Another HBO show!

Hey fellow actors! Can't believe it's been ten months since I last posted. The time seems to fly, and we're almost into a new year!

I've been mostly writing and have had a number of short stories published. But this blog isn't about writing, so why am I telling you that? Well, when the auditions (and roles) slow down -- and they always do -- we need some other creative outlet. It can be anything that allows you to have more control over when and how much you express your creativity.

Maybe it's stand-up comedy, or writing some sketches for you and your friends to shoot and post on YouTube. Maybe it's painting, or poetry. Doesn't matter as long as your creative juices get to flow whenever you want.

So, about this HBO show that I mentioned in the title of this post. Well, as usual, I can't disclose the name, or who's in it (other than me), because it's just starting production (I'm in the pilot). I'll post some stuff about it when it drops on the network. But here's the thing. A couple of months ago I auditioned for a role on this show. And after a few weeks I forgot about it and moved on. Just another audition.

Then out of the blue, my agent called and said they wanted me for another part, in the same show, and could I be on set the next day? Well, sure I could. We shot for 13-14 hours. Then the director said they wanted to add another scene with me, and could I come back the next day? Again -- sure I could. That's a great reason to do our best even if we don't think the role might be perfect for us. And why we want to make interesting choices in our auditions -- we never know what other role we might be considered for.

It was a fun shoot, on location, and it's the fourth show I've done for HBO. I've had co-star, guest star, and recurring roles with them, so it's beginning to feel a bit like home. Now, if they'd just hire me for a regular gig!

In the meantime, here's my view from inside the truck I was driving in a scene.

As for commercials -- I asked my agent why auditions had been slow for most of this year, and he informed me that the majority of commercials being shot in Los Angeles right now are non-union. That's a drag. But for some reason, I've had three commercial auditions in the past two weeks.

That's what I mean about how this business can be busy, then slow, then busy, etc. And to keep our sanity, we need to do some creative work that we have control over.

Cheers,

Michael

The Actor's Guide To Auditioning

What's new & a great free film script site.

Hello all,

Been busy on some projects, so I haven't posted for a while. Was on the new Jane Lynch show, Angel From Hell (4th episode). And it got cancelled after the 6th show. Last time I shot scenes for a new show, it got cancelled before my episode aired, so I guess this time was better ...

Except - that means no residuals. If you're on a network show that runs for a while (as a co-star or guest star), you can expect to pick up another couple of thousand dollars in residuals when the show re-runs. If it gets cancelled, the pay checks end for everyone - star and extra alike.

Sold a short story I wrote, but since that has nothing to do with this site other than maybe what I've talked about in other posts - which is to get into something that goes along with acting - like writing - so you can create your own stuff and not always wait for the phone to ring with a call from your agent.

Anyway, for those of you who follow this blog, here's a nice link. It goes to a site with over a hundred, mostly new, film scripts. And it's free! Check it out for some scenes you can do in class, or as a great course in how to write a script that sells.

http://gointothestory.blcklst.com/free-script-downloads/


Cheers,


Michael

Could I get hurt doing this?

I was talking to a friend of mine, S.B., who is a good actress. She just wrapped filming on a project and had an experience that I've also had (and I'm sure many other actors have had as well.

While filming, you are asked to do something on camera and you're not sure whether it qualifies as a stunt. My friend was pushed aside as another actor shoved his way through a crowd. The actor who did the shoving did it really hard, knocking my friend into the side of a building. And this scene was shot several times, so she came home with a few bruises. On several films I've had to fall down sideways (out of frame) onto a pad.

We all know that if you take a dive off the top of a building, or drive a car really fast in a chase scene, that these are stunts which are almost always performed by a trained stunt person.

But the question is - are my falls, which are really only a few feet, and my friend getting shoved into the side of a building, stunts?

When I've had to take those short falls, I've never asked for a stunt double. I also didn't ask for stunt pay to do those things. I knew I wouldn't get hurt, and that they were safe and simple to do. Now, if the director decided that he wanted me to hang over the side of a tall bridge, I would say "No." I don't like heights and if I had been told ahead of time (like before I signed the contract to play the part), that I would have to hang off the bridge, I would have told my agent that they would need to get a stunt person to do that - or find another actor.

When we're on a set we often get caught up in the thrill of filming and are ready to do anything. However, not thinking carefully about what we are being asked to do is how actors get hurt on the set. Some directors get an idea on the set, and because they are inexperienced, or devious, will ask you to do something dangerous. (A really devious director may wait until your last shot to ask you to do the dangerous thing.)

I once had a director ask me to run barefoot through a dirt lot that had a bunch of broken bottles and rusty sharp metal pieces in it. I said no way. The director got really pushy. Again I said no, making it very clear that I was not going to do it barefoot. When he realized I meant it, he got the wardrobe people to bring me some old tennis shoes. And the shot worked great and he even thanked me afterward, admitting that he got a little carried away with the idea.

As much fun as making a film or video can be, we really do have to watch out for ourselves. Don't take foolish chances just because you don't want to seem like you're a wimp, or that you're being "difficult." Remember, if you get hurt, you might not be able to finish your part.

We should work with joy, not fear.

Cheers,

Michael

What do the terms day player, co-star, guest star, recurring, regular recurring, and recurring regular mean?

Let's start with the ones that are clearest in terms of their use among professionals in television.

Day player and co-star are the same in terms of the work that is done. The only difference is that one term (day player) is contractual, and the term co-star is a credit.

If you are hired on a TV show to speak a few lines (usually between 1 and 10), and perform in 1 or 2 scenes, your contract will be a day player contract, meaning you are paid by the day - usually the SAG-AFTRA scale, plus ten. Day players with several scenes in different locations, or over a number of days, will sometimes be given a weekly contract.

A guest star is usually on a weekly contract (they are paid a weekly salary) and their credit is at the "top of the show," meaning it's at the beginning of the show as opposed to a co-star which is at the end of the show. As you might guess, a guest star has a bigger role that is an integral part of the story line.

A recurring role can be a co-star or guest star who appears in more than one episode as the same character.

Regular recurring, and recurring regular are a little less well-defined, but here's my take on the terms.

Regular recurring is a co-star who shows up on a somewhat regular basis. They may be in episode 2, then in episodes 5, 9, and 13. (In a 13 episode cable series.) Often this actor is not "on contract," meaning they are not critical to the story and if not available they could be written out of that episode.

A recurring regular is a character who is more central to the on-going story. For example, he may be the owner of a soda shop where the characters hang out and there are scenes at the shop every 2 or 3 episodes. Maybe he gives a few words of advice to the other characters. This actor may be given a contract because the producers want to be sure that he is available whenever they need him.

Hope many of these roles are in your near future.

Cheers,

Michael

How the little things can make a difference

6:30 a.m. - House of Lies base camp - downtown Los angeles.

(the food and coffee - very important - is just left of center) 

Hey all,

Yesterday was fun - even if I did have to get up at 4:45 a.m. for a 6:15 call time. I shot my scenes for the Showtime series, House of Lies. Got to work with Don Cheadle and Kristen Bell. Everyone, from the stars to the crew was nice to work with.

We shot on the 11th floor of the Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

And what did I learn? Well, the acting part was pretty straight-forward, but I did get a reminder to check myself in a mirror after scarfing down a crumb donut during a break. Yeah, I still had a crumb or two around my mouth when we got ready to shoot. The makeup person was like. "What's that on your mouth?" And that was just before my closeup, so I'm glad somebody caught it.

We sometimes forget that when we're on a break, we can mess little things up - makeup or wardrobe wise. When I washed my hands after using the restroom, I managed to get a few drops of water on my shirt cuffs. Fortunately the break was long enough that they dried before we shot again, otherwise I would have had to ask the person in charge of hair and makeup to use her blowdryer on the cuffs.

Why am I talking about this kind of stuff, instead of the more "important" acting stuff? Well, because your best acting stuff might not get on the screen if the editor sees something like water spots or crumbs when they are editing the film. For example, with the crumbs on my mouth - if they had shown up in my closeup and nobody caught them until they were editing, the editor would probably drop the closeup and just stay with the long, wide shot where the crumbs didn't "read" on camera. So, because I didn't check my face, I could lose my closeup!

Bottom line is - even though most hair, makeup. and wardrobe people are good at checking us out before we shoot, ultimately, we - the actors - are responsible for making sure we are ready to shoot. Yes, knowing our lines and blocking, and motivation is very important, but when it comes to being on camera, everything is important and can make a difference in what ends up on the screen.

Cheers,

Michael

What I learned from "sort of" doing nudity.

I've done two nude scenes. Well, sort of. The first time was in an indie film about 20 years ago. I say "sort of" because in the script it said that I was in bed with my girlfriend and that I was to jump out of bed when my wife caught us together and run into the bathroom to hide.

The first time I heard that I would be naked was when I got to the set that morning, but like many actors, I bit the bullet and said okay. After all, it was a funny scene and I was in pretty good shape, so why not? Which doesn't mean I wasn't feeling a little nervous about the whole thing.

So, eight hours later, when it's time to shoot the scene, I get into the bed with the actress playing my girlfriend, and remove my robe under the covers (I figured there's no reason to be running around naked any more than I had to). The camera rolls and the director calls "action!" My "wife" runs into the room with a shotgun and I leap out of bed and head for the bathroom. The director yells cut (no circumcision jokes, here) and informs me that they changed the scene so that I'll be wearing underwear. It would have been real nice if someone had told me about this change. I'm a little pissed off, but I get into my underwear and we shoot the scene again a few times.

The second time I was "sorta naked" was doing a sketch on a late night television show a few years ago. Again, nobody told me when I got the gig that I would be doing this, because they (the writers) only thought of it during the shoot. At first I said "no" but the producers convinced me to do it with two things - I would be wearing a "sock" (which is basically a special sock-like thing that goes over a man's private parts), and they would give me a large bonus (yes, that's "bonus"). So, I did the scene and it turned out really funny.

Okay, so what did I learn from these two experiences? Well, in the first one - a non- union indie, I learned that we actors are on our own (no union rules here), but that I should have asked if I could do the scene in my underwear when I was first told about it since I had not agreed to do a nude scene when I was hired. But I was new to professional acting and was intimidated. I didn't realize I had the power to say "no," especially since I had already shot a lot of my scenes and they sure as hell wouldn't have fired me and reshot every scene I was in.

As for a union project, like the TV sketch, they were in violation of the contract. SAG-AFTRA rules state that you must be informed BEFORE agreeing to do a project, that there will be nudity involved in your role. Again, this scene was the last one after several days of shooting, so I could have said no. And if it had been full nudity, I would have - but with the "sock" and yes, the extra money, I was cool with it.

If you don't feel comfortable doing something - and you haven't agreed to do it when you were hired (and that includes stunts, as well), then don't do it. However, if you agreed to do nudity when you were hired, and then changed your mind - the producers do have a right to be upset - and even fire you.

We actors need to feel proud of our work, so keep that in mind whenever you are faced with a tough decision before or after you're hired.

Cheers,

Michael   

What's my motivation?

Well, my acting on the HBO show "Westworld" is done. And even though it was hot and dusty, and there was a lot of "down-time," I will miss the other actors I met, as well as the crew. And speaking of the crew members - it can be of real benefit for us actors to get to know the names of the crew members and treat them nice. When there's a problem, or something you need - like a bottle of water when you're on set, or someone to do a last minute check of your wardrobe, the A.D.s, and wardrobe and makeup people will be there for you.

Depending on the size of the crew, and how much time you are spending on the set, it's not always possible to get to know everyone - even the key crew members - like the D.P., the first A.D., the script supervisor, or even the director! These people are usually very busy and rarely have time to hang out and chat like we actors can often do.

In fact one of the biggest surprises an actor gets their first couple of times on a professional set is how little contact we might have with the director. I learned why the first time I was on a big film set and then a commercial set.

I, of course, asked the director - what do you want me to do? And by that I meant, my character - what kind of emotion and reactions, etc. And the director said, "Do what you did at the audition. It was great - that's why we hired you." It blew me away that the director didn't want to discuss the role and "get into" the essence of the emotional arc, and all that actor-type stuff.

What about the stars? Well, they usually meet with the director before they are hired and that is when they have a discussion about the story and the role. Maybe. Unless you are doing something you are known for, like physical comedy. Then the director is mostly going to trust you to do what you already know how to do, and he will mostly be concerned with the action stuff.

This doesn't mean he or she is a bad director - it's just that most films, many TV shows, and even some commercials, are very complex and there are so many details the director needs to focus on, he just doesn't have the time to discuss every scene with every actor. 

Note: The director on my last project came over, introduced himself and shook my hand. Nice guy - but very busy.

And what about where to move for the camera? That's mostly the job of the first A.D., who has already discussed this with the director, and knows what the director wants. "The first" (as he's called) is usually the one to call "standby," (which means get ready everyone), "background," (this means the background actors should start moving), and "action!" (Which means the principal actors start doing their thing.) Then at the end, the director will say "cut" to the first, who then yells, "Cut!"

In fact, the set I was just on was so big and complex, with so many actors (both background and principal), that the first A.D. had to use a microphone attached to a bullhorn, in order for everyone to hear him call the cues.

So, what does all this mean to us actors? It means that although we may occasionally be on a set where we get to discuss the details of our role with the director, most of the time we need to be prepared to bring what we did in the audition to the set. And that often means making our own choices about things like motivation and character arcs.

There's an old Hollywood joke that goes:
Actor (to the director): What's my motivation?
Director: Your paycheck. 

Cheers,

Michael   

What should I bring to a set?

This question came to mind because I'll be working on a location set in a few days.

Many actors figure that as long as they have a fully-charged smart phone they really don't need anything else. That's not a bad idea, but having been on a lot of sets, there are a few other things I like to have.

I should mention here that I'm mostly talking about working in a principal role. For background work, besides bringing whatever wardrobe you'll need, a smart phone or possibly a tablet, are about the only things you will be able to have with you on the set - and remember, you will often have to leave anything bigger than a phone behind when you are actually shooting.

Principals are able to bring more because we usually have our own little room in a trailer (called a "Honey-wagon"), and can leave our stuff in there when we are shooting. The room will often contain a DVD player and I'll usually throw one or two DVDs in my bag to watch. This is because I've been on too many sets where my scene shoots 6 hours after my call time. This is especially true with "day player' roles where you are only doing one scene out of the whole day - so, you can end up spending a lot of time hanging out in your trailer, waiting.

I'll also bring a book. Either on a tablet or a hard copy. And of course plenty of good music. One of the tricks to getting your energy up quickly after sitting on your butt for a few hours, is to be able to throw on an upbeat song or two when the 2nd A.D. tells you that you'll be on the set in ten minutes.

And although there's usually plenty of munchies at the craft services table, if there's something you like to snack on that's a little different (sunflower seeds, dried fruit, etc.), you might want to bring that with you. I've seen more than a few craft services tables with a few pieces of fruit and a huge amount of candy and cookies. So, if sugar isn't your thing, bring your own snack.

And that's about it. It's all about keeping busy in a low-key way. Because it's exciting to be on the set, newer actors will often spend a lot of time wandering around, unable to sit and relax for long periods. But that can really burn you out on a long shoot, so the trick is to be able to relax your body, but keep your mind somewhat simulated.

Cheers,

Michael