15.5 hours barely any sleep

Oh background work.  I hate you!  We all do.  I have railed against it in the past and still do.  It is essentially pointless work.  Aside from the fact that there is always an abundance of food, and good food at that, there is no point to it.  It is a huge waste of time and something that should NEVER go on your resume.  Ever.  We'll talk about that in a few.  Sure it pays, peanuts. And if you've never been on a film shoot it is the best way to get an idea of what goes on.  But its still the worst aspect of film that I can think of.

I have this agreement with myself, and its shared with a dear friend of mine.  No background work except for a few exceptions.  1) I like the show.  And I like 30-Rock, so this past weekend I agreed to do some BG work when they called.  and 2) only if they call me in for SAG credit. (Think I'm going to devote an entire post to this soon so look for that.  There are sooooo many questions about it.  It's a bit to get into)

So thanks to option 1, I found myself at Silver Cup Studios both this past Friday and Monday mornings.  Don't get me wrong, it is fun in a way.  You're on a film/tv set. Even the most cynical actor who is trying to pretend they're not impressed, is impressed.  One of the biggest downsides is the waiting.  That's all you do.  Wait.  Friday got there at 9 and didn't get to set until 4 pm.  Yup.  That was the 14.5 hour day.  Monday I filmed early and then spent from about 2:30-12am doing nothing.  Nature of the beast I suppose.  And sure, I "met" Tina Fey.  Er...she said hello to me as we were getting coffee.  So that was something.  I don't get star struck, but I sure was impressed to be in the presence of comedic talent.

Some interesting things about doing BG work? You get to see the innards of a studio or film.  We were on a plane.  They had the body of a plane set up in the sound studio.  How often do you see something like that?  No, there are no pics.  HIGHLY unprofessional to take pics on set and of the actors.  Silly bloggers what were you thinking?

The other aspect, aside from the waiting, is the other BG extras.  This might sound mean or horrible or cruel but I usually keep to myself when I do these things.  First of all I have a huge audition coming up for summer Shakespeare Festivals.  So I was able to spend some time re-reading Henry V.  But also, I know this is a generalization, but extras can be very very..odd.  I feel like every shoot I've been on there has been at least one person kicked off for some random reason.  And the others are all about being seen.  Now, the point of BG is to NOT be seen.  You are glorified scenery.  Sure its fun to see yourself on tv if you can, but that's not the point of the work.  So those people who spend all day planning and plotting to get seen on camera...annoy me to no end.

This shoot was actually made up of some fairly fun people who for the most part got it and understood that this is just a job.  Nothing will come of this other than a paycheck and maybe some interesting stories.  There were a few people very new to the world of acting who pumped us all for information.  Its nice to sit at a table and just discuss eachother's adventures so far.  See what works for other people and what you can possibly adopt to help your career.

Of course the question of, "do I put this on my resume?", came up.  The answer to that question is always no. I don't care what the logic behind it is, it's always no.  I've heard people say it shows that they're working on current projects.  I've also heard people say any experience is good experience.  No no no no no.  Do not put BG work on your resume.  Why?  Anyone can do it.  Literally anyone.  Hence why there are always so many crazies.  It is also NOT acting.  Unless you count acting as scenery as acting.  Then sure.  But no, it should never go on your resume.  Not even featured extra.  Ye be warned.  It looks very unprofessional and is not an example of your work.

Now the big question, why even do BG work.  Well I mentioned earlier that we do it to try to get SAG credit. I promise to devote a whole blog post to this.  There is a lot to cover.  But the short of it is that one of the ways to become eligible to join sag is to do BG work and get 3 waivers.  (3 credits) to become SAG.  They don't just hand them out.  They're random. It is a crap shoot.  But you do it anyway in hopes you'll get it.  I have 2 out of the 3 so far. 2 I got from being called in directly for work on 2 films.  Sometimes it works that way, sometimes you get them the day you show up..surprise.  But still a crap shoot.

So that was my weekend.  BG work.  Yeah, i did it.  I'm not proud, but I'm not ashamed.  Its how you get your foot in the door.  It just takes forever and I'm still trying to catch up on sleep.  While Friday was 14.5 hours, Monday was 15.5,  blech!

Gotta Get My Head in the Game

Sometime we just have off weeks.  You can't help it.  You plan and plan, and things just simply fall apart.
So here's how it's played out so far.

This weekend I got a call about an audition.  Short little festival of short plays.  I've been submitting like a mad man lately, so it's nice to know people are getting these submissions.

Monday: Sadly, though I had a conflict.  I call the casting director who was very gracious and offered me an alternate time on Wednesday.  Excellent. So 1 confirmed audition and several EPA's all week long.  This could be a good week.

Tuesday: I get a call from the casting people behind 30-Rock.  It's just extra work.  And I loathe extra work.  But my attitude, which is shared by a few people in my inner circle, is that if I like the show....a lot....then I'll do extra work.  Because extra work is just the worst part of film/tv.  That being said, I like 30-Rock, the commute would be nothing since their studio is so accessible, and I really like 30-Rock.  So I agreed to do some extra work this Thursday and possibly Friday.

Wednesday I get a call about a project that evening.  So I have to cancel this audition that was wonderfully rescheduled from Monday.  Remember that one?  Again the casting director is very understanding and says to come in if this other project finishes early.  Unlikely, but you never know...in the end it didn't.  So I miss that auditions.  AND 30-Rock is cancelled.  Apparently an actor from the show itself has a conflict, so we reschedule to next week.  no biggie.  This means that I now have Thursday free, and Friday.  Hello Epas.
Well, that evening I get another call from the casting director of the shorts...She's decided that she really wants to see me and invited me to the call back on Thursday.  Folks, there is something to playing hard to get apparently.  and sleep.

Thursday: Now there is one for sure audition and 2 EPA's I really want to go to.  I've missed the other days these EPA's were being held on.  So I wake up, get all my headshots and resumes together.  I'm about to head out the door when my reliable sources (friends auditioning) that the one at audition space A is full.  And Audition Space B has opennings in the afternoon.  So I take my time.  I head to audition space B, afterwards I'll check out A on the way to my confirmed audition.  So where do I accidently end up before I realize my mistake?  B. The full audition.  Actors covering every inch of open space.  No one is getting seen here.  So now I don't have enough time to go to A, wait the 20-30 minutes, get seen, head to B(and realize I'm not getting seen) and head to my 3rd audition.  But still 1 out of 3 isn't bad.  Especially when I could have been filming all day and not auditioned at all.

Even when I try to plan everything out and make sure I leave enough time to race across town for the next thing, the universe still manages point and laugh at me.

And now bed time.  But I will say, the casting director for the short said she was very happy she decided to call me in anyway.  So hello ego boost.

Last minute audition wacki-ness

The audition!

So i get there...its in the weirdest place. An apartment, I think. You enter through the kitchen and holding is in the same room as they're filming, which I THINK is the bedroom.  So of course we're all as quiet as can be. Did I mention that we're surrounded by gaudy art and sculptures and lady gaga-esque sun glassses? weird.  I feel like we're in some "collectors" trophy room.

Oh and, we're being recorded.  If they use us we get paid..whatever. Really nice crew and director.  It smells scammish, but it's not.

As i'm sitting there watching everyone go before me and of course making mental notes of what not to do, I noticed that everyone who went...everyone save for the cute but not too bright little girl who couldn't read...had an accent.

I spend the next 20 minutes or so listening very carefully and trying to see if they really have accents or if they're putting them on.

I realize...they're doing accents. They don't really have them. Of course in my head i'm thinking..."fuck! I didn't read the notice carefully!"  Something not at all unheard of, but something I try to avoid.  I do my best to read everything carefully...nudity?  No thanks, Crazy accent?  Never mind. Shave 1/2 my head? Mmm, I'll pass.

Now, some of them look the part but are not able to sound like they come from their mother land. Annoying.  What were the accents?...you ask

Middle eastern? Some third world country? I don't really know. They all sounded like charicatures of immigrants.  Finally I ask, obviously concerned and I'm told..."it doesn't matter, we like your look."  Well, that's a plus at least.  But clearly you wanted people with bizarre fake-o accents.  And then they clarify...you're in the non-accent group. The NON-ACCENT group!

whew

Looking back at the notice now I see there were "caucasian men" and "ethnic men" whom they were looking for.

again. whew

So I finally go up and read the sides which was through a teleprompter. Now, we had the sides before hand via email. and when we got there we were given the sides. And on top of that..teleprompter!!!  Yet, still people were screwing up. What gives? So I'm slightly nervous. Maybe its an evil teleprompter...nope. They're just not good readers. So, I read. They don't call me one take patrick for nothing.  It's a great thing when as an actor at an audition you can safely proclaim..Nailed it!

...Nailed it!

When I'm done the director looks at me and says, 'would you mind looking over this other side? we're casting another commercial too.' He says, 'just look over this for 5 seconds and jump into it.' I say..'done! let's go.'

Bam! I rocked the first one and was asked to audition for another piece right then and there. How freakin cool!

So there, that was the tail end of a great weekend.  It was a last minute audition I agreed to go to and hopefully they'll use me.  Or call me in for the second commercial.  Either way, it was a great adventure with NY acting craziness.

Client/Agent Relationship

This is just brilliant and a good friday laugh for everyone

Downtown Independent Theater Woes

What is going on with auditions and shows!!

There is a scary trend I'm seeing lately in Downtown NY Theater. It's something that has been building over the past few years. The Independent theater scene in New York is a place where we can go for new works. Edgy pieces that no Broadway producer in their right mind would ever pay for. Sometimes they hit, sometimes they miss, but we still go and give these new ideas a chance.

So why why why why why are companies reviving past shows? Broadway does it. I get that. A revival of some past classic. Carrie is coming back soon. And every year there are numerous rumors of other works. Some of these revivals work like La Cage, some like Guys and Dolls just fade away. But thats the place for revivals. Revivals are part of Broadway. A way to showcase past successes or reimagine them for a new audience and generation.

But why I ask to no one in particular, is the hub of creative edgy theater reviving past works? I've seen shows that have been done 3 times prior being brought back again! And it's not that they're 20 years old. No no no, they've been done 3 times within the past 5-10 years. Why?

I can see a show being fun to do, but if it didn't work the second or third time, It's not going to work now. I don't care who you get to do it. Maybe these companies don't realize we're as smart as we are? Actors...google everything. (google if you're reading this, do i get a kickback for mentioning you?) I search information about companies and shows all the time. I get so annoyed when I see another small independent company is bringing back their big hit from way back when.

Or I walk into an audition the other day and the first thing I'm told is that the show was "amazing 4 years ago when it was done originally, so we figure lets do it again." Which was followed by, "we're going to build off the buzz from the last version 5 years ago."

Really? 5 year old buzz? There is no such thing.

What artistic value does that have? What about new pieces of theater? New stories? New twists? Ok ok, if it's a new twist or an updated version, I see some merit. There are show's I've seen that I would love to be a part of. Hell, I'd love to see them again because I enjoyed them so much. For example, as much fun as Penny Dreadful was, Season 10 would make me want to claw my eyes out I'm sure. (Again, a show that was so entertaining to do. I learned a lot from it as well.) If the creators behind it had a V2.0 they were going to attempt I'd be on board only if it was not a copy of the previous incarnation.

I've been a part of "revivals" where the director read blocking notes off of old faded pads of paper from past productions. Or worse yet, we watched the old version on video and were told "do that." There is no art in copying. Unless you're a monk in the pre-Gutenberg days. I mean that was some impressive stuff there.

This is my rant. If you can give me a viable reason for bringing back old shows from a mediocre company's past please tell me. But to me the beautiful thing about NY theater is that there is so much new and amazingly courageous work being done. I Just get so annoyed combing through auditions and seeing so many old shows coming back. Who is going to see this show again?

Come on Backstage, don't let me down.

And now going over lines for the radio show I've been cast in. It's going to be a good weekend of words words words..At least thats something new and original. And should also be fun!

I hope I don't come off as an elitist about shows. I love performing. I just don't like doing someone else's work.

Rainy Fall Days but still motivated

It's a chilly rainy fall. And I don't really mind. Something about this weather sits right with me. So i'm just enjoying not sweating during the day, or at night, warm cups of coffee, and I supposed it's the weather...but I'm inspired to write more. So it's back to the tablet I've gone scribbling away and fleshing out ideas that have been rattling around in my head for far too long.

I have started auditioning again, it's amazing how that never ends. Show just ended? who cares...back into the auditioning/submitting game again. Managed to get an audition with the York Shakespeare Co. A company I've been wanting to work with for a while. A few friends have worked with them and based on their experiences and the reputation

of the company? Yeah I want to walk their floorboards. So if you're reading this SD, I'm waiting for a call.

Or email. I'm easy.

So auditioning, tiring, but I get so angry at myself when I don't audition. Along with looking up auditions. I feel like I've wasted a day if I don't do at leas

t one thing in support of my career. Sure time can be taken off, but I just get so annoyed. Like it's another missed opportunity. Crazy, I know. But it helps to keep me motivated.

I also got postcards. Finally. Why I never had these before I do not know. Here is a mock up of what they look like:

Something like that. Reproductions. Didn't do too bad of a job. And I'm going to force myself to stay on top of these and send them out often to everyone I meet with. (WB already sent) Now my only issue...Is with Reproductions themselves. I love them. I do. We all use them. For sake of ease I used the online ordering option. Very easy to use. BUT I never got an email saying they were ready for review at reproductions. So I wait a few days, email them, and I get a snarky email back from their cust. service. Not actually answering my question, they just repeated what I ordered and prefaced it all with...as you can see you ordered.....

Thanks for treating me like an idiot. Whatever. I went in, they were great. I checked the spelling over and over again because my name is easy to mess up. Even for me. But in the end Success! I'm hoping the postcard follow up is something that truly will help. Any little thing we can do, right?

And this week I picked up two more web design clients. Nothing too crazy, just some adjustments to existing websites and some consultations. I can do that. So I'm keeping myself busy, that's for sure. Haha.

And now I'm off to go over lines for a radio show I'm voicing. I'll get some samples as soon as I can. should be interesting.

And thus ends this meandering entry. Hope you made it through to the end. Pretty directionless.

Fringe Encores and other such interesting goings ons

So i have been neglecting this poor little blog this summer, and I am sorry. I feel like I've been super busy but at the same time, I've had some much needed time off before encores starts. And now that we're getting down to the wire, I wish I had more time off. We re-open on Tuesday. Yeah, Tuesday!

I'm excited as hell, don't get me wrong. Another chance to step into the shoes of this character? Any time, anywhere. And I'm pretty sure I've said it before, but I haven't had this much fun on stage in a long time. So many things about this festival have been so overwhelmingly amazing and positive. We've been chosen for Encores...pretty sure that falls under the category of amazing. We've been dubbed "the little show that could" by who, I don't know, but it seems we are that indeed. We've gotten amazing..there that word is again, reviews. Which I am so very thankful for. It's actually quite humbling to hear people say how much they enjoyed your work. I can't explain it but I guess it gives you a feeling of.."well crap, what did I do again? And i better not screw up the next one." It's like the pressure is on. Big time.

I didn't write about this before, but someone from the WB (yes Warner Brothers themselves) saw the show and invited me in to audition for them. Just a general audition, but still, thats a big freakin deal. I mean I know people see these shows, but someone from a studio?

see here: picture of me at the wb (geek moment there)

And now that Encores has started I've tried to see shows I wasn't able to see during the festival proper due to time/laziness/laziness. Our playwright and I were outside a theater yesterday evening waiting to see one of the other shows in Encores and what happened is something I don't think i could ever get used to. We were recognized. For serious. Don't get me wrong, it's cool to have someone come up to you and congratulate you on your work, but to be recognized? Which then caused other people to come up to us and compliment us on our work. Still, sooo weird. And I just felt very awkward. Thankful, but awkward.

And now we're in the final brush up rehearsals in preparation for the extension. I hope this show moves on. I feel it has a life beyond fringe. Of course I feel that way, but I really hope we continue on.

At the same time, actors never rest or sleep. I can feel the end of this ride approaching so I'm trying to line up auditions and gigs for the months to come. I know in October I'll be voicing a character in a radio sci-fi-action/adventure-comedy-drama show..thing. But on top of that I've finally landed an audition with York Shakespeare. A company some friends have worked with and I have been interested in working with for a while. So on Thursday if anyone has a spare second...just send good energy my way.

Somewhere in all this there was a crazy storm that was just a lot of wind and rain for me. I love this kind of weather. I don't know why, but give me a storm any day. Granted I'm happy the tornado(s?) didn't come near me.

Oh yeah, this might sound totally lame on my part, but it's pumpkin weather. Pumpkin flavored everything. And I love it.