So the day
of reckoning, the big meet. Will I get a contract thrown in my face with the
promise of everything I've ever wanted? I consciously suppressed such thoughts
and simply said the words 'Calm Down'. I again shouldn't expect much of
anything, it's a simple interview that I've done numerous times before. Besides
it was also at 3pm and its now only 9:30am.
To the gym,
unfortunately I need to now start paying. And the worst bit is I can't even pay
for one month as I need to give 30 days’ notice to cancel. So it'll cost $60
for two weeks! All that running around, ducking and diving other gym
memberships had been to no avail. As it happened I'd forgot my ID and the
pedantic little gym Nazi wouldn't let me in. So while Tris worked out, I
chilled out. On the beach. Yup, you can just do that here.
Just
outside the supermarket there is always a guy trying to sign people up to
something. Today it was to save the less fortunate on Skid Row. You heard me
correctly, there is a very poor area of LA where a lot of poor individuals
live. I'd got chatting to one of these 'Chuggers' (charity muggers) the other
day and he was telling me about the horrific conditions of Skid Row. From
memory I am sure he used ‘it’s like
Hellman Province in Iraq' but don't quote me on that. I handed over a
couple of dollars. Which instantly meant I was allowed an opinion about this. I
simply said one sentence. 'I think the
first thing you need to do to help this situation is change the name'. Who on
Earth wanted to go to Skid Row? Just saying those words Skid Row conjures up
thoughts of Somalia. You name it something like 'Crisp Boulevard' or 'The
Hills' and people will start visiting. I'll tell you why no wants to live
there...because its call Skid Row! As my speech was coming to an end and I felt
more triumphant than Obama’s inauguration the guy had already moved on.
Anyway. The
guy outside the supermarket was trying to sign people up to...legalise
cannabis. Hardly the same level of importance than 'improving education' or
'achieving world peace'. Maybe they're on commissions or rotation from the
supermarket. Still, this guy felt he had course and wanted signatures. And on
the way out a mother and daughter shared a rare moment of beauty and had
obviously agreed between them that weed would help the daughters education (who
was about 13/15) and the mums retirement. That would never happen in
England.
Smoking
cannabis out here isn't that big of a deal. And I could only imagine a mother
and daughter rolling a doobie and smoking a J was like playing a game of Gin
Rummy. I think that's because their drinking age is set at 21. Although with
our binge drinking problems who am I to say 18 is a good age.
Anyway, the
meeting approached and Tris dropped me off. I cooly walked in 10 minutes early.
I was greeted by the women I'd spoken to on the phone. She handed me a
commercial book and said 'pick one, practice
and show me'. 'Shall I’... She was on the phone. Well, she was busy I'll
just get on with it. I practiced it in general American and memorised it. It
went like this:
The two
things I love in my life are my girlfriend Rita and the great taste of a Jack
in the Box Cheeseburger. My girlfriend’s great, but she's no Jack in the box
cheeseburger'.
It was what
it was. But I’d memorised it quite quickly, performed it in an American accent
and stressed the correct intonation. (Or so I thought). As I went in she wanted
me to do the commercial before we chatted. I asked if I should do it in an
American accent, to which she said 'can
you do the accent' I responded lightly 'I
thought so, but now I am not too sure’ (I knew I could) but we shared a
joke and she smiled. I got two lines in and was stopped. 'You haven't emphasised it correctly. You'll mess up the joke before
you get to the end'. Well maybe wait 10 seconds and you might have found
out. Believe it or not that's a good sign, and I am happy she stopped me. It
gave me some direction and if I proved I can take direction then that's a
bonus. I did the commercial, I've done numerous commercial castings, but this
was a good one. We had a chat and there was no reason why she wasn't impressed
with my training. 'How are you funding
yourself'? Odd question but gave me a chance to boast about my Panto
company I'd created. I let her into the secret of Pantomime and how wonderfully
British it is.
Then we
talked Visas. I admitted I didn't have one but it said on my covering letter so
she knew. 'You don't have a visa?!' 'No, but
that was in my covering letter'. She waved my resume and headshot. I think
to prove that it wasn't there, or she was fanning herself. 'There was one in there'. I reassured her and myself. Then it
dawned on her that her intern hadn't passed that on and evidently hadn't read
it. She was annoyed to say the least. 'I
think it's good to see as many people like you as possible. And if the right
opportunity came about obtaining a 01 visa is possible'. I was clutching at
straws but also holding my own. She rolled her eyes. I was losing her. 'Yeah but you can't work now, so there is no
point in continuing’. I had nothing to lose. So I said it, bold and brash 'so basing this on my resume and headshot
you'd be interested in a future working together?' we held eye contact,
maybe she liked this side of me. 'errm,
I'd certainly like to see you, here's my card'. I couldn't read the
situation. 'shut the door please'...oh
I was leaving? I was back outside at 15:02. I didn't really know how to
feel, I'd like to say my skills, resume, headshot and personality all came
across in a positive light. It was legalities that caused the issues. But maybe
I was just massaging a bruised ego. Auditions are like pancakes, you've got to
get the first one out the way.
Tris and I
went to Venice. We had some food and beer on the front and as the sun came down
the weirdoes came out. I really can't describe in words how crazy some of these
people are. So I've added a video and you can pass judgement. But if this guy
trying to legalise cannabis could see some of the consequences maybe he
wouldn't except signatures from people under 18. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwrS5csFf6o&feature=g-upl
We played
Poker with four of Tris's friends Mischa Crosby and Felicity came (the same two
we went to the Nero gig with). I played the quiet confident card and came 3rd.
It could have been worse. I could have been Tris. I forget where he came. On
no, it was 6th.
Lesson
learnt. When it doesn't seem to be going your way. Change your technique, go in
from a different angle.
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