Survey Says...Time to Film!

Filming a TV show is not always confined to a sound stage. Location shoots happen all across the city of Los Angeles and these shoots involve the arrival of film crews, equipment trucks, actors, security and blocked roads.

A TV show filming in a building near you can be a surprise if you're not paying attention to signs posted in the area near the location shoot. I'm not talking about signs that are posted the day of the filming. There are signs alerting people to the upcoming production posted anywhere from a few days to a week in advance of the filming dates.

One of the signs/notifications is a filming survey and it looks like this:

This filming survey was posted in the lobby of our building a few weeks ago. The form is not the one used to request the approval of filming activities. It is posted so the company that coordinates filming permits for on-location shoots will know if anyone has any concerns about the proposed filming location, dates or times.

The amount of complaints or concerns they get varies per production and neighborhood. Some people just don't care because location filming is a part of daily life in Los Angeles. It can be a pain at times because traffic can be stopped and parking can become an issue thanks to the production trucks. Overall, it is not that big of a deal.

However, some people HATE filming that takes place on their street. They don't like the extra vehicles and activity and they seem to view it as a major inconvenience to their lives even though most film crews go out of their way to be respectful to those that live in the impacted neighborhood.

The only time I hate having film crews on our street is when they take a lot of the extra parking spaces.  We have two parking spots in our building but we have three vehicles.  I park on the street because I want Dana to be able to easily park in our garage and enter our building since she leaves early in the morning for work (and it keeps her safe). I let Zach park in the other spot because he is coming and going at all hours thanks to school, acting, stand up gigs, auditions and hanging out with his friends. I don't like the idea of Zach having to find parking late at night and walk through the neighborhoods to get to our building.

We live in a nice area but I am concerned with keeping them safe.  Plus, they both drive nice cars and I feel the odds of someone stealing my truck with 160,000 miles on it are pretty low compared to their vehicles. I can usually find a spot close to our building but there have been times that I've parked three or four streets over thanks to a large number of cars in the neighborhood.

FYI...The production crew did film some scenes for "Good Girls" near our home. It wasn't too bad because they were on Ventura Blvd in a restaurant so they were already filming on a really busy street. The production trucks didn't make that much of a difference in the daily traffic of the neighborhood because is is already a busy area thanks to restaurants, retail shops and grocery stores in the area.

I've never watched "Good Girls" but I might have to start so I can see our neighborhood on TV.

This actor has been on location many times for TV and movie shoots.

What Skills Does An Actor Need In Order To Succeed?

Acting is certainly an art but it's also a business you need to learn how to navigate. It takes a combination of luck, business skills, talent and common sense to make your way through the business of being an actor. When it comes to finding success in Hollywood, what skills does an actor need on a daily basis?

• Read the sides - Zach and I were reminded of this simple skill just a few days ago. He auditioned for a sitcom and the role was for a kid who thinks he is a punk rocker. The sides specifically said not to dress as a punk rocker but to have the attitude associated with that type of person. Zach got to the audition and the first thing he saw was a room full of kids dressed like punk rockers. Zach instantly stood out from the crowd because he read the sides and followed the instructions.
• Read the room - This simple piece of advice means paying attention while waiting for your turn to audition. Are the auditions going fast or slow? Can you hear the people in the room? If so, are they happy or cranky or asking lots of questions? Reading the room before you enter for your audition means you will have a better idea of what to expect when it is your turn to read for the casting director.
• Don't be late - You wouldn't want to be late for work or a business meeting. Since that is the case, why would you be late for your audition?  The times for audition appointments are scheduled to get the number of actors they want to see through the room on time. Don't be "that guy" and be late for your audition. You will definitely make an impression on the casting director but it might not be the type of impression you want to make that day.
• Don't make excuses - Stayed out too late and didn't get up in time to learn your lines? While you might get a little bit of sympathy, the majority of the cast and crew don't care. There are plenty of actors ready and willing to take your place so don't make excuses for not knowing your lines. Be professional and ready to perform!
• Don't improvise your lines - Want to find the easiest way to offend a writer as well as the director? Make up your own lines in a scene. The script you get each morning on set is the final product and it's not your job to improve or change the dialogue.
• Get out there and work it - "Working it" can be anything from attending a play to working on your own script to taking an acting class to networking at a casting workshop. There are many avenues available for you to be seen and meet others in the industry. You have to make the effort to get out there and give your career the boost it needs to rise above every other person in Hollywood who wants to be a working actor.

This actor can work a room as well as a crowd at a comedy show.

A Recap of (Recent) Life in Hollywood

Instead of focusing on one topic this week, I'm going to do a mixed bag and discuss a variety of "life in Hollywood" events from the last few weeks.

• I was recently approached by a writer, who is also a bestselling author, about doing a profile piece on me. He found my blog and wants to feature me in a magazine article about people who take the unexpected path in life. We are working out the final details and the interview should happen in a few weeks.
• Zach, along with two of his friends, decided it was time to give back to the community. They helped plan and implement a bowling event to raise funds for cancer research. The "Bowling Bash To Strike Away Cancer" raised over $15,000 during the 3-hour event. They served as the red carpet, social media and recruitment chairs for the event. They also helped host the bash and enlisted some of their talented friends to perform as well as serve as the official event photographer and event support. It was nice to see them excited about helping a great cause and work so hard to make the event such a success.

Zach Louis hosting the start of the ceremony.

• I've had a couple of conversations in the last week about turning my blog into a book. In fact, I've spoken with two people from different companies in the past week about writing a book. One of them found me through hashtags I use regularly on social media. The other person found me searching for blogs about acting and Hollywood. I'm in initial talks with them and it's definitely an intriguing idea.
• There was a production crew in our neighborhood last week. I discovered them while taking Doc on his morning walk. The crew asked us to stop for a moment while they finished filming a scene. I was fine with waiting but Doc kept pulling on the leash, When it was finally time for us to pass through the trucks and crew, I noticed Doc had peed on the stack of daily sides left on the ground by the guy who wouldn't let us pass. I smiled at Doc and quickly started walking. My dog knows how to show his displeasure while not messing up the scene being filmed.
• Zach just started his summer vacation from college. On the agenda for this summer? Creating a YouTube channel and its content, writing new stand-up material and testing it around town, guitar lessons, sleeping late, acting classes and auditions. It might be summer break from school but the kid doesn't know how to take it easy. He is determined to create opportunities while waiting for auditions from his agents.

Writing this update reminds me I need to get book proposal samples together for both of the interested parties! I need to review the samples closely because spell check likes to spell "dadager" as "dada get" or "da did ma". Looks like a manual review night ahead of me.

This actor is looking forward to summer fun.

7 Tips Every Actor Needs To Know About Being A Professional

I often discuss specific topics surrounding the world of acting such as auditions, agents and acting classes. While these are important topics, there are still many parts of the business of acting that are important for anyone interested in making acting their career. In no particular order, here are a few tips that can help you on a daily basis:

• Don't Be Late - While this might seem like obvious advice, many people don't take it to heart. There are thousands of actors in Hollywood trying to book jobs and be successful in this field. Even though traffic is horrible here, there is no reason not to plan ahead so you will be on time for a job or an audition. In fact, it's always better to be early than simply be on time.
• Learn Your Lines - Once again, this is amazingly obvious advice but it's not always followed by actors. Unless the job you booked specifically calls for improv, learn the lines that are sent to you. You need to know the lines by heart before you can begin to dive into the emotional aspects of the role. Also, don't attempt to make the lines "better" by tossing in your ideas and improv. Unless you want to insult the producers and writers of the project, don't simply change the lines to "fit your character" since you didn't create the character!
• The Business Isn't Fair - Most people know this fact but a few cling to the belief that they've done nothing wrong when they don't book a job. Also, you might book a role and then your part is cut for time. Your dream project might lose its financing. Don't dwell on why something didn't go your way with your acting career. Holding in the negative feelings and energy will only hold you back.
• Make A Choice - Will you conduct your career being prepared and ready to put in the work? Would you rather fly by the seat of your pants and hope that a big break lands in your lap? How you navigate your career is up to you but be prepared for the good and bad results of your approach.
• Don't Be Your Worst Enemy - When it comes to actors, they are their own worst enemy. From being unprepared for an audition to not rehearsing for a booked job to not arriving on time, you can do more damage to your credibility in the industry than anybody writing a review of your work.
• Get It Right The First Time At An Audition - You are not entering an audition to be coached by the casting directors. You are there to blow them away the first time. They might ask for different line readings because the production is not absolutely sure what they are looking for when it comes to character motivation. Be flexible and give other line readings if requested by them. When it comes to first impressions with your initial reading, be prepared to blow them away! 
• Don't Make Excuses - The production that hired you for a job doesn't care that traffic was bad this morning. The casting director at an audition doesn't want to hear how your power went out and you couldn't download the audition sides. Your agent doesn't care why you didn't show up for an audition they submitted you for that happened three hours ago. Acting is a business and these excuses don't matter because there is always an actor more than willing to take your audition slot or work the job you were late arriving to on the day of your shoot.

Acting is fun. Acting is an art form. Acting is also a business with many rules and expectations that should be obvious to all actors. Keep the above tips in mind as you navigate the world of Hollywood and you'll be viewed as a professional ready to get the job done at all times.

This teen actor has been taught to always be professional when working or auditioning.

My Favorite Casting Notices That Shouldn't Exist

There are hundreds of casting notices sent out every week in Hollywood. While most of them seem normal, there are others that make me do a double take after I read them.  Here are my five favorite odd casting notices from the past week:

1. Dirty Disney Burlesque Show - What more needs to be said besides that great title?
2. Male 18-35 needed to play the part of penguin wings that are able to fly after the owner of the wings takes mushrooms in an Arctic trailer park. You will not be playing a penguin. You will be playing the wings.
3. Soft bodied Korean senior citizen needed to perform hardcore rap song about the dangers of too much Viagra on a consistent basis. Must be willing to be nude except for a prosthetic FOV (Friend of Viagra). 
4. Do you like trains? Do you like having coal on your face? Do you enjoy wearing a train conductor hat? If so, join our new theater troupe that performs guerrilla plays in front of unsuspecting Amtrak passengers. Must be willing to keep performing no matter how much the passengers might complain.
5. Looking for a female 49-65 to play the part of a sexy grandmother to three llamas. Must not be afraid of llamas. Must be willing to feed llamas. The llamas are the stars of the production so you must be willing to accept second billing to the llamas.

The above casting notices are the ones that made me laugh the hardest this week. They are also the notices that made me curious why they even exist.

I guess the only answer is..."That's Show Business!"

I'm not sure how this actor feels about llamas. He does enjoy trains.

How To Dress The "Acting Part" On A Budget

Wardrobe is a big part of the daily existence of an actor. While big budget movies and television shows have their own wardrobe departments that supply the main actors and major guest stars with their outfits, many actors don't have the opportunity to work on larger productions. They work on commercials, do background work and book smaller guest star roles that require them to supply their own clothes. Some smaller shoots do have clothes on hand to help fill-in various wardrobe needs with standard size generic looking clothes. More often than not, the actor booking the role will get a call from wardrobe asking them to bring specific types of clothes to the shoot. The clothing request is made so the production will have outfit options for various scenes.

What's an actor with a limited budget supposed to do when they book a job for the next day with wardrobe requests? What are the best choices in Los Angeles for camera ready clothes on a budget?

The following is not a comprehensive list of places to shop for clothes on a budget. It is more of a "starter kit" to help find stores to shop at for auditions or booked jobs:

1. The Council Thrift Shops (NCJWLA/National Council of Jewish Women) - Worth checking out for the occasional name brand clothing. Multiple locations around Los Angeles.
2. Berda Paradise Thrift Store - A play on words as well as the first name (Berda) of the founder of the store. A thrift store with a good heart as it benefits the Hollywood Sunset Free Clinic. Vintage clothing, name brands, purses and other goodies can be found at this store on Sunset Boulevard in Silver Lake.
3. American Cancer Society Discovery Shop - A set of stores across Los Angeles near and dear to my heart as my wife works for the American Cancer Society. There is sometimes more of a focus on furniture and home decorating items but still worth checking out for a few clothing items.
4. Wasteland - With three locations in the Los Angeles area, Wasteland is a definite resource for clothing on a budget. The actor searching for clothes will find anything from designer suits and jeans to shirts perfect for auditions and hanging out with friends. There is also a good selection of casual clothes. Wasteland is a place where almost any style of clothes can be found on the right day at a good price.
5. It's A Wrap - This is kind of an odd place because the clothes in the store are actual wardrobe pieces from TV shows and movies. If nothing else, it gives an actor a good idea of the wardrobe style of various productions. Plus, where else can you buy a random outfit from "Dancing With The Stars"? There's one location in Burbank and one on Robertson Blvd on the Westside.
6. Squaresville - A 2-story vintage store on Vermont with a little bit of everything in terms of clothing. Casual and designer clothes, shoes and accessories can all be found at this store.
7. Out Of The Closet - There are three or four locations of Out Of The Closet around town. Their selection of clothes shares space with housewares and books with part of the proceeds benefiting the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. 
8. Jet Rag - A vintage clothing store on La Brea that sometimes leans towards more eclectic selections but still worth checking out on a regular basis. It can be a little crazy on Sundays when they hold their $1 sales.
9. Crossroads - The number of Crossroads locations across Los Angeles makes it easy to find a location. Although they are not big on dress clothes or designer wear, they are a great option when searching for more casual outfits.
10. Buffalo Exchange - Their tagline says they specialize in new and recycled fashion. This is true as new/gently worn clothes hang next to vintage concert t-shirts and faded jeans. A good place to shop for stage clothes as well as clothes for filming.

In a city the size of Los Angeles, there are dozens of options when it comes to shopping for acting clothes. There are many recycled and vintage clothing stores that sell outfits that still look brand new. It's always nice to wear an outfit that cost very little but still looks like a million bucks.

The parents of this actor have had good luck at thrift stores.

My 200th Anniversary Blogpost Blowout Extravaganza

It's hard to believe this is my 200th update from Hollywood. To mark the milestone, I'd like to share some things I've learned about the acting business and Hollywood since I've started this blog:

• Every actor I've met since moving here is a "working actor". Everyone is not an actor that gets paid to act but they all claim to be working actors.
• Almost every restaurant is a museum of headshots collected over the lifetime of the restaurant. Depending on the age of the establishment, there can be headshots dating back to the 70s and earlier.
• While the city of Los Angeles doesn't solely revolve around the entertainment industry, it is the main topic of conversation on a daily basis.
• Did you miss the awesome car chase that happened last night? Don't worry. There will be another one later this week. Los Angeles has more police chases that go on for hours than any other city I know.
• You can't go more than 2 days without stumbling across a production crew filming in a neighborhood. It's very commonplace to see a group of production assistants running up and down the street keeping everything running smoothly for the rest of the crew.
• Spending Friday nights at Nick on Sunset watching my kid film a Nickelodeon television show is not how I imagined my Friday nights on the Sunset Strip when I was in my 20s.
• Traffic is hardly ever in your favor and never easy to predict. I've been in my truck for 3 hours attempting to drive 6 miles to an audition while also making it from my home to LAX (17 miles) in 20 minutes (which should never happen!).
• The best celebrity sightings are at the grocery store. Zach bumped into Kanye West once at a Ralphs (and I mean he really bumped into him) but didn't get yelled at by Kanye since Zach was only around 13-years-old at the time. I like to think that Kanye wouldn't yell at kids.
• You never know when you will run across a celebrity or a "celebrity" in town. The most random celebrity sightings I've had include Charles Fleischer (voice of Roger Rabbit), Jack Box (mascot of Jack In The Box), Toby Keith greeting my dog at a 7-Eleven and Sandra Bullock at a farmers market.
• People in Beverly Hills tend to give you an odd look when you want to valet park a large red pickup at a restaurant.
• Almost everyone who moves to Los Angeles never accepts the fact that they are Los Angeles residents. They could live here one year or 20 years and they will still tell you that they are from (insert name of their hometown). I understand having pride in where you come from but they never seem to accept the fact that they live in California.
• People that you don't even realize are actors will randomly appear on your television screen. Places that you dine at will suddenly be the setting for an important scene on a TV show. We once spotted our apartment building manager as a bartender at one of our favorite restaurants (that doesn't have a bar) on a FOX sitcom and then he was on TV the next night being questioned in a murder investigation on ABC.

Thanks for following Zach's adventures as well as my blog for the last 200 posts. Pilot season starts in early 2016 so a new round of actors moving to Hollywood is about to begin. I'll be bringing you behind the scenes stories as well as plenty of other Hollywood tales and adventures in the coming year.

Check out the new photos of this actor on IMDb.

Did You Get The Notice?

Filming notices don't come in the mail in Hollywood. They are posted all over neighborhoods and surrounding businesses so residents will be aware that film crews are arriving soon.

The notices I'm talking about are filming notice signs.  Here's an example of what a typical notice looks like:

An extra long photo for your viewing pleasure.

These notices went up in our neighborhood last week for a shoot that happened this past Monday and Tuesday. I often take Doc for a walk on the street listed on the notice. The two of us walked past the home where the filming took place earlier this week. The street was filled with production trucks, security, parking restrictions, actors, crew members and PA's who took a break from being ordered around to bond with Doc for a few minutes.

Los Angeles residents see these signs on a daily basis and rarely give them a second glance. It's not uncommon to see them posted on restaurant doors, apartment buildings, light poles and school fences (just like the above photo).

The notices are issued by FilmLA and the signs are known as "neighborhood notifications". The signs give the neighborhood a "heads up" that film trucks will be rolling into their neighborhood. The notices usually appear two or three days before a production crew arrives in a neighborhood.

The notices also contain the contact information for the production company as well as the number for FilmLA in case there are any questions or concerns from the neighbors. Many neighborhoods don't mind filming happening in their area (it is Hollywood after all) but the residents do need to be aware of any special effects or stunts that might be part of the filming schedule.

The notices also give people enough time to decide if they want to sit back and watch the magic happen or if they want to make plans elsewhere in LA until filming is over for the day.

The ratio for filming in the neighborhood is 60/40. About 60% of the time, it all just blends in with the regular neighborhood activity. The other 40% of the time, it is a pain to navigate around the road barriers and random crew members standing in the middle of the road smoking.

On the plus side, it's like the circus has come to town each time a film crew arrives for a location shoot.  There is a ton of activity, cool lights, too many people crowded in work vehicles so they look like clown cars and the occasional wild animal is part of the fun.

This actor has worked on a few projects that required neighborhood notifications.