Is there a future in acting?

2011-11-29T12:16:00.000-08:00

This is a periodic journal of events in my episodic career as an actor. I say episodic, because there's nothing really regular about it.

So far I've done extras work in some very good features, and some minor bits in Ohio, Connecticut, Kentucky and Michigan. I'm willing to go to NY or NJ for an extras role--even if I only break even. But as an extra in Cleveland? It's still problematic, although it's gotten better this Summer, with "Avengers" and "I, Alex Cross."

Michigan has been the place to go. I spent more than a month in Detroit, Ypsilanti and New Baltimore in 2010 on four different film productions. Real Steel was the biggest and most challenging: four different background characters in three different scenes.

In 2011, it's been Oz: The Great and Powerful (see more below).

But Governor Rick Snyder worked to withdraw film credits, and (if history is any guide) that will be the death knell of the film industry in Michigan. Unless reversed (and there has been some action on this front), Michigan will find itself in the same situation as Connecticut and Ohio, both with great aspirations--followed by deep disappointment. I've been both places, and I've seen it.

Strangely enough, my most recurrent role is that of the undead or zombie. You can read more about that here: The Secret Zombie Diaries.

Enough for now.

Back to the future...

2011-11-28T10:56:00.000-08:00

I can see that I haven't posted very much on this account lately. Too much work! The new deal now is: "Oz: The Great and Powerful." Thirty-two days on set since October 1!

"Oz: The Great and Powerful"

Alas, I can't say much (if anything), about it, and it doesn't make its premiere until March 8, 2013. That's more than one year from now! I think I can say that I'm a member of a select group of background actors who have their own make-up artists, and these make-up artists are the very best in the world.

My own artist is Howard Berger, who won an Academy Award for "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)." When he's super busy, I've been with Bob Kurtzman, Craig Reardon, Mike Mills, Ozzy Alvarez, David Dupuis, Toni G, Jonathan Shrover, Mark Landon and Greg Funk. They're all the best of the best!

The cast is terrific. Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis, James Franco--and more. And there will be Munchkins!

Wish I could post a pic of my character, but I don't even have one. This is one tight set. You will love it, though.

The set is in Michigan, north of Detroit. Can't wait to get back!

School and Fun

2011-02-20T19:53:00.000-08:00

My own life is a bit dull. The acting gigs are great, but i'm still usually just background. "Real" actors and crew sometimes think of us as set furniture. So every once and again, I'll copy pages from the blogs of my wife and children. My wife, Joanne, is in Kenya now. She's an AAC whiz (augmentative speech for those who lack vocal capacity--and even some who cannot do signing). She is in Kenya to share her knowledge. Here is a recent post:

Tuesday was Sapling Trust day. One of the Sapling Trust teachers had asked me to come and observe her class of three young children with autism. I spent quite a bit of time with her, gave her a few basic suggestions for encouraging communication, but concluded that what would be the most beneficial would be to have an assistant to help manage the wide variety of behaviors.

I then spent nearly an hour with a deaf 21-year-old artist/computer geek who was having a bit of a problem finding the drawing program that wold allow him to open a file he had created. I offered a few suggestions and from then on he was always 3-4 steps ahead of me. Using his flash drive, he was able to transfer the program to the appropriate user area, complete the required registration, re-install it, and open his file to show me a his rendering of an apartment complex. He also enjoys drawing cars and copying and designing commercial logos.

In Eunice's class, the morning's focus was on singing about action words - washing and wiping in particular. Each child got a chance to "wash" a towel in a basin of soapy water. The lesson became even more functional after a large amount of water was spilled on the floor, and we began singing about the teacher washing and wiping the floor.

I walked a couple of long blocks to a busier intersection where I could hail a tuk-tuk to take me to the Nakumatt Nyali , where I exchanged about $40 in Tanzanian currency into Kenyan shillings and met Stephanie. We walked to her house, had a lunch of rice and curry, and caught a matatu to Haller Park.

Haller Park is a green urban sanctuary. There are trails, snake exhibits, a 3:00 PM giraffe feeding one can participate in, crocodile and hippo feedings to watch (check out the monkeys sneaking in for their share) and a huge whale made entirely from discarded flip-flops.

Back at the house, Stephanie's mother shared home remedies that have been passed down in her family - I'm looking forward to trying the the one for sleep.

Another calming walk on the beach. The views were even more breathtaking today. We were able to walk way out because of the neap tide. Neap tides are particularly weak tides that occur twice a month - during the first and 3rd quarter moons - when the sun and moon are at right angles to each other. The sun cancels out much of the moon's gravitational pull, resulting in smaller differences between high and low tides (Thank you wiki answers!).

Looking back toward land

Jack, the neighbor's dog, accompanied us on all
our beach ramblings.

Back at the house, we washed the sand off our feet and left our flip-flops outside to dry.

Big Mistake.

When Stephanie's parents were ready to leave for town, only one flip-flop could be found. The usual canine suspects were rounded up and the sand pits were surveyed, but no flip-flop could be found.

I did several small buckets full of laundry at the Poly. Everything dried quickly with the help of the powerful ceiling fan, except for the final load of three items (2 needed the next day), which I had pinned up just before storm - and power outage - hit at 2:15 AM.

Have I mentioned that Mombasa is hot? The kind of hot where sweat pours down your face after just a minute or two outside? The kind of hot where being inside without a fan almost constitutes abuse? Luckily the rain brought an immediate drop in temperature, so the absence of the fan was tolerable.

You can read more here: AAC in East Africa

Plague: Last Episode for the Season

2010-05-02T16:27:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was filming for the final episode of the season of Plague: The Diary of Ben McReady. The location was Aviation High School, near Burke Lakefront Airport. The high school is abandoned now, but provided a good set.

We arrived just after 8:00 AM. I signed Joanne and me up for make-up, but I was kicked off before completing my first zombie. I had applied the make-up far too thickly. But Joanne did a superlative job, and it was good she was there: with far more zombies than my last shoot, Joanne, Gwen and Chialla Geib was the entire make-up department, joined by others temporarily during the day.

I was one of their first victims. Gwen put the prosthetics on first. She found a recipe online for pouring liquid latex on a cookie sheet, then pressing in small pieces of tissue paper or cotton balls. After it dries, it can be painted with regular latex paint. These she applied directly, not prepping the skin first with clown white cream, as she had done for episode seven. The clown white was added later, and this was Joanne's station. Joanne also did shading on the eyes and a little spiderwork on the face. Chialla did this as well, although for me she applied liquid blood, pouring into my hands an supervising the application on my head, face and shirt. The result was pretty convincing.

I basically hung out most of rest of the morning, then participated in another student film being made at the same time. Then I noticed a crowd gathered around an interior door, intently watching some activity within. I went over. It was a choreographer teaching about 16 students the steps for Michael Jackson's Thriller. I tried to mimic the movements, little knowing that I would be enlisted later.

Finally, we were called for the major scene of the day. Our cars had been randomly placed in the parking lot when we arrived. For this scene, the zombies were randomly placed around the cars. On "action" we were to mill about, until a family tried to run through us to safety. As they ran through, we grabbed at them, taking two or three down. Then we feasted, as only zombies can feast.

After major filming, Wendall called for volunteers, or at least, that's what I thought he was calling. He then lined us up. I was soon to learn that I, too, would be dancing to Thriller. A couple of times I tried to escape, but Ern kept reassuring me that it would be fine. Fortunately, I was in the back. I hope I didn't mess things up too much. Otherwise it should be very good.

It was a very good day.

Shaved!

2010-04-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

Sometimes personal life trumps professional obligations. I grew my beard for Not in Ohio, sent my photos to Real Steel with the beard, and auditioned for Lilith with it. But I've gotten no feed back from Lilith (too soon, really), Real Steel doesn't need it, and Not in Ohio is just a bit shaky now.

On the other hand, I have two legal appointments at big time Akron law firms, and a trip to Probate Court as an Estate Executor, and my beard is just frankly strange.

It's off (I can always grow it back in a month).

Plague: The Diary of Ben McReady

2010-04-09T22:09:00.000-07:00

I was a tree zombie for the Tri-C project: Plague: The Diary of Ben McReady (Season 1, Episode 7). This is one of those roles as an extra that you don't want to pass up -- one of those roles as an extra which is the exception to the rule. Simple: the instructor for the class making the film is Wendell Hinkle. As good as it gets in Cleveland.

It gets better: when I landed on site, I got the role of the tree zombie--the featured zombie in Episode 7. It's ugly! It's truly, truly ugly!! I can't even recall thrusting out my tongue. (I think the part just took me over--one of those things that happen with good actors--and thankfully, for me too).

Here's the clip:

Season 1, Episode 7

Not in Ohio

2010-02-06T22:31:00.000-08:00

The cast for Not in Ohio is being announced as I write. I be a pirate--a right pretty pirate, dontcha know. To check out the rest of the cast, click on the link below:

Cast of: Not in Ohio

It's a mighty handsome group.

Death of the Dead

2010-02-03T11:34:00.000-08:00

Trailer No. 1 for Death of the Dead is now online on YouTube, Vimeo Facebook and other locations. Below is the trailer on YouTube:

Death of the Dead

Near nuclear reaction around the globe! Not only has the movie been noted and commented on in the United States, but also in the major zombie press of the world.

And what a reaction! Some of the editors and commentators are eager to see the finished movie, others are skeptical--and some are downright hostile (sometimes the best reaction of all). Whatever the case, none can ignore it. Bring it on!

Below are just a few of the zombie sites that have taken notice. Not included are the tons sites which include Death of the Dead on feeds, or lists of upcoming movies, new releases and trailers. Enjoy:

English:

Row Three

"No Romero isn’t up to his old tricks again . . . yet. And considering the pure awfulness of his last outing, that is a good thing. But along comes a zom-com sort of borrowing from the franchise’s “. . . of the Dead” series . . .
Have a look under the seats for the teaser of Death of the Dead, complete with Ninja Zombies; not from the director who brought us Avatar.
(Romero may be subject to the same brain-eating plague that infected Sam Raimi: the bigger the budget, the crappier the movie! Quentin and Rodriquez are among the few who can pull it off.)
A World on Fire
"Here’s a film that is due out later this year which mixes the heart warming antics of the karate kid with a mass of hungry zombies. Mind you, these aren’t normal zombies. These are ninja zombies. Or so the large spectacled heroin quips as she stares out a blood spattered window.
"This is a film not made by the director of Avatar, reads one of the credits. Another reads that it is an epic film of low budget proportions, clearly embracing the cheese that appears to be dripping out of each of its pores. The movie appears to focus on a nerdy karate student who must fight off some zombies. She finds a magic belt that turns her into “the hotness” whereby she fights the undead in a very high riding miniskirt.

"This could be a cult hit, or completely miss the mark. I have a hard time watching movies that “know” they are funny. I find the best kind of humor occurs when characters don’t realize they are being funny. These characters are so committed to their worldview that humor arises from natural conflict. For example, I didn’t laugh at Shaun of the Dead because Simon Pegg was being silly, but rather, I laughed at how Shaun coped at his nightmarish situation.

"Still, this still could be really funny. Let’s just say, I’m reserving judgment for the final cut. In any case, I’ll drop a word on any future developments."
(Now that's a solid review)
BuyZombie
"If you have been following BuyZombie for awhile you know that I am also a fan of B Movies, independant films, and ninjas – this film should be right up my alley and I cannot wait to let you know. Humor horror flicks are always hit or miss but I think this one has a lot of potential from what you can see here."
(btw, as its name suggests, BuyZombie is the place to get all your zombie needs, including the t-shirt: "zombies only want you for your brain")
The Pulp Movies Trailer Park

"An epic feature full of brains, boobs and bad ass bitches, Death of the Dead is fun for the whole family"

(proving once again the power of taglines)

CliqueClack

". . . you have to get a look at the trailer for Gary King's Death Of The Dead, starring Christina Rose. It’s like I sat on Santa’s lap and told him what movie I wanted for 2010, and here it is."

(doesn't get better than that!)

Horror Movie Girls

Just the trailer and taglines in a very neat box. The site focuses on horror chicks and bad-ass bitches. A good post on Rose McGowan, and how she got into film. Look for a solid review of DOTD when the full theatrical version is released.

The Zed Word

Just a page for the trailer for now, but other good things on this blog. I enjoyed reading the review for Plague of the Zombies. The Zed Word motto: "When there's no more room in hell, the dead shall blog the earth"

Arabic:

KHALeD Alenezi BLOG

قد لا يكون "Zombieland" ولكن "Death-of-the-Dead" ويعد بأن يكون معلما بارزا في نمط Troma والنوع الكسول.

(Comment: "It may not be "Zombieland" but "Death of the Dead" promises to be a milestone in Troma-style zombie movies." OK, I added the comment, but it brings "Death of the Dead" to a significant portion of the international audience--one that can't be ignored.)

French:

Vie de Geek

Alors au début j'ai crû que c'était un faux vrai trailer, mais je crois que finalement c'est une comédie gore parodique produit par Strange Stuff, on verra bien, en tout cas moi je surveille ce truc de près !

("So at first I thought it was a fake trailer, but I think ultimately it is a gore comedy parody produced by Strange Stuff. We'll see in any case. I'll be watching this thing closely!" - Fake trailer? Not on your life!)

German:

Splatter Movies

Jaja...

Kaum ein Tag ohne unsere Untoten Gesellen. Und auch dieser kommt mal wider aus der Indi-, bzw Billigecke.

ABER! Ich glaube dieser dürfte trotzdem einen besonderen Blick wert sein, den es ist diesmal eine Komödie und zwar eine der wunderbar bescheuertesten Sorte. Und zumindest im Trailer, haben sogar ein paar der Gags bei mir gezündet. Außerdem finde ich das Brillen-Chick echt scharf.

("Comedy of a wonderfully silly variety"! "Really hot chick in glasses"! Agree totally!!)

Fleisch Industries

Von Strange Stuff Productions kommt diese actiongeladene Zombiehorror Komödie, die für einen Low-Budget Film recht interessant und sehenswert ausschaut, aber vorallem recht witzig rüberkommt. Inszeniert wurde der Film von Gary King und als Darsteller seien vorerst Christina Rose, Jack Abele, John Riddlebaugh und Rick Montgomery, Jr. erwähnt.

Fleisch Industries? The Germans get into it good! And they seem to have taken fondly to "Death of the Dead" Loosely translated:  

"From Strange Stuff Productions comes this action-packed zombie horror comedy, which looks like a quite interesting low-budget film worth seeing, and especially comes across very funny. The film was directed by Gary King, and were initially mentioned as actors are Christina Rose, Jack Abele, John Riddlebaugh and Rick Montgomery, Jr. . ."

  Fleisch goes on to give the synopsis of the film. I think they're going to like it! Alert: When you click on the link you'll get to a "moved" page. Just click on the moved "here" link.

Hungarian:

Zombiebuzi

Ez egy nagyon beteg, idióta film lesz, de tényleg!

(Completely idiotic? Hey guys, give us a break! This isn't from the Director who brought us Avatar!)

Japanese:

エキサイト

死者の死. ビデオだけ. 論評無し. 楽しみなさい!

(Okay, no commentary, but they posted the vid and gave it a window. In the vast world of film, eyeballs count!)

Russian:

Фильмы про зомби

Хоррор-комедия Смерть живых мертвецов: море мозгов и обнаженных тел, а также крутые девицы! Не страшно, зато почти Трома-стиль.

("Death of the Dead" has finally reached from Moscow to the steppes. I think they like it!)

Spanish:

Amanecer Zombie

Si no recuerdo mal, los protagonistas de El diario de los muertos grababan un documental titulado "La muerte de la muerte" y quizás bajo esa premisa el titulo de la película que os vengo a hablar hoy se titula"Death of the dead"... quien sabe.

Gary King es el encargado de dar forma a esta película de bajo presupuesto pero que se nota que le han puesto ilusión y amor a una serie de géneros tan dispares como el humor, la acción, la fantasía, la ciencia ficcion y el terror entremezclandolos todos juntos en una hipotética batidora y dándole forma bajo una producción de Strange Stuff productions.

Vamos,que otra cosa quizás no... pero Bo Buckley (el guionista de este film) se ha tenido que fumar una buena cantidad de porros, porque vaya historia.

(Based on a documentary within The Diary of the Dead? Bo Buckley smoking pot in making this film? Enquiring minds want to know--but I guess they'll have to wait until the full feature hits the silver screen!)

Abandomoviez

"Cuando un autobús de la escuela de karate rival atropella por accidente a dos científicos, una extraña sustancia de un bidón se vierte en el sistema de alcantirillado intoxicando la ciudad y a los propios karatekas convirtiéndolos así en una especie de ninjas zombie"

(But Wanda and her teacher save humanity with the help of a magical belt that gives incredible power)

Nido de Cuervos Noticias

This site covered all the basics, but then a comment was added by a very snooty fan:

"Creo que la pregunta es más que obligada . . . POR QUE? Nunca dejaran de castigarnos la retina con bazofias así...en fin, he visto cosas peores y sigo vivo . . ."

(punish the retina? Well, you probably have seen worse, but are you sure you're really still alive)

Almas oscuras

A mí este tipo de películas me atrapan, me cuativan. Y sé perfectamente lo complicado que resulta defender una propuesta como Death of the dead: comedia zombie independiente(con lo saturados que estamos de comedias zombis) . . . Así es, no hay por dónde cogerlo. Zombis karatekas, cinturones mágicos, testículos . . . ¿Mala de narices? Probablemente. ¿Ganas de verla? Pues sí, qué le vamos a hacer.

(This kind of film catches me. And I know exactly how complicated it is to defend a proposal such as death of the dead: independent zombie comedy (so saturated are we with zombie comedy) . . . So . . . zombies karate, magic belts, testicles, bad noses? Probably. Do I have a desire to see it? Yes, what can I do)

To which someone added: "
Pero, pero, pero . . . WTF! Zombies!! Karate a muerte en [un pueblecito cutre de los USA]? . . . Sexy y cutre, la combinación perfecta de la serie Z"
(yes, sexy and tacky--the perfect combination for a low-budget film)

Swedish:

RST Video

Wanda och hennes sensei slåss mot ett gäng helt galna ninja-zombies. Till sin hjälp har Wanda ett magiskt bälte.

("Wanda and her sensai fighting a bunch of completely insane ninja-zombies." In a word, yes!)

So that's it for now. Keep posted here and at: StrangeStuff! And keep in mind, the comments above are just for the trailer--wait 'til they see the full feature film! Hold your hats!

Death of the Dead

2010-01-20T16:51:00.000-08:00

The trailer for "Death of the Dead" is out. Worth a look:
> > Death of the Dead

If you like it, become a fan:
> > StrangeStuff

Screenwriting Foxhole

2010-01-19T12:19:00.000-08:00

I just joined "Screenwriting Foxhole," and if any of you folks come on over, I want you to know that my criticism of Avatar is simply the observations of an interested fan. In discussing the film, Cameron should be held to the highest of standards. He did, after all, have the cred and the budget and the resources.

And I do like the look of his creation for reasons wonderfully expressed in: Luminous 3-D Jungle Is a Biologist’s Dream in The New York Times. He just came up short in the story. Not much of a good example for screenwriters who depend on plot and character development.

I'll still see Avatar again.

Made for Each Other

2010-01-13T08:40:00.000-08:00

Wow! I finally saw Made for Each Other. Great cast, including Chris and Danny Masterson, Patrick Warburton, George Segal, Bijou Phillips, Lauren German, Marnie Schulenburg, Ginger Kroll, Michael Lee Gogin, Samm Levine, Kyle Howard, Debargo Sanyal and the hilarious Leslie Hendrix.

I've watched it maybe seven times. Joanne once or twice--including the whole movie during dinner last night. You can catch it on Charter, Comcast, Cox and Time-Warner.

We did it via web connection. Blown-up full screen on a 17-in iMac, it's acceptable--when viewed from about 5 feet. Joanne thought it was a bit corny, but I loved it. A definite DVD buy when it comes out!

I'm in every scene at Roscoe's Wing Bar, by the way, in red, blue and black shirts (for the different nights of action--I was a true Roscoe's regular! My kind of bar--although I generally go for the legs rather than the wings.) Actually, in the reconciliation scene, I played two different wings regulars, as is apparent when you see me in both the blue and the black shirts! (You only see the back of my head and shoulders from a distance in the shots with the black shirt).

You'll also catch me in the final "second wedding" scene--far right of screen in long pan wearing silver-grey suit. Patrick Warburton was the rabbi, which I absolutely missed at the time. And it played off an earlier, inside joke at about 40:50:

"The man once became an ordained rabbi for a 3-line student film--went to rabbinical school and everything." - Mack's Assistant (Debargo Sanyal)

That line really resonated, after some of my own attempts to "become the role," including the terrible hair-dye disaster for the ill-fated Julio audition. Or my upcoming audition as a pirate for Not in Ohio. The line gave me the final resolve to shave my head:

"Face it, Will, you say you'll never be a pirate, but you're off to a rip-roaring start" - Cap'n Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean (Curse of the Black Pearl)--first script.

Anyone need another biker zombie?

Fearmakers

2010-01-07T12:32:00.001-08:00

Just became a follower of the Fearmakers blog. This is the group that turned me into a full-time zombie. Okay, I'd done "I Am Legend," but wasn't fully committed to the zombie role as a career choice. But Fearmakers (or actually the low-budget, micro-division of Fearmakers: Strange Stuff Productions) came to West CleveTown in November (2009) for filming of "Death of the Dead." The first week of filming was at a martial arts studio in Westlake as part of a zombie herd. The following week at a biker bar in Barberton as "The Old Man." Don't I look the part?

The gorgeous gal is Christina Rose, with credits including Saturday Night Live, 30 Rock, Deadheads, all My Children, and the exotic dancer in Jukka (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3010903/).

Of course it's filmed out of narrative sequence, so in the scene filmed in Westlake the week before, I was infected with the zombie strain. Can't wait to see the film--trailer should be out soon.

FantasyTown

2009-08-24T12:16:00.000-07:00

FantasyTown turned out spectacularly. John and Mike Frenden know how to make film, and the actors they choose to work with were uniformly good. No wonder that, for the second year in a row, John's film earned the "Audience Favorite Award!" It also got the overall award for costumes.

I played Hal Haynes, Court Clerk. Just a few lines, but character development was crucial. Of course I did what I usually like to do--select my own wardrobe: jeans, jacket, white shirt, string tie, cowboy boots, ten gallon hat and half-specs; as well as beard and hair parted crisply down the middle.

That's John Frenden to my right in the screen shot, and Jason Glick to my right.

The film included saloon girls, Indians (speaking in native language) on horseback, school kids, cowboys and one of the best swamp monsters in movie history (played by Jim Cernanec, Jr). It was shot on location at Fry Family Farms and Museum of Western Reserve Farms and Equipment in Richfield, Ohio.

See the movie here: (http://www.youtube.com/actorloganfry).

Swamp Thing I

2009-08-03T00:50:00.001-07:00

Finished 48 Hour Film Project filming on Saturday. What a blast! Of course I can't post a comment until the screening on Thursday--just let me say that John Frenden, and his brother Mike, were superb; as were the cast and crew. Seven times better than last year--and it takes some mighty fine filmmaking to beat "Alien Robot Invasion." .

The Intervention

2009-04-24T22:24:00.000-07:00

I just got back from the first night's shoot of Lara Klaber's "The Intervention." I play the role of the dead body. Hope I pulled it off. We got to a nice house in Cleveland Heights at 6:30 PM, but waited for the sun to go down before the actual shoot began.

Nice equipment, and a dolly track set up in the living room, turning the corner into the dining room. The furniture was removed, as well as the rug--there will be blood!

The movie is a CSU student project. One of the best I've seen: a girl with dissociative personality disorder is released from an institution, and while being helped by her psychiatrist and family--murders them all. Kristen Deyling plays the central role of Daphne, but has three sisters and a brother who co-occupy her headspace. Very nice acting.

For me, the challenge was playing a dead body. I could have just lay there, but I wanted to achieve a more sinister look. I needed to lie still with eyes wide open and mouth agape. Not easy to hold eyes open for an extended period of time while the camera rolled.

We wrapped at about 10:30 PM. Time to wash off the blood.

Color

2009-04-21T21:10:00.000-07:00

The trailer for "Color" is up. This is Cory Sheldon's film involving corporate intrigue and unusual human sensory capabilities: Lux Davis is a tetrachromat.

I had a small role as a private physician--six lines. Primary filming was nearly two years ago. The trailer looks great (I'm not in it, though). Here it is:

http://vimeo.com/4182964

.

Satisfied

2009-03-23T19:46:00.000-07:00

Dave just sent me a copy of the "Unsatisfied" via e-mail, DVD to follow. It's short but interesting. I'll post it in as soon as I get the go-ahead.

Just Psycho

2009-03-08T11:02:00.000-07:00

Untitled "Eliot Ness documentary" rapped at 1:45 AM. A strange shoot at an old mansion in Lakewood. A couple outside scenes; then it started to rain. Still good for mood; but tricky for electrical. And keeping lighting and cameras dry. On the other hand, we got some million dollar scenes for free.

Then inside for some light butchering--but no real bodies. Finally the interrogation. What kind of doctor wears his hat in the house? Well this one did. Good for shadows and contrast on my face. I also got a big, bushy moustache. No one will recognize me in this film.

John Frenden looks good as Ness. He nailed the look. Looking forward to the final cut.

Torso Murder Psycho

2009-03-07T08:23:00.000-08:00

This came as a surprise. John Frenden (who produced "Alien Robot Invasion") e-mailed early this morning. Would I like to play Dr. Francis Sweeney, the infamous "torso murderer" - filming tonight in Cleveland? John's doing a historical documentary based on Cleveland's Eliot Ness for a competition. I'll need to pull together some props; color my hair and pull together wardrobe--but I'm up for it.

Talked with John this morning. Filming at his office. He said not to worry about script. It will be an interrogation. Just come in character. Insane doctor--torso murderer.

"Unsatisfied"

2009-03-01T14:23:00.000-08:00

"Unsatisfied" -- it was Dave Salzman's CSU student project: the story of a man whose life has become an exercise in repetition and boredom. Since the script required the same activities over an extended period of time, I needed five changes in outfit, so Village Thrift was the place to shop.

Filming was in Broadview Heights; and it went great--except for the "co-star" who thought anything over 5 hours was way too long for any project. So she stormed out; requiring a rewrite; making me the sole actor for the film. That was okay by me.

So back again about a week or two later: same scenes, and a few more that were supposed to be filmed before my co-star departed. All went well. It was a wrap.

I can't wait to see the finished film.

"Closure"

2009-02-28T19:06:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was hectic. Filming for "Closure" was set for 5:00 pm; but that was the time I needed to have Mike at the airport for a flight to Nashville. Then one of Joanne's friends called Wednesday; asking if she could stay over for the night with two kids going to a jump rope event in Norton. So that meant keeping the fire going in the old part of the house; which meant splitting wood and drying it on the stove. Some bill paying and banking, too.

So I got to Virginia Marti, where the filming was to occur, at 6:30 pm--just a few minutes after Len Ganley, the director, and film crew arrived. A hectic day for them as well, I guess.

Filming went well, although I am still not completely comfortable. But hopefully three takes will produce enough tape for the project. If it all gets pulled together, it will be submitted for a Doorpost Film Project.

Oh, I got to play Detective Engel; caught in a private drama as a young girl tries to reconcile her love of her brother; with the love of the one who killed him. Vanessa Flores played Julia--and was terrific!

Salt and pepper

2009-02-11T09:58:00.000-08:00

After I dyed my hair New Year's Eve for the "Julio" audition, I ended up looking like Rod Blagojevich. Just too much black hair. It was really embarrassing when I went to the dentist's office or bank--but I did it for "my craft!"

I finally got it cut off yesterday; and feel a great deal better. It's pretty much a buzz cut; and strangely, some of the hair remained black, as if it hadn't grown out. Leaves a nice salt and pepper effect.

I shouldn't make too big a deal over it; but it will be the last time I go to the extreme of a drastic--and semi-permanent--change in appearance just for the chance to do an audition in Cleveland, Ohio.

At least when I did the "Indiana Jones" audition in New Haven, CT, and dressed like a professor from the 1950s, I could change back to my normal style without having to wait six weeks for my hair to grow out.

Visit China!

2009-02-10T11:28:00.000-08:00

The official website for "Visit China" is up! It looks really great.

I had a chance to see a clip during the "Julio" audition; but can't wait to see the whole film. It couldn't be more timely.

Go to:

http://www.visitchinafilm.com/

P.S. That's me - third character from the left - in the poster above (click on image for larger view).

Disheartened

2009-02-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

I probably expect too much. The last two auditions seemed to go very well. Directors, DPs all very encouraging. Went all the way on the last one--dyed my hair jet black--which I now totally regret. Looks like Dennis Kucinich after a bad day at the beauty parlor. The time before that was an audition at Akron U on the very worst day of the winter.

The one before at the comic shop in Strongsville was never much of a prospect. The part was probably already cast before I got there; but they let me read a few lines. Like a bad audition on "American Idol." They were very nice; but seemed truly bored.

The clincher, though, was last Friday night when I tried to explain my plot concept to a friend about what I thought would be a killer zombie movie. She couldn't get away fast enough. And then I sulked away.

Ooops--just heard from another director. The DVD for "Unsatisfied" (I'm the only actor in this recent student film) is on the way!

Things aren't so bleak, after all.

Marnie

2009-01-22T09:20:00.000-08:00

Just added a pic of Marnie Schulenburg and me. Marnie was the waitress at Roscoe's Wings Bar for the movie "Made for Each Other" (she has a hilarious scene with George Segal); and production had just closed for the day. I wasn't at all hesitant to approach Marnie; because she was a totally great person on set; focused yet very natural. I think it was earlier during a break when she told me about her role as Ali in the TV drama "As the World Turns"

That's the great thing about being an extra on smaller projects. If you stay in the background, don't get in the way of production, or become a personal nuisance, you really have the opportunity to meet wonderful people who have done a great job in film and TV. So here's the pic (I'm obviously star-struck!):

YouTube Downloads

2009-01-20T21:16:00.001-08:00

Joanne just heard about this from an AAC (alternative augmentative communication) listserve.

In the past, I've spent hours trying to figure out how to download YouTube vids; but this new method takes seconds. Just substitute "kick" for "www." in the URL of the video you want to download (remember to knock off the "period after www").

For example, if you want to download the trailer to "Made for Each Other," go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7q55FwwZkns

and substitute "kick" for "www."

http://kickyoutube.com/watch/?v=7q55FwwZkns

Eleven formats are offered. I'm on a Mac G5 and MP4 worked great (I also downloaded an AVI; but I got a window telling me I needed an extra plug-in to play it). I didn't try FLV.

MOVIE NOTE: Yes, that's me in the red shirt, sitting at the bar, as Dan (Chris Masterson) walks by.

Rule of Threes

2009-01-20T17:20:00.000-08:00

The cast has just been announced for "Julio." I am neither attorney Waters nor Father Flannery. Except for my brilliant black hair, it's not all that great a loss. It follows the "Rule of Threes."

The Rule of Threes posits that in any casting situation, one-third of the time an actor will audition who is far better for the part--and will get cast. Another third of the time, someone will show up who is far less suited; but, for any of an innumerable number of reasons, will also get cast for the role.

And a third of the time--and this is actually a very good result ratio--you will get the role.

Film and television have their own form of the rule: one-third of the projects will have been worth the effort; the other two-thirds a bad use of clean air (Let's not put "Call Me: The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss" back in the player).

Tanzanian Craftsman

2009-01-19T19:21:00.000-08:00

I made this post as a media experiment. This video shows a craftsman near Mt. Meru in Northern Tanzania making a machete. My wife was on the camera; and she and my daughter, Zibby, can be heard in the background.

The video is a direct upload from the desktop to blogger; although it was uploaded to the computer originally via iPhoto. It may be possible to upload directly from the camera via the USB2 connection and the memory card.

The format is .avi, as permitted by blogger. This is the format created by the Fuji Finepix J150 camera; but again, I don't know whether an upload can be made directly from the camera. Note that both video and audio are uploaded.

Final note: I uploaded via a DSL connection; and it still took a little while. In other words, it takes a good connection to successfully upload. Also note that the maximum upload to bloggger is 100 MB. This 52 second video is a bit over 40 MB.

Is there a future in acting?

2009-01-16T12:31:00.000-08:00

Is there a future in acting? Give me some time to think that one over. It has several aspects.

Firstly, I suppose, is there a future in acting in general? With the advent of digital technologies, the entire concept of acting is changing. What about that old actor: Max Headroom? Crude at the time, Max presaged a future of acting where human characters would not depicted by real humans on the screen at all. These weren't mere cartoon characters; they started to take on more human attributes. Soon they may be indistinguishable from their human counterparts.

Oh, but there are still voices and personality to give life to the characters, you may say. Who is Shrek without his voice? But voices, too, can now be wholly digital; and I am not talking merely about the voice of Steven Hawking. Augmentative speech devices are being used for many more individuals than Hawking alone; and the same technologies are being used in film as well. And these artificial voices are becoming fully more human-like.

The Screen Actors Guild, debating whether to strike on this cold winter afternoon in January, confronts these issues; as well as the simple issue of payment when an actor's work is delivered in new formats, YouTube being not the least--or most--of these.

Well, to that add: Is there a future in acting in Cleveland? Now there's a good topic. Some think that Cleveland has all the resources and talent; and all that needs to be added to the mix is tax credits! I'm all for more acting opportunities in Cleveland and surrounding areas; but doubt that tax credits are the answer. I won't make friends with that assertion, that's for sure.

Finally, there is the question: Is there a future for acting for me: Logan Fry? I should probably stick to that simple question, something I know a little about: at least from a very personal perspective.

So I'll use this blog to explore that question, with errant observations on other matters along the way.

The question for now is: Where's Julio?