I DEMAND A RECOUNT

I just looked through my wife’s copy of the latest People Magazine. On the cover is a picture of Bradley Cooper, who has been named the” Sexiest Man Alive”. Okay – BUT by whom. Who voted? Where did someone find a ballot? What were the qualifications? And then on top of that, there were 123 others listed as “Super Hot Men We Love”. Who is the “We”? As a new actor, I am going to demand a recount if not a recall. Almost all of the men are movie or television stars, though there are a few others listed. One gentleman was an Iraqi War veteran. But, without making a detailed listing I would say that most are in the entertainment business with the majority being on a screen of some sort. I should be nominated as I am now considered in the entertainment business. Acting! Plus - - I am a Vietnam War veteran. So I have two credits to most of these only one.

In addition, on one page they had a listing of sexy men from 20-59. Heh – What happened to us older guys? I could be the lead off to the 70’s group. I know that I have three solid votes for the title. My wife and mother would certainly vote for me and I have my daughter (if she does not want to be disinherited). She would probably want her husband listed as he is a good looking guy, but he is not in the movies, so out of the running. My two daughters-in-law would want their husbands listed because my sons are very good looking. But again, they are not in the movies. So it is hands down unanimous that I should win. These pictures from my movies just absolutely make me a natural. Can you honestly say that these pictures are not worthy of the title?.

Oh, I almost forgot Milla Jovovich. I quote her comment to me, “You are much too sophisticated looking to be a car salesman”. I’m sure she meant sexy instead of sophisticated.

So now I am up to 6. Damn near there. My old girl friend, darling, cute and perky Jamie Jones Freeman, might vote for me. She’s probably the only one from my high school. I was a nerd there so I can’t count on those votes. As the song from “Sweet Charity” goes, ♫” if my friends could see me now”♫. Little do they know that I am up for “The Sexiest Man Alive”. Okay that brings it up to 7. Surely that is enough to get me noticed. I mean if there are no ballots how can one vote. Do you think it could be rigged? Nah – not in Hollywood.

Been working on some interesting parts lately. I learned two monologues. One from Dead Poet’s Society and the other from a new release coming soon. Both were roles as professors. I think I must have that look. The other part I learned was a role as a mob boss. So I guess that tells me where the casting directors think my talents fall.

I was in a class last weekend led by an unnamed casting director. I can’t reveal the name since I did not ask permission. But, it was quite good. As always, I was the oldest one in the class and while just watching some of these younger actors I was very impressed. A couple of the young guys and girls plan to go to Hollywood for pilot season. Yes, they actually have a season for pilots (no, has nothing to do with airplanes). This is when the new shows start filming and they start looking for actors to fill the roles. It goes on for several months at the first of each year. They want the new television shows to be ready when the new season comes around in the fall. I wish each and every one of them luck.

Of all things, I got a call a short time ago to play the part of a mentor to a young painter. This is a capstone film for a student at OCCC. A capstone film is a yearly graduation requirement for the students in collegiate film studies in which each student is required to write, produce, direct, and edit a short film. It is up to each student how a piece of themselves is woven through their scripts and portrayed in their final product. This part of a mentor to an artist person I can play since my wife is a very successful painter in her own right. Check out her website at joyrichardsonart.com. We have an agreement. She takes care of the front of the paintings and I take care of the back. You know -- putting on the wires. Heh - that takes skill!

Time for the casting couch and Harding ♫ we’ll always love you ♫

Acting is a very frustrating and interesting business full of angst and ego deflation. If this were my living, we’d be on food stamps. I am beginning to think it is time to throw my ethics out the window and allow my charms to be displayed on the casting couch. I have been to many auditions but only a few times have I had a call back to even have a chance for getting the part. And, those have been student films. True, I’ve been in paid commercials, but I want movies – regular movies. Therefore, my thinking is that the casting couch may be the way to go. I only know of two casting directors in Oklahoma City. They are Chris Friehofer of the Actor Factory and Michelle De Long of Actors Casting and Talent Service. Both are cute so I guess the first one to cast me in a movie can have my services. (CHRIS, IS THIS GOOD NEWS, OR WHAT?)

Actually, things have actually been a little busy lately. Nike is casting a commercial with Kevin Durant and they are looking for basketball playing actors to audition. When the notice came out about the spot, they sent word they needed actors who could play basketball. Having played both football and baseball, I was familiar with those games. Basketball wasn’t on my radar screen. No point in applying here! Then the producers changed their mind and said anyone could apply. I was in Kansas City to see my daughter and her family when I saw the notice and it noted that a member of the Nike staff was going to be on hand to give instruction, or at least that was the way I took the notice – and I am trainable. They were looking for several types of people for the spot.

One group, ages 30-45, was bankers playing a pickup game at lunch. A group of truckers 35-55 playing a pickup game at a truck stop. A farming family 6-60 in the country playing a pickup game, and the last was a group in a retirement center aged 70-85. I was custom made for several of the older groups, and I even have my own pair of Nike tennis shoes. Perfect. I asked my agent to submit my name. My son-in-law, a good athlete, offered to give me a few pointers on the game like dribbling and shooting. We took his basketball to his backyard hoop to practice. However, the ball was dead flat, as in pancake. It just would go splat when bounced. So we practiced the best we could with some shots and I got so I could hit the backboard once in about 10 shots. Hey, I’m a golfer not a basketballer.

Besides the ball being flat, I was summoned to audition in the 30-45 year old category. Great!! Anyway, I showed up for the audition at a gym in Norman. And, basketball ability WAS a criteria. I could look through the gym doors and see other auditioners out there actually playing basketball. When it was my turn to go inside the gym along with five others, the Nike folks explained the scenario to us. We were to play three-on-three basketball dressed in suit and ties. We were allowed to take off our coats. We lined up to have a short interview. They asked the usual question “what is your name?’ Then they wanted to know your height (5’9 in my case and at that I was three inches shorter that the next person in the group). They wanted to know our basketball experience. I said I had a 13 year old grandson who was very good and I saw most of his games (DID THAT COUNT?). Others were high school stars or had hoops in their driveways. I knew I was outclassed plus I was many years older than the others. Why wasn’t I placed in the 70-85 group? I might have had a chance there. Anyway, I did not get the part. Still can’t figure why they asked us non-basketball players to apply or why I was put into such a young group. GROUSE, GROUSE, GROUSE

The next one I thought I might have a shot at was a butler for a Riverwind Casino commercial. Butlering I do know. Is that even a word? Did you know that plates on a table should be placed two feet apart center to center? The knife should be turned so the sharp edge is pointed inward and placed on the right side of the plate? The history behind this is that knights of yore when they sat down at the table if they turned their swords inward they were on a peaceful mission. An outward turned knife meant they may have a hostile intent in them. And I know “BMW”. No – not the car, even though I am a car dealer. BMW refers to the way you place the Bread, Main course, and Water. Left to right. This way you always know which bread plate is yours. See you can learn something in this blog. However, I never even got called for this one. So I did not get to tell them what I knew. When I was in college, I earned spending money as a houseboy at the Gamma Phi Beta sorority house of OU, so I’m trained.

Now don’t I look like a butler?

I did film a movie at my old high school alma mater one Saturday a few weeks ago. The name is Mi Vida Mi Carga (My Life My Burden). This was an Oklahoma City Community College student film with a very talented director. Since I did not ask his permission to use his name in this blog I can not tell you that or what the movie is about. But, it is a very good film. Some talented acting friends of mine are in the movie. Paul Lister, Cait Brasel, and Leslie Hippensteel are cast and are quite good. I played the producer of a play inside the movie. It was filmed in the auditorium at Harding High School in Oklahoma City where I was graduated 52 years ago. I have actually been on that stage once in those years. On Veteran’s Day two years ago, they had a ceremony honoring veterans who had been in the service and had fought in a war. My claim to that title is that I am a former Navy officer and a Vietnam War veteran. They wanted us to tell the students about our experience. The only previous time I had come close to being on that stage (other than walking across it to receive my diploma) was when I tried out for the school play my senior year. I was cast as a German soldier in the play The Diary of Anne Frank. My audition was for Mr. Dussel, the dentist who shared the living quarters with the Frank family.

The drama coach, Aleece Locke, told me I had the best audition but because I had never taken a drama class, she felt she had to give it to one of her students. As consolation, I was given the soldier part. I did sign for drama class my last semester at Harding and the fact that Miss Oklahoma and Miss America 2nd runner up in 1957, Nancy Denner, was the student teacher was a good enough reason for me. My line, the best I can remember, was (forgive my spelling) zum offnen der tur schnell schnell schnell or something similar. Sina, my very pretty and young acting buddy, who has now returned to Germany, will have to set me straight on the translation. The words are supposed to mean -- open the door – hurry hurry hurry. I think. However, alas, as my acting career goes – Miss Locke decided to play a recording of the original Broadway play with those particular lines. So I never got to say them. Does that bother me? NAH – but you see I’m writing about it some 52 years after the fact. What would a psychiatrist make of that?

My latest foray into acting was securing a part in an Integris Health Edmond commercial for their new hospital. Even though it was not a speaking part I did get good “face time” (show biz parlance) as a person walking with my stage wife into the hospital. Check out the site by using the following link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=N1Zd-MATfXw

Keep checking the blog. Sometime, someone besides my wife and mother will think I deserve a shot at a movie part. Meanwhile, I’m auditioning casting directors for whom I’ll sleep on the casting couch. My ad reads: Energetic, younger-looking older guy volunteering to sleep on couch in exchange for part in movie.” Do I need to add personal statistics to that? Of course, that ad does mean they can use my services to sleep over as a night watchman. What ELSE could it possibly mean?

Also, check out the 48 hour movie I was involved with and then check out my previous blog. Amazing what can be done in 48 hours.

http://vimeo.com/30112952

THE 48 Hour movie

I need to create time to continue writing my blog. I know my two viewers have been in withdrawal for several months now. So many things have been going on that have kept me from writing the past few months. However, they have not kept me from pursuing my goal of “that line in a movie or a television show” - and casually sauntering down the red carpet while waving to my admirers. . The movie I am involved with “A Good Day’s Blame” has been on hiatus while Cait Braisel has been involved with the filming of Lance McDaniel’s movie “Just Crazy Enough”. The movie was filmed in Oklahoma City during June and July and stars Chris Kattan, a Saturday Night Live alum. Cait was special assistant to him.

I would have liked to audition for that movie, but my son, Brett, underwent a serious spinal cord operation in Washington DC and I went to stay with him and his family while he was in the early phases of recovery. After some time, I found the oven, even found recipes on the internet, and cooked several meals for them - much to my wife’s amazement. I don’t think I have actually cooked a full meal in the years we have been married. That is except for using the grill and even then I just flipped the steaks while she made the salad, potatoes, dessert, drinks (alcoholic types - I do take care of), and sets the table. BUT, I cooked the meat. To continue my point – I was not available to audition for Lance. In addition, Joy and I moved into a new home we built and that took up loads of time. Especially, when we moved in 110+ weather. I actually lost eight pounds during the move and have done a good job of keeping it off.

I did audition as a doctor for the movie “Cowboys and Angels” that was filmed in Stillwater. I’m strong and resolute, didn’t cry - But, I did not even get a call back. Another movie, “Yellow”, was also filmed this summer in Oklahoma City. The casting director, Michelle DeLong, submitted my headshot to Nick Cassavetes, the director, but she told me he said, “He’s too normal looking.” Not sure what that means. Just maybe it is a compliment – YES - it must be.

Anyway, that brings me up to the current time. There is an international film festival titled "The 48 Hour Film Project”. And, that is exactly what the name implies. A film group has to make a movie in 48 hours. That means they have to write, film, costume, and edit their work in that length of time. An actor friend of mine, Paul Lister, called me on a Friday and asked me if I would be interested in being involved. Sounded like fun and of course I said Yes!!!. Czeckered Past & Smith Pixels team— Kneeling - David Greyson, Caleb Wade; Middle Row - Mark Randall, Reginald J. Lloyd-Jones, Ben Hlavaty, Stacy Mize; Back Row - Dustin Tate, Jason smith, Robert Gardner, Adam Smith, Andrew Smith, Paul Lister, Jerry Richardson

This is Oklahoma City’s first time to be entered in the festival and 11 teams signed to make a film. The leaders of the 11 teams met at 7:00pm on a Friday evening to get their assignments. Each movie had to have the following things involved in the movie: Prop – a stool, Phrase – “Now, that’s a problem”, A name – either Gil or Gwen Sargent, and a landmark location in Oklahoma City (This latter requirement only happens the first year a city is entered). The movie could be no shorter than four minutes or longer than seven. A one minute extension could be added for the credits. I was very impressed with the caliber of movie makers that Oklahoma City has produced. Most were young (however, to me everyone is young) and I expect to see a lot of them in future years.

Each team draws a genre from a hat. In our case, my team drew cop/detective. By 2:00am Saturday morning, the script had been written and filming started around 6:00am. As you can tell, not many were going to get sleep that weekend. My call time was not until 6:00 Saturday evening so I was in good shape. However, Saturday morning, I was headed to a motel in Moore to film until I received a call from Stacy Mize telling me my time had been changed. Just what I wanted!! To spend all day long continuing working around our new house in 108⁰ weather, and yes, I considered just going to a movie and not telling my wife my filming time had been changed.

I was not involved in the filming or writing. I was an actor and played the part of “Police Chief Stanton”. I did not even see a script until I arrived on the set. I was much older than any on the team and after seeing all 11 movies; I think I was the oldest one altogether. Our director, Ben Hlavaty, put the group together along with Andrew Smith. Compilation of a cast and crew was the only thing they could do before 7:00pm start. Everything else, including music, had to be created after the start. The whole process was a lot of fun and I am sure that the crew was glad to finally get home and get some sleep on Sunday evening.

I am assuming that it will end up on You-Tube and I will post it on my next blog then. You need to see it. I’m a very believable police chief. At least, that is what I told the guy in the mirror. I was in charge of a SWAT team and these guys looked the part. During the filming at the hotel, many hotel customers huddled together thinking something was actually happening there. James Jobe, Kyle Pennington, David Greyson, Troy Ford

I had three auditions last week and if anything comes of those, both of you fans will be the first to know. One director asked me if he got me a dialogue coach would I learn to speak with a European accent. HELL YES!!! That sounds like fun and very encouraging.

My First Bedroom Scene

Since I started this process of becoming an actor, I am always scouring the sites on the internet that list auditions hoping to find some for which I can try. I saw an audition on a website for a movie, “A Good Day’s Blame” in which where they were looking for an older gentleman and thought that might be something I should try. I wrote the young lady, Cait Brasel, who was to be the director and submitted my name for her project. She graciously sent me the script and I had a fun time reading it. I showed it to my wife and she even laughed while reading and told me I would be perfect for the part. The older man has hearing problems, can’t remember, and doesn’t seem to pay much attention to his wife. Joy claims I don’t listen when she tells me something, can’t find anything, and forget to do what she asks. Well, I am not an iota as bad as she claims. Joy edits this blog so you can bet that she will change that last sentence. (I’ll let Joy put her editing in these parentheses I DO NOT JUST CLAIM ALL THAT – IT IS TRUE! ----).

I asked for an audition and met Cait (she has a really cute name and it is pronounced Cait) one Saturday afternoon at the Norman public library. I also ran onto Lorrie Chilcoat and Yasmine Barve who were both auditioning for the same movie as the wife of a friend to the man I was attempting to play. Cait had told me it would be a different kind of audition in that it would be more improv-based. The first scene in the movie showed the principle character, Al Peters, getting out of bed, turning off the alarm clock, and getting into his slippers, so just in case, I learned the script and took some props. (see the picture of me with bear – read that bear, not bare feet). As it turned out, I did not need these as she did indeed ask me to improvise a confrontational conversation about something that I always wanted to tell someone. So I turned it on and gave an imaginary sales manager a lecture on carrying too much inventory and railing at him that costs were too high. Then she told me to tell the same man that his mother had cancer. Wow. What a change of pace and sensitivity, but I did it. Nothing remotely comparable to the script.

Several days later she wrote and told me I had secured the part. That was pretty exciting and I could see Hollywood knocking at the door. I had just recently been turned down for a part because I was too young (see previous blog) and this time I was just right. (sounds like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, this time “it was just right”). Even though the man in the script had white hair, she said not to worry about it. She did say bring the bear slippers but lose the night shirt.

On Saturday morning, several weeks later, bag of props in hand, I ventured to Norman to Cait’s house to begin shooting the movie. Cait Brasel is a very vivacious, outgoing, and very pretty young lady who is a student at Oklahoma City Community College in the film studies department and is quite a young dynamo. She wrote and is directing this film as a project toward her degree. She had quite a crew on hand to help her. They were Shawn Barfield - Director of Photography/Camera Operator; Melanie Barfield - Production Design; Jonathan Shahan - Camera Operator; Tom Lingo - Loader/Clapper; Barry Timberlake - Script Supervisor; Jarred McCorkle - Boom Operator/Sound man; Paul Lister – Grip (I had known Paul from a class I took at the Actor Factory); Chris Dunny - Grip/Camera Assistant; Mason McDonald - Still Photographer/Grip (and my stand in – that sure is fun to say); Nick Standford – Grip; Stephen ? – Grip; and last but not least Renny Brasel - Location Host (Cait’s mom) and a real delight. Renny kept us supplied with food, drinks, and snacks.

Even though the order of scenes has me waking up and getting out of bed, the first scene we actually shot was me in my robe and slippers picking up the morning paper and noticing a fresh dent in my truck. I am finding out that movies are never or rarely filmed in the order that the scenes fall in the script. I am very upset with the damage and drive next door to confront my neighbor, Dexter, (Brent Noel – a drama professor at OCCC). Of course, he denies knowing anything. I then assume that a young man I see walking down the street, Jimmy (Jesse Brasel, Cait’s younger brother), is the culprit and take out after him.

I capture him and tie him hanging by his knees from the top bar of a swing set in my backyard. I run get my neighbor to help me extract a confession. I am vigorously shooting him in the face with a water pistol when my wife, Mabel (Peggy Hoshall), shows up with her friend Celia (Yasmine Barve). For some reason, they seem to be upset. I let the hooligan down and he runs away yelling for his mother. Cry baby.

Later as I try to explain what was going on to my wife, she and Celia leave in a huff and go next door. And, my friend, Dexter (good friend he is) follows them. So I am left by myself. Shortly thereafter, the hooligan’s mother, Clair (Cait), shows up accosts and slaps me. How rude of her. Doesn’t she realize what kind of child she is rearing? I then go next door to Dexter and Celia’s house where everyone is gathered and they explain to me what happened. It appears I vastly misunderstood some comment that Dexter said about my wife having moles on her feet and his wanting to borrow her. I get upset, head out the door, drive away, and wreck my truck on the mailbox. I had forgotten all of this. So we are having a laugh about it when someone knocks at the door. Dexter answers it and it turns out to be Jackson Daniels (Jake Barnes), Jimmy’s father, and he wants to see me. I go over to meet this good looking giant of a man and the next thing I know, after I come to, is that my face is bloodied and I am missing a tooth.

The slap scene and the “getting knocked out scene” were fun to film. Cait and I took many takes of her slapping me. It is hard to coordinate when she swung and when I moved my head to make it look like a hit, but we did it enough times that surely one of them would work and look natural. I asked her to go ahead and slap me, but she is so sweet and she tried but did not hit me hard enough. The “me getting slugged scene” was easier to film and looks authentic. When you have a big guy like Jake taking a swing at you, a person will naturally flinch and fall back. I appreciate the fact he pulled his punch each time or else I really would have had some teeth missing. Cait is a make-up artist as well as talented writer and director so she made me up to look like I had taken a whooping. I ended up with a bloodied face, nose, and a tooth missing. When we finished that evening, several pictures were taken of me so that Cait could repeat the same make-up when we shoot again. I kept the makeup on and when I walked in the door Joy about freaked out. She knew it was fake, but she still thought it looked frighteningly like when she hits me. I’ll need to see Cait before next Halloween.

We shot the scene where I wake up in bed to find my wife has gone shopping with Celia. My hair is all messed up just like I normally wake up. I never thought about having a scene shot in a bed. We used Cait’s mother bed for the scene. I guessed I thought if I was ever going to do a scene in a bed that it would be a love scene or a porno movie. But I could not possibly do a porno movie. People don't watch them for the acting and I am an actor. So it was just me waking up, scratching and yawning, turning off the alarm, putting my slippers on, and going to get the paper.

I would have paid them to have a chance at this, as it is much fun. Everyone really gets into it and “going over the top” is acceptable. The crew and cast are playful, imaginative, and a total delight and it is great to see these young people learning the ropes of the film industry. Those on the crew are also students at OCCC and they in turn will have to create their films (Heh guys - don't forget about me if you need an older actor). Everyone in the school pitches in to help the other students. I look forward to seeing the finished product in several months. Cait’s goal is to not only enter several film festivals and but to have her movie shown at them. Stay tuned to learn the outcome. And, this is just another notch in my acting career. Perhaps my genre will be comedy, or being knocked out, slugged, slapped, whatever – still have my eye on that red carpet. However, after this last film, my face is a lot closer to it.

“We went with someone older.” WHAT???

Imagine my total delight upon receiving a message on Facebook asking me to audition for a part in a television pilot that the director hopes to turn into a series! I was pretty impressed that someone actually contacted me. Normally, in this business (at my level) you are actually seeking places where you can talk them into letting you audition. Someone had seen my headshot on a website and decided that I had a face that might fit into their film project. (and no, it is not a horror film or a Lassie remake). I don’t even remember signing up for this website.

The Facebook message came from Jeremy Branecky asking me to contact his wife, Sara. She is the casting director for the pilot, "The Hounds", which is to be filmed in Oklahoma City and Moore. "The Hounds" is a movie about a rock band that goes on the road. After several calls back and forth, I still had not actually talked with Sara, but Jeremy did answer the phone and told me about the plot. Sounded great to me and I asked him to send me the sides. The conversation covered in the sides were two long pages. At least, they seemed long to me. The sides were a dialogue consisting of an old man talking to the fellow he hoped would be his future son-in-law who was one of the band members.

Jeremy sent me the sides on Thursday evening and we scheduled an audition for Saturday morning. Stayed up late learning dialogue. The audition was to be the morning the same day of the showcase that I covered in my last blog. I am somewhat proud of myself through this acting road I have taken. My memorization skills seemed to be getting better for by 11:30 Saturday morning, I knew the lines. Wish I had these memorizing techniques in high school and college.

My character, “Judge”, was an older man who was dying and needed oxygen to help him breathe. I assumed that from the gravity of this man’s health that if I was picked for the part, I would not last long in the series – death was hovering on his shoulder. The props would be an oxygen tank and nasal cannula, and the old man (me) would be gasping for breath. Of course, for an audition I would not have that equipment. I practiced in front of Joy taking labored breaths and coughing some to simulate what I thought was the correct response when someone is using one of these. I talked slowly and deliberately when I delivered my lines, and I make one mighty fine sick old guy.

So I headed off on Saturday morning to my audition which was being held at Oklahoma City Community College. I met Oz Davidson who was to direct the movie and he also played one of the “Hounds” in the movie. He told me he has had experience in Hollywood and had come back here to shoot this television pilot. The plan was to present this show to a cable company. Oz acted the answering part of my dialogue.

I gave what I thought was a good audition, but you never know. He told me that they would make a decision by Thursday and shooting would start on March 25th. As I left, Sara mentioned something about my looking younger than she’d envisioned, and perhaps she’d sent the dialogue for the bartender. But, that was not sent. Thursday came and went with no notice, as did Friday. In this business, you know that when you do not hear from the casting director you’re toast on a project.

Because I thought I had auditioned well, I asked Michelle De Long about contacting the auditioners (how do you like that word? – not sure if is an "o" or an "e" but it sounds good) to see if the role had been booked. She said, “It is appropriate to do so, but not to ask for feedback.” So I did. Sunday afternoon I received an email from Oz and he apologized for not getting back to me, but they had cast someone else for the part of “Judge” just the day before. However, he sure knows how to make you feel better even though he turns you down. He gave feedback which I had not expected. He wrote, and I quote, “Your audition was phenomenal though. The determining factor was age. I needed someone older”. WHAT??? OLDER??? HELLO!!! - I turn 70 in May.

But, I must say that Oz certainly knows how to make friends. Wow!! - That word phenomenal sure takes the sting out. How to accept that? I did not get the part, but I did a phenomenal audition. You all did understand that word didn’t you? You ask WHAT word. Well, duhhh - Phenomenal - don’t want you all to miss it. I did write back and offered using Grecian Formula 44 on my hair. Joy told me that product darkens hair. Again, I wrote back and mentioned using baby powder to gray my hair. But, the part had been cast, so I accepted the inevitable and went in search of another role. Which came about pretty quickly and I will write about it later. Stay tuned to read about the evil me who strings up a 10 year old boy by his feet and shoots him with a water pistol.

You can see a trailer for Oz’s television pilot at http://www.thehounds.tv/. These seem to be some very talented young people, so keep an eye out for the series. I wish to thank Oz for having someone find me and giving me the opportunity to audition. These are always learning experiences. Now don’t forget the word – phenomenal. I won’t, as it is now a new tattoo on my forearm.

Also, my first film, “Touching the Sun” directed by talented Bryan Cook, premieres on April 5 at Oklahoma City University in the Meinder’s School of Business auditorium. You need to be there early as folks will be fighting for seats to see my Oscar winning performance. See my blog for September 7, 2010.

Producers Talent Showcase

I really feel sorry for my spouse. For several months, she has not had the opportunity to cook and serve a big dinner for me on Thursday nights as I take an acting class. I’m feeling she might not feel loved or appreciated.

With other adult actors at Actors Casting and Talent in Oklahoma City, I go to class, and have for several months. Our instructor is Michelle De Long, a casting director in the city. She has cast many films and commercials with her latest movie “Bring Up Bobby” now in the process of being edited and finished.

She told us several weeks ago that she wanted to have a “showcase” inviting several people in the industry to watch her students perform. Industry people would be those in the industry who are local casting directors, agents, Oklahoma City University and Oklahoma City Community College film students and professors. The reasonable purpose behind inviting the university crowd to see her students perform is that students taking film studies at these universities need to film a movie as an assignment for graduation. In casting their films, they need to have a whole menu of actors from which to draw. For the actors performing, it is a chance for them to be seen and perhaps get invited to audition for a part in one of the student movies. The actor’s reel (a disk of scenes in which they have spoken dialogue) can include these student films. Agents and casting directors like to see the presence and talent of an actor before agreeing to audition that person for a part. I know I know - too much to take in at one time?

Michelle decided that she wanted this exposure for us. We all readily agreed to perform in the showcase. Each of us was paired with another student in a scene from a movie, television show, or play. I was assigned a role to play, “Ben”, a recently widowed older gentleman. Widowed I’m not familiar with, but older I am. Lorrie Chilcoat was assigned the role of “Elizabeth”, my daughter. The scene takes place in an upscale restaurant, and I was to tell her that I was going to get married. Big drama, as their relationship had been strained – and the daughter is deeply distressed.

The scene calls for her to speak loudly and for me to try to get her to soften her voice because we were in public, and this wasn’t nice behavior. Plus, I might know someone in the restaurant. At one point, the scene calls for her to be so upset that she starts crying. My acting talents kicked in and I become fatherly and tried to comfort her. She and I had practiced this any number of times and she even came by my office and we practiced there. ( -- As an aside, the walls in my office are not very thick and I am sure the gentleman on the other side wondered what was happening with all the yelling going on. The next time I saw him I explained what was going on and he just laughed and said he was curious. Do we suppose he believed me? --) During our practices, Lorrie had not cried during the scene at all, but the night of our dress rehearsal she did and with such conviction, we were all shocked. She had tears rolling down her cheeks. I was really impressed and then she did it again during the actual showcase. WOW, a real actress!

Next week we will all do this again and Michelle will record the scenes and send these to agents and casting directors in Dallas and other markets. I can’t say enough about how talented my fellow thespians are. There was a good crowd in attendance and all industry people, guests, and family members were duly impressed.

Those of us in the acting field need all the exposure we can get and this can be added to our reels. I will have several scenes to put on a disk for my reel once I get a copy of the OCU movie I filmed with director Bryan Cook. (See my blog November 5, 2010) plus a DHS training film I did last summer. You can see my fellow actors involved in the showcase in the attached picture and what scenes they performed in the program. What a hoot – and I look forward to having this experience again. I’m now primed for the casting director who sees my innate talent and casts me with my line in a movie or television show.

And that may happen with "The Hounds". The morning of the showcase I auditioned for a role in this tv pilot in front of several young talented film makers. Watch for my next blog and see if I got the part. Also, check out the trailer for the pilot at http://www.thehounds.tv/
Tony Gregory, Matt Rehkemper, Cary Hawkins, Rett Terrill, Robyn Cannedy, Yasmine Barve, Mila McCoy, Dawn Marie, Lauren Analla, Andrea Moser, me, Lorrie Chilcoat, David Hanson, Bill Brewer

Tell Me, “What is a Webisode?"

Was the first question I asked when I walked into the audition room in Dallas. When I entered, I was greeted by two young talented movie makers, M. and B., who were making a series that was to be shown on the web. Essentially, much like a television series, but shown on the internet.


Posted on the website, Actors Access, was a notice that a production company was looking for a wealthy business executive in his 50’s with a kind heart. My wife would dispute the former and I am sure some of my employees would dispute the latter. And, everyone I know could dispute the 50 year label. But, what the heck, in this business there are times when you play against type, so I applied for an audition.

I received a very nice note from a young lady, B., (can’t use names unless I get permission) inviting me to come to an audition between 9 and 12 on Friday. That was pretty exciting. Parts for seniors are in short supply, so I went for it. Through this website, I have applied for a few other parts, but this young lady is the first one that has replied with a positive note. I was like, so there! Someone actually wanted to see me. I replied I would be interested and to send me the scenes that she wanted me to prepare. Through an internet snafu, we missed communications, but I finally received the sides (scenes to learn for the audition) to memorize. She had graciously sent me her email address in the first letter and I sent my info to her there.

Old man winter was to make a visit to Oklahoma City, and anticipating ice delays, I made my Dallas audition for 11:30. That way I would have plenty of time to get to Dallas if I left early enough in the morning. I contacted my acting coach to help me with this and unfortunately never heard back. So, my wife Joy, and I worked out the two scenes I needed to learn. She had some good ideas as to how my character might react.

I had recorded the scenes on my portable tape machine and knew them cold. Listened to them on the way down and practiced them out loud in the manner that Joy and I discussed. I had given Joy a GPS system for Christmas and this was the first time it had been used since then. Once I got close to the building, I inadvertently made a wrong turn and then another. All I kept hearing Samantha (my GPS voice) saying was “recalculating, recalculating, recalculating”. I wanted to shoot it. So I turned her off. Probably made her mad as she’s been cranky for two days.

I arrived at the audition room and signed in to await my turn to give my stunning performance. All the while, I was going over the lines in my head. To me this audition was just as important as the one I gave in front of Famke Janssen (Golden Eye, all the X-Men movies – see my blog July 1, 2010). And, the people I was to be acting with were just as important as Mila Jovovich (The Fifth Element and the Resident Evil movies – see my blog August 12, 2010). I really wanted to do my best. My wait was short and I was invited in. I met my email pal B and her cameraman M. Two extremely bright and cheerful young people. They explained webisode, and I later found it under web series by googling those two words.

B. explained the plot to me. I had made up my own story to fit the two sides I was given, and I wasn’t far off. The nice me was the first scene, and then I became a jerk. Perky B. took the roles of the other people talking in the scene when I gave my audition. I thought my nice guy persona went well. I knew both scenes quite well, but in the second scene, a brain freeze occurred. This actor missed a few lines. Not many, but enough to show. Plus I don't think I did all that well in the acting part. I guess my psyche will never understand acting and auditions. I owned a company with almost 200 employees for 40 years. I used to give talks to large groups and have even given a commencement address at OSU Tech in front of 1800. Never bothered me to be in front of people. Yet when giving an audition in front of a few people, many one third to one half my age, something happens. When I finished, B. asked M. if I should do it again and M. said, “No, I have what I need”. This, to me, was a sign that I was not going to be doing a web series. Earlier when I was outside of the audition room, I could hear the man who auditioned ahead of me gave the jerk part two times. When I wasn’t given the same opportunity, I knew I was going home.

You learn a lot from auditions. Should I have the opportunity for a webisode again, I will be more prepared. Not that I was not prepared this time. For some reason, after I met the two young people in charge, I decided to change what I was going to do. I think doing that messed with my head and timing. Why, for God's sake, did I change? I don't know. I had planned, as I said, how I wanted to do the part, but after the introductions I took a different path. I will not next time and I will give a good performance.

So a three hour drive down, fifteen minutes or less of work, and a three hour drive home was my day. But, I am really enjoying this and I would do it again. That elusive speaking part will land in my lap some time. I’m finding you gotta’ have self-esteem and a positive attitude in this field.

Be sure to keep an eye out for this web series. It will be called “A Real Family” and I am guessing it will show up on the internet in several months. They will need to film it and then do the editing. M. and B. are nice young people and I wish them great success in this business.