I put an audio snippet from my audition for the Marvel Enterprises contest, "THE ULTIMATE VOICE TALENT SEARCH" (back in November).

Check it out here!

As a quick re-Cap (hah!), Marvel is making an animated DVD of The Ultimates (their modern incarnation of the Avengers), and are supposedly using the contest to find voice talent (Check out my original blurb here).

I filmed my audition at the Production Block in Austin, Lainie Frasier directed, and I mastered and mixed the audio, video, and soundtrack.

Speaking of soundtrack, you'll notice the music is from the Halo 2 soundtrack. The recent incarnation of this franchise consuming a chunk of my life, so I thought some tunes from Martin O'Donnell, Michael Salvatori, Nile Rodgers, and .. oh yeah, those Breaking Benjamin guys would really juice up the clips.

Video of the booth session coming soon (in theory) ...

"Where does he get those wonderful toys?"

"Where does he get those wonderful toys?" (Batman).

OK, so I like toys. Not the embarrassing-to-find-during-an-airport search kind, just gadgets and action figures.

I had a goal to make nice to myself everytime I landed a gig, but I've lowered my expectations and now make a mad purchase when I feel I've done really well at an audition. I tend toward the more obscure toys, like Beta Ray Bill (who gets a new limited series starting January), Kingdom Come Hawkman, etc.

So, thanks to my Southwest Airlines swimsuit audition a couple of weeks ago, I recently added Archangel from the Toybiz Marvel X-Men collection. This thing looks awesome, is "super poseable" (his hands are segmented, and his freakin' feet are jointed!) and faithfully captures the resurrected character.

For those in the know, you'll remember that the Angel (Warren Worthington III), had the wings he was born with amputated during the Uncanny X-Men "Mutant Massacre" story arc (the same arc that saw fan-favorite gentle giant Colossus kill someone for the first time). X-Men enemy Apocalypse grafted a new costume and cybernetic wings onto Warren, which was kind of like Warren trading in his soul to be able to fly again.

If the stigma "geek" can be attributed to it, I'm probably interested in it ...

And they're "Action Figures" -- not "Dolls"!

I had an industrial audition for PPD (the pharmaceutical company) at Casting Works LA.

What made this one fun is that it was a non-dialog piece where we had to mime-open a non-existent medicine cabinet, choose a real medicine cabinet item (mouthwash, floss, etc.), do something with it, put it back, and "close" the cabinet.

I figured they're seeing several dozen people open and close this fake medicine cabinet, so I showed in pajamas and slippers. I was there to have fun, and I did. Wish it wasn't such a short audition, though ...

I did an a.m. voice audition for Arnie Reyes (Floppy King Productions, LLC). This for his film, Sticks & Stones, for 3 VO roles (News Anchor, Televangelist, and "Ethereal Voice"). We'll see what shakes out of it.

Floppy King Productions, LLC was also involved in Brilliant Blue Films, LLC's Bunny & Clydo, in which I have a small featured part (in theory; I havent' seen the final cut, yet). Watch the trailer at iFilm.com -- it rocks.

I'm trapped on travel for the toy job, and had a great connection tonight with Selina, a Bay Area bartender.

Those that know me may wonder at the connection (aside from my fascination with alliteration), but Selina and I had a great conversation about our three-and-a-half year-old daughters, the "ah-ha!" of realizing they're becoming their own people, the need to let go as parents, religious attachment in a non-compatible world, and some other brief but immensely important topics.

All a tribute to the importance of people listening to people, folks is folks, or ... something ...

... Plus she had this awesome dual dragon tattoo she showed my co-workers and I at the small of her back ...

MangAdam likes turkey. And pecan pie. Really likes pecan pie ...

I had an interesting audition for Beth Sepko Casting today, for a Southwest Airlines spot.

I say "interesting" because it's November, and the spot required us to be in swim suits; I wore a bright yellow one. Ah, those Southwest folks are wacky! Here we are, a bunch of actors cycling through the casting office in our swim wear. Yes, Dear, the audition did take that long. And the carpet is ... uh ... blue? No -- Yellow!

In all seriousness, kudos to Beth for making what could be an awkward and stressful audition feel safe and comfortable.

And she didn't say I looked like a fuzzy banana, which I thought was kind.

This just in from I've-been-googled: I've been googled!

How cool is that? I review my Web traffic logs on a weekly basis, and I've finally been directly googled (that is, people typed "Adam Creighton" in Google).

No, I wasn't the one who typed it in. And yes, it feels good ...

Last night's Austin Callback showcase absolutely rocked on so many fronts!

With 80+ folks in attendance, our pilot two-act (rather than the full three-act) film community showcase let people see 14 actors in professional, finished film clips -- some of which have never seen distribution.

Act II of the showcase saw four actors (two sets of two) doing a "public cold read", having received scenes an hour before the performance. The actors would run through their scene, then run through it again after receiving awesome coaching and direction from Mona Lee, who by her generous participation kicked off the event in big way.

Along with Mona, actors Ron Tater, Vivian Vives, Rick Azulay, and Sarah Paige courageously put themselves out there in front of a huge crowd, took risks, and showed us the craft they love. And Sarah's second performance was probably the highlight of the evening.

Creator and co-producer Brad Koester still got to enjoy the fruits of our collective vision, despite running around like mad on the technical front.

Of course, I don't think I'm being overly immodest in saying that Frank Brantley and I absolutely ripped it up as the tag-team, separated-at-birth Emcee duo.

Thanks to all of the actors, technical staff, sponsors and participants, and audience members who made last night possible. And if you thought this was good, wait until the first of the year ...

Who is this MangAdam, anyway? ...

What a great day in the acting life today!

This afternoon, I did an audition for Joel Block at The Production Block Studios for Houghton Mifflin. The gig would be for reading books to pre-K kids. In theory, this should be right up my alley, but I talk fast -- keep up, Kiddos!

Then, it was off to Mean-Eyed Cat for an Austin Callback planning meeting. This Friday is our "pilot showcase", so please come and support this film community showcase.

Then, it was off to Van Brooks's Film Acting class. We brought out own scenes tonight. I don't get to do the Joss Whedon scenes I wanted to do, but I do get to do a sweet sentimental scene from the animated X-Men: Evolution episode, "On Angel's Wings" -- and I get to be cyclops!

Great day in the acting life; not such a great day in the toy job life, so I'll be playing catch-up tomorrow.

MangAdam is coming ...

It's 5 p.m. in Austin, and it's cold, foggy, and rainy -- in other words, great! Naw, I couldn't live in Seattle, but this Idaho Boy is actually starting to get comfortable as the weather cools down a month later than normal.

In keeping with a theme, when I walk into a restaurant I'm a freak; fortunately, this time it's because I'm in a short-sleeve knit tee, and the rest of the patrons are in parkas. Thin-blooded, small-lunged Texans ... (I'm going to get jumped by a bull-rider, I just know it ... ;-)

Be sure to check out the Bunny and Clydo slick teaser trailer (stylized Asian action short)!

Even if my featured part gets chopped out of the film, I really encourage people to see it anyway -- which I don't say often ...

Billed as "John Woo's Face/Off meets Guy Ritchie's Snatch", why would you want to miss this?

Rocky Jo, Damon Chang, and Arnie Reyes are incredibly talented folks with whom to work, and I really enjoy watching actor Luke King.

I had an audition last night with Ari Briskman of Snowy Owl Productions, for Understanding Stella. Understanding Stella is one of those important films, bringing to light the "trials, tribulations, and triumphs of a Houston family raising their two daughters, the youngest of which is autistic."

The film started out as a documentary, and now will be an HD narrative, with video footage shot for the documentary cut into the story.

I tried out a new dramatic monologue ("What Have You Done?" by William Shatner). It was a bit stilted, and attempting to do Shatner spoken word is kind of like trying to do Jack Nicholson or Tom Cruise from A Few Good Men. Ah well, I'm not in this business to play it safe ...

This just in from
Hilarious-movies-people-should-see: I think
people will have a blast with The Lost Skeleton of Cadavera. This film is a riot, and is a modern re-take on 1950s sci-fi flicks. It's intentionally campy, playfully jabbing at specific titles and genre foibles. Check it out!

I just got back from Rockin' da vote! Hmm ... funny ... MTV made it much sexier when I was growing up.

Ah well. I'm just praying folks are voting based on convictions and voting/track records, and not making decisions based on the media or anti-/non-campaigns.

I got to be Captain America!

I recorded an audition today for the Marvel Enterprises contest, "THE ULTIMATE VOICE TALENT SEARCH".

Marvel is making an animated DVD of The Ultimates (their modern incarnation of the Avengers), and are using the contest to find voice talent. OK, granted they're not likely to actually cast the primary roles for this thing, and are probably using it as a PR campaign (and looking for entertaining fanboy footage to add to the DVD extras on the disc). But where others told me they saw low payoff not worth their time, I saw opportunity.

By filming a professionally coached voice session of the sides, I got practice on mic, was able to flex my acting chops, have a shot at wowing the submission reviewers beyond what they're expecting, and got some more audio for my unofficial voice demo and new video clips for "The Cutting Room" section of my website. (The clips and that section of the site will go up after I sync the mastered audio from the CD-ROM to each of the 5 scenes on the MiniDV tape.)

I filmed my audition at the Production Block in Austin, under the direction of the incomparable Lainie Frasier (voice talent, coach, director, and producer). The Block has been more than generous to me in my brief career, and you can't get much more talented (or genuinely likeable) than Lainie.

Besides the short-term benefit, Captain America is my all-time favorite hero. One of my professional performer goals is to be Captain America, so this opportunity is a short-term bone in that long-term target.

Next stage of the competition is going to LA for a recording session, though I suspect they may pass on my submission once they realize I'm a professional actor. The audition's done though, so everything else is gravy.

Great-stuff-by-which-to-be-inspired

This just in from Great-stuff-by-which-to-be-inspired: It's been a big couple of weeks on the comic book, video game, music, and (as always) the relational front. Some highlights below.

• Music: Has Been (William Shatner, arranged and produced by Ben Folds)
  
  I think a person could do worse than to have a life as rich and accomplished as William Shatner: Movie and TV star, writer/director/producer, novelist, pop culture icon, and singer/songwriter.
  
  His latest offering, Has Been (arranged and produced by Ben Folds), is a fantastic album. It features a variety of styles (gospel to twang) and flavors, from the tongue-in-cheek "Common People", "You’ll Have Time" (with a gospel feel), and "Ideal Woman", to the Denis Leary-esque rant of "I Can’t Get Behind That" (featuring Henry Rollins), to the poignant "It Hasn’t Happened Yet" and "What Have You Done", to the non-defensive (but cleverly combatitive) titular tune. Also featuring the likes of Folds, Jon Auer, Adrian Belew, Matt Chamberlain, Joe Jackson, Lemon Jelly, Aimee Mann, Brad Paisley, and Sebastian Steinberg, the whole thing is a tribute to what makes Shatner, Shatner: Having fun with who he is and what he's accomplished.
  
  "Live every day, like you're gonna die. Because you're gonna."
  
  Ah, Bill, you always know just what to say to me. You're going to inspire me all the way to the grave, aren't you?
  
  And the word "titular" still makes me grin.
  


• Comic Books: Astonishing X-Men (Written by Joss Whedon, art by John Cassaday)
  
  Joss Whedon is a masterful writer, independent of medium. As if his comic book creation, Fray, wasn't enough, Whedon's taken on marvel's merry band of mutants in a new series, Astonishing X-Men.
  
  Whedon does that rare trick of being true to a franchise while shocking the hell out you with unexpected twists. The difference with the shock factor between Whedon and someone like Chris Claremont, is the former will shock you with things you realize are totally in keeping with the character, whereas Claremont would shock you by going against type (Colossus killing Riptide during the Mutant Massacre storyline.)
  
  Only Whedon could get away with a Willow-esque take on Shadowcat, and introducing a character like "Ord of the Breakworld" that we can totally take seriously.
  
  Wonder if Marvel is wishing they'd used Whedon's X-Men script ...
  
  As an aside, don't get me wrong -- I'm a huge Claremont fan (despite his First Flight novels). Chris kept my love of comics alive in the pages of The Uncanny X-Men while Mark Gruenwald was busy trying to kill it at the same time in the pages of Captain America, my all-time favorite hero.
  


• Video Games: X-Men: Legends and Star Wars: Battlefront
  
  Dang, not one, but two franchise licenses done right with video game treatments. Comments below are related to the XBox versions of the games.
  
  X-Men: Legends is a Role-Playing Game (RPG) treatment of the X-Men license from developer Raven Software and publisher Activision, and it is great on every front -- graphics, gameplay, story, voice over, and extras. It's an accessible game for the RPG fan, the X-Fan, the "good video game fan", the "co-op video game fan" (up to 4-way skirmishes), and the comic book fan. If you're all 5, then this is a really, really good game.
  
  Really, whoever thought to put RPG and X-Men together is like the person who first dipped his chocolate bar in peanut butter. The game has been so well received, that Activision recently announced a sequel.
  
  Star Wars: Battlefront isn't a stellar sing-player game (though it's very good), but it hits the suite spot for Star Wars fanboys. It's pretty cool to have Battlefield 1942-esque skirmishes across the franchise locals (Hoth, Bespin, etc.), and to have heroes jump in to assist in attach you. For example, while playing as a stormtrooper quelling a rebellion on Tatooine, suddenly Darth Vader joined the fray, blocking Rebel blasters and whacking the scume with his lightsaber. Truly satisfying.
  
  Multiplayer is the game's strong suit, with XBox live support for 16 players (with a ton of additional bots for good measure).
  
  The game also features a bunch of unlockables (like concept art from the movies) and cutscenes from the film (unfortunately, they cutscenes are from the "Special Edition" theatrical re-release, but at least don't appear, so far, to be from the "Special-special re-rerelease" of the trilogy that shipped at the same time as the game.
  


• Relationships: Mentorship
  
  OK, networking is important, but it's inherently selfish ("what can you do for me or my career"), usually superficial, and ultimately not rewarding beyond a couple of avenues (work, etc.).
  
  Building relationships, on the other hand, is hard work, rewarding, and deeply personal.
  
  I've been meeting with a guy in a descipleship/mentor/accountability relationship for going on 4 years. Mark is a local businessman, husband, father, and elder in his local church. I meet with him for advice and accountability so I can be a better husband, dad, businessman, performer, and person. This week, I was struck by how much this relationship gives me.
  
  No in his 50s, Mark is one of my closest friends. In a lot of ways, we're different ages of the same guy -- we're both husbands, and we're both married and have two girls. We both know we need to put our convictions above our selfishness, and we know that personal growth isn't optional, but positive or negative movement is. We share the same hobbies -- movies, comic books, toys, etc.
  
  This week, he brought awesome finished drafts for my upcoming MangAdam release ( (c) Copyright 2004 Adam Creighton); we talked about the same cartoons and comic books we'd read over the past week; we talked about our fandom to artists like Joss Whedon and Chris Claremont. We talked about how tough (but still how ultimately rewarding) it is to be the only guy in an all-girl household. Mark said being in his fifties is the best time of his life and being comfortable in his own skin.
  
  And we both finished our day talking about how were both bummed to be missing the Death Cab for Cutie concert.
  
  A Mentor is someone who gives you advice, leads by example, motivates you when you need to get something done, and convicts you when you need to stop doing something. A mentor is someone who you aspire to be like.
  
  Mark is a mentor, and a friend, and I'm thankful for the relationship that blesses both of us.
  

Had another audition today -- this time, for the City of Orlando's Office of Tourism. This is a print deal, and they're working the Texas "Work at Will" status, but it'd still be a decent chunk of change to stem the outbound flow from constant classes and coaching ... ;-)

The audition for the Chevrolet commercials at Casting Works LA (CWLA) went really well today.

Only bummer of it was it turns out they're looking for fly fishermen -- which I didn't know. Given that I've been a fly fisherman since I was a kid, that would a been a nice thing to know (so I could have dressed more the part, rather than "30-Something Professional").

Ah well, at least they've got me on camera saying, "I've been a fly fisherman since I was 5 or 6 years old." If you think about it, send positive, fly fishing-esque thoughts toward any Chevies you pass on the roadways.

This biz is all about vibe, I'm told ...

Tomorrow, I'll be auditioning for a SAG regional commercial for Chevrolet. They'll be casting approximately 80 roles for 36 vignettes, so it should be a madhouse.

I'm actually both excited about the opportunity and relaxed about the audition. There are no sides or scripts -- they're just searching for "the look", and beyond the control I have over my dress and general appearance, I can't influence their decision.

So I don't have to act -- just "be" ...

It's official: I've just signed with Heather Collier and Collier Talent Agency as my new representation!

"Heather is a veteran in the world of talent management. A graduate of Northwestern University, Heather began her career in agenting in Chicago. Right out of college, she worked for Elite Chicago as an agent for runway models. She then made the transition from modeling agent to talent agent by becoming a kids’ agent, representing children for both print and on-camera work at Stewart Talent, also in Chicago. Heather then decided to move to New York, and began working in the theatrical department at Abrams Artists Agency. At Abrams, Heather represented adult actors for film, television and theater. She not only handled the careers of well established actors and actresses, but was active in signing and scouting new talent. Heather also had an opportunity to work in Abrams’ Los Angeles office. Heather is thrilled to be in Austin, and very excited about working with actors again."

Last night's monthly Austinactors.net meeting at MOMO's went well on a bunch of fronts. We gave some floor time to another acting group, Cast Local, so they could chat about who they are, what they do, and where they're going.

We also gave updated information on the upcoming Austin Callback community film showcase -- we're now accepting demo reels for the showcase!

Rounding out the evening, Patrice Pike took the stage. In my book, Patrice is one of the most motivating examples of a powerful, talented, bust-your-ass hard-working artist. Besides, she's a pleasure to see and hear. Patrice is playing every Tuesday night at 8 p.m. in October.

I'm in Van Brooks's "Acting for the Camera" class, where every class is a movie set.

Tonight, we shot seven two-actor scenes (with light kit and boom), 7 takes per scene, two camera positions -- all in about 4 hours. Incredible.

I'm a junkie for this stuff ...

New Representation for Adam! OK, this is just a tease, but I've got new representation, and I am stoked -- this is going to rock!

The official announcement will be showing up within the next few weeks. Told you this was a tease ...

Austin Callback: The buzz is building. Check out the press release on the Austin Film Society Member News section, then head over to the showcase website, www.austincallback.org.

SAK-600, a short film written and directed by D.S. Moss, has been selected to screen at the first annual West Chester International Film Festival in West Chester, PA on October 8-10.

I play Harold, a voiceless, distinguished-looking, borderline manic-depressive that seems really out of place with his fellow drug-trial cohorts.

It's the second day of the Austin Game Conference (AGC), and it's got the expected day 2 hangover, but it's still pretty interesting.

I got my demo out to more folks today, including Critical Mass Interactive (Matt and Billy), International Creative Management, Inc. (ICM) (Keith), NCSoft Corp. (David), and Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) (Rich, who I mistakenly called "Rick"). Thanks to these folks for fronting my demo within their companies. Dunno if SOE was really interested, but here's hoping.

It's the first day of the Austin Game Conference (AGC), and it's a fun ride so far.

I got my voice demo to Julene & Eric (High Voltage Software; though your business cards make me feel dirty), Tom (Midway Games), and Josh, Mike, & Adam (The Animation Farm). Thanks to all of them for taking the time to chat and saying they'll get my voice demos to the right people.

I'll hold off saying "thanks" to the unnamed 3 Activision employees who wouldn't take my demo, didn't give me there cards, but took mine and said they'd "try to find the right people to get it to." Riiight. We'll see, Activision ... We'll see ...

One of my first films, SAK-600, has finally seen the light of day (at least in its current incarnation). Check out the review on filmthreat.com.

I'm auditioning for Dallas-based Gearbox Software, the development rockstars behind publisher Ubisoft's WWII shooter, Brothers in Arms.

This game is based on a true story, is one of the first (to my knowledge) endorsed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Foundation, and allegedly gave Steven Spielberg pause at E3 this year.

Wish me luck on this one -- it's important to me.

The Austin Game Conference is coming, and I'm busy trying to get a hold of most of the ~400 attendees that are supposed to be there.

The big goal is to touch base with the out-of-town publishers who are serious about quality voice acting, and make decisions about talent for games developed by Austin (Inevitable Entertainment, Acclaim Austin, etc.) and Texas area (Gearbox Software, Gathering, etc.) developers.

Auditioned for Damfino Productions short, Nightlife. This mockumentary (in the style of Man Bites Dog is going to be shot in Austin Sept. - Oct. The premise is around a faux documentary about vampire hunters, which turns a little darker when it turns out vampires are for real.

I auditioned for human and vampire roles, and I should say the writing is very well done.

On the set of Brilliant Blue Films' short film Bunny and Clydo.

I've wanted to work with Rocky Joe, Damon Chang, and Arnie Reyes for a while. It's really cool to get the chance. There are a lot of cool folks on the set, and this short film should be a good translation of the "live-action anime" Rocky's aiming for.