sundries

[rm]

- I did not get the gig to be gay person paid (well) to review Torchwood, but they like me and my writing sample and I will be getting future writing assignments from the outlet.

- I will be the pro-Obama blogger at Floorfight.com

- I am working on designing a website that I am really happy with. For your sanity and mine, those are all the details you get, but it's one of those things that make me go "hey, I have a good eye!"

- I finally feel like the book is achieving the correct tonal quality again.

- Love me, love my Amazon rankings.

- I had the most scorching hot sex dream about Patty last night. Hell. And I live with her too. Good life.

- Lunacon this weekend. People are already calling and inviting us to parties.

- I have learned so much about human nature in the last five years. It's a testament to my chronic optimism that none of that knowledge would change my actions.

- I have an important principle dancer contract audition coming up soon.

Comments

[lllvis.livejournal.com]

Hell. And I live with her too. Good life.

Can't beat that!


Hey, change of gears, I got a couple of n00b questions. I received notice of a cattle-call in Fort Worth this weekend, where mucho people from various theaters in the area will be evaluating talent, basically a bunch of 5 minute auditions. What would you suggest for a 1-minute monologue? And when they say a 2 minute improve, are they necessarily referring to comedy? I kinda think not.

Also, there's an outfit with the website of www.entertainmentwork.com that promotes extra work, supposedly paying $100-$300 a day. For something like that, would you pay a small fee to gain access? Or would you recommend other avenues?

[rm.livejournal.com]

The improv means that they will give you an exercise or a set of given circumstances to work with -- it may wind up being funny, it may not. Improv is not defined by comedy. My only advice there is don't censor and be specific. Even if your specificity makes no sense, that's what makes improv work.

For a monologue do something you find to be sexy and powerful. Don't use something from a movie. Don't use classical theatre unless you are auditioning for something classical. The theatrical script for "Closer" (it was a play first) has some brilliant insane shit in it for men, much of it brief. Consider it.

It is standard for extras agencies to charge a $25-ish fee for being listed. This is acceptable and the only time you should ever pay for the possibility of work. Realize that as non-union talent you are looking at $85/12 hours. $300 paychecks (and up) usually only happen when you are union and also tend to involve pretty brutal overtime.

[lllvis.livejournal.com]

I wondered about lines or bits from a movie. I only briefly considered something from classical theater but then figured since I was thinking Shakespeare and am essential untrained, if I did this and used that for the monologue they'd immediately be looking for a certain 'type' that I likely am not! I'll look at "Closer", thanks!

Hmmm...their fee is about triple that. Makes me wonder, and more than a little skeptical...

Thanks again!

[rm.livejournal.com]

That fee sounds wrong to me. Who are they? And what are they promising you for you $? Also where are you located again?

[lllvis.livejournal.com]

I am in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. In fact, I'm right in the middle. :-)

Their promise isn't a lot, other than a spot on their website with listing of paid extra calls, supposedly. And I wondered about the fee...it's not terrible, but I still don't have a good grasp on agents/agencies. I have been told a 'good' agent gets paid only if you get work, but in my very short list of dealings with local agencies they're very difficult to get on with without a resume. And of course, I don't really have one. The voicework hasn't gotten a lot of my attention, and now being unemployed I haven't ponied up for the premium membership on voice123.com, although people I know on it are certain it would pay for itself for me (they are are on it too.) That's about $300 for 12 months.

[rm.livejournal.com]

Agents only get paid if you get work.

It is appropriate to pay an extras casting agency $25 - $40 (max! in NYC! so don't pay more where you are) to have a photo taken and be listed online and in a book extras casting directors go to. I pay several agencies this yearly fee, but I also make several thousand dollars from each of those agencies each year.

How close is DFW to Austin? That's where the work is, and I can hook you up with reputable stuff down there.

[lllvis.livejournal.com]

Austin is a 4 hour drive, and I know plenty of people from up here make that drive. Haven't seriously considered that (yet) but depending on how the next month or so goes, I might!

Ok, I'm convinced I shouldn't sign on with this group unless I'm feeling exceptionally frivolous. Hard to do while unemployed!