Things progress...

Nothing too exciting or devestating to report. School is going a little better for Eli it seems. My audition classes end this weekend and I can tell that I am auditioning better. Hopefully they will pay off, or at least pay for themselves, by helping book something soon. The sit-com progresses. We may shoot in two weeks. An OC based improv troupe has expressed an interest in me joining...which would be a nice return to the roots of it all. They want me to come watch them preform this weekend. I'm writing a bit more when I can find the time. Lots of creative plates spinning right now.

Debbie is at a rehearsal tonight for Lifelines, the recovery service. We have a band and sing the last friday of the month. It's also birthday night when people get chips for years of sobriety. I really enjoy those weeks.

For all of my talk about TV last blog I really only watch three shows every week: LOST, SNL and Commander in Chief. It kind of stinks that I like Commander in Chief so much because I would definately watch EARL and The Office which are on at the same time otherwise. When we are rich I will get Tivo. Then I can watch five shows a week.

More Actor Ramblings

Well, turns out the cast my part in The Metrosexual before I even got to audition. I was pretty depressed when my agent called with that news. I'm prepared for not getting anything I audition for, even a third callback...but I wasn't prepared to get the call that the audition was cancelled. For some reason that stings a lot more.

But...the pilot is going well. I'm very involved and have pretty much become the casting director now. It's fun to have agents and managers calling me and kissing up. It's a strange industry that can turn on a dime like that. I'm holding auditions tomorrow for three roles...then I have an audition in LA tomorrow night and another on Friday. I'm learning that the more roles you can play (not actor "roles", but business "roles") the better your odds all around.

I've started looking for a manager this week as well. I've never had one because every agent I've ever had had convinced me that I don't need to give away another 10-15%. I'm not desperate for one, but I'm looking for some help to break into the networks.

Eli has been sick and home from school for two days. He seems almost back to normal tonight though (fighting with Aidan and all that.)

Off to watch LOST now...it has been nice to watch TV this season. It's the first autumn in three years that I haven't been stuck in the basement of the RIO every evening.

Good Things.

After two weeks and giving up hope, I received a third callback for the feature film, The Metrosexual. They are supposed to start filming November 2, so we should be getting close to the final decisions. At first I was called in for a supporting role, then called back to read for the lead. This time they want to see me as the sidekick. I definately fit this character description better than the others. I've read the script and this character is in most of the movie...a very big part. That's Tuesday.

Also, the sit-com pilot that I mentioned earlier is progressing very well. They have pulled me into the writing and production meetings. I haven't signed a contract yet, but they verbally promised to make me a writer and co-producer...which could be a very big deal if it gets picked up, financially speaking. We have a writer's meeting tomorrow.

Nearly Normal

The weeks are starting to develop a pattern, which is kind of nice. We are getting used to school and pre-school, though Eli has been experiencing some "bully" issues. Debbie has been working most everyday and enjoying it. I'm averaging about four auditions per week and seem to be working at least once or twice a month on something. The teaching is still a rewarding thing for me on Friday nights. So far so good with church as a whole. Being part-time is great. I have no desire to return full-time...actually less than ever, but it has been nice to use my teaching and leadership gifts on a regular basis.

I have an audition tomorrow for a small part in a feature film and I also have my third class at Margie Haber Studios. They have been good for me. I can feel some sort of breakthrough coming soon with them.

The state of Nevada sent us $275 because they ran a surplus last year and wanted to return some tax money. It almost made me want to move back. Almost. I promptly spent it on new brakes for the mini-van. There is nothing more exciting than getting unexpected money in the mail...and nothing quite so depressing as using it to fix a car.

Tar Pits, Heaven and a Booking

Here we are at the La Brea Tar Pit Museum in LA this weekend. Memaw and Papaw Colbert were here and we had a nice visit, though I wasn't able to be around much at all the last two days. Monday I worked all day on a one-hour documentary for the History Channel called "Heaven." I played the father of a ten year old girl who died and came back to life a few minutes later. The project was very interesting considering my background and all. It should air the first of the year.

Today I had my first of eight classes at Margie Haber Studios. I'm pretty sure that it will be a good thing for me. I had a quick audition for a cell phone commercial after that and then drove back to the OC to meet with a producer/director who is making a TV pilot in the vein of The Office/The Comeback/Curb Your Enthusiasm. We had already spoken on the phone and he offered me a leading role after the interview. He's a music producer breaking into TV and the project sounds very fun. They want me to be a writer as well. It pays a little upfront, plus some on the backend...and it could be big if it gets picked up. They will be shopping it to Showtime, HBO, etc. I'm not banking on it being my big break...but I am excited to collaborate and work in my favorite genre-mockumentary.

I'm hoping for a third callback on the film that I read for last week. It seems within the realm of possibility. As always...we shall see.

Tomorrow is a virtual day of rest. Debbie will be working and I'll take care of the kids after school. Doug and Jennifer Parks are coming in Thursday which will be nice.

Well...I'm going to bed now. I've been up before 5:00 am two days in a row. Most of you know how rare that is...

A Day in the Life...

The last 24 hours of my life have been marginally interesting. Here is summary for those of you who wonder about the life of an aspiring (on a good day) or struggling (on a bad day) actor.

YESTERDAY 2:00 pm: All I know is that I have one audition at 3:45 the following day for a feature film called "THE METROSEXUAL". (I've spent the last few days with Gregg Stokes, so I figure I'm ready.) It is a very small part-one scene.

YESTERDAY 2:30 pm: I'm taking my kids for ice cream after school because Debbie is still working. An e-mail comes in on my Blackberry from a casting agent in Santa Monica. It informs me that I have an audition tomorrow at 11 am for a new NBA video game. It is primarily voice over, but they would use my likeness as well. The character is a Jerry McGuire type agent.

YESTERDAY 2:50 pm: Getting back in the car to take the kids down to the beach to eat the ice cream, though Aidan has finished his by now. (Eli has barely made a dent.) My cell phone rings. It's the producer of a TV show called "History of Heaven" on the History Channel. She calls to put me "on avail" for the following Monday for the a role in the TV show. Being on avail means you are almost hired, but something could still fall through. It also means that I shouldn't accept any other jobs that day until I hear back. I have her promise to call me by the end of the day the Wednesday either way. It's a non-union job with relatively low pay, but it's TV which is better than commercial work.

YESTERDAY 4:15 pm: Back home from the beach. As we walk in the door my agent calls with another audition for the next day at 11:15 in West Hollywood for THE MAN SHOW on Comedy Central. I would be the voice of a monkey who says "Nope." That's it. Pays $700 plus residuals. I tell them about my other audition which conflicts.

YESTERDAY 4:30 pm: My agent's assistant calls back to say that they were able to move The Man Show audition up to 10:30.

YESTERDAY 7:00 pm: After dinner I leave the apartment to study the sides (scripts) for my audition. The Man Show is pretty easy. The others take some work. I return home at 9:00.

TODAY 7:00 am: I wake up and put on my suit since the agent role is early in the day, take a change of clothes with me for the film audition, and drop Eli off at school on my way to LA. 40 miles, 100 minutes later I arrive at the casting office on Beverly Blvd. (This is the worst time of day to drive in.)

TODAY 10:15 am: I sign in for the Man Show audition, fill out a size card (as always.) I wait my turn and go in to read the line "Nope" three different ways. Edd Hall, the old announcer for The Tongiht Show, is there too. We have the same agent. On my way out I find out that the project films Monday...and I am on avail. I say nothing.

TODAY 11:00 am: I make the 12 mile trip from West Hollywood to Santa Monica quickly and sign in for my Video Game audition. It's non-union. (SAG is currently negotiating with the video game industry as to contract specifics anyway.) Pays $1,000/day though. I'm the first for the day and the Casting Director seems very pleased with my performance. I do my voice over auditon first, then some movement in front of the camera. I have now had my first two V.O. auditions ever, on the same day in the same hour. Weird stuff like that happens all the time. I change clothes in the mini-van and get an oil change, lunch and read a few chapters of Margie Haber's book.

TODAY 2:00 pm: The History Channel calls to confirm. I work Monday. I call my agent to let them know. Now I hope that I DON'T get the Man Show because they will conflict.

TODAY 3:30 pm: I finally arrive at the tall office building on Wilshire where my film audition is...on the twelth floor. I walk in the lobby and the elevator is broken. After ten flights I vow to go to 24 hour fitness and transfer my membership, which is still based in Nevada. I sign in and wait. I'm the last for the day it appears. The CD calls me in and immediately says, "I'm surprised we called you in for this role." I used to ignore these things, but I say, "Is there a better role for me to read?" She says, "No...just read it. You're too good looking though." (Sometimes what is bad for the career is good for the ego...so I read.) She gives me direction and has me read again. She looks at my resume and says "Groundlings and Second City?" "Yeah, I have an improv background...500 live improv shows in Vegas." She gives me the script for the film (rare), and tells me to come back Friday and read for the lead. "He's Jewish and you aren't. Other than that you are perfect." I leave and get to my car parked on La Brea at 3:59 pm. They start towing at 4:00 and there is a parking cop behind my car. I smile at him inauthentically and drive home. 40 miles. 2 hours. (This is the worst time of day to come home.) This concludes my third audition of the day and my 19th audition for the month of September.

Well, there you have it. No day is typical. This one was a little more action packed than normal. We'll see what's next.

Help.

Argh! My last two auditions have not been pretty. They were both for big SAG projects and I pretty much choked both times. I used to be so freakin' confident at auditons, before I knew any better. Since moving here I have struggled with SAG auditions because I psyche myself into believing everyone else in the waiting room is a pro and I'm still this non-union wannabe...even though I could join tomorrow and probablty have as many credits as most of them...blah, blah, blah.

So, I drove immediately from my big Coca-Cola audition to Margie Haber Studios and signed up for Audition Technique Classes. Margie is very well known around town and has lots of clients you would recognize. I had taken a workshop with her in Las Vegas last year and she remembered me after a few minutes, which was nice. They have three levels and they placed me in the middle one, which is probably best. The advanced level is really for people who have a lot of SAG film and tv credits and the beginning level is mainly for people who have only done theater and commercials...I'm definately in the middle. Classes start next Tuesday and run four weeks, eight sessions. I need them.

Otherwise, we are doing ok. Debbie's parents come in this weekend to visit for the first time. That should be nice. We will get to go on our first real date in four months! Babysitters are hard to come by these days.

Back Home...

I had a great shoot in Las Vegas and Sacramento on the Intel project. It was very fun and refreshing to work with Gregg Stokes and his team. I hit the ground running with two auditions today and three more scheduled this week. I have always noticed that I audition better after working a few days. We'll see if anything comes of these.

This Friday the little film that I produced premieres at a film festival here in LA. Gerald, the director, is coming down for it. It will be nice to spend a few days with him.

Eli and Aidan seem to be adjusting better to first grade and pre-school respectively. It's fun watching them learn and take social risks. (Eli says he wants to be a Cub Scout. Debbie is worried that would put him on the fast track to nerd-dom, but I was a Cub Scout and I turned out...oh, never mind. Maybe she's right.)

VIva Las Vegas

I'm leaving now for my first of three roundtrip flights between now and Monday. Should be quite a whirlwind. I'm looking forward to it. I was able to squeeze in a few auditions this week as well. One for a TV show.

More when I get back...

It's Who You Know.

And I know Gregg Stokes. Gregg is directing a comedic video for Intel and asked me to be in it. So I'll be working three days next week, two in Vegas and one in Sacramento. I'm very excited about it. Unfortunately, I will have very little down time while I'm in Vegas to hang out with people. I fly in Thursday night, work Friday, fly home for my Friday night teaching commitment, fly back to Vegas friday night, fly home Sunday morning, fly to Sacramento Sunday night and back home Monday night. Crazy, huh?

It's nice to auditions pretty much everyday and then have a friend call and say, "You wanna work next week?" Very nice.

Lots of little things.

1. Labor day. It's actually a little depressing if you don't have a fulltime job. Luckily, the Caldwells came to visit which was nice.

2. Eli. He started first grade this week. We are all adjusting. He likes part of it and definately isn't too fond of some parts. Mom, Dad and little brother feel the same way about him being gone during the day.

3. Aidan. He turns four tomorrow. We've been playing baseball. He's good. He looks bigger all of a sudden.

4. Entourage. It's the greatest show on television and probably worth getting HBO for if you can afford it. It makes me want to be an...

5. Actor. Things have slowed a bit this week and last. A few auditions. Close call on a pilot, but no go. We had an audition for the entire family today. (Sometimes that use real families for commercial work.) It went as well as could be expected.

6. Chick-fil-A. We have been excited that there is a CFA within ten miles of our house. We go about once per week. Today we saw a sign advertising a new store...less than a mile from home. This is great news. After all, they didn't invent the chicken, just the chicken sandwich.

7. Katrina. I'm at a loss. I just know that many of my friends all over the world are doing remarkably selfless things right now because of it.

8. Football. Finally! Sure its unlikely, but for the first time in decades The Ohio State University and the Cincinnatti Bengals could possibly be world champions in the same year. Who dey?

Pilots and Photos

Well, it looks rather certain that I did not land the Nissan spot. Too bad. Today I had a callback for a sitcom pilot. It went well. They said the decisions will be made on Friday.

My acting website now displays some of my new photos if you are interested. Check out www.joeboyd.net.

Callbacks.

I'm all better. I was hurting for 48 hours...mainly just a fever. Then I woke up yesterday and felt fine. The body is strange like that I guess. Lets talk about the "callback" for a second, shall we? Before moving here I had auditioned in LA for about ten projects. I had three callbacks (second auditions) and booked once out of ten. Since moving here I have had thirty-five auditions and booked three smaller projects but no callbacks! (The projects that I booked didn't have callbacks.) So...yesterday was my first real callback since moving here. It was for a national Honda commercial. (The nation is Canada, but what are you gonna do?) It's a very clever and funny spot. Callbacks are at once exhilirating (you realize that someone actually liked something about you) and incredibly frustrating (you show up to find twenty other guys who look exactly like you that they also liked.) It feels like you have almost booked it, until you get to the audition then it feels like even more of a longshot than the first time.

I was talking to a guy waiting with me yesterday. He was saying that his wife always ask how his auditions go and he says "fine." "She hasn't quite got the grasp of the whole lottery system of commercial auditions," he said. When he said that it hit me. At this level...the callback for a major commercial...it's all about the client liking somebody's ear lobe or eye color or smirk more than the next guy. Somehow that relaxed me. So I went in and pretty much nailed it. Five times. They kept saying, "That was really great, just try this...", etc. I left knowing that in that moment I had completely delivered exactly what they wanted. I could just tell. Now I just have to wait this weekend to see if they liked one of the other guy's eye lashes or bone structure more than mine. Cause the other reality is, at this level, most everybody nails it all the time.

Sick.

I have gotten sick somehow. I was in bed for almost 24 hours with a fever and some stomach issues. I have to work tomorrow on a web-based teacher training video. So not getting well is not really an option. I'm also supposed to try to squeeze in an audition during my lunch break tomorrow as well. Should be an exciting day. Here's to hoping I don't blow chunks on the set.

Show me depressed..."Oh, I'm good at that one!"

It seemed rather vain to keep putting pictures of myself on my blog, but then I thought: What's more vain than having a blog in the first place? Since this journal is about my life and this week of my life has largely been about my new headshots, I figure I'll show off a few of my favorites. This one will be sent in for the CSI-ish shows. It reminds me of the guy on HOUSE for some reason. My agent hates my hair in this picture, but I'm going to keep it anyway. There is a lot of Joe in this picture. If that makes sense.

And...I booked again! (yea!), but it's still rather low pay (boo!). $100/day plus meals and gas money. I'd take that everyday if I could get it I guess. It shoots one or two days next week. I play a second grade teacher for a company that makes instuctional videos for the LA school district. I'll be working with little kids for the first time. We'll see how that goes.

I'm a little discouraged with no callbacks from the last few big SAG commercial auditions. I really thought that I nailed the DELL spot. They still may call, but at three days out, probably not. We are still doing well here and haven't gone seven days without a Las Vegas visitor, thanks to a surprise visit from Doug last night.

New Headshots!!

I just returned from a four hour photo shoot! I have over 400 pictures to go through now to choose 6 to post on the casting websites and 2 or 3 to mass reproduce for paper submissions. I couldn't be more pleased with my photographer (Dan Chapman, if you are looking...) or my proofs. My agent saw them and said, "We have a lot of work to do...these are all great."

I'm so glad that my first Hollywood headshots were actually the fourth time that I have had them taken. I finally know the different types and characters that I can play, and more importantly, the types that I get called into auditions for.

Tonight I have to trim them down to 50 so that my agents can make the final decisions. (My agents used to be managers, which bleeds through. I really like it that way. Everytime I see them they pretty much tell me what to do. (ie: get a haircut, don't wear that shirt in public, don't lose any more weight, etc.) In a business where nobody generally gives a crap about anyone else, its nice to know they care, even if it's mainly about the 10% they get from me. Advocates and blunt suggestions are harder to come by then you might think.

4 Auditions, 3 Shirts

I had a good audition for a Dell spot yesterday. It was the best I've felt in a long time afterward. We''ll see. Tomorrow I have three auditions: one for the LA school district, one for Diet Pepsi, and another for Pioneer. Tuesday I go to get my new headshots. I'm excited about having them taken so that I can have more options when submitting to people. Hopefully they will help me get more theatrical (film and TV) auditions. I have some new snappy shirts to wear. I guess if nothing else I get 3 snappy shirts out of the deal. One can never have too many snappy shirts.

Back To One!

The first time I was on a movie set they kept saying that and I had no idea what they wanted me to do...(see title). It means go back where you started and do the scene again. So...

Back to work! I had a rehearsal today for the comedic short that I will be shooting tomorrow and Saturday. It's funny...not very high brow, but funny. (There are more than a few farts throughout.) I have 7:00 am calls the next two days, so it will be early to bed, early to rise. Well, early to rise anyway.

Of course, I got called in for a great audition tomorrow which I can't do because of the shoot. It's a Volvo commercial that shoots for 7 days in Hawaii at 500 per day plus travel, food, 4 star hotel, etc. My agent is trying to get me an audition at the callbacks Monday, but I haven't read for this casting director yet, so that may not happen.

We signed up Aidan for pre-school today. Three days per week for the mornings. I think he will really like it. He always likes being in classes when we go to different churches. Eli finally said that he is excited about first grade. (He's not as big a fan of the classroom setting.) I hope he likes it.

I had to take the Keirsey temperament analysis for the first time ever. I came out an "INTP". It said I should consider being a mathematician or a linguist...the only two subjects in high school that I hated and didn't get A's in. But, also on the list were actor, writer and fine artist. The very first position on the "least common career choices" was "leader of religious organization." Hmmm....

It also said that other people with my personality were Plato, Einstein, Sartre, Descartes, Jung, and Tiger Woods. Which only proves if I was smarter or able to play g0lf I might have amounted to something by now. (I'm pretty sure that was a debasing self-destructive comment common to us INTP's...) It's really cool to say, "I don't believe in personality tests," so I'll say it now. I don't believe in personality tests. Too bad there's something to them.

I found at essay online about INTP's. We are less than 1% of humanity...so that explains a lot. Also, it says that many INTP's become artistic photographers. I can't tell you how many times I've thought about that. I've always suspected that I can see beauty...I just can't create it with paint or pencil. I'm mainly intimidated by the actual equipment, cameras, etc. It's time to move past that. I'm going to start becoming a photographer now. Read the essay here if you want.

Cuts, Bruises and Multiple Piercings

We took a few hits this weekend. Nothing major really, but lets just say we have been using our new health insurance. Eli cut his foot on a rock at the beach a few days ago. He's been to the doctor twice and they assure us that it's not a very deep cut, but he has it bandaged and hasn't been able to walk for three days. He's been crawling and hopping around the house.

Aidan followed suit by falling off the chair at the dinner table and injuring his finger. We don't think it's broken but it is very swollen and he reinjures it every few hours. I spoke at six church services this weekend and my throat is angry with me. I'm a little out of practice with the whole multiple church service thing...it can be more physically taxing than most people realize. Somehow Debbie has remained healthy, which is good since she is the bread winner now and all.

A few interesting things from tinseltown: 1. I booked another short film that shoots this weekend. It's very funny, in a potty-humor/SNL sort of way. I play the lead. It will be good to get in front of the camera again. 2. I have an appointment next week for new headshots with a fancy Hollywood photographer. My sessions in Las Vegas lasted about 20 minutes, this one will be 3 hours. I don't love photo sessions, but its part of it and I finally have a grasp on the sort of pictures that I need to get auditions I want. 3. I met a few interesting people at church with Hollywood connections. They are very excited about trying to help me, which is unexpected and exciting.

And oh yeah, Dennis Rodman was at church this Sunday and heard me speak, though I had no idea he was there and didn't see him myself. So...that's something I guess. A friend of mine went up to him and welcomed him, but she called him "Rodney." He didn't correct her.

I could have walked faster

I spent most of today on the 405. To be more exact, I spent over two hours on a ten mile stretch of the 405 between Santa Monica Boulavard and LAX. Friday afternoon traffic is the worst. I had planned on taking the 5 home, but the radio said to avoid it. It wasn't really as frustrating as you might think. I think I'm still just happy to be here. I didn't even plan on going into LA today but my agent had me drop off my headshots at a few places, one of which was CBS Studio City. The sumbission was for some comedy sketches on the Late Late Show. I normally watch Conan, so I had better catch an episode in case they call me in.

I taught on Jacob tonight at Lifelines. He was a real piece of work if you think about it. I told the story, but I still can't get my hands around God's capacity to bless such a selfish, manipulative jerk. That may be the point, maybe I'm that big of a jerk and God blesses me anyway. Who knows?

It has been a very Vegas weekend here. I saw Sean O'hair and Dale Neven in Hollywood yesterday, then Tim Dunfield and Gene-o were playing at a coffee shop last night in Fullerton. Sabrina spending the weekend here too. It's nice to be with family.

We haven't gone more than seven days without seeing someone from home. It looks like that may continue for a while...I like it that way.