes down to whether I think I can have a working relationship with the agent.

"Why don't we have that kinda relationship?"

Sometimes a scene leaves a tail.

This week in Richard Seyd's acting class, I worked in a continuation of last week's scene. I previously described this set of given circumstances as my nightmare. The situation was all-too-easy to connect with, so when it started, I launched right in. I went to some interesting and new places in my work, and I managed to keep the stakes high for both my relationship and my need to grieve. This is huge!

I'm really pleased with the growth of my craft over these past couple months - we'll see if any of it holds up in the context of scripted scene work.

The scene was brutal, and has left quite an emotional tail. Munch's "The Scream" is an apt visual description of what I'm going through: shockingly strong emotion in a dream-like world. Actors are in the business of make believe, but the body can't differentiate between real and imagined stimulus. What a wacky profession.

TAN Power Groups

With the title "TAN Power Groups," and the copper hues it implies, this post could be downright Zefrontastic; but it isn't. TAN Power Groups are not a meeting of hard-bodies on the beach, but an amassing of pasty actor's in the basement of a pub/improv-venue in Hollywood. One of the benefits of joining The Actor's Network is that you are placed in what they call a Power Group. Essentially, it's a support system not entirely unlike AA. Actor's come together to celebrate what they've achieved, make public commitments about what they want to do, and then ask for help with issues that are beyond their ability to cope on their own.

There were two things that I found really helpful about the power group that I attended last Tuesday. The first was a segment wherein each person was given 3 minutes to talk about what steps they've made to progress their acting career in the past 30 days, and what steps they plan to take in the following 30 days. The second was the moderator's insistence that all important goals be given specific deadlines - if you're too chicken to call the producer who asked to see the script you wrote, mark it as a date in your Calendar and tell a friend that you will call them once the deed is done.

After taking stock of all that I've accomplished since arriving - I'm proud. I've done a heck of a lot considering I arrived a little over a month ago. I'm now going to introduce a section that I intend to post regularly (mostly for myself):

Career Accomplishments (8/1/07 - 9/18/07)

• Shot two student films (one for a USC student).
• Enrolled in an ongoing acting class with Richard Seyd.
• Joined The Actor's Network.
• Attended a slew of Q&As and Topical discussions with industry professionals.
• Registered with LA Casting and have been submitting to 5+ projects/day.
  
• Went on one Commercial Audition for a Japanese Alcoholic Beverage with a reputable casting director.
• Attended a 3-Day Fitzmaurice workshop taught be the teacher of the work.
• Attended one casting director workshop (at no cost).
• Registered with Sage Marketing for Actors.
• Have been keeping a career blog & increasing my readership.
• Secured flexible employment.
• Shot a non-union music video in Berkeley, CA.
• Did a modeling photo shoot with a friend, and have some images for my portfolio.
• Updated resume to match industry formatting.
• Booked a gig at LA Film School working with a renowned international director.
• This led to many other auditions.
  

Career Goals (9/19/07 - 10/16/07)

• Create an audition log database to store audition dates, times, CDs, clothing, audition pieces, etc.
• See some local theater productions and get a sense of the companies.
• Audition for 4+ theater productions with a new monologue.
• Book 2 student films that are usable for my reel.
• Sign up for some continuation of the Fitzmaurice voice work.
• Book more photoshoots, and build up a modeling portfolio.
• Try to get in with USC film students.
• Volunteer for a casting director.
• Practice working in front of a camera.
• Record audition video for the 1-Hr Fantasy Girl feature film.
• Send follow-up letters to agents/producers that Sage has been submitting me to.
• Send thank you notes to all production staff that I have worked with.
• Practice cold-reading out loud.
• TAN's Mandatory Goals
• Drive around town in traffic and try to figure LA out.
• Visit: ABC Prospect, Paramount, Sunset Gower, CBS TV City (in Fairfax)

Acting Class Update & My Nightmare

I’ve been in Richard Seyd’s acting class for about 6 weeks now and have been benefiting tremendously. I’m much more emotionally available in my work, am able to believe given circumstances more fully, and most importantly: I’m pushing less (see my previous post about my Hammy Tendencies for why this is important). In fact, tonight, I didn’t push at all. This is to say, I was completely taken by the scene. It felt really, really good.

But this is not evidence of my acting brilliance so much as it is evidence of Richard’s keen ability to select “stretch scenes” that will emotionally resonate with the actors he assigns them to. Tonight, my character was in a situation wherein he had to choose between having a family and having an acting career. Scary. After the scene was over, I very quickly pushed my own concerns about this issue back into denial mode. I've still got years until that becomes a conundrum that I'm willing to entertain.

*whistles* and *twiddles thumbs*.

Student Directing Exercise at the LA Film School

I was a film major at UC Santa Cruz, and I was gypped*. I acted in a student production at LA Film School and I was absolutely blown away by their facilities. The shoot for this project took place in a sound stage, a SOUND STAGE with sound-deadening material on the walls and a proper power grid for lighting and everything. As I walked into the building I saw their ADR mixing studio, a huge glass-walled room lousy with expensive-looking machines that went beep, blip, and blop. While in Santa Cruz, we worked with crappy MiniDV cameras using the dorms and friends’ cluttered apartments as locations; LAFS is a world of difference (assuming you want to do production, not theory & criticism).

The actual shoot went pretty well. I had one line in an interrogation scene “I don’t bargain with murderers” which I delivered to a man in a wheel chair** after being punched by a large directing student named Lex. The Fitzmaurice work was helpful; I went through the destructuring series as a warm-up before the shoot began. Of course the destructuring series can feel like torture, so it lessened the amount of acting I had to do for the scene.

When the AD invited us to enter the set, I came in guns-a-blazin’. I was emotionally connected, focused, and in-the-moment… for about an hour. And then the shoot began. It went well (my goal was not to push) but I had blown my emotional wad during the camera rehearsal, so I was a semi-dead.

I brought this up in my acting class tonight, and my instructor Richard Seyd said “Never do that. Focus on learning the blocking and the mechanics of the shot during the rehearsals, save the emotion for the actual shooting.” Well, I suppose you live and you learn.

TIP: After a shoot is over, individually thank *every* member of the crew. It’s the right thing to do, they have helped you quite a bit after all.

*Apologies to any Gypsies or descendants thereof for the use of “gypped”.

**Ask me in person for a story about a teenage boy who wants to swim the great lakes and is a fan of truck drivers.

Elizabeth Gilbert On Writing

Despite not being particularly well-read, I am deeply curious about how different writers work. There is a magic in how a writer is able to take concepts from their mind and flesh them out into entire worlds on the printed page. I think that I would enjoy nothing more than to write good fiction. But for the most part, like music, I leave the work of writing to those better suited to it. For now I am content to sit on the periphery enjoying what those more talented than myself produce.

I happened to stumble onto the homepage of author Elizabeth Gilbert and felt that she made some statements that are helpful to all artists, not just writers. I should note that I've never read anything by Ms. Gilbert, her work could be complete crap and I'd never be the wiser, but what she says has to some heft to it.

I believe that – if you are serious about a life of writing, or indeed about any creative form of expression – that you should take on this work like a holy calling. I became a writer the way other people become monks or nuns. I made a vow to writing, very young. I became Bride-of-Writing. I was writing’s most devotional handmaiden. I built my entire life around writing.

I didn’t love being rejected, but my expectations were low and my patience was high. (Again – the goal was to get published before death. And I was young and healthy.) It has never been easy for me to understand why people work so hard to create something beautiful, but then refuse to share it with anyone, for fear of criticism. Wasn’t that the point of the creation – to communicate something to the world? So PUT IT OUT THERE.

Don’t pre-reject yourself. That’s their job, not yours. Your job is only to write your heart out, and let destiny take care of the rest.

As for discipline – it’s important, but sort of over-rated. The more important virtue for a writer, I believe, is self-forgiveness. Because your writing will always disappoint you. Your laziness will always disappoint you.

Werner Herzog in response to a letter from one of Gilbert's friends complaining about the difficulty of being an independent filmmaker...

Quit your complaining. It’s not the world’s fault that you wanted to be an artist. It’s not the world’s job to enjoy the films you make, and it’s certainly not the world’s obligation to pay for your dreams. Nobody wants to hear it. Steal a camera if you have to, but stop whining and get back to work.

Super Productive Day

For almost the first time since moving down here, I feel like I've had a truly productive day.

• I awoke to a clean apartment, because I'd stayed up until 2 organizing and cleaning the night before (sorry to disappoint, but this is not evidence of a budding coke habit).
• I attended a voice workshop from 10:00-4:45.
• Drove to an audition - realized I was there on the wrong day (D'oh!) - and got a text about another audition in just enough time to drive from Hollywood to the location in Santa Monica.
• Kicked butt on the audition in Santa Monica.
• On my way out, I saw sides for another project and crashed the audition. I met the producers and read for two parts.
• Got home and essentially finished my first project for Maxon since moving down here.
  

Not too impressive by everyone's standards - but it's something I needed to celebrate.
Oh yeah, I teach people how to make pictures like what you see above for a living.

Actors Are Crazy

Ask anyone who works in technical theater, it's cold hard fact that "actors are crazy." It's not just acting that they're discussing - let's be honest: dressing up in a costume, putting on makeup, and pretending that you're someone else is a little crazy. Then whilst pretending you're someone else you end up murdering someone else who's pretending to be another someone else in front of 1000 audience members who can't see this magical "4th wall" you keep talking about. Nope, that's not even the beginning of the certifiable behavior that most actors willingly engage in.

A lot of actors can pass as "normals" until you see them doing their warm-ups. I spent an entire weekend at a Fitzmaurice Voice Technique Workshop taught by Saul Katsubei. It was phenomenal and I've grown quite a bit as an artist (I've tripled the size of house I can easily play to) - but we did some wacky ass shit to get to the end result.

Some highlights:
Ass Tag - Wherein you attempt to bop others on their bottoms while keeping both your biscuits safe.
Destructuring - Wherein you place your body in such an awkward position that it begins to shudder involuntarily while you hyperventilate and moan loudly.
Breathing Buddy - Wherein 15 strangers lay on the ground in a giant puppy pile trying to feel each other breathe through at least two contact points.


There's a lot more that transpired, and a lot that was learned - but looking back on the weekend I question my ability to turn down the Kool-aid if it is ever offered to me.

David O. Russell is a Drama Llama

Whilst avoiding the wreck that my apartment has become I stumbled onto the following video:

In the above video, film director David O. Russell verbally assaults actress Lily Tomlin on the set of "I Heart Huckabees" in front of cast and crew. This is upsetting to me because I saw "I Heart Huckabees" and loved it for a number of reasons: It featured Dustin Hoffman, had a soundtrack by Jon Brion, and Mark Wahlberg was Marky-Mark-tastic. If you watch the video closely, you'll see Dustin Hoffman just walk off-set when the conflict gets really ugly. I hope I never have to deal with something like that.

Apparently, some good can come of this. Michael Cera of "Juno"/"Arrested Development" shot a spoof of the above video w/ "Superbad" collaborator Judd Apatow.



Note to self:
If you ever encounter a true Drama Llama, do what you do with the genuinely crazy homeless people, DNE, DNE, DNE.

Do Not Engage.

Good Collaborations

I don't tend to go in for a lot of rap, but when I heard that Jon Brion produced West's "Late Registration" I had to buy a copy. The album was in constant rotation at the Keith residence, much to the chagrin of those around me. In fact, I suspect that the mix CD that was slipped under my door was not from a secret admirer but a neighbor whose inner monologue went something like: "If you don't listen to something other than KanYe and Modest Mouse, I will shank you like a Polaroid picture".

It's a good thing I moved because I've been listening to KanYe West's latest album, "Graduation" in what can only be described as an endless loop. I can't say I love it as much as "Late Registration" (Brion is no longer producing) but it's still a really solid album with a very cinematic feel to it. West's collaboration with Cold Play lead singer Chris Martin on the track "Homecoming" is absolutely brilliant - funky piano and rock anthem drumming as the only backing in a hip-hop song.



I can hear my kids now: "Dad, are you listening to KanYe again?! That's so old."

I'm about to bust this blog wide open... thematically.

I've been reading Prince, Diablo, and now Jon's cultural musings and I have to admit: I'm jealous. Here I am rather single-mindedly blogging about my career, while these folks get to write about music, movie premieres, and pop-flavored lip balm. Well, no longer will I sit silently in the corner thinking private thoughts about the latest happenings - I'm going to blast them out to YOU my reader.

And to kick off my turning a new leaf, I'm going to give you one heck of a... career update:

I'm back in LA after a week in the Bay Area. When I finally opened up Outlook on my home computer, I had 300 breakdowns that I had to go through to see if there was anything I wanted to submit for. Once I eliminated all the postings for little people, it became a much more manageable list. I submitted to a number of projects and I've got a couple auditions coming up - both are student projects. I'm excited about one of them. It's about an 18yr old kid who can't wait to take up his dead father's mantle by going to war - while his mother fights his leaving and the prospect of losing another loved one to the war. Its thematically similar to a show I did called "Here I Go Boys, Wish Me Luck!" for the Bay Area One Act Festival.

U.S.C. Short Film "Indirect"

Indirect dir. by Hilde Susan Jaegtnes
On Wednesday of last week, I was set to fly out of Burbank airport to Oakland airport at 4:00 PM. This meant that I had to leave my apartment in Hollywood by no later than 2:30 to get to the airport in time. At 11:00pm I received a call from a playright acquaintence of mine named Hilde wherein she explained "I have a USC film school project due tomorrow, my ballerinas fell through, and I would really like you to act in my film."

I explained my time constraints and told her that after I finished packing for my trip I'd hop into costume and drive to her apartment in South Hollywood. I arrived at her apartment at 12:10pm. She had set up the camera and set, and quickly went over the premise with me. By 1:45 we'd filmed the project, I'd watched the raw footage, was $20 richer and was driving back to my apartment to leave for my flight in time.

The short film was a lot of fun to shoot, and is essentially a 3-minute silent clowning routine like those first filmed back before editing was the thing to do. I probably won't be able to use it for my reel, but I now have my foot in the door with a USC film student and her peers. Let's not forget that my buddy Diablo Cody's current co-conspirator Steven Spielberg started as a USC Film Student.

Networking
I met Hilde up in SF while doing staged readings for a writers group called "Playwrights' Cafe", Hilde was a member of the group and had enjoyed my work. We'd kept in contact via email and she knew that I had moved down to LA to act, and I knew she had moved down to go to USC. Thus when her performers fell through - she thought to contact me.

I'm Funky But Not Like James Brown

James Brown is the Godfather of Funk. I'm just in a funk - there's a big difference. A mild depression is starting to set in and I'm hoping I can beat it with sleep and exercise.

Mostly I'm upset by the amount of time I spend in my apartment - which is unfortunate because I work from home and theoretically that's a good thing. The problem is, I'm wildly unproductive in this space. In this past week I've put in 10hrs of 3D work at best.

My social calendar is decently full - but because I don't work around other people I can get pretty lonely. I still feel like I'm making good headway with the acting which is reassuring. I'm keeping my priorities in some semblance of order.

Goals for tomorrow:
Buy enough groceries for 1.5 days before I fly to SF.
Finish the first LA-based 3D project for Maxon.
Go to the gym.

Superman Was A No-Show

Breaking News
Superman is a No-Show!

I woke up all too early this morning to make it to the set of "The Resume". I got there a couple minutes before my 8am call (I stopped for breakfast at McDonalds) and greeted the rest of the cast. Notably absent was the gentleman playing Clark Kent - the lead. Apparently he got his AMs and PMs mixed up.

We ended up shooting all of the shots that didn't show Clark's face - including a number of over-the-shoulder shots with one of the grips standing in as his shoulder. It felt like a wacky way of working, but I suppose one must make do.

It looks like I'll be returning to shoot masters and over-the-shoulders for my scenes with Clark Kent. To aide in that, I took a photo of myself in costume so that I could maintain continuity. Casting me as Jimmy Olsen? Pure genius, I mean: look at me.

Bow Tie, Schmo Tie.

As part of my preparations for the role of a lifetime, Jimmy Olsen, I went to the Glendale Galleria. The Glendale Galleria, for those not from the greater LA area, is an obscenely large mosque of materialism located in the town of my birth. I was trying to track down a sweater vest and bow tie so that I could match my director's "geek chic" costume requirements for the Daily Planet's cutest cub reporter.

The sweater vest was easy enough to find, I just stopped into Gap and lo-and-behold there were 3-options for me to choose from: Gray, Black, or Black w/ Gray. I opted for the gray because it'll be easier to film (black and white are both difficult to expose for, and bright red is bad if you're shooting video for different reasons). $45 later, I was off in search of a colorful bow-tie.

I first looked in Target - optimistic, but foolish. Then JC Penny - nope, only the black ones that go with the Tux shirts. Finally I went into Macy's. Certainly this classy operation would have a bow-tie for me to purchase, but no. So I returned home somewhat disheartened with sweater vest in hand.

Who does a guy have to have sex with to get a bow tie around here?
On second thought... I think a plain neck tie will work just fine.