The key to success? Commitment!

Here's a quote from Bryan Cranston after his SAG win on Sunday night:

"When you're an actor just starting out, you never plan for a vacation.  First of all, you can't afford it and second of all you're going to miss something.  So it gets ingrained in your lifestyle that you just go on searching and looking for your next job.  That's what we do forever.  In order to be an actor you need to totally commit.  Absolutely. You can't put your big toe in."

It's a philosophy that is hard for some people to follow once they arrive in Hollywood.  

It's easier to make the commitment when you're only dealing with one child in a family.  It wasn't the ideal situation for The Artist to be separated from his mom (and dog) for eight months last year.  We made it work because we wanted Zach to have a chance to see if this is really what he wants to do with his life.

I've met so many people that have left anywhere from 1-4 other children at home with the other parent.  I've been the odd man in the group because every other parent I've met that moved to Hollywood has been the mother of the child.  I've met some fathers on auditions and film sets but they have always been guys that have lived in Los Angeles for a good part of their lives.

It's tough for those parents to completely focus on acting because they're always thinking about the kid(s) left behind at home.  They plan trips home to see the rest of the family.  They work on getting home for proms, birthdays and school plays.

I get it.  I agree with it.  I understand the need to still be an active part of the family life back home.

It's not that casting directors, agents and managers don't agree with the need to go home on a regular basis.  They just don't have time to deal with it and keep their projects on track.

Which leads us back to the Bryan Cranston quote at the beginning of this post:

"In order to be an actor you need to totally commit.  Absolutely. You can't put your big toe in."

We've made the decision to totally commit.  It's a choice each family has to make but it's never an easy decision.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4115971/

Recent Random Hollywood Moments? Why Not!!!

I’ve been short of time to write a “real blog post” so here is a list of my favorite (recent) random moments from Hollywood:

***I saw what appeared to be a homeless guy standing with his sign on a street corner.  What was the message on his sign?  “Need $2400 to finish major film.  Please help and I’ll thank you at the Oscars.”

***There was a photo shoot going on while I was eating lunch at the park on Tuesday.  The female model was dressed as a nurse hanging with two male models.  One of the guys was holding a turkey while wearing a chef’s hat.  The other male model was wearing a cowboy hat, a bow tie and jeans.  I didn’t even want to know what was going on with that shoot.

***The two guys in front of me at the bagel place were discussing pitching their new screenplay.  They settled on “Think Star Wars mixed with Pitch Perfect and a dash of Django”.

***Even though the Clippers are having a great season, everyone wants to know how to fix the Lakers.

***Colin Hay (from Men At Work) performed at the opening of a BMW dealership.

***I saw another car dealership with a complimentary sushi bar.

***There was a note pinned on the local coffee shop community notice board from a lady advertising her acting skills.  My favorites were “flexibility, keeping plot point secrets and open to any kind of sex scene”.

***I overheard one girl on the phone telling someone, “I hope it isn’t like that time I showed up for a table read and it was just two guys asking to film me licking lollipops”.

***The best name I’ve heard for a 80s tribute band? “Flashpants”.

As always, I’d appreciate it if you take a moment and click on Zach’s IMDb page.  A high ranking on his page will be a big help for him as we enter pilot season!  

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4115971/

I don't have a long rambling post for you today.

Here's some behind the scenes shots of The Artist on the set for the latest Escape The Fate video.  The name of the new single is "Ungrateful".

The Artist strikes a pose fresh from wardrobe and makeup.

A shot of the kid actors on set from smallest to tallest.  All four of the kids knew each other before working together on the video.  They're all part of the improv crew at L.A. Connection Comedy Club.

The actors discuss current movies and video games during a break in filming.

The Artist texts his juice box dealer for a fresh supply.
















http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4115971/

I love the smell of pilot season in the morning

The TV and movie industry is getting back to normal as pilot season begins in just a few weeks. 

Pilot season is when the networks order a produced episode of a proposed show to help them decide whether or not to move forward with a series.  The pilot can be either the first episode of the series or an episode that spotlights the direction of the show if it goes to series.

Even though the production of the shows takes place in the early months of the calendar year, the pilot season process begins the previous summer.  

The networks receive HUNDREDS of “elevator pitches” for new shows from studios, producers, directors and various industry people.  The networks request scripts for (maybe) 100-125 of the shows pitched to them.  They narrow the list even further after they read the scripts.  The networks decide which shows they want to see as a pilot presentation.  The cast and crew for the pilots are then assembled in the early part of the year.  

Pilot season is one of the most competitive times of the year in Hollywood.  It’s also a great time of the year for extended stay apartments as well as folks looking to make some extra cash by leasing a room, home or apartment.  The population in Hollywood grows for a few months as actors descend on the city in an attempt to land a role in a pilot.

There are MANY tips to keep in mind as you put your best foot forward in the audition process.  Here are some of the most important tips:

***Have a current headshot.  This seems like simple advice but many people still use their headshot from the 80s/90s.  It’s also important that the headshot reflects the image you want to give to casting directors.

***Have a copy of your resume reflecting a level of experience that will catch the eye of the casting director.

***Take a change of clothes just in case you spill your lunch or coffee on your audition outfit.  Dryer sheets help get rid of unwanted pet hair on your clothes as well as static in your hair.

***STUDY STUDY STUDY!  Be sure and attend acting classes and workshops to hone your skills.

It’s an exciting time to be in Hollywood!  I’ll have more stories to share soon!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4115971/

A quick "Thank you" to you!

I don't have any gossip or "behind the scenes" Hollywood stories for you on the last day of 2012.

I do have a heartfelt "Thank You" for reading my blog...And for being so supportive of The Artist and his leap into the unknown in California.

I'm very proud of the kid for having the courage to follow his dream of becoming a professional actor.  I'll admit to some moments of doubt and concern.  It's all worth it when I see the joy on his face while he's working on his craft.

I also have to thank his mom for doing something many mothers would never dream of doing...Letting her 13-year-old son move across the country with his (sometimes more immature) dad to chase his dream.

I need to thank you for letting me ramble on about child actors, stage parents, an entertaining but weird apartment complex, L.A. traffic and various other topics on a regular basis. 

If you like my blog, please feel free to share it with your friends.  I'll have more Hollywood stories in 2013 and it's always fun to connect with new readers.

Have a safe and Happy New Year!

A Final Hollywood Story For 2012

Zach finished 2012 with a "nice get" as he was asked to audition for a part on “General Hospital”.

Auditions are normally held at a off-site casting office far away from the main production of a shoot or movie.  The Artist was asked to audition at the production offices of GH.

The front gate of the studio home of General Hospital.

It’s still an odd feeling to walk up to a major television studio to find Zach's name on the guest list. 

Mark Teschner is the casting director for the show.  He's cast thousands of hours of television in his career.

The Artist and I made our way across the lot and were wondering if we should turn left or right to find the set.  We looked to our left and found the answer when we spotted this sign:

The front of the hospital is really on the side of a studio set.  The sign is next to a loading dock made to look like a hospital emergency entrance.

We entered the building and it was like stepping into a real hospital.  The security guard gave us directions to the elevator.  The sign below is the first sight you see after exiting the elevator:

The current cast of "General Hospital".

The Artist signed in at the casting office desk.  I could tell by the look on his face that he was nervous at the sight that greeted him.  There were three other actors in the room and all of them were in the 18-22 age range. 

We looked at each other but didn't say a word about the age difference.  

Out of the three guys in the waiting room, two of them were blonde and bland while the third guy looked like the wrong version of Taylor Lautner.

He had the Taylor Lautner look from the first “Twilight” movie.  He was long haired and skinny with clothes that were too big for his frame. 

If you’re going to try and look like Taylor Lautner you should go for the buff version/popular version of Taylor Lautner.

Zach waited his turn and went in for his audition.  He was in the casting room for a good 10-15 minutes.  He walked out to the sight of two actors his age in the waiting room.  The Artist was relieved to see kids his age trying out for the role.

A cute sign we spotted as we left the audition.  It's next to the ambulance parking lot on the set.











It turns out GH is auditioning two different age groups to determine which direction they want to go with the character.  As always, it’s a case of “hurry up and wait” before we find out any further news from the producers.  

What Happens During An Audition?

A few blog readers have asked me to describe the audition process.   

The process varies depending on the source of the audition.  An audition can come from your agent or manager, a direct message through a casting website, Craigslist, trade magazine ads, a recommendation or pure luck.
 

Having said that, here's a “typical” audition process timeline:

***An audition is posted on one (or more) of the major casting websites.

***Hundreds of actors are submitted for the audition.  An actor might submit himself or the submission could come from an agent/manager.

There were two girls that lived at The Plaza (our old home) that didn’t have an agent or manager.  They were relentless in their submissions and chasing down casting directors.  They weren't super successful at booking gigs but it wasn’t for lack of trying on a daily basis.

***The casting directors and/or the project producers go through all of the submissions to choose who they want to audition for the upcoming part.  

It’s not an exaggeration to say there are thousands of submissions for every open role in Hollywood.  You can almost consider it a victory to be called in for an audition.  The odds of your headshot, demo reel or resume standing out enough from thousands of other submissions are hard to quantify.

***The actor is notified of the audition via email or a phone call.

The actor confirms the appointment and is told the details of the audition.  Are there sides (script samples)?  Is it an improv audition?  What part is the actor playing during the audition?  Is there a specific style of dress or a certain accent needed for the part?

***The actor rehearses and memorizes the sides and arrives at the audition ON TIME.  The casting director wants the lines memorized before you enter the audition.  It doesn’t hurt to have a copy of the script as a “fall back” but it’s best to have the script committed to memory.

***We always bring the sides, a headshot and resume (attached to the back of the headshot), his current work permit and paperwork to prove he has a bank account to protect his money until he turns 18 years old.

***The actor waits his turn until he is called into the audition room.  The room could have one casting director OR it might be filled with casting agents, producers, directors and screen writers.

***The audition itself could be anywhere from 30-seconds to 5-minutes depending on the material and the interest of the casting director.  The actor might have to do different line readings, improvise new lines, answer questions about his take on the character or read the words EXACTLY as they’re written on the page.

***After the audition, actors get to second guess their performance, wait for a call or email with info about a callback/booking and work on getting the next audition.

Any other important notes to remember about auditions?

It's a luxury to get a couple of days notice before the actual audition.  We've had auditions come up anywhere from "can you audition NOW?" to "later today" to "see you tomorrow".  It's the same way with many job bookings.  It's always easier to jump in the car and run when it's for a paying job!

It’s a never ending process.  The odds of hearing “thanks but no thanks” if you don’t book a gig are about one-percent.  The casting directors don’t have time to contact everyone that didn’t book the job.  You have to learn to keep moving on to the next audition and not obsessing over jobs you didn't book.

It’s not easy but it’s totally worth it when you get a booking!

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4115971/