before I continue: - is it weird that The Onion has a little side section on the front page of CNN.com?

Onwards:

So, remember the whole audition thing? How you can find out you are going out for an audition the next morning? It can also happen as you are driving on your way to work, that you have to be at an audition a few hours later. Sometimes you luck out and you can wear what you've got, other times (and this has happened to me once) you literally have to go home and get new clothes, shave, whatever. That's fun.

During the week, depending on what the market is like, how tuned in your agent is, the phase of the moon, whatever, you can go out either a lot or none at all. You have no way of planning and there is only one guarantee: if you plan to leave town, if you actually buy a ticket to leave your local area, you will get an audition or callback on that day, or you will go in earlier in the month for a spot that films that day, or (and this happens basically 100% of the time) there will be an audition that you really want to go to while you are out of town, that you only find out about while you are gone.

(Interruption - yesterday I ended up getting an audition as I was driving to work that was going to happen 3 hours later and I got an audition for today (a small role for a new series), which is when I was supposed to drive up to San Francisco. It's freaky, I tell ya!)

Okay, so I haven't even talked about what it's like rushing out of the office on your "lunch" to make it to an audition that's right near where you live (and, often, you swing by your place to use the bathroom or change your clothes, get your mail, that kind of thing, and wonder, briefly, if this is what it would be like if you were a "real" actor, one that just acted full time and didn't have to have a day job), or what it's like to be stuck in traffic and just making it back to the office in time for a meeting, then realizing at 5:30pm that you never actually had lunch, and that's why your so irritated with everything. All that happens, too.

Later, long after you have forgotten about the audition (or not, maybe it's the next day, like everything else in this life, you never know anything), you may get a callback. This is one of those purely good things that you can technically be happy about. This means the producers and director (and maybe the agency and maybe other people I don't know about) think you might work out and want to see you again to see how you are to work with, what you are like with another actor, that kind of thing. Your look is probably right, they just want more. This is good because this makes your agent happy, this getting called back. If you are going to risk hoping for anything, you might as well hope you get called back; it's a bit of breathing room, it shows your representation that you are working it, and it gets you in front of some more people.

The callbacks are much like the first call, but there are less people in the room and the stakes feel a little different. You rush in, sign your name, but you don't need (usually) to fill out a size sheet or give them a headshot - they already have the one you gave them before, remember? You look at the script (there may be changes) and you just hang out. Often, you will see someone you know in the waiting room, or at least someone who looks familiar. (As you do this longer, this happens more and more often (or it should) and you kinda feel a strange fellowship with these folks - you're all working it as best as you can, and it's kind of a relief when you see the others...you're in the game, right?)

You wait a bit (usually not as long!) and the casting associate calls your name, and you walk in the room. Here's what you see:

- lights - camera - computers - and a bunch of people talking to each other who glance up at you, look at the paperwork on the coffee table, and then either get back to their conversation or hop back onto their computers or blackberries or whatever device they've got on their lap

The people tend to be the producers of the spot, representatives from the ad agency, perhaps (perhaps?) someone from the actual client whose product your are selling, and the director. The directors I have met so far, often are very friendly and go out of their way to make things run smoothly for you. You may also see the casting agent there as well, who will also be really friendly. Just the friendly conversation and direction make the whole process worth it, really. These directors are usually very experienced, many of them will also be feature directors, and it's a great chance to see what it's like on a movie set. What also happens is that you will see the same director a few times, and they will often remember you and just that previous experience will make you much more relaxed and ready to work. It's awesome.

So, you talk a bit, then you re-slate and then you do the spot. Oh, I forgot - you are wearing the same clothes (or as close to them as possible) as you did for the first call. I dunno why, but everyone says you are supposed to do that, it makes it easier for folks to remember you from the tape of the first audition.

Now, since this is a test to see what you are like on set, you will most likely be asked to do it again, probably a few times. This is the part of acting that you remember, the part you liked (the applause never was the reason). You get a chance to try new things, work on different takes, finding a common ground between you and the person setting the vision of the work. In the end, you are just an aspect of a larger piece, remember? This is the collaboration you're always telling people you are good at.

Every so often someone else will speak, probably someone from the ad agency, and much of the time you will see a flash of annoyance on the director's face - I'm doing my job here!--but the note will be taken and you will do it that new way and you will glance at the person who gave the suggestion and he or she will not even be looking at you - they are all looking at the monitor. Remember, it's more real when it's onscreen!

After a few times (you're gonna do it at least twice) the director will most likely check with the other folks in the room to see if they want anything else and then will thank you for coming. You thank them and leave the room and thank the casting associate, say goodbye to the other folks waiting in the room and then make it back to the car.

And now? You gotta let it go. This is really the point where you have to completely just forget about it. Even if the director wants to cast you, the agency or the client might have their own opinion about it. This has actually happened to me a few times, where I have literally been the top choice and then...nothing. But still, it's nice to do a good callback. The opportunity to work with the director, even for a little bit, is worthwhile.

But let's say that you are one of the people they like. Like, they think the can cast the role with 2-3 actors, and you are one of them. So, now they call your agent and put you on "avail" meaning that you have to keep your schedule open for them during the times they are shooting. This way they can weed out the person who has a trip planned (remember what we talked about earlier).

(Actually, it gets even worse--you can get a third (and fourth and fifth) call back as well. Same as the 2nd, but this time you get paid and there are less people in the waiting room but the interaction with the director lasts longer.)

The avail status has been changing a bit, I guess. It seems now it's used when they want someone else but have to have a safety...but I dunno. It's annoying phase because it's like you are almost there. Usually you are on avail for a few days, but it can last weeks. My friend John's on avail for some spot for over a month - he has to basically be around just in case they end up shooting. I am sure there are some rules about how long they can keep you on avail before they have to start paying you.

Basically, all the actors I know are at the point where they don't even want to know when they are on avail, and I must admit I am with them. It's just too stressful - you are technically getting your hopes up, and that just screws everything up. You can't really get your hopes up until you are in the car going to the location...and even then you might...maybe you can get your hopes up when you see yourself on TV...or perhaps when you get the check. That's probably the safest. But avail? It's just irritating. Like, I was on avail all last week to shoot on Saturday and was never released (the phase that is opposite of booking--you didn't get the job, back to step 1).

So that's part 2. You get called back and if they like you, you can get called back again or you can be put on avail or you can book the spot. Lots of little hoops - and this is just for commercials. The TV stuff is similar but apparently different, too.

The third part is actually going and filming, which I am doing either on Wednesday or Friday, so I will take some notes...

have a good week!

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so hey there. Chuck suggested I submit a blog post, so I am going to try reposting one of my latest posts from my own site (http://www.mikeromo.com ) and see how it goes.

A little bit of background: I'm an actor in LA who has been here for a few years after acting in NY and San Francisco...I made a journal kind of telling the story and then it turned into just an ongoing thing. I am still just getting the hang of things: I've got great representation, which took years to get, and finally am going out more and more often. Here's one of my posts explaining what it's like having a day job (i work in software as a product manager at a big company) and juggling acting, and what the process is like. Curious as to what you think!

How It Works - Part 1

I thought I would describe the whole casting process, at least from the actor's point of view. This will take at least two entries...

Around 6:15pm, you get a call on your cell from your agent (or, if you went to spinning class, you find the message on your phone at 7:30), telling you that you need to be at a casting agent's office the next morning or afternoon. If you are really lucky, you will need to be dressed in a suit or some other item of clothing that has nothing to do with what you normally wear. Thankfully, you are used to this, so you always have a dress shirt and tie in your trunk, and you've realized that you can pretty much get away with "just" the shirt and tie for most of the auditions. So, you have an audition, you know where and when it is, and you kinda forget about it. Sometimes you will get another voicemail or even a call the next day telling you you have another audition. This audition will almost always be in a completely different part of town (the best is when you have to go to Studio City or something, which can take forever to get to!) about 2 hours before or after the first audition. It's cool though - the second one will probably just want you in casual clothes, so you’re set.

So you run out of your house or your office and head toward the audition, and you've kinda realized you have no idea who it's for. You know what you are supposed to wear, but...was it for RoadRunner? BudLight? Burger King?

When you finally get to the casting office, you look at the board, where it lists the various spots being cast and which room the casting is taking place. Ah, right - Honda. Right, Honda dealer spot. Sure, of course. You get to the sign in sheet, put your name in, check the box with the appropriate age range (what will it be like when you have to click the "Over 40" box?) and your racial category. Then you grab a size card, and, if there are lines, the script. You glance at the script while you fill out your sizes, making a mental note (for the 100th) time to make sure you get your sizes checked next time you go to Nordstrom or something. What size is your neck? Do they really need that? Once you are done with the card, you walk up to the person running the casting session, where you give them your size card and your headshot (if they want one) and then they usually take a polaroid of you. You have long since learned that no one takes a good polaroid shot - it's impossible to look good, no one knows why - so you put on a bit of a "look" and boom, it goes. For this spot, the one eyebrow raised, looking kind of surprised look should work fine.

Then you sit and wait. You can wait 5 minutes or you can wait an hour. There really is no way to know how long this will take. Sometimes they bring in 3-4 of you at once, and that can either go very quickly or take 3 times as long - each person does each part. No matter, no matter, this is fine, it will be fine. Just breathe and look at the script and check your email and check the news and look at the sign up sheet and look at your script and look at yourself in the mirror and look for a magazine is this one from last august oh well i guess i can read about swimwear i dunno what is taking so long it's just the first audition, this is ridiculous I have to be somewhere in an hour and i wonder if i should put money in the mirror

oh, thanks - you are "on deck" - you’re going in next.

despite everything, you get a flush of stomach acids in your stomach and your hands go just a bit clammy. you wipe them on your legs and wonder why you get nervous but then realize that you are always telling people it’s good to be nervous, that nervousness means you have energy and oh, thanks, great - it’s your turn.

So you go into the room. These rooms always have a camera, a mic and lights. Sometimes they have tables and sofas, computers, some monitors, etc. You say hello and check the large white clipboard that’s right next to the camera to make sure that the lines up there are the same as the ones you have been looking at for the past thirty fifty ten minutes. They are not, they changed one of the lines and killed the last one, which is fine, no problem.

the casting guy is nice and explains the blocking and provides some initial direction. he warns you that the director wants real deadpan delivery and not to be too "funny". Don’t make faces, just be kinda flat. If you have a lot of blocking, they let you do a rehearsal. If not, you just go.

(camera rolls)

Okay, tell me your name

Hi, I’m [me].

Hi, you, can ya give me profile?

(you turn to the left, then to the right glancing at the camera as you do so, then face the camera. you see the camera travel up and down your body and you wonder if you buttoned your khakis (it’s an office spot).)

Thanks, you. Okay.

The camera stop and you get into first position.

Okay (camera goes), and, action

And you do the piece.

And, cut. Thanks.

Then you are either given some direction and another try, or you are done. If you are, you instantly think - while you’re still in the room, talking to the guy - that you must have blown it or just not been right or done it so badly that there’s no hope. If you redo it, you are frustrated that you didn’t nail it the first time but are happy to get another chance. If after the second take you have to do it again, you feel like you are totally screwing up and that you don’t even know why you bothered to show up in the first place, unless they are changing the blocking or they actually say they liked what you were doing, just push this one aspect or the other and we’ll be set.

So, regardless, about 1-5 minutes after you enter, you are done.

Thanks, see ya later. Thanks, see ya.

And then you go back in your car and head back to work or home or wherever. You think, a few times, about how it went, often saying the lines outloud...could it have gone better? Perhaps, but it’s just a first call.

Regardless, there is absolutely nothing you can do to get" the job. You’re on tape, you showed up, you did the work, now it’s 100% out of your hands. Unless you get a callback.

(to be continued)

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so that was the first entry. I am little irritated--when I copy and a paste an apostrophe, I get garbage text, even when I convert it to plain text! whatever. we shall see...

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