Discovery Channel - Storm Chasers

me, Joel Taylor, Chris Chittick, Reed Timmer


The email I received was a little misleading – or maybe I’m just anxious for stardom. I was asked if I could be available for a filming that was to be in Norman one morning last week. I read it as a nationwide Bud Light commercial. Gleefully, I thought to myself, “I am getting ready to hit the big time – my talent has been noticed and I’m going nationwide in a popular beer commercial.” Maybe the Norman pub should have been my first clue: Bison Witches. I could just see those of us who were to be filmed imbibing in this glorious liquid while the shoot was progressing. Falling off our barstools might be a deterring factor. In my joy, I probably read the now erased email incorrectly. It was probably worded Nationwide / Bud light.

All slicked up and smelling good, with my three changes of clothing in tow, when I reached Norman I realized that both Nationwide Insurance and Bud Light were sponsors of the television series “Storm Chasers”. This was to be a promotional spot for the upcoming series on the Discovery Channel. Still it is going to run nationwide – but there was no foamy Bud Light on hand.

The three men, who are heavily involved in the show, were filmed telling about their experiences. Chris Chittick, Reed Timmer, and Joel Taylor all live in Norman and travel the country following hurricanes and tornadoes. Their photos are next to “WACKO” in the dictionary! What a fascinating avocation they have. Chris is the lead videographer for the team and tour director of Extreme Tornado Tours. Reed is in the process of finishing his PhD in Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma this year. Joel is owns two real estate companies in the area and spends his spare time chasing these tornadoes. Both Reed and Joel chased the F5 tornadoes that hit Oklahoma City, Moore, and Midwest City on May 3, 1999 - the strongest one ever recorded. Those of us who were extras in the filming sat in booths close to the three of them. We had to move our mouths in silent talking as WE were to be seen and not heard. Their stories were vivid and fascinating, and I can’t wait to see the show.

These young men chase the tornadoes in a specially converted 2007 Chevrolet Tahoe. They have named their Storm Research Vehicle (SRV) the Dominator. Macho, intimidating, and tough - a very strange looking automobile. It has bulletproof sheet metal and transparent lexan armor. I assume that is to protect them from wayward rocks or cows. It even has radar and air cannons that shoot data-collecting probes directly in a funnel. You can read more about this interesting vehicle on their website http://tornadovideos.net.

My fellow thespians (are we considered thespians if we do not talk?) were Tom Stephenson, Josh Bonzei, Yazzie Barve, and Emily Tabb. Emily Tabb is a buddy from a Winstar Casino shoot earlier this year. It was good to see Emily again. My favorite Assistant Director, Lance McDaniel was there.

PS – I can change the “?” in my last blog title to a 1. I was awarded the part of “Steve” in Bryan Cook’s movie, “Touching the Sun.” I will be writing about that soon.

Score - Famke 0, DHS 1, Bryan ?

I assume you gather from the above title that I did not get the car salesman part in the new movie, “Bringing up Bobby”. I mentioned this in my previous blog. It was a long shot in the first place, but what a great chance it was to have the opportunity to audition in front of this marvelous and beautiful actress, Famke Janssen, in the film she is going to shoot in Oklahoma City . I don’t know how many auditioned for the car salesman role, but Oklahoma has plenty of talented actors who could play the character. Alas, that part went to a Texan (let’s BBQ Bevo). D.K. (since I did not ask him if I could use his name I can’t include it) is very friendly and personable. I met him last Friday at a training film shoot for the Department of Human Services for Oklahoma . It is exciting for Oklahoma to have this caliber film being made here and I wish the film great success. However, I explained to Joy the real reason that I did not get chosen. In my last blog article, I alluded to the fact the Famke Janssen wanted me. I believe my handsome and sexy presence on the set would have distracted her so much she’d lose her concentration. And, you’ve got to admit, that could be a problem. The film is the most important thing. Joy then called me a dummy and walked away. Do spouses of other actors have to put up with this?

The Department of Human Services uses training films to teach employees how to handle various situations. I was fortunate enough to be asked to participate in one last week. They asked me to play the father of a young mother who had gone off her bipolar medicine. Because of this, she had threatened to harm herself and her eight month old baby if someone tried to put the child into a foster home. All the people involved were to meet to discuss what should be done with the child. This included the baby’s mother, her husband, her friend, the husband’s sister, my ex-wife and her husband, the foster parents, and the counselors. Those gathered were there to help the mother understand that all we wanted was what was best for the child. A very interesting scenario. However, it was not until I sat down at the table to film the scene that I found out that I was an abusive father. Whoa! Who, me? I’m a pussycat. It would have been nice if I had known that a little earlier. My demeanor would have been very different. Apparently, I wasn’t guilty of sexual abuse, but guilty of not protecting my daughter from her devious and hateful mother. Glad I’m not married to that shrew any longer. This was unscripted and since I had taken improv from Rebecca McCauley at the Actor Factory in Norman, I felt prepared to handle this type of acting.

The above named D.K. played my ex-wife’s current husband. He is a very talented actor from Dallas who had come to the DHS center for the filming. I enjoyed talking to him and found out he too was a Vietnam veteran. He a Marine and I a Navy man. Before we started filming, we talked about the “Bobby” movie to be filmed in OKC and he told me he had auditioned for the car salesman part - the same one for which I had auditioned! I really liked D and enjoyed being around him. That is - until later that day - when I found out he had won the part that I wanted. Grrrr - again let’s BBQ Bevo. He gets to play the scene with the beautiful Milla Jovovich. Of course, jealousy has nothing to do with this. It is fun to think that I might even have known he got the part before he did. But, grrrrrr, he will do a great job with the salesman. See what a big person I am?

This was a busy weekend. I was also asked to audition for a student film to be shot by an Oklahoma City University student who was getting his master’s degree in film from OCU. That casting call was Saturday morning. Bryan Cook, started his university studies in the engineering department, and actually got an engineering degree. He changed to Film, and now is required to write, direct, and film a movie for his master’s thesis. Bryan is a natural storyteller and delights bringing a story to film. For this movie he needed two older men and one young boy about 10 years old for this 30-40 minute production. The movie, “Touching the Sun”, about two retired airline pilots will be shot on weekends late in July and early August. “Dale”, one of the two older men, is a pilot who has been forced into retirement. He is resentful of this, but with the aid of young Ryan has something reignited and a bit of his youthfulness slowly comes back over the course of the story. I auditioned for the part of “Steve”, a pilot and friend of Dale’s, who has also been forced into retirement. He takes retirement differently than his coworker and now that he has free time, he indulges in activities that he dreamed of doing years before. He is daring and adventurous. Many would say that I chose this part because I am that way.

Stay turned and see if I get to turn the “?” in the title to a 1.

FAMKE JANSSEN

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Now why would I start out a blog with the name of a beautiful famous Dutch actress? Because I met her and give her an audition – Is that reason enough for you? That’s why.

My current acting coach, Michelle De Long of Actors Casting and Talent Service, told our class several weeks ago that a movie would be filmed in Oklahoma City. She was to be the casting director and she specifically had a part in mind for which she wanted me to audition – that of a car salesman. Man – talk about typecasting! I could play that part without even having a script.

I did not hear anymore about it until Thursday evening when I reported to class and Michelle asked me if I had received any sides. I did not know what she was talking about. She told me it was for the movie she had mentioned two weeks prior. She told me the auditions were scheduled for 5:00pm the next day and that after class she would give me the sides. I was a confusion of excitement and anxiety at the same time. Excitement about the audition and anxious that I had to memorize something that fast. Once class was over, she gave each of us in the class a part that she thought would fit us. Scripts were distributed for detectives, nurses, car salesman, driver, teachers, and others. She gave me the sides for two parts. A car salesman and driver. Going through the various parts with all of us and I found out the salesman is in a small town selling Lincolns. Enthusiastically, the class planned wardrobe for each part. One lady in the class, Yazzie Barve, suggested I wear a short sleeve shirt and tie. Sounded perfect, even I know that signaled “ugh”

The movie “Bringing up Bobby” is written and directed by Famke Janssen and stars Bill Pullman (The Killer Inside Me – also filmed in Oklahoma City), Marcia Cross (Desperate Housewives), and Milla Jovovich (The Fifth Element). Ms Janssen has assembled an all-star cast and they will be in Oklahoma City filming during the month of July. My car salesman interacts with Milla Jovovich and the boy that plays her son. Have you seen that woman? She is beautiful.

I got home that night on a high note and told my wife about it and can hardly get to sleep knowing that I have a lot of learning by the next afternoon. Tossing and turning with scripts in my head, up early I went to my office and spent the day learning the two parts. What I find amazing is that even though I knew the part cold, when I went home to have my wife go through the lines with me, I could not get them down pat with her. In the course I am currently taking, I find that I don’t always remember the scene 100% when giving it in class even though when I walked into the class, I knew the lines cold. Michelle tells me the camera sucks your brain dry. So that’s it – brain rot – that’s my story and I am sticking to it.

My wife’s sister, Francie Ishmael, was visiting from Seattle and she and Joy helped me work through the lines. Francie took the part of the boy, Bobby, and Joy took the Milla Jovovich part. After going through it a number of times, I finally got it down. I am going to have Joy help me from now on. It is different when you say your lines into a recorder versus when you play the part with someone else. I use a recorder to say the other person’s lines and then leave a blank space when my lines appear. The recorder and I get along fine. It is when I add a live person that I get messed up, those live people are unpredictable. So hopefully, I will be able to do better in my acting class now that I have discovered something to help me.




Feeling confident, I went off to the audition dressed in my dorky outfit and a pair of sunglasses. I mean, what self respecting car salesman does not have a pair of sunglasses! When I entered the audition room, Michelle introduced me to Famke Janssen, her assistant, and her dog, Licorice. Ms. Janssen is very active as a PETA advocate and Licorice has been in some campaigns with her. You have seen Famke Janssen in the James Bond film “Goldeneye”, all the “X-Men” movies, “Taken” and many others. I brilliantly gave my audition and then changed clothes to do the driver role which I had also practiced with Joy and Francie. When I finished, they both told me I had done a good job, but I suspect they say that to everyone to be nice. But, I did feel good about my performance even though I might have sucked.

I called Joy on the way home and asked her to have me a scotch and water when I arrived and she kept asking me how it went. I said to her, “Joy, I am pretty close and you are wasting time in fixing my drink. I will tell you when I get home”. Us actors start to affect an attitude.

All in all it was a great experience. Chris Friehofer, one of my first acting instructors, told us to be glad you get called in for the audition. Even though you might have nailed it, the director may feel that you are not right for the part. And, that is the way I felt. Grateful to have the chance. I may not get the part, but the event was so exciting. To get to audition in front of a major movie star was exhilarating and I think she wants me.

One of my acting friends, Laurie Cummings, said it best when talking to her about our audition. “Look how far we've come in a few short months as totally novice actors. Just the chance to audition for a SAG movie of this level is very cool and rewarding. Shows drive and determination on our part.... As well as a young at heart attitude about life. Most older people I know could never even IMAGINE trying something like this. It takes guts... and lots of it!!

Stay tuned to see if I got the part.