I was slightly bummed to discover our commercial was not chosen for the top 15 of the Heinz 57 contest. The disappointment is not overwhelming, however. For one thing, I am getting used to “no’s” out here, and that is probably good. For another thing, I had a good experience and got some nice footage to put on my “reel,” which is a collection of projects an actor has worked on.
I got back to LA today. More to come as I try to look for a commercial agent in the next few weeks.
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If any of you would like to look at the final product of the “Castaway” shoot I blogged about recently, have a look at it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSUNChZdqbI
This is an entry in the Heinz 57 national contest, and the top five commercials will be aired nationally. Though finalists are not chosen until August 27, the guy who directed our commercial thinks it would be helpful if people rated it and made positive comments.
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I was afraid that when I went home for the first time, I would not want to return to Los Angeles. “There are so many people I care about,” I thought, “and so many good relationships.” In contrast, I have arguably two good friends in Los Angeles and relatively few acquaintances.
Fortunately, my reaction to being with so many people I care about has had the opposite effect. Knowing that people I care about are here seems to act as a springboard. Internally, it readies me to tackle what I so wish to tackle out in LA.
So, I am gearing up: I just finished the first of many books I hope to read to develop as an actor. This one was ACTING IN FILM, AN ACTOR’S PERSPECTIVE ON MOVIE MAKING, by Michael Caine. In addition, I am eager to begin my search for a commercial agent when I get back to LA; for whatever reason, taking a step back from LA has rekindled in me the sense that I just might make it out there in Hollywood.
I hope you are all well and enjoying life.
thanks for reading,
hans
From time to time, people ask how successful my pursuit of a film acting career has been so far. The only response that is satisfying to me so far is “I am doing what I have always wanted to do, and that is success in itself.” Answering with greater specificity, I have improved as an actor through acting in short films; I understand the process of film making better because I have done extras work; I am more prepared for auditioning and performing because I have taken some good classes.
My understanding of these successes is that they have been open doors for me as they would be for most people. The short films I have acted in have not been seen by many people besides classmates of the films’ directors. Also, anyone can become a background actor whether he is talented or not. Finally, I paid for those classes, so an open door there is not remarkable.
Now for the flip side: Though these short films were small projects, I nonetheless auditioned for them and was the one selected for my roles. Regarding background work, though anyone can do it, film makers have, at times, chosen me for specific tasks they might not have chosen me for. Finally, though I did not have to audition for the classes I have taken, the plays and student movies I acted in before moving to LA convinced one of the schools they should allow me to take a class that usually required prerequisites.
Putting it all together, I think I have had some successes since I got to Los Angeles. But, perhaps more important, I mean to be one of the people who “shows up:” I shall keep the commitments I make and keep pursuing acting fully until my pursuit is done.
The way I see Hollywood, there are so many people pursuing the roles out there that film makers can usually get just what they want: an actor with certain skills who looks a certain way. As I told someone recently, “one of these days they’ll be looking for an energetic person with a pointy nose,” and when that opportunity arises, I plan to be ready for it.
Tuesday morning, I arose at 4:00am so I could be at a director’s house by 4:40. All of us bleary-eyed, we packed into his SUV and arrived in Newport Beach by 5:45. We needed an empty beach in order to pull off the look of a deserted island.
While the four-person crew put together equipment for the shots they needed, I took the torn-up costume they gave me and made it looked as bedraggled as I could. I marked myself up with charcoal and then rolled around in the sand and made sand angels–they work remarkably well; I wonder why one hears so much more about snow angels.
My job was to wake up on the deserted island, parched and hungry. Then I was to search around, pass by a pencil and discover, as though it were a mirage, a Heinz Ketchup bottle. I guzzled it down with delight, and then, preparing myself to die, I lay down with my bottle and watched the sea. Then, quick as a flash, it occurred to me that with the pencil I had seen, I could send send a message in a bottle for help.
The shoot was really fun. They shot me from about three different angles doing perhaps five takes from each angle. Mostly, the director adjusted me to smile with delight about the ketchup and speed up the tempo, as it was only a thirty-second commercial.
Once we had completed this part of the shoot, we drove to a different spot in the ocean and met a friend of the director. We boarded his boat and went out about three miles from shore. The night before, the director had used fishing line to piece together scraps of wreckage to simulate the shipwreck. After getting that laid out on the surface of the water, I jumped in with another larger piece of wood, equipped with two pieces of styrofoam. This was to keep me afloat while I pretended to be unconscious.
This section of the day was certainly more challenging than the first. Though one might not expect California waters to be cold, I was shivering soon after I got into the water. Also, as I was supposed to be unconscious and therefore unable to raise my head, I swallowed a substantial amount of saltwater. Finally, the crew in the boat circled around me over and over again, giving me the sensation that I was spinning around. When we had finished, I was glad to be back in the boat.
Though my job ended when I got out of the water, the filmmakers still needed to edit the film. Because they plan to enter it in Heinz’ national contest, they needed to finish the commercial in a few days. Fifteen of the entrants will be selected for viewers to vote on, and the five commercials that receive the most votes will air nationally. Should our commercial make the top fifteen, I plan to put a link here so you can all go vote for it.
To view the final product, click here:
I begin this post with its culmination–no, I was not selected to continue in the American Idol competition. Nonetheless, my weekend was productive and informative!
Registration for American Idol began Saturday and ended when auditions began on Monday. I planned to arrive in San Diego to register Sunday. However, at noontime on Saturday, I began to get anxious–if I waited until day 2, would I be able to make it through the line? Hence, I decided to pack up my car and leave as soon as I could. Surprisingly, Qualcomm Stadium was nearly deserted when I arrived at 4:30pm. The thousands-strong line had petered out in the morning, so by 4:35 pm, I had my American Idol wristband and was free until Monday.
Saturday night, I got together with an old high school friend, Brett. I enjoyed a wine party that night with his friends and of particularly use was their inviting me to perform my songs. I decided a couple of years ago that if people ask me to sing for them, I should usually oblige–if I’m any good, maybe it will impress them, and it is my opinion that performers cannot get too much practice. They applauded warmly at the end, and I quickly took a shot of something or other afterward to overcome embarrassment.
The next day, I did limited preparation for auditions. For the past couple of weeks I had practiced diligently, and on Friday night I “had it out” with the music, accomplishing the bulk of preparation in one two-hour period. Thus, Sunday was pretty much a free day to hang out with Brett’s friends, go out on his boat and meet up with my friends Justin and Minna. We went to the beach at Coronado Island and had a picnic.
On Monday, I was up at 4 am after about five hours sleep. American Idol had told us to be in line between 5 and 6 am or we might not make it into the stadium. This ended up being a ruse so we would all be around for publicity. I later spoke with an auditioner who did not arrive until 10 am, when she just walked in rather than wait around in line. In any case, we all filed into the stadium and sat in the seat we had each been assigned at registration. All told, I believe there were about 14,000 contestants there, divided up into 23 sections. They called down one section at a time to cross the football field and wait for one of twelve tables where pairs of judges sat. When people got to the front of the line, staff sent groups of four to each of the tables. Then, the judges would point to each of the singers in turn, allowing them time to sing one song.
I was seated in section twenty, which meant, in the end, 10 hours of waiting. Many contestants were furious because waiting took so long, but I had expected to wait around all weekend, so 10 hours didn’t seem so bad to me. Here is a picture of all of us waiting: American Idol contestants
I ended up really enjoying the day. A couple hours into waiting, I went to find a deserted corner where I could warm up. Then it occurred to me that people all around were singing for each other, and why shouldn’t I go meet some people and join in? The result? I didn’t end up getting anybody’s number or meeting anyone I’ll maintain contact with, but I did sing for several groups of people and hear their reaction to my singing. Just through these interactions, I think my performance ability improved enormously over the weekend.
Though everyone was 16 to 28 years of age, there were people of all types at auditions. Some came to try to get in as “crazy people,” as my mom calls them. Several did get selected, and these contestants were easy to spot because they were dressed up like it was Halloween. There was a mime, a gaucho (Mexican cowboy) and a couple of girls wearing roller skates. There was a high percentage of attractive females, and some of them were dressed to kill.
In terms of what people were singing, I would say R&B was predominant, and I met multiple people who sang Whitney Houston songs. I sang “King of the Road,” which fits into the Crooners category and is right in the middle of my range, where my voice sounds smoothest. Several people I sang for had never heard the song, so I thought it was an original selection. After auditions were over, I told my friend Tim what I’d sung and he informed me that it was a recent American Idol contestant’s signature song. So much for originality!
I was not able to hear other individuals’ auditions until I was actually standing before the judges. One girl was nervous and sang very quietly. Another was frustrated because she could not even get her song out. I am sure this was an anticlimactic end to weeks of anticipation. Others delivered commanding performances. One girl in front of me was asked to sing for another judge to get a second opinion on whether they should choose her. When my turn came, I felt relaxed, all things considered, and was pleased with my performance. One of the judges smiled and tapped her foot, urging me on. Once we had all sung, though, the two judges said they were sorry but would not be using any of us. Here is a picture I took of the judges’ tables as I exited the stadium: Judges tables
Thus, the weekend ended with a “no,” but I do not regret the experience. I enjoyed a productive weekend in San Diego. I am not ruling out auditioning next year.
