Blogged! Although if you know what song I was referring to above you get bonus points.
Luckily, I write down what I have to do on my calendar, so I should be able to regurgitate the facts even if you are going to get a little shorted on some of the emotions in this condensed version.
Last Monday I met up with my friend Jenny at my place. We were supposed to go on a walk or a hike, but the rain kept us in. Normally this wouldn't be so bad, but Jenny and I both are the type of people that need to be moving to get our energies flowing. We chit chatted a bit, talking mostly about acting and meditation, something she is trying to get me into. I showed her my $6 Casio keyboard that I got at the Goodwill and we took turns playing. At one point we almost jumped up and made a quick film, but when it came time to come up with an idea, we both blanked. After a few hours of chillin' it was time for her to go and as soon as she jumped up she was full of energy again. I laughed. I couldn't take it personally because I felt the exact same way. As much as I like Jenny, we are definitely going to have to be activity partners.
The rest of Monday night and Tuesday was spent doing the usual; apply for gigs, look for jobs, go to the grocery store. I swear, I go to the grocery store more than anyone I know, mostly to buy bananas and salad these days. I actually really like grocery shopping, although less so with my current diet since I'm so limited in what I buy. Speaking of dieting, mine is going well. I've dropped probably 8 pounds since I moved to LA and am looking trim. I'm basically at my personal beach body, but want to get to photography beach body.
Tuesday night was my second visit to the Therapy Comedy show at the Blu Monkey bar in Hollywood. My friend Jessica brought me the 2nd week I was in LA and I got to see some amazing people perform for their opening show. This show did not have quite as big of a line up, but still really good. Maria Bamford (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Bamford) was especially good. After the show there was an open mic night. I didn't end up staying for much of it, but I definitely had an urge to get up there. Who knows, maybe I will write some bits and then pop up there some day.
So it should be noted that I know just enough about computers to break them more when they are already broken. My particular computer recently decided to just shut itself completely off when I was running high memory usage media or if I just let it sit there for too long. My investigation suggested several culprits, including virus/malware and a possible corrupt OS (Operating System). After finding some malware and talking it over with a computer friend of mine, I decided to (after days of struggle) reinstall the OS. For some reason I decided to do that Tuesday night. So I backed up all my files and then did the install. The install went smoothly and everything seemed ok, so I started downloading some useful programs from cnet. You know, firewall, virus protection, etc.. Everything seemed fine, so I quite about half way through installing the programs I use day to day and went to bed. When I woke up Wednesday morning, I had no internet.
Now I'm not going to lie to you, not having internet is just short of a crisis for me. If I didn't have my Droid with its 3G, it would be a crisis. However as much as I love my Droid, typing or clicking on things for more than a few minutes at a time is super annoying. I get about 60-70 emails a day that are just potential gigs. Add those to the FB updates, the emails from friends and the rest and that's a lot of typing. Now you are starting to see why it has taken me so long to update this blog.
So amidst my frustration with my internet being down for 2 and a half days, compounded by the fact that I didn't know why it was down (Roommate hadn't paid the bill since his Disability check didn't come in) and with all the rain keeping me inside, Wednesday and most of Thursday I was down in the dumps. Luckily, Thursday night turned out to be a super fun evening.
So I had booked a photo gig for this Speed Dating event. The financial perks were minimal, but I figured it would be a good opportunity for me to get out and meet some people. Part of the package included that I could stay and actually do the Speed Dating if I wanted to. I was hesitant to stay at first and mostly agreed via email since I figured that it might help influence me getting the gig.
The beginning of the shoot was like most, sitting around and waiting. Meredith, the hostess for the evening, was super nice and positive. My fellow models were a bit of a rag tag group, comprising most races and at least all of the 20s and 30s with one or two maybe slipping into their 40s. They were definitely going for a more everyday dater demographic than a sell it with high fashion models feel. That or they just couldn't afford high fashion models.
We were each allowed a complimentary drink, mine being a Love-tini that had strawberries in it, to use as props for the shooting. Once the drinking and the shooting started we really got going. The whole gig was just about hanging out and talking with the people around and having a good time, which we did. It is a theory of mine that people get so caught up in thinking about how they should behave that they often have trouble letting loose and enjoying themselves and that all they really need is for someone to tell them it is ok and then they let go. One of the things I love most about acting and modeling is that you have someone telling you it is ok. So these same people that were having forced conversation sitting around a table waiting to perform were suddenly told to have fun and they did. The conversations were boisterous, the smiles were many and we all had a great time. The shoot was at the Melting Pot in Pasadena, so we got some fondue along with our drinks. The bread and veggies were standard, but the dessert was amazing. The shoot itself took about 2 and a half hours. We bounced around and got lots of shots, many of which I was featured in. After the shoot was over we were all invited to stay for speed dating. Only 3 of us ended up being brave enough.
I sat at the sign up table as the people made their way in. I believe there were about 12 each of men and women. I won't lie, I sized up the people as they came in. I mean, who comes to these things? Are they attractive? Do they look rich? Are they going to be boring or are they going to be interesting? All of these questions are subjective of course, but to me they looked like predominately middle Americans with good jobs, many of which, as I found out later, being in the Entertainment industry. I mean it is LA. As far as looks go (I mean it is LA ;) ) I would say about average with the men being in predominately better shape then the women.
From my ego's point of view, there wasn't anyone I was immediately attracted to during the pre-dating part of the evening. I got a little nervous about this, but then reminded myself that I really wasn't there to meet a girlfriend, I was just doing it to see what the experience was like. It turned out to be a really fun experience.
First of all, let me give you the set up. There were 5 different tables with women lined up on one side and men across from them. You got five minutes with each person and then you had to switch to the next woman down the line. Thankfully the table were a little spread out and there were no more than 3 women at any one table. You had a scorecard and each person had a number, so you could mark down any notes about the person after you met them.
5 minutes seems like a long time when you are anticipating not having anything to say, but as it turned out, the excuse of having fun worked just as well for the speed dating as it did for the photo shoot. Everybody had something to say and what was even better for me was that everyone wanted to know what I had to say. I don't mean to sound self-centered, but the truth is I am not nearly a social on a daily basis as I want to be. I don't mean going out and partying it up or dancing, I mean just good one on one or group social interaction. As I've mentioned before, living in LA and having 5 friend means you see each of them about once every 2 weeks. Not enough for someone that loves talking as much as I do.
I was also pleasantly surprised how open and engaging everyone was as well. The definitely let their personalities shine. I guess it takes someone with a bit of a strong personality to show up to these things to begin with, but I really thought, possibly based on just seeing people hover at bars before, that people would be really shy and not very open. So it was really nice to find that that wasn't true. I really had a good time laying on the charm as well. I kind of figured it was still my job since I was still technically working, so I had that extra excuse to help me along. The only negative thing I would say that was by the time I was done I was definitely tired and tired of telling some of my stories over again. As far as finding someone to date, probably not. There was one woman that I think I could have become friends with, but unfortunately with the internet down (You had to fill out your score online) and my phone not having the right plugin, AND me losing my score sheet, I don't think I will be in contact with her.
My internet came back on Friday mid-afternoon. As annoying as it was to not have it, it did serve one purpose in that I worked on a screenplay that I just recently started to write. Discipline is no match for a plug not plugged. The screenplay is about a 30 year old man who loses his wife in an accident and how he is trying to connect with her after she is gone. It is still early, so I can't really tell you where it is going, but it should be interesting. I also have another screenplay in the works revolving around the idea of 15 minutes of fame, but I'm not even sure what genre that one will be yet. :)
Friday night I decided to stay in and do some introspection. I got out my paints, my journal, my notebook and a glass of wine and spent the night painting and thinking about the different ways that I self-sabotage. I've done a lot of this kind of introspective work in the last 8 months and I think it has made a big difference in who I am and what I can accomplish. Goal one of course is just believing and trusting in myself. Acting is a tough field to be in, especially when you spend as much time alone as I do. Just keeping positive can be a full time job, so learning how to do that is important. Plus, I really like to paint and have been doing it voraciously lately. :)
Saturday day was spent breaking, fixing and not finding the right RAM for my computer, but you know, staying positive about it. Saturday night I went to a friend's house and had a few too many drinks and crashed their, disappointing some friends that wanted me to come out dancing, but saving me money, so I guess an even trade considering my bank balance. Sunday has been all about napping and writing this Blog, which is....finally...done.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Rain in LA??
I woke up this morning to a downpour outside. Apparently when it rains in LA, it pours. Unfortunately the municipality of LA hasn't figure that out yet, so there are giant puddles and drains overflowing everywhere you try to walk. Not a good day to be outside. So we went to the mall. We being Tizia, the "mute" cyber artist and director who is visiting me from SF this weekend. There is a reason mute is in quotes, but not one that will be discussed in public at this time. The mall wasn't particularly exciting. I got a new USB drive so I can carry around headshots and my reel, once I get that together. Speaking of my reel, I've been meeting with Jenny and Susan about shooting our own stuff. We were going to work with the Under the Table people (an offshoot of The Table), but they were going to charge fifty bucks a head for the privilege. I was told in the meeting it would be free, directors who needed stuff for their reels and actors that needed the same thing helping each other out. So instead it looks like I will be playing the role of producer, director and actor. A role I'm not unfamiliar with (www.chainsmovie.com), but also one that is not an easy task. At the same time I am looking for work for me to perform. I wrote one comedy bit for myself that I liked alright, but I will want a serious bit and maybe another comedy bit from someone else.
Going back in time now, Thursday was the day that Tizia arrived. I was excited since I hadn't seen her since I moved here and her arrival meant the beginning of my weekend. I often need an excuse to relax fully or my brain will become preoccupied. We went to dinner at the 420 pie shop, which is a great place for salad's and burgers and many other things. It also happens to have my favorite waitress in LA in it. I don't know her name, but her positive attitude lifts me up every time I am there. I went with the burger, my first in a month, and it was amazing. In fact one of the best things about my weekend was that I let myself eat what I wanted. I believe every good diet involves a break once in a while.
At night we went to Afrofunke at Zanzibar in Santa Monica. We arrived there around 10:50 and there was amazing live music being played by Boujou Badially Cissoko and his band. I'm not sure what instrument he was playing, but was akin to a guitar. Unfortunately his set was over at 11pm, so we missed out on a lot. We ended up staying until about 1:30. The dancing was good, but not as good as the first time I went. Hard to explain why, just an overall different mood I guess.
Saturday was another day of planned fun. We talked about going to the Museum of Jurassic Science, but decided it was too late in the day to do that and make the beach as well, so we ended up going straight to Santa Monica. Unfortunately it was a little cold at the beach, but we toughed it out for a few hours. My friend Chris showed up and after a little while we popped over to the Urth cafe. Not my favorite name, but they had some really good African Roobios tea there. The cheescake also hit the mark. After that we went back and got my car and headed to Josh and Matt's house. A bit of prepartying there and then it was off to Area 33 for a night of dancing. My friend Zach Moore of the Space Cowboys was flown down to play, so of course we had to see him. After that it was time for the after party. I'm trying to keep this blog PG-13, so I won't go into too many details about that madness, but let's just say there was a hot tub and some roman candles. I ended up crashing there that night and in the morning got some more painting in before the trek home. All in all a good weekend.
Going back in time now, Thursday was the day that Tizia arrived. I was excited since I hadn't seen her since I moved here and her arrival meant the beginning of my weekend. I often need an excuse to relax fully or my brain will become preoccupied. We went to dinner at the 420 pie shop, which is a great place for salad's and burgers and many other things. It also happens to have my favorite waitress in LA in it. I don't know her name, but her positive attitude lifts me up every time I am there. I went with the burger, my first in a month, and it was amazing. In fact one of the best things about my weekend was that I let myself eat what I wanted. I believe every good diet involves a break once in a while.
At night we went to Afrofunke at Zanzibar in Santa Monica. We arrived there around 10:50 and there was amazing live music being played by Boujou Badially Cissoko and his band. I'm not sure what instrument he was playing, but was akin to a guitar. Unfortunately his set was over at 11pm, so we missed out on a lot. We ended up staying until about 1:30. The dancing was good, but not as good as the first time I went. Hard to explain why, just an overall different mood I guess.
Saturday was another day of planned fun. We talked about going to the Museum of Jurassic Science, but decided it was too late in the day to do that and make the beach as well, so we ended up going straight to Santa Monica. Unfortunately it was a little cold at the beach, but we toughed it out for a few hours. My friend Chris showed up and after a little while we popped over to the Urth cafe. Not my favorite name, but they had some really good African Roobios tea there. The cheescake also hit the mark. After that we went back and got my car and headed to Josh and Matt's house. A bit of prepartying there and then it was off to Area 33 for a night of dancing. My friend Zach Moore of the Space Cowboys was flown down to play, so of course we had to see him. After that it was time for the after party. I'm trying to keep this blog PG-13, so I won't go into too many details about that madness, but let's just say there was a hot tub and some roman candles. I ended up crashing there that night and in the morning got some more painting in before the trek home. All in all a good weekend.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Free Monologue
Hey Folks, I was gearing myself up to write a comedy monologue for a friend and this game out of me. Not exactly comedy, but if it works for you, go for it.
INT. BIG TOP OF A GENERIC CIRCUS
The woman comes out dressed in a Jester’s costume.
Woman: The band has played, the clowns have clowned, but look you fools, you’re still around. It is only me standing here now, making you fidget, making you crow. But what will I do to make you stay, hark, here is a fiddle, perhaps I’ll play. No? No more fiddling for you today? You want to take your sweethearts home to the hay? “Shut up!”, you’ll scream, get off the stage! Every word you utter causes delay. There are bedrooms and bathrooms and diners and bars, walkers and scooters and trucks and cars. If only she would stop and bid us adieu? Alas my friends, I’m stuck here with you. For the end that you saw, the one that went BOOM! It filled up the whole circus, not just this room. It was an end and a beginning, all at once done. And now that the circus is over, it’s time for me to have my fun.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Another day, another painting
I've been inspired to paint a lot lately. It's been nice. Painting is a great way for me to focus on something other than life and just relax and create for a while. Today I went to the North Hollywood park and did some work. I go to the park quite often, usually walking the mile to get there, a mile around and then a mile home for exercise. This time I drove so that I could haul all my stuff with me, including books, paints and two canvases. The first one below I started working on many years ago and it was all black until recently. I'm not sure how I feel about the whitish strip near the top, so that might change before I'm done.
The second one is one that I just started. I found canvases that are pre-painted black at the art store the other day. This is super exciting for me since I do so much work with black paint. I wish I had taken a picture of this one yesterday before I started working on it again because it felt kind of done in just a few moments. As it is, I'm anticipating more work on it.
This last one is another one that I started a while back. Not really sure where it is going, but I'm enjoying the big globs of semi-hard paint that came out of my can today.
What was interesting (and frustrating) about the park today was that there was this bee that simply would not leave me alone. I tried walking away, but it was me I wanted. I even had to move locations it was so bothersome. I thought I was free of it at the new spot, but then it attacked me again as soon as I opened up my paints. Humph! Since I've been talking to Jenny about meditation lately, I thought I would give it a try. So I laid down and put my shirt on top of my face and tried to focus on my breathing and not the bee. Talk about a test! Well I guess I did alright since the bee went away eventually. However, the moment I started painting again it came right back. Talk about a critic!
In other news, I've been reading Judith Weston's Directing Actors. It was recommended to me by Tizia via her professor and I'm finding it to be a very good read. It talks a lot about the internal struggles that an actor goes through and how to get around them. Judith teaches classes in the area, so once I finish her book, I'm hoping to take one.
The second one is one that I just started. I found canvases that are pre-painted black at the art store the other day. This is super exciting for me since I do so much work with black paint. I wish I had taken a picture of this one yesterday before I started working on it again because it felt kind of done in just a few moments. As it is, I'm anticipating more work on it.
What was interesting (and frustrating) about the park today was that there was this bee that simply would not leave me alone. I tried walking away, but it was me I wanted. I even had to move locations it was so bothersome. I thought I was free of it at the new spot, but then it attacked me again as soon as I opened up my paints. Humph! Since I've been talking to Jenny about meditation lately, I thought I would give it a try. So I laid down and put my shirt on top of my face and tried to focus on my breathing and not the bee. Talk about a test! Well I guess I did alright since the bee went away eventually. However, the moment I started painting again it came right back. Talk about a critic!
In other news, I've been reading Judith Weston's Directing Actors. It was recommended to me by Tizia via her professor and I'm finding it to be a very good read. It talks a lot about the internal struggles that an actor goes through and how to get around them. Judith teaches classes in the area, so once I finish her book, I'm hoping to take one.
Monday, March 14, 2011
The extended weekend
So I have yet to determine exactly how long a good time in between blogs is, so I'm trying to post at least as quickly as I can still remember. I'd also like to give a shout out to my parents (If they even know what that is.) for taking the time to read my blog. I appreciate the encouragement.
Now then...
Thursday night I went to Afrofunke, my new favorite club night. I went alone, but met several people and had a great time dancing to the music. It was really nice to take a break from everything and let loose for a night. There were a few cuties as well. I even went so far as to ask one out, but she replied that "I only date friends of my friends", which is either true or a very complicated gambit. I've noticed through the years that women have very complicated ways of saying very simple things that, in the case of me, often serves as a disservice to communicating. I think I particularly take it badly since honesty and openness is so important to be both so I can learn about society and that person in particular, whatever our relationship is.
Friday was one of those days where you have an audition or any other scheduled gig or event late in the day and all it does is distract you from everything you might be doing during the day. In my case it was an audition at USC at 5:40 pm. 5:40pm has to be one of the worst times to have an audition anywhere but two blocks from your apartment. It means that not only will you hit rush hour going in, but you will also hit it coming back. I decided to take Laurel Canyon and then streets to USC even though the GPS said it would take longer. I figured better to spend a little more time on the road and have something to see then to deal with the crawl on the highway.
The audition itself went well, despite my having forgot to bring in my headshot and resume, which I've done a few times recently. I'm not sure where my head is at with that, maybe the nervousness is causing my brain to flutter. The audition was improv once again, which I liked. I looked much too young for the role though, so I'm not surprised I didn't get the part. Still, I left the audition feeling good about my skills as an actor.
I sat around in my car for a while after the audition, debating whether to drive home in traffic. I found some distractions via my phone, but couldn't figure out a good place to hang out for a while since I forgot my book and my kindle. I ended up going to a grocery store for chapstick. Not very exciting, but good eye candy/tag.
That night I decided to be good since I had two auditions the next day. Friday nights in are a bit of a mix. I definitely feel the pressure that I should be out having fun, but at the same time it is nice and relaxing because I don't feel the internal pressure that I should be doing any work.
Saturday I had a tough decision to make about my first audition. The audition was at a place called CAZT, which I had heard of several times via casting notices. Having read up about the place on Yelp.com the night before, I had learned that the way it works is that you show up for your audition and they make you write down your email address. The purpose of this is that CAZT then solicits you to pay to watch your audition and to see the director's notes on how you did. So not exactly a scam, but a potential annoyance if you aren't into that sort of thing. My other issue was that if the audition at CAZT ran late, I may be late to my other audition, an actual paying gig. So putting those factors together with the fact that the role I would be reading for didn't seem to suit me, I decided to skip the first audition. All in all I think a good choice.
The second audition was in Glendale, near yet another mall. Apparently that is all Glendale has to offer. (To be fair I did really like the squirting frog fountain at the mall.) I nailed every aspect of this audition. I walked in, was professional, gave the woman my headshot (which I again almost forgot) and did the performance just as she asked and adjusted for cues. It was actually a pretty fun audition since it was for a male enhancement pill, so I had to do the before and after parts.
That night I was supposed to rehearse with Jenny and Susan (Note: names may have been changed by request in every story I ever tell.) at Susan's house. Jenny was rehearsing a theater piece and wanted help. Originally we were supposed to meet up at 6pm however Jenny texted me and told me that she had another rehearsal and couldn't meet until around 9pm, but that I should go hang out with Susan anyway. This wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear because I had a tentative date scheduled for later that night and this was going to get in the way now. I asked the date how late was too late to hang out, but never heard back from her. It didn't matter much in the end since Susan, Jenny and I got into many long conversations as the night progressed and the rehearsal soon turned into a night of bonding and making new friends.
Sunday was a very mellow day, the highlight being talking on the phone with my parents (shameless plug) and beating God of War II. Today was equally mellow with lots of work getting done. Today's highlight was finding a canvas at the art store that was already painted black. It should be fun to play around with that.
Now then...
Thursday night I went to Afrofunke, my new favorite club night. I went alone, but met several people and had a great time dancing to the music. It was really nice to take a break from everything and let loose for a night. There were a few cuties as well. I even went so far as to ask one out, but she replied that "I only date friends of my friends", which is either true or a very complicated gambit. I've noticed through the years that women have very complicated ways of saying very simple things that, in the case of me, often serves as a disservice to communicating. I think I particularly take it badly since honesty and openness is so important to be both so I can learn about society and that person in particular, whatever our relationship is.
Friday was one of those days where you have an audition or any other scheduled gig or event late in the day and all it does is distract you from everything you might be doing during the day. In my case it was an audition at USC at 5:40 pm. 5:40pm has to be one of the worst times to have an audition anywhere but two blocks from your apartment. It means that not only will you hit rush hour going in, but you will also hit it coming back. I decided to take Laurel Canyon and then streets to USC even though the GPS said it would take longer. I figured better to spend a little more time on the road and have something to see then to deal with the crawl on the highway.
The audition itself went well, despite my having forgot to bring in my headshot and resume, which I've done a few times recently. I'm not sure where my head is at with that, maybe the nervousness is causing my brain to flutter. The audition was improv once again, which I liked. I looked much too young for the role though, so I'm not surprised I didn't get the part. Still, I left the audition feeling good about my skills as an actor.
I sat around in my car for a while after the audition, debating whether to drive home in traffic. I found some distractions via my phone, but couldn't figure out a good place to hang out for a while since I forgot my book and my kindle. I ended up going to a grocery store for chapstick. Not very exciting, but good eye candy/tag.
That night I decided to be good since I had two auditions the next day. Friday nights in are a bit of a mix. I definitely feel the pressure that I should be out having fun, but at the same time it is nice and relaxing because I don't feel the internal pressure that I should be doing any work.
Saturday I had a tough decision to make about my first audition. The audition was at a place called CAZT, which I had heard of several times via casting notices. Having read up about the place on Yelp.com the night before, I had learned that the way it works is that you show up for your audition and they make you write down your email address. The purpose of this is that CAZT then solicits you to pay to watch your audition and to see the director's notes on how you did. So not exactly a scam, but a potential annoyance if you aren't into that sort of thing. My other issue was that if the audition at CAZT ran late, I may be late to my other audition, an actual paying gig. So putting those factors together with the fact that the role I would be reading for didn't seem to suit me, I decided to skip the first audition. All in all I think a good choice.
The second audition was in Glendale, near yet another mall. Apparently that is all Glendale has to offer. (To be fair I did really like the squirting frog fountain at the mall.) I nailed every aspect of this audition. I walked in, was professional, gave the woman my headshot (which I again almost forgot) and did the performance just as she asked and adjusted for cues. It was actually a pretty fun audition since it was for a male enhancement pill, so I had to do the before and after parts.
That night I was supposed to rehearse with Jenny and Susan (Note: names may have been changed by request in every story I ever tell.) at Susan's house. Jenny was rehearsing a theater piece and wanted help. Originally we were supposed to meet up at 6pm however Jenny texted me and told me that she had another rehearsal and couldn't meet until around 9pm, but that I should go hang out with Susan anyway. This wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear because I had a tentative date scheduled for later that night and this was going to get in the way now. I asked the date how late was too late to hang out, but never heard back from her. It didn't matter much in the end since Susan, Jenny and I got into many long conversations as the night progressed and the rehearsal soon turned into a night of bonding and making new friends.
Sunday was a very mellow day, the highlight being talking on the phone with my parents (shameless plug) and beating God of War II. Today was equally mellow with lots of work getting done. Today's highlight was finding a canvas at the art store that was already painted black. It should be fun to play around with that.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Interweb down :(
So my internet was down yesterday, so things aren't quite as fresh in my mind, but let's catch you up anyway:
Monday I started out the day by picking up my suit jacket which I had taken in at the local tailor shop. I was a bit heavier when I first got the jacket and my head shot photographer mentioned it looked big on me, so I spent the money to have it taken in. I told the tailor as cheap as possible ($30), so it wasn't a miraculous difference, but it did look better.
Soon after that my friend James arrived to hang out. He was visiting a lady friend in LA (he is from SF) and just had a couple of hours to hang before he went back. I took him up to Ventura Blvd. in Studio City. It's kind of fun up there, but all we did is walk around. Being broke and not being hungry basically takes away from everything that one might do on that street. Slightly farther up the street from where we walked there is a bowling alley that I've been itching to check out. Maybe that will be a cheap alternative. After walking around and exchanging stories, we decided to hop back in the car. I was going to show him North Hollywood, but we only got as far as the park where we popped out and walked around. Unfortunately that was all the time I had since I had a reading to go to, so we said our goodbyes and both hit the road.
The reading was a cold read for me and a rehearsal for my friend Michael and a friend of his. The friend had a theater piece she wanted some extra time with so she read her part and I read the rest while Michael listened and gave notes. It was a fun and easy time for me as my performance had no real bearing on anything, so all in all an enjoyable hour. Unfortunately the friend had a last minute rehearsal to go to so she was off and unfortunately, although not really, I have an audition today, so couldn't help them out.
Once him, I took that energy of performance and turned it into some work energy, order 20 head shots from a local printer and new business cards.
Tuesday morning/afternoon was pretty mellow. Just the usual grocery store, submit for jobs kind of day. In case I haven't updated you, while I am off the master cleanse, I am still eating lots of fruits and vegetables and for the most part avoiding sweets.
Tuesday night I went to my friend Amanda's house for dinner. I've been over there a few times now and it has been great every time. We start out the evening by catching up with what is going on in our lives, she is a great listener, and then as Amanda cooks we start to philosophize about whatever aspect of life is on our minds. She is very smart and interested in many of the same interworkings as I am, so it is always fun to bounce ideas off of her. Then we eat and keep chatting and then when we are done we pop in an episode of the bionic woman (original series). It is always such a nice warming evening for me that makes me feel like I have family here.
Wednesday turned out to be a pretty fun day. I did my usual during the day and then met up with Josh down at Melrose around 4pm. He wanted to go shoe shopping, so we popped in this place called Sportie LA which had, bar none, the craziest sneakers I have ever seen. All sorts of styles and colors that either looked like master pieces of art or like art student vomit, depending on your taste. There were some more traditional sneakers as well (It was all sneakers), but for the most part it was pretty out there. Josh bought a couple of pairs and a slew of different colored laces to go with them.
After that we drove a little farther east on Melrose and ended up in a place called the Vienna cafe for iced tea/beer, salad and eye candy. We sat outside to facilitate the last thing on that list. Our waitress was super friendly and Josh performed "the game" artfully and made a connection. I'm not particularly a fan of the game because there is this inherent falseness to it and real connection is so important to me, but I'm aware I need to work on this skill for its value as a social lubricant.
After we finished our meal we headed over to the SLS hotel. Josh has a friend at the bar over there so we drink cheap. It's a fancy hotel and that not there was a function at the restaurant there so we got to see lots of pretty dresses and some women to go with them. I would have liked to stay longer since I'm most interested in meeting new people right now, but Josh's roommate was cooking dinner. I chilled with the two of them for a little while and then headed home full of ideas on how to improve my life. I think the best thing I came up with was, "Enjoy life, the rest will follow". Not meaning to be hedonistic, but to really enjoy what you have and stay positive and that other people will respond to that. I'm hoping to put this into practice going forward. I will let you know how it turns out. :)
Off to Cal State Northridge soon for an audition. It's non-paying and probably not worth the gas/parking fee, but I'm trying to keep my energy going. Who knows, maybe I will meet someone that helps launch my career.
Monday I started out the day by picking up my suit jacket which I had taken in at the local tailor shop. I was a bit heavier when I first got the jacket and my head shot photographer mentioned it looked big on me, so I spent the money to have it taken in. I told the tailor as cheap as possible ($30), so it wasn't a miraculous difference, but it did look better.
Soon after that my friend James arrived to hang out. He was visiting a lady friend in LA (he is from SF) and just had a couple of hours to hang before he went back. I took him up to Ventura Blvd. in Studio City. It's kind of fun up there, but all we did is walk around. Being broke and not being hungry basically takes away from everything that one might do on that street. Slightly farther up the street from where we walked there is a bowling alley that I've been itching to check out. Maybe that will be a cheap alternative. After walking around and exchanging stories, we decided to hop back in the car. I was going to show him North Hollywood, but we only got as far as the park where we popped out and walked around. Unfortunately that was all the time I had since I had a reading to go to, so we said our goodbyes and both hit the road.
The reading was a cold read for me and a rehearsal for my friend Michael and a friend of his. The friend had a theater piece she wanted some extra time with so she read her part and I read the rest while Michael listened and gave notes. It was a fun and easy time for me as my performance had no real bearing on anything, so all in all an enjoyable hour. Unfortunately the friend had a last minute rehearsal to go to so she was off and unfortunately, although not really, I have an audition today, so couldn't help them out.
Once him, I took that energy of performance and turned it into some work energy, order 20 head shots from a local printer and new business cards.
Tuesday morning/afternoon was pretty mellow. Just the usual grocery store, submit for jobs kind of day. In case I haven't updated you, while I am off the master cleanse, I am still eating lots of fruits and vegetables and for the most part avoiding sweets.
Tuesday night I went to my friend Amanda's house for dinner. I've been over there a few times now and it has been great every time. We start out the evening by catching up with what is going on in our lives, she is a great listener, and then as Amanda cooks we start to philosophize about whatever aspect of life is on our minds. She is very smart and interested in many of the same interworkings as I am, so it is always fun to bounce ideas off of her. Then we eat and keep chatting and then when we are done we pop in an episode of the bionic woman (original series). It is always such a nice warming evening for me that makes me feel like I have family here.
Wednesday turned out to be a pretty fun day. I did my usual during the day and then met up with Josh down at Melrose around 4pm. He wanted to go shoe shopping, so we popped in this place called Sportie LA which had, bar none, the craziest sneakers I have ever seen. All sorts of styles and colors that either looked like master pieces of art or like art student vomit, depending on your taste. There were some more traditional sneakers as well (It was all sneakers), but for the most part it was pretty out there. Josh bought a couple of pairs and a slew of different colored laces to go with them.
After that we drove a little farther east on Melrose and ended up in a place called the Vienna cafe for iced tea/beer, salad and eye candy. We sat outside to facilitate the last thing on that list. Our waitress was super friendly and Josh performed "the game" artfully and made a connection. I'm not particularly a fan of the game because there is this inherent falseness to it and real connection is so important to me, but I'm aware I need to work on this skill for its value as a social lubricant.
After we finished our meal we headed over to the SLS hotel. Josh has a friend at the bar over there so we drink cheap. It's a fancy hotel and that not there was a function at the restaurant there so we got to see lots of pretty dresses and some women to go with them. I would have liked to stay longer since I'm most interested in meeting new people right now, but Josh's roommate was cooking dinner. I chilled with the two of them for a little while and then headed home full of ideas on how to improve my life. I think the best thing I came up with was, "Enjoy life, the rest will follow". Not meaning to be hedonistic, but to really enjoy what you have and stay positive and that other people will respond to that. I'm hoping to put this into practice going forward. I will let you know how it turns out. :)
Off to Cal State Northridge soon for an audition. It's non-paying and probably not worth the gas/parking fee, but I'm trying to keep my energy going. Who knows, maybe I will meet someone that helps launch my career.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Home from my first day of paid work in LA.
I just got home from my first day of paid work in LA. It was for an independent mockumentary. I'm not sure what the final title will be since it hasn't been sold yet, but Rock Barnes was the main character. It is basically the story of an inspirational speaker. The scenes I was in today were all about the good times, the packed theater times. How we packed the theater involved some camera trickery, which was kind of fun since we had to switch seats a bunch of times, so I got to sit next to a variety of people. The only problem with that part was that everyone was all energized from lunch, so the more obnoxious extras and I do mean extras, not background, were especially distracted for that part. Along those lines and since I've been thinking about it all day of course, I would like to start a list of things that you should do if you want to be a bad extra:
1. Talk or make loud noices while the cameras are rolling.
2. Complain about how hard it is to be an actor because of your age, sex or race.
3. Don't listen to or choose to ignore instructions.
4. Talk or clap when you are told to pantomime.
5. Make up your own lines and shout them out.
6. Try to stand out in any way.
By following these simple rules, you can force extra takes to take place, which means more time and less pay per hour for you my friend. Thumbs up!
It actually wasn't that bad of a group and for the most part things went smoothly. I actually lucked out in that I got to sit next to one of the scripted characters today and got a lot of face time. So much in fact that the director pulled me out of a later shot because I had been too noticeable early on. Plus it was nice because the scenes required a lot of energy, so we all got to be really animated.
I'm really enjoying getting back into the acting thing with my audition last week, today and another audition later in the week. Every time I do it, I am reminded of how much I love it. Now if I could just master all the stuff that gets me there.
1. Talk or make loud noices while the cameras are rolling.
2. Complain about how hard it is to be an actor because of your age, sex or race.
3. Don't listen to or choose to ignore instructions.
4. Talk or clap when you are told to pantomime.
5. Make up your own lines and shout them out.
6. Try to stand out in any way.
By following these simple rules, you can force extra takes to take place, which means more time and less pay per hour for you my friend. Thumbs up!
It actually wasn't that bad of a group and for the most part things went smoothly. I actually lucked out in that I got to sit next to one of the scripted characters today and got a lot of face time. So much in fact that the director pulled me out of a later shot because I had been too noticeable early on. Plus it was nice because the scenes required a lot of energy, so we all got to be really animated.
I'm really enjoying getting back into the acting thing with my audition last week, today and another audition later in the week. Every time I do it, I am reminded of how much I love it. Now if I could just master all the stuff that gets me there.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Trying to be good
So it has been a couple of days, so let me catch you up...
Thursday night I went to The Table, a gathering of writers, actors, producers, directors, etc., that get together and help each other out free of charge. It is a wonderful idea and I've already had good success with getting advice and potential jobs. There are over a thousand members (as they said repetitively at the meeting), but only about twenty five were physically at the meeting I went to. I had to go at least once so I could get in the group as you have to be recommended by someone already in the group. (Thanks Michael!) Each person took a turn standing up and saying who they were and what they were all about and what they needed/were looking for. I won't describe each character, but I will say they were all characters. Many people felt the need to go on and on about their lives, using the group as a sort of psychotherapy session while others felt the need to chime in give their 2, 3, 4 or five cents. I was a little bit put off by the general "theater" feel of the people and the meeting, but all in all I learned a lot and had ample time (The meeting, as described above, lasted 3 hours) to do some in depth character study. After it was all over, I got hit up to do a reading, act in a short film and to help give my opinions about burlesque in its modern form. All in all not bad for my 2 minute "I'm an actor and just moved from SF" speech.
Thursday was a bit of a runaround for me. I spent the morning trying to post things on craigslist for Erin, who had asked me to help out her business for a nominal fee. It turned out to be stressful and technically difficult, which did not leave me in a good state for my audition that afternoon. In fact because I was waiting on a code from Erin I ended up leaving later than I wanted for the audition and not having the extra time to get lost, as I did, I was late for the audition. Luckily the director was ok with it and the audition went well. It is a piece by a USC student named David for his class. The audition was interesting because there were no sides. He simply had me improv. I think I did quite well. I hit the emotions with stride and came up with some interesting stuff. I'm not sure when I find out if I'm cast.
After the audition I rushed home so that I would be here in time to meet up with Sharron, my new friend. She is a friend of my friends that live in SF, but I had never met her. We had communicated via text/im and email though, so I knew I would like her. We hugged hello when she arrived and were quickly comfortable with each other. There was a bit of flirting previously, so I think we were sizing each other up a little bit at first. After hanging out in my apartment for a while we decided to go to a restaurant I suggested. I've been doing the master cleanse with the addition of fruit and salad, so I picked a place I had never been too, but knew would have salad.
I ordered the Cobb salad, probably my favorite salad, and she got spinach. Our conversation was very natural and in depth. We talked a lot about the brain and brain function. Along with this we talked about Buddhism and inner searches, basically analyzing the core of happiness. I myself have been looking into this a lot lately since I've had a lot to deal with with the move to LA. It was a good conversation and I could see we will have a lot to talk about in the future. At the end of the meal I was a little stressed, as always, since I'm broke and didn't know what to do about the bill. I had mentioned something earlier, a half joke, about going Dutch. So when the bill came I put down my card and excused myself to the bathroom. When I got back Sharron was gone and there were two checks to be signed on the table. I felt bad because I like to take care of people or at least take turns, but money is tight and I need to be responsible.
We headed back to my apartment to discuss what to do with our night. My friend had sent me some info on a happy hour show, so I suggested that, but since we were talking so much, we ended up just opening up some wine and playing rock'em sock'em robots and "drinking" Jenga, a game my friends and I invented by writing drinking game instructions on the Jenga pieces.
Today has been all about trying to be good. I have my first paid gig tomorrow and I want to be fresh. I know I could go out and still make it and do fine, but I didn't come to LA to party, I came to strive for success in the field that I love. Thus, I will be missing a party at Josh's in SD, dancing with Rachel at the Avalon and the burnal equinox party at Area 33. Grr.
I also officially got off the master cleanse today with a trip to the grocery store. I did buy almost all good, healthy fruits and vegetables, so that is good. I also ate a lot more today, but that is party of the diet. I think any good diet should have a day where you over eat so that your body doesn't go into starvation mode. Starting Monday I will be back on an even more modified version of the cleanse.
So that's it for now. I have a night of looking for work, video games and movies ahead of me. Not particularly looking forward to it given it is Saturday, but I just keep telling myself that it is Tuesday and that seems to be working.
Thursday night I went to The Table, a gathering of writers, actors, producers, directors, etc., that get together and help each other out free of charge. It is a wonderful idea and I've already had good success with getting advice and potential jobs. There are over a thousand members (as they said repetitively at the meeting), but only about twenty five were physically at the meeting I went to. I had to go at least once so I could get in the group as you have to be recommended by someone already in the group. (Thanks Michael!) Each person took a turn standing up and saying who they were and what they were all about and what they needed/were looking for. I won't describe each character, but I will say they were all characters. Many people felt the need to go on and on about their lives, using the group as a sort of psychotherapy session while others felt the need to chime in give their 2, 3, 4 or five cents. I was a little bit put off by the general "theater" feel of the people and the meeting, but all in all I learned a lot and had ample time (The meeting, as described above, lasted 3 hours) to do some in depth character study. After it was all over, I got hit up to do a reading, act in a short film and to help give my opinions about burlesque in its modern form. All in all not bad for my 2 minute "I'm an actor and just moved from SF" speech.
Thursday was a bit of a runaround for me. I spent the morning trying to post things on craigslist for Erin, who had asked me to help out her business for a nominal fee. It turned out to be stressful and technically difficult, which did not leave me in a good state for my audition that afternoon. In fact because I was waiting on a code from Erin I ended up leaving later than I wanted for the audition and not having the extra time to get lost, as I did, I was late for the audition. Luckily the director was ok with it and the audition went well. It is a piece by a USC student named David for his class. The audition was interesting because there were no sides. He simply had me improv. I think I did quite well. I hit the emotions with stride and came up with some interesting stuff. I'm not sure when I find out if I'm cast.
After the audition I rushed home so that I would be here in time to meet up with Sharron, my new friend. She is a friend of my friends that live in SF, but I had never met her. We had communicated via text/im and email though, so I knew I would like her. We hugged hello when she arrived and were quickly comfortable with each other. There was a bit of flirting previously, so I think we were sizing each other up a little bit at first. After hanging out in my apartment for a while we decided to go to a restaurant I suggested. I've been doing the master cleanse with the addition of fruit and salad, so I picked a place I had never been too, but knew would have salad.
I ordered the Cobb salad, probably my favorite salad, and she got spinach. Our conversation was very natural and in depth. We talked a lot about the brain and brain function. Along with this we talked about Buddhism and inner searches, basically analyzing the core of happiness. I myself have been looking into this a lot lately since I've had a lot to deal with with the move to LA. It was a good conversation and I could see we will have a lot to talk about in the future. At the end of the meal I was a little stressed, as always, since I'm broke and didn't know what to do about the bill. I had mentioned something earlier, a half joke, about going Dutch. So when the bill came I put down my card and excused myself to the bathroom. When I got back Sharron was gone and there were two checks to be signed on the table. I felt bad because I like to take care of people or at least take turns, but money is tight and I need to be responsible.
We headed back to my apartment to discuss what to do with our night. My friend had sent me some info on a happy hour show, so I suggested that, but since we were talking so much, we ended up just opening up some wine and playing rock'em sock'em robots and "drinking" Jenga, a game my friends and I invented by writing drinking game instructions on the Jenga pieces.
Today has been all about trying to be good. I have my first paid gig tomorrow and I want to be fresh. I know I could go out and still make it and do fine, but I didn't come to LA to party, I came to strive for success in the field that I love. Thus, I will be missing a party at Josh's in SD, dancing with Rachel at the Avalon and the burnal equinox party at Area 33. Grr.
I also officially got off the master cleanse today with a trip to the grocery store. I did buy almost all good, healthy fruits and vegetables, so that is good. I also ate a lot more today, but that is party of the diet. I think any good diet should have a day where you over eat so that your body doesn't go into starvation mode. Starting Monday I will be back on an even more modified version of the cleanse.
So that's it for now. I have a night of looking for work, video games and movies ahead of me. Not particularly looking forward to it given it is Saturday, but I just keep telling myself that it is Tuesday and that seems to be working.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
OK Cupid trends and honesty
So as much as I started this blog as more of a professional thing, I feel like I would be doing a disservice if I didn't share what was really on my mind. Plus, according to OkCupid.com the people who stand out in their personalities get more messages sent to them. Granted they were talking about attractiveness in women, but I think it can work here.
So...
For future purposes I am going to be open and honest about everything, except for anything that involves potential illegal activity. Those things are clearly all made up.
******
Last night I went with Matt to see Moby, Crystal Method and DJ Dan at the Avalon club in Hollywood. It was totally last minute and well worth it. All the performers were great. It was kind of funny to see Moby up close since of the group he was the most recognizable. He definitely went LA with his performance, getting up on the speakers and pumping his fist along with the music. I wonder if he would do the same thing in SF or NYC?
Dancing was fun. It was a legalize gay marriage rally, so I did have to get away from some gay men who were clearly dance stalking me. They were pretty cute though, so at least my ego got boosted. Unlike the random fat guy in the bathroom at the Garden the other day that was fixing his belt and looking at me for way too long.
The dance floor had women too of course, actually a pretty even mix. At first it was annoying because the groups of unattractive women kept dancing into my floor space and rubbing themselves up against me. I've got nothing against making new friends or even hooking up, but don't back into me like a garbage truck, I'm there to dance!
Eventually I met two really cool girls, Sequoia and Rachel. They were joking around and having a good time and just enjoying the moment. These are my favorite type of people. They were both really cute too, which made it annoyingly hard to pick which one to pursue as more than just a dance buddy. I'm still not sure. At the end we all went out to have a smoke and Matt and I invited them and their friend TJ to come back to the hot tub at his place. They seemed like they really wanted to go, but they had work/school today so we rainchecked. I did hear back from them already though, so that's cool. Looking forward to hanging out with them again.
Back at Matt's place I smoked a bit as Matt got ready for bed. He had an early morning, so didn't want to stay up. After he went to bed I talked with my friend Dimitrious. He and I got to what I am calling level 1.7. I'm hoping we can hang out again soon.
Sleep was kind of touch and go, but that is normal for me after a night out. When I did finally get up I went right for the hot tub. Such a beautiful way to start the day. I also got to cuddle with Matt's cat, Comics, who is absolutely adorable and super loving.
Now I'm back home writing this. Tonight is a meeting with The Table, a group of creative types that help each other out making stuff. I'm hoping I can get some creative juices flowing and get some good practice acting with them. I will let you know how it goes.
Hope you enjoyed. Until then... xo
So...
For future purposes I am going to be open and honest about everything, except for anything that involves potential illegal activity. Those things are clearly all made up.
******
Last night I went with Matt to see Moby, Crystal Method and DJ Dan at the Avalon club in Hollywood. It was totally last minute and well worth it. All the performers were great. It was kind of funny to see Moby up close since of the group he was the most recognizable. He definitely went LA with his performance, getting up on the speakers and pumping his fist along with the music. I wonder if he would do the same thing in SF or NYC?
Dancing was fun. It was a legalize gay marriage rally, so I did have to get away from some gay men who were clearly dance stalking me. They were pretty cute though, so at least my ego got boosted. Unlike the random fat guy in the bathroom at the Garden the other day that was fixing his belt and looking at me for way too long.
The dance floor had women too of course, actually a pretty even mix. At first it was annoying because the groups of unattractive women kept dancing into my floor space and rubbing themselves up against me. I've got nothing against making new friends or even hooking up, but don't back into me like a garbage truck, I'm there to dance!
Eventually I met two really cool girls, Sequoia and Rachel. They were joking around and having a good time and just enjoying the moment. These are my favorite type of people. They were both really cute too, which made it annoyingly hard to pick which one to pursue as more than just a dance buddy. I'm still not sure. At the end we all went out to have a smoke and Matt and I invited them and their friend TJ to come back to the hot tub at his place. They seemed like they really wanted to go, but they had work/school today so we rainchecked. I did hear back from them already though, so that's cool. Looking forward to hanging out with them again.
Back at Matt's place I smoked a bit as Matt got ready for bed. He had an early morning, so didn't want to stay up. After he went to bed I talked with my friend Dimitrious. He and I got to what I am calling level 1.7. I'm hoping we can hang out again soon.
Sleep was kind of touch and go, but that is normal for me after a night out. When I did finally get up I went right for the hot tub. Such a beautiful way to start the day. I also got to cuddle with Matt's cat, Comics, who is absolutely adorable and super loving.
Now I'm back home writing this. Tonight is a meeting with The Table, a group of creative types that help each other out making stuff. I'm hoping I can get some creative juices flowing and get some good practice acting with them. I will let you know how it goes.
Hope you enjoyed. Until then... xo
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
My first blog...well sort of.
So this isn't actually my first blog ever, but the other one was super secretive and thus wasn't getting out to the masses. Now that I am in LA, I wanted to start recording what my life was all about here.
So here goes...
So here goes...
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