You Give a little Love

Compliments!  Sure actors are sometimes thought to be needy self absorbed people from time to time.  We're not all like that.  Trust me.  But a true honest genuine compliment is actually needed once in a while. Not just by actors, but by everybody.  (all of you reading this are wonderful) Working as an actor, you're putting yourself out there for everyone to see and judge and laugh at and occasionally poke with sticks to make sure we're still breathing.  Anyway...This past week random compliments left and right.  It's like the Universe looking down saying, "Yes Patrick, you're doing just fine and trust those instincts".

So for starters I finished the Website for the amazing Sarah Jacobs who you can read all about here at Acting Like Sarah.  Go on. Do it.  She's a hoot.  (I'm working on her mobile version of her site as we speak.  Yes Sarah..it is on it's way.)  Well...people apparently like it.  I mean I like it, but I made it.  So I'm biased.  Compliments from Sarah..most important I think.  But also from some friends in the design world, THANK YOU, and from a few directors I've pimped her out to.  I kinda dig the look.  Might steal it for my own revamping. Cause mine's been a bit neglected lately.

I auditioned over a week ago...this blog is a bit late cause I was cast and began filming....for a trailer for a feature.  You know, they make the trailer, pitch it to backers and producers, bam!  I'm famous.  At least I think that's how it works.  The director complimented me on my reel.  Which is something I'm always going to feel a little iffy about.  Because, like I said earlier, it's totally putting ME out there.  Reels are a tricky thing.  It's like standing out there naked and people saying, "you work out? Really? huh."  This was a total genuine and unsolicited compliment.  And I got cast.  We filmed this past week and that will be the subject of another blog...I'm playing catch up...always.  Maybe tomorrow I'll typey type some more.

Now this isn't really a compliment.  But it's still a happy little pick me up.  Before the callback last Monday for my fringe show..Welcome To Eternity, I decided on a nice healthy dinner of Wendy's.  Don't judge me.  Of all the places in NYC I decide on Wendy's.  Whatever.  Sometimes you gotta feed that inner fast foodie.  They gave me a free frosty! That's like fast food gold.  It was apparently a mistake and do I want it? Of course.  Who would turn down a Frosty.

So basically compliments and pick me ups are amazing and everyone needs them.  I'm not saying I need a whole lot of love and attention right now.  But i do suggest you compliment your friendly neighborhood artist.  Or anyone really.  I mean, if you wanna say something nice about me..by all means.  fire away.  But this is a time of year where most projects are cast/wrapped/or already filming.  So there are a pile of out of work actors who are looking for work.  Spread some love.  Anything.  Pass it along.  Pay it forward.  Whatever you want to call it.  Buy someone a Frosty.  All I know is this past week was one of the best for me and It all started with a simple compliment and snow balled from there.

As as a parting thought.  I think this sums it up.  Just Give a little love and it all comes back..

Must...keep...writing

I grew up in a very creative household and we were encouraged to explore and tell stories and just be kids.  I may have taken the idea of telling stories a bit too seriously.  I remember my parents hated when I would tell them things because a very simple story or recount of events would take much longer than it should have.  I liked to talk.  What can I say.  I also grew up in an Italian family, we're loud and opinionated.  So once I had the talking stick, I didn't want to let go.  I'm sure that's informed my career and my desire to tell stories.

So I'm writing.  Or at least forcing myself to write. I have a small leather journal given to me by G which I use to jot down any and all ideas.  Something I need to really get in the habit of doing.  My mentor used to tell me that no idea or impulse no matter how small or insignificant sounding is wrong.  You have to explore everything that pops into your brain....within reason.  Please don't start exploring murder or you know, something along those lines.  But on stage, explore ever impulse.  And with ideas, write them ALL down.  flesh them out later, but get the initial kernel of the idea on paper for later.

That's what I've begun doing.  forcing myself to write.  What will come of these ideas?  I have no clue.  But it's a start.  I've enlisted the help of a few talented and like minded friends to help steer these ideas into something filmable, recordable, whatever.  And I want to be able to incorporate my amazing net of talented friends in whatever comes of these.

Some of my best friends live in L.A.  Sadly.  And we don't get the chance to work together.  Who knows when and if that will ever happen.  So I'm trying to devise a way to write here on the East coast but keep them in mind on the West.  I would love to have a project filmed bi-coastally and just pieced together here by my amazing editor.

If anyone out there is reading this.  Thoughts?  Logistics?  Is this something others have thought about or done and found it worked?  What did you do?  Clearly the director would not be travelling across country.  And there will be issues of camera quality and things along those lines. I just feel that in such a techno-world that we live in, surely we can use the interwebs to create something using people from all over.  Hell...skype-directing/dp-ing.  Is that even possible?

Look out L.A.  I've got you in my sights and I want to give you amazing friends work!

Oh yeah, and now this site is optimized for a mobile device.  go me.  go blogger.  woohoo!
simple, but easier to read.  You know, for those times when you just can't get enough of me?....anyway.

Represent!!

So it's been a little bit since I last posted. I'm trying, I really am.  I blame the heat for slowing me down.  Somehow we skipped over Spring and Landed in Hell. Don't know how that happened, but at least the world didn't end like the 'crazy' predicted it would.

In fact, the world did quite the opposite for me. Thanks to the magic of...well..friendship? Desperation? Reaching out to people you care about?  I had a meeting with an agent last week and wouldn't you know...I'm a freelancer.  It couldn't have gone any better.  Well, it could have.  But I was contacted today about a possible upcoming project.  So fingers crossed on that.  The only bad thing I did was...well, 2 bad things.  1, I don't speak Italian which with my look and last name I guess people assume.  When I said no, there was a communal..."aaawwee" from the room.  Oh well.  And number 2, I'm apparently too theatrical.  Which I suppose makes sense since I am literally just coming off of Macbeth, and I'm a classic stage actor.  I have had a few oncamera classes throughout the years.  But we all know what acting classes are like.  Lot's of money and hardly any real benefit.  There are good ones out there, but there is a lot you have to wade through *cough TVI cough*.  They did suggest I could benefit from some commercial classes.  Which i agree with and am in the process of working on that now.  I have a workshop with Liz Lewis Casting and am highly considering one-on-one because of its more intimate setting and...$$.  So thats what's coming up for me education wise.  But the moral of the story?  I'm working with About Face Talent.  I'm excited, really.  They're extremely nice and personable and were fairly genuinely interested in me.  At least I hope.  So thank you all for your wonderful well wishes. The Universe heard and has delivered.  Now...let's start booking, eh?  A nice little perc from this is that my NY casting account is now free.  I know, it's $5.  But come on, every little bit helps, right?  And my Actor's Access profile has their name attached to it.  Looks nice up there i think.

Actor's Access

  And in related news, I also interviewed another manager this past Wednesday and they too liked me.  Even more so.  Probably because the gentleman and I have a similar sense of humor and my little quips that sometimes slip out landed on like minded ears.  Not to mention they like my look. So there are good things coming this summer.  I hope.

  In fact a good thing about both...neither really have anyone of my look or type on their roster.  So..this could be very good.

Or no one casts my look.  I'll let you know.