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
I've been working long days this week acting on the Westworld pilot for HBO, so that's why this post is going up on Saturday instead of the usual Thursday. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were 13 hour days, starting at 6-7 in the morning.
Of course it's nice that's there's very little traffic at that hour, but if I'm not shooting, I'm not an early morning person. So - lots of coffee!
I can't give out details yet on the shoot as they are keeping things like story-lines and plot points secret. And this is something for this week's post. The show I'm now working on is one of those that a lot of people want to know about. I've told a few friends, but I'm not posting anything on the internet yet - and here's why:
More and more, you'll find that you have to sign confidentiality agreements (often called nondisclosure agreements) along with the regular contract, especially on films or new shows, (or even the occasional commercial) with a unique plot or surprise ending. And we can understand this. Writers, producers, directors, and actors work hard to keep an audience in suspense with twists and turns in a plot or story-line, and how fair is it to have all that effort given away because its been posted all over the internet for weeks (or months) before the show airs or the movie opens in theaters.
And you really need to keep those confidentiality agreements - if you're caught posting plots or even worse - pictures of the production that you shot on your phone - you may not be fired from that project, but the producers will make notes and you won't work for them again. And they'll probably tell the casting director who you auditioned for and they probably won't audition you again. And - they may tell your agent, who won't be happy because it hurts his reputation to have actors who break confidentiality agreements.
So, can you tell your best friend, or spouse? The answer is - do you trust them enough that they won't post the details to their blog or whatever? Remember, they're not the ones who will get in trouble - you are.
There's a time when the producers will love it that you're talking about the show or film (as long as you're not bad-mouthing it or giving away embarrassing secrets about your fellow actors). And in the meantime, you can say that you're working on the film or show.
Not sure what else you can safely talk about? When you sign your contract, ask the 2nd A.D. what's okay. He or she will probably say something like: "It's okay to say that you're working on 'Title of film' and maybe even what your role is - if its revelation doesn't give away a plot point (like mine does on this project, which is why I'm not disclosing what my role is at this time).
I'm going to do some checking next week when I go in to do some more work, and see what else I can safely disclose. I would have done that this week, but when I have to get up at 5 a.m., I'm lucky to remember where I parked my car.
Cheers,
Michael
