The artist and I have had a busy week. All of our activities have not been related to acting but we've been on the run all week!
Zach and I flew to St. Louis last Friday afternoon. The visit was important for a few reasons.
It gave us a chance to visit his mom and to make sure our dog remembered our faces.
Zach really wanted to hang out with his friends on Friday night but we kept telling him "no way" because his mom (and dog) had not seen him in weeks.
We got to the house at 9:30pm and Zach was greeted at the front door by 10 kids jumping out from behind the house armed with water balloons, over-sized boxing gloves and silly sting. The rest of the night was filled with way too many hyper kids and the artist having a great time.
In our brief visit to St. Louis, I:
***Changed the oil and fixed the back brake lights on the jeep.
***Took care of a tree in the back yard with a chain saw.
***Took Zach to the orthodontist to get invisalign braces (so he can remove them at photo shoots). We had
the molds made before we left St. Louis but we had to go back and make sure they fit his mouth.
***Ran him by his old school to return his text books and have lunch with his friends.
***Took him to his orthopedist appointment.
***Had dinner on Monday night with some friends.
I made sure to schedule the trip around acting jobs. I also made sure his manager and agent knew exactly when we were leaving Los Angeles and returning to town on Tuesday. Everyone knew the plan so what could change the time frame of the trip?
How about a last minute voice over audition on Tuesday at 5pm?
Our flight was scheduled to land in Los Angeles at 3:50pm. I parked in a lot 1.5 miles from the airport. The wait time for the shuttle would be at least ten minutes and then the ride to the truck would also be 10 minutes. The earliest I could leave the lot was 4:10pm/4:15pm. His manager and agent called me on Monday at 5:30pm St. Louis time asking if I could be in Burbank at 5pm LA time on Tuesday.
I don't know if you've ever experienced the joy of rush hour traffic in L.A. but there is NO WAY to get from LAX to Burbank in 45 minutes in rush hour traffic.
Dana and I spent the next hour on the phone with Delta Airlines trying to get an earlier flight out of town on Tuesday. We could get a flight but the cost to change flights would be almost the same price as buying new tickets.
I called the L.A. folks and shared this news and they said "Why don't you just cut an MP3 audition and send it to us tonight?
My first thought was "Why didn't you say that was an option in the first place????"
By the way, I am just venting...Not complaining! I would rather have the problem of the artist being in demand for auditions!
Speaking of auditions...
He had an audition last night to join an improv troupe. I just got the call as I am typing this post that he made it into the group!!!!
The rest of this week is filled with a couple of auditions, school, homework and a meeting with his agent.
He is a busy boy...And that is a good thing!
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
A dadager's work is never done...
The past week has been consumed with auditions (a good thing), the actor making new friends at our apartment complex (a good thing) and getting him enrolled in school in California (good for the dadager...a necessary evil for the artist).
One of the main ways to get him seen by a variety of casting directors is attending workshops. The workshops vary in their focus. Some of the sessions deal with commercial work while others are geared towards movie and television acting.
All of the workshops have one constant feature---Parents who want to tell you how talented their kids are and how the kids got all of the talent from them.
In the past 7 days I have met:
***One "39 year old" mother who launched into a long monologue about her budding rap career and her amazing level of street cred.
***A dad who is convinced that his son is the second coming of Tom Hanks (even though Tom Hanks has not left us).
***A woman who likes to print out audition choices for her daughter and place them on the floor. The final audition choice is made when their dog picks one of the sheets off the floor.
Welcome to Hollywood...Where everyone has a say in the careers of young actors!
One of the main ways to get him seen by a variety of casting directors is attending workshops. The workshops vary in their focus. Some of the sessions deal with commercial work while others are geared towards movie and television acting.
All of the workshops have one constant feature---Parents who want to tell you how talented their kids are and how the kids got all of the talent from them.
In the past 7 days I have met:
***One "39 year old" mother who launched into a long monologue about her budding rap career and her amazing level of street cred.
***A dad who is convinced that his son is the second coming of Tom Hanks (even though Tom Hanks has not left us).
***A woman who likes to print out audition choices for her daughter and place them on the floor. The final audition choice is made when their dog picks one of the sheets off the floor.
Welcome to Hollywood...Where everyone has a say in the careers of young actors!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
A quick update...
Another busy week for the boy wonder...
Zach had a voiceover audition for the Stars War exhibit at Legoland. I was glad to see his comfort level with this audition. He felt that the "VO Thing" was in his blood due to two parents talking on the radio his entire life.
He went to a couple of acting classes...And some other auditions...And did his school work...Plus, the paperwork came in from his commercial agent!
I've signed a few contracts in my life. I've helped draft a few contracts over the years.
My son is barely a teenager and I have never seen a contract this size EVER!
The paperwork includes provisions for commercial work, union work, non-union work, SAG, AFTRA, jumping on one leg work and various other situations.
Guess what I'll be reading this weekend...
I won't be reading the contract tomorrow afternoon. I'm going to take the artist to Hollywood Blvd. so we can watch the (fun) madness at the Oscars.
Is it too late to get us a limo?
Zach had a voiceover audition for the Stars War exhibit at Legoland. I was glad to see his comfort level with this audition. He felt that the "VO Thing" was in his blood due to two parents talking on the radio his entire life.
He went to a couple of acting classes...And some other auditions...And did his school work...Plus, the paperwork came in from his commercial agent!
I've signed a few contracts in my life. I've helped draft a few contracts over the years.
My son is barely a teenager and I have never seen a contract this size EVER!
The paperwork includes provisions for commercial work, union work, non-union work, SAG, AFTRA, jumping on one leg work and various other situations.
Guess what I'll be reading this weekend...
I won't be reading the contract tomorrow afternoon. I'm going to take the artist to Hollywood Blvd. so we can watch the (fun) madness at the Oscars.
Is it too late to get us a limo?
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
There is always a bump in the road
The past week has been a good news/bad news week...
The good news has included a visit from Dana that certainly lifted Zach's spirits. As much as he wants to act like an adult, the visit from his mom certainly put him in a good mood.
The bad news was his first real rejection since he got to Los Angeles. He auditioned for an agent this morning. The audition was for an agent that could score him some TV and movie auditions. The agent decided that Zach is "not ready for his agency".
What does that mean? He is not up to par with his other clients? He had a bad read today? He needs more acting classes?
The self-doubt and second guessing kicked in once I gave Zach the news. I launched into "dadager mode" and gave him a lot of sports pep talk. I talked about "playing for the season win" and not a single victory. We discussed always being on top of his game and making sure the first impression is the best impression. The most important thing I did is put my arm around him and tell him not to be disappointed and to keep moving forward with his career.
He has been here three weeks and has a manager, a commercial agent and a few paid gigs under his belt..More than some people get in two or three years in Los Angeles (COUGH COUGH,,,George Clooney...)
The good news has included a visit from Dana that certainly lifted Zach's spirits. As much as he wants to act like an adult, the visit from his mom certainly put him in a good mood.
The bad news was his first real rejection since he got to Los Angeles. He auditioned for an agent this morning. The audition was for an agent that could score him some TV and movie auditions. The agent decided that Zach is "not ready for his agency".
What does that mean? He is not up to par with his other clients? He had a bad read today? He needs more acting classes?
The self-doubt and second guessing kicked in once I gave Zach the news. I launched into "dadager mode" and gave him a lot of sports pep talk. I talked about "playing for the season win" and not a single victory. We discussed always being on top of his game and making sure the first impression is the best impression. The most important thing I did is put my arm around him and tell him not to be disappointed and to keep moving forward with his career.
He has been here three weeks and has a manager, a commercial agent and a few paid gigs under his belt..More than some people get in two or three years in Los Angeles (COUGH COUGH,,,George Clooney...)
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
The Bright Lights Of The Big City Distracted Me!
Sorry to go so long between posts...
It has been another busy week for Zach. You're only winning half the battle if you get a manager in Los Angeles. It's vital to have an agent to get your name out to decision makers in Hollywood.
Which leads us to the question...What is the difference between a manager and an agent? (Besides the amount of commission they take from an actor..)
An agent represents an actor, model or musician in the entertainment industry. The agent determines your strengths as an entertainer and markets those qualities to others in the hope of getting you work.
A manager looks for work for you BUT he or she is also more of a support person. A manager gives you business and legal advice. A manager also spends more time talking to you about personal issues and makes sure you are "doing okay". You can think of a manager as anything from a surrogate parent to a life coach.
His agent is located on the Miracle Mile in Los Angeles. The Mile is home to the Petersen Automotive Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the A&D Museum. I don't mention these landmarks to brag about the agent location. I bring them up to point out how out of place a dude in a giant red pickup looks driving down the Mile.
Just like Billy Joel...I'm gonna cruise the Miracle Mile.
Next time...I'll talk about Zach's first paying gig!
It has been another busy week for Zach. You're only winning half the battle if you get a manager in Los Angeles. It's vital to have an agent to get your name out to decision makers in Hollywood.
Which leads us to the question...What is the difference between a manager and an agent? (Besides the amount of commission they take from an actor..)
An agent represents an actor, model or musician in the entertainment industry. The agent determines your strengths as an entertainer and markets those qualities to others in the hope of getting you work.
A manager looks for work for you BUT he or she is also more of a support person. A manager gives you business and legal advice. A manager also spends more time talking to you about personal issues and makes sure you are "doing okay". You can think of a manager as anything from a surrogate parent to a life coach.
His agent is located on the Miracle Mile in Los Angeles. The Mile is home to the Petersen Automotive Museum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the A&D Museum. I don't mention these landmarks to brag about the agent location. I bring them up to point out how out of place a dude in a giant red pickup looks driving down the Mile.
Just like Billy Joel...I'm gonna cruise the Miracle Mile.
Next time...I'll talk about Zach's first paying gig!
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Now it's for real...
Zach signed on the dotted line yesterday with a manager in Los Angeles. I know this will sound strange BUT suddenly what is happening to him is real to me.
He got a multi-year deal with the agent so it appears they are ready to invest their time and effort into his career.
Some of the items they wanted before signing him included a passport (awesome..where are we going???), 50 head shots, a copy of a government issued social security card and a work permit.
The next phase starts next week with agency meetings, acting workshops and a print job where Zach will be in a tampon print ad. No, I am not kidding...
On a whim earlier in the week I applied to be a panelist on a game show. I got a callback from the producer (two hours later!) and so I found myself in Culver City yesterday for an
on-camera audition.
If I pass the initial round I will be brought back in a few weeks for another audition.
Wish me (and the boy) luck!
He got a multi-year deal with the agent so it appears they are ready to invest their time and effort into his career.
Some of the items they wanted before signing him included a passport (awesome..where are we going???), 50 head shots, a copy of a government issued social security card and a work permit.
The next phase starts next week with agency meetings, acting workshops and a print job where Zach will be in a tampon print ad. No, I am not kidding...
On a whim earlier in the week I applied to be a panelist on a game show. I got a callback from the producer (two hours later!) and so I found myself in Culver City yesterday for an
on-camera audition.
If I pass the initial round I will be brought back in a few weeks for another audition.
Wish me (and the boy) luck!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Entering the belly of Hollywood
Tuesday was filled with excitement and nerves because Zach had a meeting with a management group in Studio City. He is ready to become an actor but I think yesterday was the first day it really hit him that his career is moving forward because he met with A BIG TIME HOLLYWOOD MANAGER.
The meeting was the expected interview/Q&A ("Where Do You See Your Career In 5 Years?" "What Type Of Roles Do You Want To Play?", etc.) and feeling us out to see our commitment to Zach's career.
I was also nervous because I've dealt with managers before but never for my kid. We left the office with an offer for management and a contract in hand (ok..in my e-mail's hand)!
As great as it is to have a manager, we still need to get an agent...Which we are working on next week.
I couldn't do much about it today because I had to go to Van Nuys to get Zach's California work permit. The two items required for a work permit are a birth certificate and a letter from his school. The letter has to state that he is a student in good standing and is able to work in Hollywood with the blessing of the school.
The waiting room was full of people of all shapes and sizes. Old actors, young actors, foreign actors, children forced to become actors by their parents, adults hoping to change their life by becoming a star in Hollywood and me.
Getting the permit was no problem...The only problem was the dueling IMBD battle going on in the room between the various parties. Everyone was a star in their mind and better than anyone else in the room. The funny part was no one was able to list an IMDB credit that happened in the last 8 months.
Starving actors all around me....
The meeting was the expected interview/Q&A ("Where Do You See Your Career In 5 Years?" "What Type Of Roles Do You Want To Play?", etc.) and feeling us out to see our commitment to Zach's career.
I was also nervous because I've dealt with managers before but never for my kid. We left the office with an offer for management and a contract in hand (ok..in my e-mail's hand)!
As great as it is to have a manager, we still need to get an agent...Which we are working on next week.
I couldn't do much about it today because I had to go to Van Nuys to get Zach's California work permit. The two items required for a work permit are a birth certificate and a letter from his school. The letter has to state that he is a student in good standing and is able to work in Hollywood with the blessing of the school.
The waiting room was full of people of all shapes and sizes. Old actors, young actors, foreign actors, children forced to become actors by their parents, adults hoping to change their life by becoming a star in Hollywood and me.
Getting the permit was no problem...The only problem was the dueling IMBD battle going on in the room between the various parties. Everyone was a star in their mind and better than anyone else in the room. The funny part was no one was able to list an IMDB credit that happened in the last 8 months.
Starving actors all around me....
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