I had a lot of fun today at the photo session for the Asian Visa ad. Everyone was really nice. They did have an issue with my hair. It was too “hip” for what they were going for so they asked me if they could trim it. Usually I would say no, but they only wanted to trim an inch from the back and I know my hair grows fast so I said ok. The rest of the day went smoothly except for a slight hyperhidrosis attack that happened after I stepped on a pin that got in my shoe. The makeup person then had to check me every few minutes and put more powder on me ’cause I was sweating it off. It was a little embarassing but I stayed calm and just went with it because there was nothing else I could do. In-between wardrobe changes for the girl I was working with, they actually turned up the A/C, told me to sit under a vent, and they put a fan on my to cool me down. I had to laugh when the makeup girl saw me, laughed and said “You just stay there”. A couple minutes later and I was paired up with another female model for another role of shots. This time I was calm and dry. The makeup girl still checked on me every few minutes but I had it under control at that point.
One thing that was pretty cool was that they shot a bunch on pictures using a digital camera and the art director from the agency had a laptop with the comp loaded in Photoshop so they could instantly drop the photo into the art to test it out. I was also told the ad would appear in newspapers and posters around Los Angeles so I’ll be keeping an eye out for it!
So I booked that modeling job I audtioned for last week. I am now a model for a Visa ad that is targeted for the Asian market. I think it’s a magazine ad. Not sure though. The photographer I will be working with is Huey Tran. Should be fun!
Today as I was leaving my audition I got this flashback of gym class in middle school. Team captains had been picked for dodgeball and now the rest of us were being evaluated on our athletic prowess, aggressiveness, and ability to not get hit by the ball. The inner voice in my head would be screaming “Pick me! Pick me!”, but I would just stand there pretending to be unaffected by the fact that once again, I would be the last one to be drafted onto a team - and I couldn’t even say I was drafted because I was the last kid left so I just ended up on some team by default.
That’s precisely how I felt today after my “modeling” audition for an Asian print ad and my audition for a lead role in a student film. The good news, is that while I was waiting to audition for the student film I received a message from my agency saying that I have been put “on hold” for the print ad. What does that mean exactly? I’m not really sure. It does indicate that I am one of their top choices for the job, but it also means that it’s still not a sure thing. In my paranoid actor’s mind I’m thinking they’re waiting for the possibility of a better “option” - another male model who fits the ad better. Maybe my ethnic background is not clear enough for the ad? They are targeting the ad for specific asian markets - Vietnamese, Korean, and Chinese. Most people are not sure what my ethnic background is when they meet me. I get “Hawaiian” a lot, sometimes “Thai”, sometimes “Chinese” but never Filipino. My last name does hint to my Chinese background. My Pinoy side mostly goes unnoticed. Then again, maybe I don’t look old enough to be a young dad? Who knows. I just have my fingers crossed. It would be nice to book a modeling job this year.
As for the student film audition, well, I guess it went ok. I tried to prepare for it as much as possible by breaking down the script and really thinking about the character. I also tried to really dress the part. But the whole thing went by so quick. I was also asked to sing. So I sang a song - but tried to do it “in character”. I’m not sure how well that went. I think I should have just belted one out to impress them like I usually would.
Oh well. Nothing I can do but sit here and wait for somebody to pick me.
This is definitely why I need to make my own movie so I can be the team captain.
Published on Wednesday July 7, 2004 .
Well, there are now two more classes left in my two-year acting program. I was hoping Tom would give us the approval to “finish” our scene tonight but it didn’t happen. He still had a couple notes for us but overall he said there was nothing else he could teach us in the scene. Now we just had to relax and have fun with our parts. He also told the class that he wants to see us create magic onstage and that’s when our scenes will be finished. No pressure of course with only one class left to perform our scenes.
Next week we graduate, then we are scheduled for individual artistic reviews where the acting coaches sit down with each one of us individually and talk about the work we did during the training and what are our strengths and weaknesses. Time flew by so fast and now I feel like I’m just starting to really understand everything I have been taught…
Happy 4th!
Our 4th was pretty quiet. We just stayed home, grilled and made sure our house didn’t catch on fire from all the illegal fireworks being used by the locals.
A few minutes ago Heather and I were watching a small gathering of police officers who were trying to block off an alley-way which is on the other side of our neighbors house. I guess they were trying to catch someone. In my mind I started to hear the theme song to “Cops” and was waiing for the camera crew to show up. No such luck. A couple minutes passed and then all the police cars left. I hope they got who they were looking for.
I recorded myself tonight rehearsing my part in “She Stoops to Conquer”. It was kinda painful to watch. I looked so awkward. It did kinda help though in terms of being able to see what I’m doing and relate it to the critique I received.
I have an 8.30am rehearsal tomorrow morning. I basically have two more classes to “finish” my scene and perform it to the approval of my acting coach. We’re pretty close. My major note was to relax into the part and own it. We’ll see how it goes…
The other day I received an email from my theatrical agency saing that 70% of casting is now being done online and that we must maintain our portfolios at the three major services: The Players Directory, Actor’s Access and LA Casting. The Hollywood process has gone high-tech. It’s a brave new world…
Talking about agencies, I just realized that I have been represented by the same commercial and theatrical agencies since 1997. That’s 7 years of booking a couple of small jobs and not getting dropped. I feel lucky, but on edge because I feel the need to start demonstrating to my agencies that I can book jobs and that I’m still marketable.
Today I have been reading several news stories covering Marlon Brando, the “Godfather” of method acting who died today at age 80. His performance in “Streetcar Named Desire” revolutionized acting by demonstrating what was possible with “method” acting as pioneered by Constantin Stanislavsky. This is the “method” of acting that I have been studying for the last two years at the Joanne Baron/DW Brown acting studio in Santa Monica. What differentiates this “method” of acting from all the others is that method actors really “live” the emotions and circumstances of a scene as if it really was happening. The emotions are real and they are affected and come off of the other person who they are acting with in a scene. This makes method acting look very real and organic.
More and more, I am realizing that serious acting training is like martial arts training. There are so many levels of training and so much to learn and experience that to be a true master would take years of study and experience. In the last two years I feel I have been taught all the basic principals and more intermediate skills but it will take discipline and a lot of practice to really master all the information I have been taught. Although, the level of training we have received has prepared us enough to work in Hollywood. Heck, most actors working in Hollywood don’t have any real training but what the studio is trying to do is give us the training and skills for Oscar winning performances.
Yesterday Mattie Stepanek, a child poet whose life touched millions, passed away. Mattie Stepanek, who suffered from muscular dystrophy brought light and inspiration to the world through his writings. Heather and I watched some of the coverage of his funeral on CNN and were touched by his message of peace. His life and work are definitely an inspiration.