DON’T DO IT, MARY!!

Don't sign a proposed bill for legislation which might change incentives given to movie companies which could cause them to boycott our state.

The Oklahoma state legislature is attempting to pass legislation that will gut the state’s nascent film industry before it really gets going. I was concerned when it passed out of senate committee with a clear majority. Can you just imagine where this will leave me, if films start exiting or not even coming to the state? Goodbye Red Carpet. This is one of those things that should probably be enlarged instead of being reduced or eliminated. Mary, just sit back and while watching the television some night in a future February, think of me thanking the good folks of Oklahoma and you personally for my Academy Award.

In the short time I’ve been around this industry (two and a half years), I have found that it brings quite a bit of money into Oklahoma. A number of movies have been filmed in our state during that period of time. However, since the news of the State possibly reducing the incentive, you can just imagine that inquiries have dried up. Once New Mexico put the word they were thinking of reducing the incentives (even though nothing has been done yet) they lost IRONMAN 111, starring Robert Downey, Jr, OBLIVION with Tom Cruise, a Quentin Tarantino movie and a television series, A LYING GAME, all because they announced the incentives were going to change. They all went to Texas. They made a special provision for THE LONE RANGER with Johnny Depp. So that one stayed.

Kansas and Missouri have both stopped their incentives and Colorado has announced an increase. So two of our neighboring states are dropping out of the business and one is stepping it up. Louisiana and Texas have strong incentives and are getting many films. I would hate to leave Oklahoma and give thanks to Louisiana or, heaven forbid, Texas for my award.

Oklahoma now gives a 35% rebate to films with an industry cap of $5,000,000. New Mexico gives 25% up to $50,000,000 cap and that may be reduced. Louisiana gives a 30% tax incentive and a 5% labor incentives for those who live in the state. I do not believe they have a cap. Thanks to tax incentives that lead the country, Louisiana has probably become the premier location for film and television production in the United States. I have had several friends who have gone to Louisiana to be in films. Even the Warner’s Brothers movie THUNDERSTRUCK with Kevin Durant is being filmed there. With just a few shots filmed here. It is kind of embarrassing.

While I imagine state politicians would love to give millions to every industry, the primary objection to film incentives is “we can’t afford to.” I would like them to consider this: We can’t afford not to. Not only are neighboring states stealing jobs, they’ve actually turning a profit. So while millions in incentives may seem costly, it is actually a very prudent investment with very immediate results.

For this fiscal year, which will end June 30, 2012, the Oklahoma rebates are responsible for more than 500 jobs (499 if you don’t count me) and $38 million in economic stimulus. Thank you film industry. And, we still have several months to go until the fiscal year end. This analysis was conducted by Oklahoma City University’s Meinders School of Business for the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department. Since the first of the year, the Oklahoma Film Commission has had to turn away 13 feature films. Five years ago the state was begging to get a project in here. Tell me that doesn’t cost the state money? You know me as a strong conservative who wants to reduce government spending. But, this is one incentive that gives back.

Film production people talk about these other states and how nice the people are to work with and amazed at the talent they have found. HELLLLLOOOO - People here are every bit as friendly, if not more so, and we are loaded with talent - both actors and crew. But, to find out how super talented the people of Oklahoma are, we need to get the movie makers here first. So, bring on the incentives.

SO, DON’T DO IT MARY!! DON’T SIGN THE BILL IF IT GETS TO YOUR DESK.

Okay – Now to get back to what this blog is all about: ME. I recently filmed a fun television commercial for Steve’s Wholesale Tools of Oklahoma City. The part filmed me going to a sales counter and asking the clerk behind the counter if he had a certain tool. I don’t know the name of the tool I want, so I make “BUZZZZZZ, OR RAT-A-TAT, OR URRRRRR” sounds to replicate the desired tool’s sound. I had to make sounds for a chainsaw, an impact wrench, and so forth. At the bottom of THIS blog, are the links to the commercials. Acting friends Cindy Hanska and Cary Hawkins were in the commercials and they too had to make sounds. A zany, talented, and without-limits advertising man, Bob Hammack, produced these spots. What a hilarious shoot, and I loved being a star.

In acting classes, my practice scenes had sometimes been delightfully ridiculous. Quite often the scenes we are given to practice (known in the industry as sides) are actually scenes from television shows that are on the air or are eventually going to be. Fun lines like this one from the upcoming remake of THE MUNSTERS. I am Grandpa, and I say to my granddaughter, Marilyn “I adore you Marilyn. I’m the one who talked your mother out of eating you.” It’s a comedy. Oh, I see, you already got that. The other scene is a new Reba McIntyre television show MALIBU COUNTRY. She says at a news conference given by her country music star husband (one of those kind where wives stand in silence behind their cheating husband), “ -----and what they are going to say about me is I left his lying cheating butt.” Joy really got into my being my reader on this one to an extent that worried me. Can you tell that acing is a big whoop to me?

Links to Steve’s Tools commercials.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gevPEQ_FOUI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xyb6ura27lE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbH3-p87IRY

It has been a good year so far. I survived an 855’ jump off the 108 story Stratosphere Hotel in Las Vegas. And yes, this was planned and yes, I did have a harness, and yes, I did pay for this privilege. While I was doing this, Joy went to an upscale mall to spend her inheritance. When I landed safely, I called to tell her I was fine. She said, “Darn!!! Do I have to take everything back"?

STUDENT FILMS – The good, the bad, and the ugly

Do you often wonder how film makers get started? Where do the creators get the ideas, equipment, actors, and costumes? Most likely they start out as film students.

Student films are created by students who have enrolled in film studies curriculum at major universities. Oklahoma City and Norman have three schools that teach this. The University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Community College and Oklahoma City University all have this specialty. I have worked with students from each of these universities. As a beginning actor, you take these roles to help you gain experience in seeing how a film comes together. If a scene is good enough, then a beginning actor can add it to a reel that can be shown to agents.

I just finished one a few weeks ago that was filmed at OU, "Bananafish" by Ezra Gentle, a student in film studies. He wrote and directed this film. An age-old theme of boy meets girl, but told in an eight/ten minute-time span. Each page of script traditionally is a minute of finished film time. The script for this movie is 10 pages long and normally that means that movie will last about 10 minutes. So, if you’re a mathematical wizard as I am, you can figure that a major film that lasts two hours had approximately 120 pages of script.

Some of the people on this latest project were acquaintances from acting classes. Rett Terrell, a tall good looking guy whom I have the pleasure of working with in acting class was the young man. Lauren Analla, a very pretty freshman at OCU, was the young lady. My meaty role was that of an interviewer who was considering hiring the young man.

Further on in the movie, I first encounter “David” as I am leaving a stall in a men’s room at the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication located on the University of Oklahoma campus. Careless while washing his hands, David has splashed water on the front of his pants. As a developing plot, this happens just before the interview. His awkward position while trying to dry the crotch area of his pants, with an on-the-wall hand dryer, had him looking like something out of the game “Twister”. The wet pants guy looks startled as I leave the stall and I am amused and befuddled at his dilemma. Wanting to leave quickly, I start to wash my hands, but instead just rush out the door. Imagine my discomfort when I discover he is one of the guys I’m to interview.

Leaving the interview table in the conference room, I enter the lobby and address the applicants. I call out a name, “Mr. Salingur”. Restroom guy comes forward. Oops! I initiate a handshake – and he’s conflicted and reluctant to shake my hand which he knows hasn’t met soap and water since the bathroom incident. He follows me into the conference room where he is to be interviewed. On either side of me are Mike Waugh and Kurt Harris who do the interview. Also at the table is “Claire”, the girl he (David) had just met that morning (remember the boy meets girl theme). He pays more attention to her than he does to the interview process. He asks a question that causes us to pause. I form a huddle with my co-interviewers. I detail what happened and graphically point to my pants to let them know of the water on the front of his trousers. We tell him he is not right for the job. The plot and the way it plays out should be really cute.

Very professionally, we received a call sheet. This is the first student film that I have ever seen a call sheet. I understand the need for a call sheet as it makes a lot of sense. It chronicles what scene we will be filming at what time and where. It also shows what actors and crew are expected. The crew’s time is normally earlier than the actors. But, it is a very efficient way to run a movie shoot and I am surprised that I had not seen one before. I was favorably impressed with the attention and expertise of Ezra and associate producer Britni Harris. To my glee, I finally was in a film with older actors. Not near as old as me though. Mike Waugh I had worked with in a St. Anthony Hospital spot and Kurt Harris was Britni Harris’ father. She corralled him into doing the movie since he was bringing some items from their home in Tulsa to her after the Christmas break. Others involved were Ragan Butler, another producer and Jeremy Clardy was the 1st AD (assistant director). I had met Jeremy on an earlier student film in December filmed at an art gallery in Norman. Michelle DeLong, an OKC casting agent, helped with the casting and pre-production. Not having asked others for permission, I’m reluctant to put their names in this blog. They were all very proficient during our three-day shoot in Norman – can’t wait to see it.

The movie I filmed at the art gallery was written and directed by a film student at OCCC, but was more discombobulated. That’s a big word drawn from my vast vocabulary. We had to wait three hours for the “star”, an OCU student, to deign to appear (Guess he thought he was a big deal). Then because of his lateness we barely had time to shoot the scenes there before the gallery had to close at 11:00pm. Helpfully, the gallery personnel stayed open for another hour. That is, after I made a donation to the gallery. The next scheduled shooting day was put off several days which was a little annoying. The self-proclaimed star was just not being considerate of others. I asked their names for this blog and no one seemed eager to have the situation in print. I can understand. The student was required to have this film completed and delivered to his professor by December 12. I have not heard a word since then even though I messaged him through Facebook. So it goes without saying that I have not seen it. In fact, of the five student films in which I have been an actor I have only seen one. That’s on the down side of the law of averages. Editing a movie takes awhile to complete so understandably I have not seen two of the films.

Part of the film students education needs to be a realization that everyone is putting himself/herself out to support and help film students – no pay and not much glory unless you get a good reel item from it. We actors and crew love to help a student – but deserve respect of our time. Life will happen and lessons will be learned. Guess that is show biz!! I will be interested to see how they do in real life. I think film professors should create a critique sheet for those of us who volunteer to complete when our part is finished. They would probably learn a lot about their students.

I am are pleased to announce that the film "Sucker" won a Golden Drover award at the Traildance Film Festival for "Best Contest Film" in Duncan, OK this past weekend. Go SUCKER!! A film I am very proud to have been involved with was put together by Ben Hlavaty and a talented group of young people. Some of them from OCCC. A movie produced in just 48 hours. This was not a student film. Congtratulations to Ben and all the people involved. A marvelous group of congenial people.

EXCUSE ME FOR ENDING THIS BLOG; I’M OFF TO SOAP UP MY HANDS IN THE RESTROOM SINK.




Check out my wife, Joy's web page
joyrichardsonart.com
and
my daughter Robin's blog
http://thep3.com/author/paisleyspinstripesandplaids/

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.

It Was a Very Good Year …….

Looking back over my first full year of attempting to break into the movie or television business, I have to say that it was a good year. Not that I reached my goal of saying a line in a movie or a TV show, but over all - a good year. I auditioned for a part of a car salesman in the movie “Bringing Up Bobby” (see July 1 blog “Famke Janssen”) and how odd – they didn’t think I looked like a car salesman – gee I only was a car dealer for about 40 years! I guess I’m just too adorable. I focused on a specific role for that movie. I applied for other movies, but alas they weren’t astute enough to see my star quality, and I wasn’t even invited to audition.

But, I was up and center big time in a movie that was an Oklahoma City University student film directed by Bryan Cook (see the previous blog). Bryan was doing this to get his Master’s in Film. Gosh, but I learned a lot about filming. I learned how a movie is made and found it very informative, instructive, interesting and see Bryan to be very focused on the result he wanted. It is now in the editing process and will be ready in several months.

I did become a regular on the casino commercial circuit in 2010 – and never even spent a dime! I was involved as an extra in a number of Chickasaw casino shoots. Perhaps there is some Indian blood in my heritage – and by now it is Chickasaw.

Each shoot introduces me to very interesting, nice, and talented people. I have made a whole new group of friends and have even joined the Facebook crowd. Come on and join me there. I had to do it – people kept telling me what my adult kids and their children were doing – before I knew – so I joined the team. My brother and sisters are on there also along with various nieces and nephews and their spouses.

Just before Christmas, I was involved in a commercial that was filmed at the casino in Newcastle that was also a Chickasaw owned establishment. And, as with my other shoots, the new friends I made had some wonderful stories.

During the time before and after the various action sequences, we extras have time to get to know each other and find out the buzz in the acting world. Most have regular jobs and do this for the fun and a little bit of spending money. I had known two of the actors from previous classes I had taken. Robin Garner, a delightful young lady, was one of the people I had met when I began my first acting class at Chris Friehofer’s The Actor Factory. She starred (well maybe co-starred since I am the star of my own writings) in my blogs dated 11-06-09 and 12-29-09. Robyn Bondeson, a cute petite blond who rides big honkin' Harley’s, is in my class with Michelle De Long at Actors Casting and Talent. One new actor I met was La Tasha Hartley who has been in a number of films in New Mexico, and is a PRN at Mercy and OU Medical Center. She has been in some movies in New Mexico and is familiar with some of the agents in Santa Fe. I told her I thought I would give a Santa Fe talent agency a chance to have a real shot a having a future star on their role so I sent them my information, but they must not recognize talent as I have never heard from them. Sounds like the plight of most actors, as that is common.

La Tasha Hartley and me

All had stories of various movies they had been in - or tried to be in. Doug Zweiacher laughed when he told about his role in the Brooks Douglas’ movie “Heaven’s Rain”. Doug was playing a Big Mac prisoner while the filming was taking place at the Oklahoma State Penitentiary in McAlester, OK. He was dressed in full prison garb and from what I gather, very much looked the part. After his scene, he started walking out the gate with the other actors. One of the guards stopped him with a yank on his collar and said, “WHERE ARE YOU GOING?” “On a break with the others” he replied. “OF COURSE YOU ARE", he answered. And with that, the guard marched him to a holding cell. The guard had to find Paul Brown, the director, to get him released from the cell. And, that took about 45 minutes. Doug asked for something to eat while he was in lockup and the guard got a bologna sandwich for him. The director did show and eventually got jail-bird Doug released. However, when the filming was done for the day he almost got caught again. Another guard, who had seen him earlier in his prison costume, almost called for a prison lock down because Doug was leaving in civilian clothes – the man almost has a “record”. This newer guard was not around when he was released earlier. The life of an actor is never dull.

I wonder what Doug Zweiacher does look like in black and white stripes?


Another actor in the commercial, David Hanson, played a prison guard in our joint “Bringing Up Bobby” scene I was in. Oh, that vixen Gwen Blaylock! She laughingly told about her previous five husbands. She said she is not looking for number six. Her resume lists several movies including “Bringing Up Bobby” where she played a bartender when they filmed at the Round Barn in Arcadia, OK. Erin Brickman is getting her master’s in Sociology at OU and is a former college soccer player at New York University. Unfortunately, I did not spend much time with Seth Ervin, but hope we have a chance to work together. One gentleman I have heard of for years but had never met was John Ferguson. Those of you who have been around Oklahoma City know that he is Count Gregore and has been for 50 years. What a delightful person he is to be around. And, that rounded out the cast.

Not yet being the big star I hope to be, I was surprised to find all the actors I met to be outgoing, inclusive, friendly, helpful, and encouraging. They seemed genuinely happy for a fellow actor getting a role. I saw no one upset if some else got a part – but I must admit to some inner growling when I was not cast as the car salesman and of all things, with a movie filmed in Oklahoma, the role went to someone from Texas. But, they were all kind to an old geezer like me.

I am now looking forward to see what 2011 brings and have to make sure my shoes are polished and my tux pressed for my red carpet stroll – you just never know what’s around the corner. Will that elusive Academy Award role show up? However, (hint hint to you casting directors) a speaking part will suffice just fine.

‘Touching the Sun”..……. It’s a wrap

------


Bryan Cook, Randall Hunter

After several months of filming, Bryan Cook, a talented OCU film student has wrapped his movie “Touching the Sun”. He brilliantly cast two adults and one adorable seven year old boy in this movie. Of course, one of the adults was me as co-star “Steve”. I would like to claim starring role status, but that goes to Randall Hunter and Landon Simms.

The movie tells the story of two commercial airline pilots who are retired in a company wide downsizing. Dale (Randall) is upset about this and does not know what to do with his life. Steve (me) is happy about this and looking forward to what the next phase of his life holds. Ryan (Landon) is a young boy who lives close to Dale and is the catalyst that gets Dale out of his funk and gives him a vision to what life has to offer. They do this by building an airplane together. Not the flying kind, but a push car. Steve attempts to get him out of his melancholy, but Ryan succeeds. Landon Simms

All scenes had been filmed with the exception of one in which I was involved. Bryan’s proposed scene required a rock climbing wall. In an earlier scene, described in an earlier blog, I went to Dale’s house and tried to get him to go rock climbing with me. Dale declined. In this last scene, I am at the gym to play tennis when I see Dale coming down a rock wall. Bryan’s problem was finding a rock wall location whose owners were willing to let him film. He contacted Westminster school in Oklahoma City and they gave him permission to film their wall.


Last Friday, we assembled at the school since they were out for the day and began filming. I brought my 13 year-old granddaughter along so she could watch the filming and to see what actually goes on in making a movie. This scene, when seen in the film, is about 3–4 minutes long and it took a little over three hours to film. She found this very interesting.

Bryan asked Randall and me go through some drills prior to starting to film. He directed us to read the scene without putting any emotion into the reading. We just read it blandly . Then he asked us read it again by emphasizing loudly each adjective and then to read it again emphasizing loudly all verbs. Harder than it sounds. Not having studied English in the 50 years since I attended high school, I stumbled some.

Last but not least during the read-through he had us SING the lines. I told my granddaughter to hold her ears because I have a terrible voice. So we sang the lines and I sounded like a wild warbling wounded walrus. Randall on the other hand, has a pretty good voice. When finished, I asked my granddaughter what she thought and she laughed and said she recorded it with her cell phone and sent it to my son, her father. I used to like her.

The last exercise was to study the other person. I looked at Randall and commented on his mannerisms, hair, eyes, clothes, posture so forth and so on. Each time I might say something like “you have gray hair”, he had to repeat it virtually word for word. If I mentioned him moving a finger, he would repeat what I said and then he did the same reverse exercise with me. The thinking behind this drill was to get us to be more in touch with the other person when we started saying our lines. Interesting what you get to know about another person when you study someone that closely.

Bryan Cook

The filming went smoothly. At least, from my standpoint. I am sure that Bryan wanted to pull his hair out a few times or chew his arm off to his elbow. I don’t remember Randall blowing a line the entire session, but I did a good job of it. However, only once did I flat forget a line. About half way through one part, I just drew a blank. Could not remember what came next. I have practiced this scene for several weeks and I could not believe I forgot words. I have been pretty proud of my memorization skills. A few times, I put words at the front of a sentence instead of at the end where they belonged. Bryan also had me say some lines different ways. Minor mistakes were corrected on the next take. He had close-ups of us, wide shots of us and all together we were there a little over three hours. And, then we were done. Steve has been a part of my life for the last several months and I was sad our filming had come to an end. But, I am anxious to see the finished product and see my masterful performance.

If the movie is less than 30 minutes, there are a number of film festivals Bryan can enter and other festivals if it is over an hour long. The period between 30 and 60 minutes is a limbo area. He will try to make it an hour movie and then it can be called a feature film. This actor hopes it makes that length. I wanna’ be a co-star in a feature film! As a new actor, I need to have a reel. This is a series of shots that show you in various roles which can be sent to casting directors so they can see how you perform. With two productions behind me, I will now have several choices to place in my reel

Two words that made my granddaughter think I might be partially cool

MILEY CYRUS – Yep! Those two words did the trick. At my last acting class, my instructor, Michelle De Long, told the class that a movie starring Miley Cyrus was going to be filmed in New Orleans. What fun to film in New Orleans! She suggested that we, the members of the class, contact our agents to submit our headshots and resumes to the casting director, Ryan Glorioso.

I met Ryan several weeks ago at a seminar he gave in Oklahoma City and auditioned in front of him. He is out of Shreveport and does a lot of casting in the Louisiana area. I have become aware, since I started this acting route, that a number of movies are filmed down there. Michelle passed out “sides” to the class for the part that she thought each of us should try. I was given sides for one of two older detectives. Each of us read through our lines during the class.

I did notice that there were parts for two doctors that were older and I thought I might be well suited for those roles also. One, Dr. Jennings, a handsome, well connected, high society doctor in his 50’s (okay so I fudged a little here) who routinely cheats on his wife. Tailor made for me. The handsome part not the cheating part. The other doctor, Dr. Millson, was a pre-med professor having an affair with one of his young female students. You know you have to stretch yourself for art. What is it about these doctors? Any way, this movie must be a “coming out” film for Miley Cyrus as it is in a more serious vain than her others. Of course, I’ve seen them all (NOT)!

Back to my beautiful 13 year old granddaughter. I texted her after class and told her that I had a chance to audition for a Miley Cyrus film. Well, she thought I was really cool to have an opportunity like that. It takes me half an hour to text a short sentence and in a matter of seconds she had texted me back asking about it. The first thing was I was going to get to meet Miley. I assured her that we’d be “BFF’s – but I had to get the part first. The auditions were going to be Monday and Tuesday and that they would be videotaped and sent to the casting director on Wednesday.

I emailed my agent that evening and asked her to submit me. Michelle had told me which headshot to send and I relayed that to my agent and she sent that one into the casting director. I told her to submit me for both of the detectives hoping I would be picked for one, and to submit me for one of the doctor’s parts of her choosing.

I checked the email the next morning to see what I was going to get. Nothing. I checked that afternoon. Nothing. I checked that evening, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, Saturday evening, and finally realized, “Jerry, you are not what they are looking for in casting for those roles.” What a disappointment to have to tell my granddaughter that I did not even get a chance to audition for the movie. Since I now will not pass muster for coolness for my granddaughter, I plan to get a tattoo.

My learning curve covers the depressing fact that when auditioning for a movie, you are never told if you do not get it. You have to find out by chance or you just assume that you are not wanted for one reason or another. This is a very humbling business. Anyway, Mardi Gras does not look like it is in my future.

I recently auditioned for the part of a television station owner for an OCU student film. And, I never heard on that one either, but later did find out they thought I was too old for the part. OUCH!! Doesn’t that student director realize that my chance for an Academy Award could have hinged on whether I got the television manager role? Need to add to my reel.

And, speaking of student films, I will finish filming one I started several weeks ago this coming Friday. At least the director, Bryan Cook, knows talent when he sees it. I expect he will do well in Hollywood.

My wife and I have started building a new house so I have been lax in my blog writing so stay tuned to see what other parts I don’t get. I may not be adding to my acting resume, but I’ve grown another layer of skin – really really thick skin.

“I’d like to thank the Academy”

While sudsing myself in the shower this morning, I was preparing my acceptance speech. Last night I walked (beside) the red carpet at the premiere of the first movie I have been in since I started this acting journey. Stardom is soon to follow. I most specifically would like to thank Brooks Douglass who gave me my start. He is the one who placed me in the position to get great face time. The movie “Heaven’s Rain” will open this weekend at the Harkin’s Theatre in Bricktown in Oklahoma City.

I don’t think a cigar has been better smoked or a water martini, with one olive, better drunk than what I did on camera. They may well have to come up with a new category for my talented performance.

The premiere last night showed the audience what very talented film makers Brooks Douglass and his partner, Paul Brown, are. The cast is amazing with such a high level of skill, and the movie holds everything you want to see on the screen. The talented actors they assembled made for a marvelous movie. The film is the true story of Brooks, his sister Leslie and their parents. Their parents were killed by two scum buckets in their family home outside Okarche, OK in 1979. Brooks and his sister, even though they were shot, survived and this is their story. It is told exceptionally well. The last 30 minutes the audience sat riveted in their seats as Taryn Manning (who played Leslie) and Mike Vogel (who was Brooks) played their hearts out in the most sensitive of scenes. It is a must see.

I saw several of my actor friends in the movie, although some for just a glimpse. Others had more screen time. Megan Richardson (no kin, but pretty like the Richardson girls) played a Brazilian mother who received glasses and saw her baby clearly for the first time. Jody Moore played a McAlester prison guard along with Rebecca McCauley (my improv instructor). Ashlee Webster was a reporter in several scenes. Joe Gilliliand was a senator in several scenes including my scene with Mike Vogel at Junior’s bar. (Sad to say, but as good as Joe is, the audience’s collective eyes will just be fixed on me, in all my splendor as an “extra”.)

I wrote in an earlier blog about Mike Vogel when I originally filmed the scene. Once the movie was over last night, at the reception I talked with this very talented up-and-coming actor. A Cheshire cat grin spread across my face when he told me he remembered me. Mike starred in the television drama “Miami Medical” and he told me he had to go to doctor school to learn medical dialogue. He is currently filming the movie, “The Help” in Mississippi. I have read this book and it should make a great film. You’ll be seeing a lot of Mike, and I look forward to watching him as he progresses in his career.

Now I need to start making my list of those to thank. My wife (notice I put her first), my mother, my father, my agent, my sommelier, the editor who did not cut my scene, my hair dresser, my agent, my cleaners, my acting coach, the barista, my first grade teacher, the casting director, the sound man, my orthodontist, the cameraman, the best boy, the foley artist, the gaffer, the martini maker, my high school drama teacher, the writers, snack people, our plumber, the grip, my children, my grandchildren, my two cats, my old girlfriend, my new girlfriend, my marriage counselor, my attorney, my accountant, my .......

Touching the Sun

Out of sight – Out of mind. How fickle are women? I wrote about Milla Jovovich in my last blog. ---- Thought we had a sensual connection when she put her hand on my shoulder during our scene together in the movie “Bringing Up Bobby”. Alas, she was just toying with me. I tweeted her (my new cool skill), but no reply. In the last few weeks since leaving Oklahoma City, she has traveled to Los Angeles, Munich, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and back to Los Angels. I feel sure she will get back to me though.

In past blogs, you loyal readers (both of you) read that I am involved with a young man, Bryan Cook, who is filming a movie for his master’s thesis from Oklahoma City University’s School of Film. This is a moving and well written film calculated to be 35 minutes long. In one of my acting classes, Chris Friehofer, told us that a page of script takes about a minute to be seen on the screen. So a 90 page script would be 90 minutes on the screen. This particular script is 35 pages.

Bryan, as a film major, has to both write and direct a film as part of his thesis. This is his second film. Bryan has a degree in engineering from Oklahoma State University but decided he would rather be in the movie industry. Balance the fun – Engineering? or Film?

The story centers around two airline pilots who have been released from their jobs because of the economy. One of the retired pilots (Steve) is very happy to have his freedom, but the other (Dale) is a curmudgeon who is very upset about leaving the company where he has worked for a long time. His future looks dim until he happens to meet a bright and energetic seven year old boy (Ryan) who lives down the street. As the story moves along, Ryan and Dale decide to make an airplane starting Dale on his journey of discovery about himself.

I play the part of Steve, the happy-go-lucky pilot. This character is having a lot of fun in retirement. I get into rock climbing and barnstorming and try to convince Dale to come along with me on some of these adventures. Dale’s a drag but because of his involvement with Ryan starts coming out of his apathy. At one point, Steve encounters Dale with a rock climbing harness on at the gym. So we see he is starting to come around. Steve is headed to play tennis and tells Dale that his new found fun is barnstorming.

A few days before we started filming, we all met each other at OCU and read through the script. I met my co-stars Randall Hunter who plays Dale, and Landon Simms our seven year old Ryan. I had earlier met Bryan when I auditioned for the part and he had his assistant director Kyle Keegan with him. Randall is a fixture in the Oklahoma City theatre scene. His is currently directing The Diary of Anne Frank for the Poteet Theatre. Ryan’s mother Kasee Simms and his sister Madeline were also there. We all read our individual parts and Kyle read all the various actions that were happening in the script. Filming was to start the next Saturday morning.

We filmed at Bryan’s girl friend’s house in Edmond. His girlfriend and her parents are on an extended trip to Norway and gave him use of their home. The first Saturday we started shooting Bryan had his crew with him. The crew consisted of Kyle Keegan, Larry Elisalde, Tommy Bond, Jeff Dowing, and Ilea Shutler. All of them are students at OCU in the film studies school. The students do a marvelous job of helping each other with the arrangements.

Can you say sweat? Oklahoma had a number of 100º days during the filming, much of which is filmed outside. My first scene involved driving Dale home from a retirement party. While I was in the front seat driving telling Dale he has the wrong attitude about this, Bryan and Kyle were in the back seat filming the exchange. I started driving about two blocks from the house and Bryan told me when to begin speaking. The guy has great timing. The scene says that I pull up to the front of the house and park and sure enough, when I finished our conversation I was in front of the house. He knew exactly when to have me start. We shot that scene a few more times and I always arrived on time and in my spot.

We then shot several scenes as Dale was getting out of the car. Some scenes were shot through my car window towards Dale, others from in front, and others from Dale’s point of view to me. I say we shot several scenes, it was actually one scene shot from many different angles. I now realize how long it takes to film a movie. Even though one page may be a minute on the screen, it can take several hours to film that one minute. Consider the crew had to move the camera, lighting, and sound equipment. During one outside scene that Dale and Ryan were shooting, the noon siren went off and lasted for what seemed 10 minutes and of course, that had to be redone.

In another scene, I came to Dale’s house and attempted to get him to go rock climbing with me. I looked like a major dork as I went to the door dressed in my rock climbing harness and helmet. Again that scene was shot from many different angles. Bryan pulled each of us aside and told us to change the dialogue a little and not necessarily go by the script word for word. I enjoyed doing it this way. It seemed to me that it made our conversations go more naturally.


There were other shooting days where I was not involved. Dale and Ryan actually built, in the movie, a push car with wings resembling an airplane. I watched Dale do a lot of sawing and measuring in one scene. Bryan’s dad actually built the plane. He is a talented man.

Stay tuned for my next encounter with Dale…. at the rock climbing wall.

“YOU ARE TOO SOPHISTICATED LOOKING. . . “

Milla Jovovich and me

So said Milla Jovovich last Sunday. Though the rest of the sentence was, “for a car salesman”. I was fortunate enough to meet her at a brunch honoring the cast and crew of the movie “Bringing up Bobby”. The brunch was held at Joy Reed Belt’s wonderful art gallery JRB Art at the Elms.

I saw Milla and her young daughter in the main room and went over to visit with her. During our conversation, I mentioned that I had auditioned in front of Famke Janssen for the part of the car salesman but did not get the role. And, then she said the above sentence. YES, I know I wrote it once, but I like to keep trying it on for size. “Well, you are much too sophisticated looking to be a car salesman”. I think she wants me. Good thing there was a cloud nine above me or I would have broken my neck on the ceiling. Joy had a hard time bringing me down to earth.

I also saw Famke Janssen there and told her I had auditioned in front of her for the car salesman part. And, she said she was sorry. Again, just like after my audition, she was being very nice. To support that opinion, in talking to several of my friends who have met her in the past during her trips here, they say she is a really wonderful person.

On Monday, I had been cast as an extra in the movie. All the major stars were going to be in this particular scene. Our meeting place was at the old John Marshall High School in one of their small meeting rooms. Call time was 9:00am and I was there in plenty of time. I was directed to a special trailer to have the wardrobe lady check the clothes I had brought. Usually we extras have to bring three changes of clothing. The wardrobe person will then pick out what you are to wear. As luck would have it, she approved of what I wore. My dresser, Joy, had picked out a pink polo shirt with jeans. The wardrobe lady did ask me if I had a belt. Fortunately, I did bring one to wear with a pair of slacks I thought they might ask me to wear. She said it looked classier in a prison if I wore the belt. So on went the belt even though I never wear a belt with jeans. I did feel sorry for the guards and the inmates. The guards had to wear long sleeve dark polyester shirts with a holster and the inmates had to wear orange jump suits. And, it was really hot that day.

I was to play the part of a visitor to a ladies’ prison, and my wife and I were visiting our incarcerated daughter. There were several extras for this scene. We filled in roles for visitors, inmates, and guards. Several of the extras were friends I had made during my trek to stardom and I made others that day. I was to play a father of a young girl who was in the prison and Laurie Cummings was to play my wife. Kassidy Cornelison, a lovely young McGuinness student, was our daughter. In fleshing out our background story (the “motivation” to you who are not in the ‘biz), we made up a story about her being locked up because she got hooked up with a good for nothing young man who got her into drugs. I was the unforgiving father and Laurie was the sweet and sensitive mother consoling our daughter. We were to have silent conversations with natural gestures. My wife and I were sitting together at a small table and daughter Kassidy sat opposite. They shot several takes this way.

Then Milla Jovovich came in with a guard and sat directly behind me. Several takes were made of her walking in. Once when she got up she looked over at me, placed her hand on my shoulder and smiled. See, I told you she wanted me. Since I had obviously made an impression on her, I assumed we had become BFF. So the next time she sat down I decided to talk to her. How to start a conversation? Since John Marshall school had been closed there was no air conditioning and it was extremely hot in this small room. She was fanning herself with a piece of paper and so I laughingly asked her to please fan a little larger so the wind could get to me. She obliged by giving me a piece of paper. Wow!! Was that ever wrong. The AD (assistant director) came over to me and told me not to speak to the actor. My bad.

Well, after the filming, I understand the intensity of her part, and I am sorry I even spoke to her. Once the camera started rolling and she was talking to Bill Pullman and Marsha Cross, I was to get up from the table and leave. My wife and daughter were to stay behind. I took a position behind the camera and watched the filming. This was a very intense scene and she was crying. Hell! I was crying. I now realize that I could easily have broken her concentration as she was preparing for that scene. She was magic! I really learned something there. More reason for me TO GET a speaking part. Do not want to screw up any more scenes in a movie by being an extra.

Friends I had met in previous shoots or classes as well as new friends were – Visitors: Shawana Shafer, Marc Brown, Inmates: Dorothy Shaw, Charlotte Hess, Guards: Tony Williams, David Hanson, Kevin McCormack.

The shooting will in all probability end this week. I am currently filming the movie “Touching the Sun”. Bryan Cook, an OCU graduate student, has written this movie and is now in the process of filming. He is doing this to complete his Master’s thesis in film. I play a retired commercial airline pilot. Once filming is wrapped, I will write about that. I am very impressed with Bryan’s vision, talent and expertise.