Tuesday, September 13, 2016

I Always Get Interesting Feedback About My Blog

It's always a pleasant surprise when someone mentions this blog to me . I enjoy writing it but I never give who actually reads it much thought. I do hashtags when I post a link to a new entry. I also do search descriptions so search engines can easily find me. Having said that, I still don't often think about who reads the blog and where they are located. It surprises me where people are located that read it and who contacts me about the topics I discuss.

Taking a look at the current stats, the countries where people have viewed entries today include the United States, United Arab Emirates, France, Bulgaria, China, United Kingdom, Moldova, Macedonia, Portugal and Turkmenistan. 

The majority of those viewers found me through Google. Some of the other ways people found me include Instagram, Facebook and going directly to the blog itself. I won't bore you with too many details about the most viewed pages but most of them have to do with casting tips and acting advice.
I've had many people reach out to me after reading the blog. Some just want to say they enjoy reading it, others want advice and a few people are a bit crazy with their requests.

Here are my favorite crazy interactions I've had thanks to my Dadager blog:
  • The person who emailed me asking if I could set-up a meeting for him to pitch his idea for a "Star Trek" reboot to Paramount. His version had Spock as a woman, McCoy as a little person and Kirk as a blind person. The idea behind the reboot was to "spotlight struggles faced by all people that are not white and male and perfectly made." 
  • A random lady wanted to open an acting studio with me. She has no acting experience, lives in Iowa and wants me to run it because I "have the connections and also live here." She wanted to be partners but still live in Iowa. She would promote it on her FB page and tell all her friends about it.
  • I often write about Zach's agent and manager. However, there was one gentleman who wanted to know if Zach was interested in leaving his current team and coming over to his management firm. Zach had no intention of joining him but I was curious what type of agent/manager tries to get clients through random emails. When I asked him about his company,I found out he had been in business three days. He was also his only client but was hoping I could let him "sponsor" my blog for free if Zach joined up with him. "The more mentions you give me, the more we can try and build relationships with casting directors." (No thank you.)
  • There have been people that want to buy the rights to my life story. Unfortunately, most of these people want the movie/TV show to change for their vision which includes:
  1. Replacing me with a female Dadager (I'm serious about that)
  2. Me as a widower who tries not to mix casting business with pleasure 
  3. Zach as a spunky child orphan hiding that fact from adults in Hollywood
  • The guy who was convinced that I was stealing his life for my blog and threatened to bring legal action if I didn't stop using his stories for my blog. He lives in Senoia, Georgia so I'm not sure how I'm living his life.
  • I heard from a woman who asked me to read her script and give her feedback. I politely declined by saying I didn't really have time to give her notes. She replied with "If you don't want to know my solution for how to avoid being enslaved when the animals rise up and overthrow mankind, it's your loss of freedom."
  • The guy who wanted me to turn my blog into a book. He wasn't a publisher or an literary agent. He just thought it was a good idea and wanted me to give him a cut of the profits for suggesting it to me.
While I have received other emails, notes, videos and odd photos from readers of my blog, there are some that are better left in the "don't respond and the crazy people will go away" file. If I ever disappear for an extended length of time, check the email from my blog because the likely suspect is probably somewhere in my inbox.



Sunday, September 4, 2016

The Return of My Top 10 Casting Notices

It's been too many months since we looked at Hollywood casting notices. Many of the auditions for Zach these days are for episodes of TV shows since it is Episodic Season. However, there are always parts to audition for in Hollywood. Let's take a long overdue look at my 10 favorite casting notices from the past few months for scripted shows as well as reality TV shows:

  1. Do you have a messy room? Do you have a really messy room where even you aren't sure what is hiding at the bottom of the pile? We're looking for people 18-27 who live like slobs and want a room makeover. Must be willing to show you room on TV.
  2. There's an app for success and it's our TV show! We're currently searching for people who have the next great app in mind and want the chance to share it with the world. You must be a United States citizen between 21-38 and have an app nobody has heard of before to be considered. Anyone with an idea similar to existing apps will be instantly kicked off the show. Apps must be realistic but innovative as well as forward thinking but comfortable to investors.
  3. Looking for 25-32 female of any ethnicity to play single girl trapped in a room with a zombie. Must be willing to scream at loud volume for hours on end. Must sign waiver that any damage to your voice due to the screaming is not our responsibility.
  4. How far will you go for your shot at fame? New movie casting female, 18-25, for part-documentary and part-scripted movie that is a comedy and a thriller. Willing to live with a complete stranger for a month while also having it filmed? FYI....You will have the chance to speak with the person before starting the living arrangement.
  5. Looking for girls between 21-29 who are experts in flirting for a new series of short web videos. Kissing will be required so participants must be comfortable kissing for long periods of time in front of a crew.
  6. Are you a contortionist? Know someone who is a contortionist? Can you do moves that make people gasp in shock and amazement? We're looking for male contortionists 20-50 for a feature film. Must be willing to show skills at audition.
  7. Voice over actor with French accent needed to play a hedgehog in training for a marathon. Must be good at crying in French. 
  8. Put your killer looks to work as "the killer" in our feature film. Looking for Latin female between 21-32 to play a seductive and deadly thief who steals hearts and trust funds at the same time. Must be well informed on financial issues and how trust funds work when it comes to penalties and restrictions. 
  9. Do you like to sing and dance? Do you love to be the center of attention? If so, this is not the part for you. Looking for male 18-25 to play silent character who makes others uncomfortable with his silence and quiet intensity. No lines in movie or audition,
  10. Seeking females of any ethnicity ages 40-55 to play mother figure to a group of teens who want to be acrobats. Must be flexible, agile and comfortable wearing tight fitting acrobat clothing. Bonus points if you're an actual acrobat.
Do any of these roles sound right for you? If so, you might be on your way to fame and fortune!