On Tears and Handshakes ...

Been a hefty couple of weeks for a number of reasons, and I've been struck repeatedly by two things:

1. Crying makes people absolutely beautiful
2. The value of a real handshake

On the first, I'm not talking about childish whining or alligator tears (there's a lot of both in the Biz). I'm talking real, raw emotion that strips pretense and image away from a person, so you see a glimpse of the what and why of who they are.

My coach says emotion isn't interesting, but doing something through authentic emotion (kind of like this thing) is interesting, and important, and daring. And brutally hard.

Lately, I've seen a number of people I care about stripped down and emotionally bare, bravely moving forward when they could curl up in a ball and give up.

And they are absolutely gorgeous.

Handshakes, on the other hand (heh), usually annoy me. I don't mind shaking hands with people I know (but not well enough to hug), but handshakes are usually at best a superficial pleasantry, and there's no sincerity there.

Which makes me appreciate an authentic handshake even more.

Again, it's been a hefty week on the life front, so I've gotten an abnormal number of "real" handshakes lately.

But Monday, it was a whole different deal. I found myself grasping a guy's hand, and he was not going to let go. This was one of those, "No, I'm not done -- I want to say thank you for what you've done for me, I want you to know how important this is, and I'm not letting go until you understand that" kind of handshakes.

There was a non-needy desperation in the moment. An importance, a warmth, a camaraderie between what happened before and what was going to happen next that pivoted on that hand clasp. It was a physical touch that transcended cultural and class barriers.

It was a big deal.

And it got me to thinking about handshakes, and relationships, and the importance of depth and importance over superficiality and usury.

I am an introspective fellow lately.

Oh, and don't ever shake a Casting Director's hand unless they offer it to you first. Industry rule. You've been warned.

"Exit Strategies" ...

I'm a big-time gamer, and I do a lot of reading on the subject -- design, video game violence, business and development management methodologies, and so on -- and found an interesting post over at JC Barnett's "Japanmanship" blog (unnecessarily self-deprecatingly sub-titled "The unremarkable life of a videogames developer in Japan").

I am struck by JC's recent "Exit Strategies" post, which covers a topic bigger than just video games -- it's about satisfaction and balance, and applicable to acting and the toy jobs that (for most of us) support our acting.

While admittedly speaking from a demotivated perspective, he is still articulate about where his current balance is lacking, and for what specifics he's looking in order to fix it.

To be fair, I would say a lot of JC's (or my, or anyone else's) concerns about "the grind" -- long hours, other personally draining aspects of work -- will likely be everywhere (if I'm genuinely working passionately on anything). If I'm bought into my toy job (added to my arguably neurotic work ethic), I put in long hours (think 6-week stints of 90-120 hour weeks, or 5, 24-hour days to solve a production issue). Add to working hard for BigHugeCorp my acting, video game, and other passions, and my balance is consistently screwed up. And things I enjoy (home life, fly fishing, comic books, guitar, etc.) can go by the wayside.

So, I'd change JC's comment:

"Extremely rare is the developer person who at one or more points in his or her career hasn’t considered packing it in."

That said, he does a good job articulating things important to him if he were to choose to make a job change (be sure to read the full post to get the details for each):

• Balance (work/life)
• "Filthy Lucre" ("... being underpaid for so long has really made the need for a good salary priority number one for my next job ...")
• Fun ("Not the job itself but the goal of the project")
• Creativity

And implicit throughout this list is a desire to something important. Almost altruism -- edutainment projects for kids and the like.

What strikes me about this list is its universal nature.

Who doesn't want balance, money, fun, creativity, all while doing something impactful and meaningful?

So, how do we do that, if the current gig isn't providing for that?

Make the current gig do that.

For me, it's been bringing my outside passions (primarily acting and gaming) into the workplace.

It's also recognizing what I'm made for, versus what I do. I know I was made to lead people. And I was made to act. So I do those two things wherever I am.

And if the personal costs of doing that in the toy job context get too high, or whatever the current work environment is gets in the way of me building people to do big things in a creative, important, self-satisfying ways for me and for them (the "what I do" gets in the way of "what I am"), it'll be time to look for other stuff.

Because what I do is relatively transient. Who I am is the gold. Which is worthy of much filthy lucre.

And someone better damn well stand on a desk and shout "Oh Captain! My Captain!" when I'm gone.

Yikes, I'm introspective and preachy lately ...

Ripcord ...

... Ripcord ...

Rough night in class last night ...

Last night was a rough Meisner session.

It was one of those nights that just felt "off" anyway.

I was ramped up from BigHugeCorp, the gods (ATM, traffic, stray cat, elderly driver, unobservant mom, etc.) were conspiring against me as I tried to get to class on time, and I had a disconnected night when I was up front.

The upside is I learned a bunch of stuff.

We're doing Door / Activities, and I was not bought into my activity.

The Task:

Without going into too much detail, I was doing a stop-motion animation, and it "had" to match some already completed audio and be done in 37 minutes (5 seconds per move (frame) x 15 frames-per-second x 30 seconds = 37.5 minutes).

The problem was as I was doing the animation (and being interrupted by the person at the door), I realized I had an out. There were like 4 places where I could snip the audio, and still have a usable animation, even if I didn't get done with the full 30 seconds.

So I realized pretty early I was easily going to get at least to the first mark (did), and maybe the second or third, despite interruptions.

And, because I wasn't bought into the task, the emotional state of my scene partner (Lynn Burnor, who was dialed-in and amazing, and it's her birthday on Saturday so buy her drinks) was more compelling than my thing, so I kept trying to make (rather than let) my thing be more compelling.

Frustrating as all that is, I get it. And I learned.

On Urgency:

More importantly for me, I learned something big about me and urgency.

For me, I act with a sense of urgency with most of the things I do -- running, management, writing, home improvement, fight the good fight, etc. This equates to "this is important, so I'm doing it." If I find something's not important, why am I going to do it?

That's all well and good, but urgency for me is directed, it's focused. It's do it quickly but do it right. It's "panic won't help me get this done."

So, my epiphany last night / this morning (it all blends, I had a gig for which I was prepping) is that as an actor, I'm working on being less careful. Careful urgency does not serve me in acting.

Panic does.

I know what that feels like. I know the red hot flush at the base of my skull softball-sized knot in my neck slick palms I can't get dry keep wiping them they're keeping me from doing anything aRMpiT sweAt SPICKETS WON't SHUT OFF!

That's what I need when I need urgency for a scene. I need to be blind with panic. I need to be desperate to get done not knowing if I can and every interruption my have just cost me everything. Not showing urgency, but so bought into the why that the urgency manifests.

So, that's where I need to be.

And I know what that looks and feels like.

Now, it's just about the work.

Shockwave ...

(Title refers to the metaphorical application of the seismic phenomenon to life events; not the Transformer.)

Today was one of those wicked hefty kind of days.

It started with me getting to work late, because I was picking up a video game (we all have our priorities).

Then it was a loyalty kick to the head at BigHugeCorp, followed by a Meisner workout that was incredibly effective, and therefore incredibly effectively emotionally draining.

Then there was me being demotivated and going home to play the aforementioned video game (Crackdown), which, I suspect, will become like digital crack, and consume my life.

Finally it was off with a bunch of fellow actors (the beautiful ones) to watch my Meisner coach's film, Pineapple, which addressed real-world crack (among other things). I don't want to trivialize the film at all by saying too much or little about it, but suffice it to say (for now) I think it's an important film. I'll hopefully write more about it sometime this week on my "I'm Seeing ...." blog.

UPDATED: I've posted my thoughts on the film here.

And we talked about the chance to be in on the ground floor of a big Biz opportunity in Central Texas. Something that at the least will be important and have and give meaning, and at the most will send shockwaves throughout the film scene (Austin and beyond).

Shockwaves. Again, the metaphorical application of the seismic phenomenon to life events. Not the Transformer. The bad a$$ Transformer.

When robots and dolls collide ...

We've established that I like toys. I'm also a creative type, so I appreciate other creative types.

And when the two are merged? Get outta town.

Anyway, I recently discovered Steve Strawn's Splut photography. Seriously good stuff.

In particular, I like his "robots" display, and his dolls display (though it could probably be named "robots versus dolls (robots are winning)". My favorites in this latter set are either "Victory" (a la Full Metal Alchemist) or "Freedom" (seriously cracked me up).

From his Gawker profile:

"Steve Strawn decided to take the things of his childhood, specifically robots and dolls, and combine them with his current sensibilities. His photographs not only emphasize the coolness of robots, or illustrate the creepiness of dolls, but also the awesomeness of the combination of the two."

"Primarily a photographer, he has recently branched out from attempting to capture the perfect shattering wine glass to a wider exploration of the underlying pathos of a boy that had younger sisters."

Wisdom, that.

But what really struck me is Steve's "About" non-bio. Authentic stuff about being stuck in the technical aspects that keep us from transcending. I really get that.

So, check out splutphoto.com. Where else outside of a daycare (and maybe Japan) are you going to see robots wreaking mass havoc on dolls?

Oh, and as an FYI, I like Flickr, but it's gotten so huge it's hard to find the gems, so I constrain myself to "known" folks. Like Schneeman's photos -- another source of regular inspiration. And I find pointers to good stuff in Flickr from other sources (like Gawker).

Web heartburn and updates

Regular visitors and subscribers to my Web site and related feeds probably saw an obscene amount of weirdness and activity on my site this weekend.

First and worse, the site was down for most of Saturday, thanks to an outage from my Web hosting company that made my site and domain-related Email unavailable.

This really sucks, because the Saturday after I send out my traditional Biz Valentine's cards is usually a huge traffic day for me. So, thanks, Earthlink -- you cost me marketing opportunity.

The other craziness is I finally built out my sitemaps (XML and HTML) and formally loaded them into Yahoo and Google. They've got some great tools for Web administrators.

Speaking of great tools, I found a free sitemap generator that rocks. It's not perfect, but it's free, and once I figured out a few of the idiosyncrasies, it saved me a ton of time. Click the icon below to check it out yourself.



Doing sitemaps right isn't trivial. I spent a ton of timing cleaning up dead links, republish blog entries that weren't migrated correctly by Google when they purchased and upgraded Blogger.com, making sure annoying stuff (spacer images, etc.) weren't included in the sitemap, etc. This meant there was a lot of republishing of blog entries and related RSS, atom, etc. news blasts. Sorry.

Finally, I added my new blog about toys to the right side "I'm [whatevering]" sidebar, "Blogs" sub listings, and Feed pages.

Oh, and I updated my copyright to 2007. Like you care.

Does integrity matter?

Seriously, I'm asking.

Does integrity matter?

I mean, ask someone, "Does integrity matter?", and see what kind of response you get.

I'll wait.

.
.
.

Back already? They said yes, didn't they? Of course they did. Who hates integrity and is going to be honest about it?

But does it matter?

Can a person be hired to a new job (assuming they're totally qualified) if they spout off about how integrity is really important to them.

Or, does that knock them out of the game.

HR: So, what's your biggest concern?
ME: Honestly, I've got a weird one. Integrity is something that's really important to me. How does that play out in a real-world sense in your company?
HR: (In their head) This guy's cute, but he's going to be a lot of heartburn.
HR: Integrity is obviously key to everything we do. Thanks so much for your time.
(*Shreds resume*)

Honestly, is integrity something that will knock you out of a job, gig, etc. if you're "too" vocal about it?

And, seriously, can you be "too" vocal about integrity.

That's still an absolute, right?

Right?

I'm asking...

Commercial audition today ...

I once had someone ask me why I never have bad audition experiences.

When I stopped laughing long enough to ask how he got that impression, he pointed to my blog.

Oh.

Hey, I have bad audition experiences. I don't write about a lot of them, because it's (A) unproductive and (B) this is a tiny town, and a little big industry. So even not mentioning names, I could potentially out or hurt someone -- which I don't want to do. Not professional, and not in my nature.

But I will write about today's experience, because it was ... not great. But it was less than stellar probably for reasons out of the hands of folks running it, and they had a great attitude about it, and were professional.

So, the audition window for my character was supposed to run from 5 to 6:30 p.m., with them "Absolutely having to stop" by 7 p.m. to get things together and FedExed out.

I got there at 5(ish), and had my audition at 7:25. Yeah.

There were wall-to-wall bodies, probably because some agency didn't send "a select few", but broadcast the opportunity to all of their talent, which isn't appropriate. But I'm just speculating. Besides, that's the agency's -- not talent's --fault.

So, what do you do in this situation?

I don't know what you do, but I know what I did. ;-)

I had a ton of people going for the same spot, so needed to differentiate myself, and wanted to take advantage of the time.

An hour and a half? A paragraph and a couple of tag lines? You can bet I was rock solid off book.

And I wanted to tweak the text (they said we could "make it our own"), without being disrespectful to the work the copy writers had done.

Easy. The copy was about a dog. I changed it from "he" and "him" to "she" and "her". Subtle, (I thought) better for the commercial, and made it more real for and applicable to me.

The piece was supposed to be serious and somber, but when I walked in the room, I so planned on being sarcastic and counter type and fun. But when I saw how stressed (but still professional) the casting folks were, I went back to more what they wanted -- not maudlin, but sensitive.

And I made sure to let the casting folks know on my way out I appreciated how patient and professional and non-negative they were being, in the face of a pretty stressful audition situation they didn't cause.

So, long night, not a great audition experience, per se, but a good experience.

Besides, any audition is gift ...

50,000(ish) served ...

I've been working through my 2006 Web traffic statistics for the last several weeks.

I sifted through all of the data my Web hosting software gives me -- weeding out duplicates and anomalies, search engines and Web spiders, pulling out anything I'm pretty sure is me or family. And so on.

And what I net out with is it looks like I had around 50,000 unique visitors last year to AdamCreighton.com -- not total visitors (that's a whole lot more) -- but unique visitors. Which, honestly, is pretty freaking amazing.

Far and away, it looks like people are coming directly to my Website, with referrals being much lower. This means folks likely have my site bookmarked, are coming from Email or direct market mail, or are typing the address directly.

Second biggest area of entry is from people subscribing to my RSS feeds. Lot o' subscribers, which is good to see. People efficiently getting my info, which is nice, since one of my big goals for 2006 on the Web front was to get away from direct Emails and mailing lists (I'm mostly there). And that's just the people who come to my site from their RSS reader. For most of my blogs, I publish the entire post, so there's no need for folks to come to my site, per se.

As far as referrals go, I'm getting a lot of traffic from blog aggregators, acting biz-related sites, and (recently) links from friends', colleagues', and (recently) some professional Websites.

I'm also seeing some nice, regular traffic from folks. Not to out anybody, but traffic from game companies, production studios, and related industries.

Glad you're looking folks -- now hire me! ;-)

Truly, though, thanks to everyone for looking and listening.

Now, this year, I'm actually going to market the promote the Website and its sub-sites as product. Hang on to your hat ...

(This post is duplicated on both my Acting and Gaming blogs, since it pertains to the whole of AdamCreighton.com.)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Like it or hate it, it's a national holiday.

Three years ago, I started making personal, borderline inappropriate Valentine's to send to my past and future clients.

My first feedback from a producer was, "I'm not sure whether to be impressed or disturbed that I got a Valentine from you."

Now, they kind of expect it.

So here's this year's rendition, which went out to 100-plus folks:

I've got a new blog ...

I evidently don't have enough blogs, so I've created a new one, dedicated to toys.

Check it out:

• adamcreighton.com/blogs/notdolls/

Voice acting and video games

Kotaku.com's got a blurb about theater/voice artist Jen Taylor, who voice's the cahracter Cortana in Halo -- one of the biggest video game franchises out there -- and she's back for Halo 3.

They grouse about the $500 she got for the first Halo, and "twice-that-in-half-the-time-so-the-same" in Halo 2.

Hopefully, Ms. Taylor's getting scale. But voice actors generally don't get residuals and royalties on video games.

For a lot of us, (in when scale's negotiated) it's a well-paying job in a field we love.

As a fan of the franchise (and more of a fan of good story in games), I'm hoping this quote bodes well for deeper story in the trilogy's wrap-up:

"There's a lot more drama and a lot less technical jargon this time around. I actually just finished a couple of lines that nearly had me in tears. For an actor, more drama is always good."

The CAGE audition tonight

I ran down and did an audition for The CAGE opportunity I mentioned the other day.

From the last post:

"If you're in Central Texas, you know what a force and opportunity the University of Texas College of Radio-Television-Film is. Tonight [sic, shoulda been "Thursday"], the CAGE at UT Austin is having open auditions, which puts you in the potential running for tons of their student and departmental projects. These things have screened at Cannes, Tribeca, and SXSW (which is coming up in March)."

So, yeah, an opportunity to get in front of folks who are aspiring film makers (or auteurs), and increased opportunity to be auditioning constantly. Working constantly (because I treat auditions like gigs). To put myself as a professional actor to the benefit of people learning the craft.

This was a last-minute deal, I made it at the tail end, there weren't many UT folks there when I arrived, and -- I honestly don't remember the audition.

This thing was like a theater audition -- raised stage, single spotlight, a stationary camera, and the audience somewhere "out there".

I mean, I got there, and and I was severely affected by the audition two spots before me (no monologue; just talking about something real that had happened in his life, which I would pooh pooh as an actor but hold on to as a human being). And I was irritated by the non-intimacy of the setup and the quietness of the actress who went on right before me (I have no earthly idea what she said). And I was deeply inside my back story.

I got on stage, introduced myself and my piece (my new monologue from my final "Round 1"Meisner class, which I just realized I never wrote about), ducked down to prep briefly, and then ... um ... near as I can figure, here's how it went:

(In my head)
She'scallingthecopsshewasn'tsupposedtobehere
whatdoIdoknowOhFU**she'scallingthecopsI've
gottostopherdidshejustcallmeasickBITTER
RESENTFULFU**she'sgoing--

*BANG*
.
.
.
*Silence*

Then there's this dawning realization I'm standing on stage, a vague sense I've said my lines, the last one's resonating in my skull, so I said "thank you" and ducked off stage.

I'm hoping the silence was because I was awfully good -- not just awful.

Man, Steve said things would work like this at times. Times when I know my back story and my motivation and they are living in me, and I wasn't worrying about the lines because I know them cold.

Weird.

Then it was off to Erin Marie Keigher's B-Day ("Day 1 of Many") briefly before home (I'm lately in this "run-at-6-a.m." mode).

Erin is one of the Beautiful People (in every sense of the word) with which I'm currently blessed in my life.

I'm okay. No, really ...

I have a great, supportive friend and fan base. (Need recent proof? Look here.)

I've been hit quite a bit recently from genuinely caring folks wanting to "Just make sure you're okay, Adam."

The conversations generally go like this:

"Wow, you've had a rough couple of weeks. You had to believe someone you loved died. Your "Friday Night Lights" scene was cut. You didn't get that audition. You had to cancel your marketing workshop. You were banned from a Website. Corporations
are making dumb moves. You've been sick. You've had [censored and not talked about on the Website]. You've ..."

Gee, thanks.

Don't get me wrong -- I really appreciate these sweet, supportive, and genuinely caring folks.

But I haven't had a rough couple of weeks. I've just had a couple of weeks. So the last couple of weeks may seem packed with more and rougher stuff than normal. So what?

The reality is we all have "weeks". And while there may have been moments of bummage, they were brief, and never devolved into "Oh for crying out loud -- now this?!" (believe me, I've lived there before, and the last couple of weeks don't even rate).

In the "glass-half-full" / "glass-half-empty" continuum, I'm a "glass-half-full" kinda guy. And I'm always looking for how to fill the other half of the glass.

So, this is how I've seen events the last couple of weeks:

"Wow, good couple of weeks! I reached a new level of real emotion in my acting. I have the pay and credit from "Friday Night Lights", and because my scene was cut, I can still be considered a "Fresh Face" for future FNL episodes. I was notified by the director that I didn't get an audition, which never happens, and I was able to plan and do other Biz stuff for the shoot date, rather than having to hold it open. Since I had to cancel my marketing workshop, I filled the time with other Biz stuff. I was banned from a Website, so I learned specifics of a kind of gamer and kind of person I don't want to be. Getting mad about Corporations validated integrity and people are important to me. I've been sick, so I had to slow down and enjoy people and stuff more than I would have otherwise. I've switched focus to some of my other irons in the fire, and now tthey're moving forward with extra attention. I've got so much opportunity..."

Besides, let's face it -- if I was easily deterred by constant rejection and lack of progress (or found my sense of self worth in what I do, rather than who I am), I'd be in the wrong business.

Oh, and for anyone who thinks my blog is the sum total of all things Adam Creighton? Please. There is so much depth yet to be plumbed. My Website's a facet, but it's not the diamond.

I'm authentic in my blogs, but not transparent about my life.

Authentic is important and interesting and connecting.

Transparent is "Dude, do you ever shut up? I do not want to hear any more about your Father Wound / addictions / fetishes / boils / pets.

I don't want to be that guy.

But I do appreciate the love and concern. Good folks ...

TXMPA event and class tonight ...

I made a brief appearance at the Texas Motion Picture Alliance event tonight (reminder, go register), then off to class, which Steve generously started an hour late so we could support the TXMPA effort.

I was at the event probably a total of 20 minutes, so I made the rounds with only a dozen or so folks, and received some beyond kind comments and condolences (maybe more on the latter in a separate post) in those few moments.

Then it was off to class, where I was a couple of weeks out of whack, from missing last class.

I don't know that I'll deconstruct or post any of my notes from tonight, other than to say it was what it was -- and I'm happy with that.

I knew I was a couple of weeks out of whack. I didn't go into tonight expecting to suck or rock. I expected it be whatever it was going to be. Far from an apathetic attitude, this is about grace from me, for me.

I'm learning lately that my success is a combination of practice, grace, and luck. I should write a separate post about that part of work ethic/mindset sometime.

Good night. Tired. Auditions tomorrow (hopefully). And maybe a Biz birthday party.

G'Night ...

The CAGE (UT Austin) open auditions Thursday

(Meant to post this last week. Make it if you can.)

There is a big open audition opportunity at the University of Texas Thursday (02/08).

If you're in Central Texas, you know what a force and opportunity the University of Texas College of Radio-Television-Film is.

Tonight, the CAGE at UT Austin is having open auditions, which puts you in the potential running for tons of their student and departmental projects. These things have screened at Cannes, Tribeca, and SXSW (which is coming up in March). A lot of the faculty and staff (like PJ Raval, Steve Mims, and Scott Rice) are top notch and professional industry folks.

Besides, having the College of RTF in Austin means actors have no excuse if they want to be auditioning constantly.

Here's da skinny:

Headshots and Resumes
attn: Autumn Leonard
Director, The CAGE (cage@uts.cc.utexas.edu)
(512) 471-2478
http://rtf.utexas.edu/cage/

Interested in acting in Film? Come to the CAGE Open Auditions.
February 8th, 2007
5 – 8 pm; 4th floor, CMB Studio 4B

The CAGE Open Auditions
These Open Auditions happen once a year. They are the opportunity for both experienced and aspiring actors to meet members (Faculty, Graduate and Undergraduate students) of the Radio-Television-Film community at UT Austin.

Auditions are open to all types, ages and genders. Each audition time will be scheduled beforehand, please email or call the CAGE in advance to secure a spot.

Requirements:
Headshot, resume and 2 – 3 minute monologue.

Last year alone UT films have screened in Cannes, Tribeca and SXSW.Whether you are an experience actor, or just starting out, the CAGE Open Auditions this is an exciting opportunity to meet and work with talented filmmakers.

See website for directions:

Contact: Autumn Leonard (cage@uts.cc.utexas.edu) Website: http://www.utexas.edu/maps/main/buildings/cmb.html
http://rtf.utexas.edu/cage/

Texas Motion Picture Alliance event this Wednesday (Feb. 7)

So, Texas needs a film/video game/entertainment incentive program.

Several states have them, most notably our neighbors New Mexico and Louisiana (an LA has a video game company incentive program, too).

Texas needs one, and the "but we don't charge state income tax" evasion is wearing thin.

Enter the Texas Motion Picture Alliance (TXMPA), a organization gathering steam in making a difference in Texas.

And on Wednesday, February 7th, they're having a party. A fundraising party, but a party, nonetheless.

Also, everyone should go to the TXMPA Website and register -- strength in numbers (and all that). Besides, this benefits the overall Texas economy and you directly in your creative persuits and opportunities.

Here's the skinny:

What: Film Incentive party benefiting the Texas Motion Picture Alliance (TXMPA.)

Who: Join Austin entertainment and media leaders including Matt Dentler (SXSW producer,) Rebecca Campbell (AFS & Austin Studios,) and special musical guest Cyril Neville (Neville Brothers,) for a gathering of the Austin film community to keep the ball rolling on the film incentives effort!

This fund-raising event includes happy hour prices on 20 oz. domestics and selected appetizers, a memorable musical performance and fabulous industry-related raffle prizes. Meeting and greeting mandatory!

When: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7th, 2007 (7 - 10pm)

Where: SCHOLZ BEER GARDEN 1607 San Jacinto Blvd., Austin, TX 78701 512-474-1958 (Web)

Suggested Donation: $10

For more information on joining and to make a donation, please visit http://www.txmpa.org/

Sponsored by: Austin Film Society / Austin Studios / Texas Association of Film and Tape Professionals / Screen Door Film / Reel Women / The International Game Development Association and Caught In The Act Magazine!

Commercial Audition today

Today I had a brief commercial audition for a potential semi-local (College Station, TX) gig.

The audition is for a medical commercial spot, and my first with semi-local production house Frame by Frame.

This was an easy going, quick deal, and though I don't beat up on myself after auditions, I do look for things to do better next time.

The main thing on this one was commitment to miming.

I hate miming.

Not because I can't do it, but because it's lying.

I was supposed to mime washing dishes. And because of my mindset, I didn't commit to the activity. So when I got direction, I stopped my activity, and followed the direction. I should have kept "washing dishes".

But that's for the next audition. This one is what it is, and I'm great with that.

Aaron Hallaway rocks ...

Aaron Hallaway is an amazing actor. And he's a buddy of mine.

And he just finished shooting yet another SAG commercial (a restaurant's "Sleeping Beauty").

And he just got adult furniture (not "casting couch" adult, but "grown up" adult).

I think he's on his way.

Kudos to one of the great ones!

Wicked sick ...

Man, I'm seriously ill, and not in the cool street vernacular sense (that ship has probably sailed, anyway).

I had to miss class last night, which I think is the first time I've ever missed a class because I was sick. And this is probably the most important/costly series of classes to miss. Sucks.

We're talking it-took-me-an-hour-to-get-enough-strength-to-push-the-sheet-off sick. Sucks.

Still got Biz stuff to do, so as I get energy, I'm doing it.

Keep on keeping on.

Sucks.