I've been put to work as the editorial assistant and office coordinator for the UCLA Law Review. It's a temporary assignment, replacing someone who is on maternity leave and expects to be back at work in October. It's also full-time, which is less than ideal as far as my acting pursuits go, but it doesn't completely stifle them and hey it's only a few months. I'm being paid an insultingly low wage, but it's just enough to squeak by on. I do not understand the wages in this country. Minimum wage is something like $7 an hour, which nobody can live on, unless they're working 80 hour weeks. Which I suppose some people do. Money gripes aside, the job itself is quite enjoyable; it's detail-oriented, which is one of my fortes, the material is interesting and the location is great. UCLA is a big beautiful campus in Westwood (a VERY nice part of LA) with great old buildings, lots of gardens and shady nooks in which to sit. It's also a short drive from home, up and over the Hollywood Hills; I can get there in 30 minutes, which in LA is fantastic. I've now completed two weeks of work, the first of which was spent training with Ann, the woman I'm filling in for. Given the nature of publishing, and my particular role in the production process, sometimes there's a lot of work to do, sometimes very little. I had two really quiet days this week, which was great as it afforded me the time to poke around and get familiar with the job and best of all, the time to write. I'm basically working unsupervised at the moment - although I have fairly consistent contact by email with some of the editors throughout the day - with an office to myself and the ability to play music to my heart's content. The university is quiet at the moment because it's the summer break, but the students come back next month so I can expect more human interaction then.
The other item worth noting is the availability of good coffee on campus; basically, there is none. The staff kitchen has a coffee machine (Starbucks brand) that grinds beans per serving at the touch of a button, but the coffee is too watery for my taste. I've been making do - it's insipid, but not offensive - but I knew I had to kit myself out with a little french press so I could make my own brew (with Supreme Bean's heavenly Nocturne blend). The quest for what Bodum calls its 3-cup french press (but really, it's one mug's worth) proved more challenging than anticipated. I've come to the conclusion that the average American taste in coffee is quantity over quality; weak coffee and lots of it. I went to four places that sell tea and coffee accoutrements, and none of them stocked the baby Bodum. Going online, I found that some Target stores stocked them, but none that were nearby, so I ended up ordering one from Amazon.com of all places! It arrived on Thursday afternoon, so on Friday I took it in to work and was one blissed-out little proofreader.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Comedy Ha Ha
So, I've been doing this little sketch comedy show on Friday nights. It's called 'Lo-Carb Comedy' and the material is all based around health and fitness and alternative lifestyles; a rich vein from which to draw comedy blood. This has been an interesting and in some ways challenging experience. Anyone who is familiar with Baggage Productions knows the quality of script, sharpness of performance and attention to detail of our shows. Our budgets have always been tiny, but that matters less when you are working with great scripts and wonderful, talented, dedicated people. We put a lot of work in, typically devoting several months to writing, development and rehearsal.
Lo-Carb Comedy is a different beast because this is a bunch of people I haven't worked with before and we threw it together in two weeks. Nothing is slick in two weeks, but I suppose there is a sort of knockabout energy to the show which is appealing. Given the very short lead time, I dug up some old Baggage sketches that fitted thematically, and Will (who is a comedian and the driving force behind the show) contributed some stand-up. Two other young women - JJ and Julian - plus JJ's hubby, John (that's a lot of J's) round out the cast. JJ and Will wrote some other sketch material and John does an on-target Christopher Walken impersonation. The best thing about the show is that it has got me writing again. After hearing about the range of insane extreme diets that Julian has personally sampled (and continues to seek out), I wrote a sketch about the topic. Since the show has been up on its feet, I've been working on another sketch; the juices are flowing.
We've performed the last three Friday nights at the Next Stage Theatre, a pokey little place in a strip mall in the heart of seedy Hollywood. It's a busy venue, with multiple shows each running one night a week. Lo-Carb Comedy is on right after The Vampire Chronicles; we're sharing a dressing room with an assortment of nubile young things in bustiers (some are vampires, some are victims). The low hum of muted chit-chat in the dressing room is punctuated by blood-curdling screams on-stage and dramatic music.
Outside in the parking lot one encounters hipsters heading to The Woods - a bar which, typical of LA, looks utterly nondescript (even daggy, being in a strip mall) on the outside but is actually pretty cool and jam-packed on the inside (you could be anywhere from New York to Berlin) - or families stopping in at Mashti Malone's for some ice-cream, or a homeless man selling a rabbit (as a pet or a meal, your choice).
Lo-Carb Comedy is a different beast because this is a bunch of people I haven't worked with before and we threw it together in two weeks. Nothing is slick in two weeks, but I suppose there is a sort of knockabout energy to the show which is appealing. Given the very short lead time, I dug up some old Baggage sketches that fitted thematically, and Will (who is a comedian and the driving force behind the show) contributed some stand-up. Two other young women - JJ and Julian - plus JJ's hubby, John (that's a lot of J's) round out the cast. JJ and Will wrote some other sketch material and John does an on-target Christopher Walken impersonation. The best thing about the show is that it has got me writing again. After hearing about the range of insane extreme diets that Julian has personally sampled (and continues to seek out), I wrote a sketch about the topic. Since the show has been up on its feet, I've been working on another sketch; the juices are flowing.
We've performed the last three Friday nights at the Next Stage Theatre, a pokey little place in a strip mall in the heart of seedy Hollywood. It's a busy venue, with multiple shows each running one night a week. Lo-Carb Comedy is on right after The Vampire Chronicles; we're sharing a dressing room with an assortment of nubile young things in bustiers (some are vampires, some are victims). The low hum of muted chit-chat in the dressing room is punctuated by blood-curdling screams on-stage and dramatic music.
Outside in the parking lot one encounters hipsters heading to The Woods - a bar which, typical of LA, looks utterly nondescript (even daggy, being in a strip mall) on the outside but is actually pretty cool and jam-packed on the inside (you could be anywhere from New York to Berlin) - or families stopping in at Mashti Malone's for some ice-cream, or a homeless man selling a rabbit (as a pet or a meal, your choice).
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Special guest stars
I'm a bad, baaaad blogger. Sorry folks, been a bit blue over the last week or so; the jobhunt is getting me down. Suffice to say, I'm still looking and have started approaching cafes, retailers and supermarkets. A glimmer of hope on the horizon today: one of the recruitment agencies I have signed with is submitting me for a 4 month full-time contract job in an editorial/administrative role for a company that publishes legal journals. I can handle the idea of full-time on a short term basis. Four months is pushing the boundaries a little, but I would be making a decent wage and I can bite the bullet for four months. So fingers crossed. Otherwise, keep your fingers crossed for a cafe job; I've approached both Aroma and M Street (my two fave coffee joints) and had a positive response from both, they're just not hiring at the moment...
In the meanwhilst (Dad, please don't question the legitimacy of that word, it's an obscure Monty Python reference), I've been roped into doing a sketch comedy show - two performances only, unless our adoring public demands more more more. It's been pulled together mighty fast - over the course of little more than a week - so I dived into the Baggage archives for a few tried and tested beauties (hello Diandra, you sweet, daffy thing). I've also written some new stuff. It will be a bit of a scrambly, scratchy show; I'm looking on it as an opportunity to try out some sketch comedy in LA, an experiment, and hey, what else am I doing right now?
Last week we had a special guest teacher at Sport of Acting. Tom McLoughlin is a film director with a list of credits as long as your arm. Providing your arm is really REALLY long. Oh, just IMDb him, go on click on his name, I've linked it. He and Vinny go way back. Anyway, so everyone in class got to work with him as if on set, on a moment from a scene of our choice (something we've been working on in class). Tom has an acting background so he really understands the actor's process and knows how to get what he needs from us. He worked quickly in figuring out a suitable set-up/camera angle and blocking for each scene, and then gave each of us quite a lot of time - maybe three takes - to capture the 'moment'. He also had a few choice anecdotes about some of the megastars he has worked with, such as Kirk Douglas and Marlon Brando. Seriously privileged to have worked - however briefly - with him. On a side note, he also happened to be one of the people who came to see Beaten Hearts.
Another highlight of the last couple weeks was seeing Billy the Mime. Billy (not his real name - it's actually Steven Banks, and among other things he is the head writer on Spongebob Squarepants) is another old mate of Vinny's and he is a superb, inspired and ruthlessly cynical artist. Amongst his ambitious, brilliant, hilarious and frequently dark set were such gems as: "The African American Experience" in which he mimed key phases and historical moments from slavery to Rosa Parks to Rodney King to Mike Tyson to Obama; "David Carradine's Last Night"; "Dinner with Jeffrey Dahmer"; and "The Priest and the Altar Boy." If you ever get the chance to see him play, GO! He trained with Marcel Marceau, he performs in traditional garb (white face paint etc) but there is nothing old-fashioned or daggy about this mime. As Vinny puts it, yeah you might see him mime going downstairs - but he's going down there to kill someone.
In the meanwhilst (Dad, please don't question the legitimacy of that word, it's an obscure Monty Python reference), I've been roped into doing a sketch comedy show - two performances only, unless our adoring public demands more more more. It's been pulled together mighty fast - over the course of little more than a week - so I dived into the Baggage archives for a few tried and tested beauties (hello Diandra, you sweet, daffy thing). I've also written some new stuff. It will be a bit of a scrambly, scratchy show; I'm looking on it as an opportunity to try out some sketch comedy in LA, an experiment, and hey, what else am I doing right now?
Last week we had a special guest teacher at Sport of Acting. Tom McLoughlin is a film director with a list of credits as long as your arm. Providing your arm is really REALLY long. Oh, just IMDb him, go on click on his name, I've linked it. He and Vinny go way back. Anyway, so everyone in class got to work with him as if on set, on a moment from a scene of our choice (something we've been working on in class). Tom has an acting background so he really understands the actor's process and knows how to get what he needs from us. He worked quickly in figuring out a suitable set-up/camera angle and blocking for each scene, and then gave each of us quite a lot of time - maybe three takes - to capture the 'moment'. He also had a few choice anecdotes about some of the megastars he has worked with, such as Kirk Douglas and Marlon Brando. Seriously privileged to have worked - however briefly - with him. On a side note, he also happened to be one of the people who came to see Beaten Hearts.
Another highlight of the last couple weeks was seeing Billy the Mime. Billy (not his real name - it's actually Steven Banks, and among other things he is the head writer on Spongebob Squarepants) is another old mate of Vinny's and he is a superb, inspired and ruthlessly cynical artist. Amongst his ambitious, brilliant, hilarious and frequently dark set were such gems as: "The African American Experience" in which he mimed key phases and historical moments from slavery to Rosa Parks to Rodney King to Mike Tyson to Obama; "David Carradine's Last Night"; "Dinner with Jeffrey Dahmer"; and "The Priest and the Altar Boy." If you ever get the chance to see him play, GO! He trained with Marcel Marceau, he performs in traditional garb (white face paint etc) but there is nothing old-fashioned or daggy about this mime. As Vinny puts it, yeah you might see him mime going downstairs - but he's going down there to kill someone.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Luv a duck
Summer has arrived in LA and so have the ducks. Yes, ducks in our swimming pool. Don't you have some?
Ducks fly in, neighbours emerge from their caves/apartments, BBQs are fired up and gin & tonics mixed with a slice of fresh lime and a sprig of mint. Delightful. Oh, and the sport of the season is basketball - apparently the Lakers are playing off for a shot at the golden hoop... or something... and of course the World Cup is playing.
And my activities? Well, I've got two more phone interviews lined up for corporate copy editing type jobs I applied for - yay, I really need something to click into place by the end of the month - and I've started a new blog. Not to replace this one, which will continue to document my activities and occasional rants, but an outlet for the imperfect wisdom I'm accumulating about life in LA. It's called 'An Aussie Guide to Surviving LA' and I'm aiming to post every two days (three articles up so far); there's a link to the left, check it out, email it to your friends, make me a cyber-phenomenon.
Aside from bloggery and job applications, what did this li'l Aussie get up to this week? Well, last weekend I participated in a 4 and a half hour meditation workshop. It was held at my yoga studio, was led by a woman called Sally Kempton who is regarded as something of a guru, and altogether came highly recommended. I haven't really done meditation before so I thought I'd poke my nose in and inhale. So to speak. Hmm, seemed like a good metaphor at the time and now I'm not so sure. But I digress. It was quite interesting; Sally spoke about her experiences, her teachers, her philosophy, and led us through several group meditations. She spoke about the power of collective consciousness, when a group of people are focused on the same thing, thinking the same way; and I thought that's what happens at live performances - be they music, comedy or theatre - at least when they're good, it's exhilarating. As for the meditations, I had trouble staying focused on her voice and the imagery she was creating; when my mind didn't wander, I felt sleepy, not more conscious of my consciousness.
Out of my mind and into my body, on Wednesday I scored a personal training session at the gym - gratis - involving a very large truck tyre. Close to a metre in diameter, this was a solid chunk of rubber which Mike (my PT) made me flip over and over. Simple and very effective full body workout; I had to squat deeply, grab the bottom edge of the tyre, lift it up (using legs, keeping back straight) and push it over - SLAM! Repeat. Buttocks, quadriceps, abdominals, biceps all engaged. This activity was mixed up with lots of other deep squats and ab crunches. My legs felt like enormous sandbags by the end of the session, and I was still feeling them two days later. It felt great though, I certainly don't push myself that hard working out on my own.
Ducks fly in, neighbours emerge from their caves/apartments, BBQs are fired up and gin & tonics mixed with a slice of fresh lime and a sprig of mint. Delightful. Oh, and the sport of the season is basketball - apparently the Lakers are playing off for a shot at the golden hoop... or something... and of course the World Cup is playing.
And my activities? Well, I've got two more phone interviews lined up for corporate copy editing type jobs I applied for - yay, I really need something to click into place by the end of the month - and I've started a new blog. Not to replace this one, which will continue to document my activities and occasional rants, but an outlet for the imperfect wisdom I'm accumulating about life in LA. It's called 'An Aussie Guide to Surviving LA' and I'm aiming to post every two days (three articles up so far); there's a link to the left, check it out, email it to your friends, make me a cyber-phenomenon.
Aside from bloggery and job applications, what did this li'l Aussie get up to this week? Well, last weekend I participated in a 4 and a half hour meditation workshop. It was held at my yoga studio, was led by a woman called Sally Kempton who is regarded as something of a guru, and altogether came highly recommended. I haven't really done meditation before so I thought I'd poke my nose in and inhale. So to speak. Hmm, seemed like a good metaphor at the time and now I'm not so sure. But I digress. It was quite interesting; Sally spoke about her experiences, her teachers, her philosophy, and led us through several group meditations. She spoke about the power of collective consciousness, when a group of people are focused on the same thing, thinking the same way; and I thought that's what happens at live performances - be they music, comedy or theatre - at least when they're good, it's exhilarating. As for the meditations, I had trouble staying focused on her voice and the imagery she was creating; when my mind didn't wander, I felt sleepy, not more conscious of my consciousness.
Out of my mind and into my body, on Wednesday I scored a personal training session at the gym - gratis - involving a very large truck tyre. Close to a metre in diameter, this was a solid chunk of rubber which Mike (my PT) made me flip over and over. Simple and very effective full body workout; I had to squat deeply, grab the bottom edge of the tyre, lift it up (using legs, keeping back straight) and push it over - SLAM! Repeat. Buttocks, quadriceps, abdominals, biceps all engaged. This activity was mixed up with lots of other deep squats and ab crunches. My legs felt like enormous sandbags by the end of the session, and I was still feeling them two days later. It felt great though, I certainly don't push myself that hard working out on my own.
Monday, June 7, 2010
You beauty, mate
June! Where the hell did you come from? Caught up with some Melburnians over the last week. Bridge, it was so good to see you. She was in San Diego for 5 days for work, so I drove down on Wednesday afternoon. Theoretically, one can drive from LA to San Diego in a little over 2 hours; that would be if nobody else is on the road and you can do the speed limit the whole way. Ha! After two hours driving in bumper to bumper traffic I was not even halfway there and slowly going insane. When you're on a freeway with 6 lanes in each direction and the traffic is so heavy you never get above 20 miles per hour - and that only in spurts - you know you're living in a big city with a LOT of cars. Thankfully, shortly after the 2 hour mark, the traffic thinned out (and perhaps the freeway got a little wider, too) and I was able to hit the 65mph speed limit the rest of the way. All up, the trip took 3.5 hours. I felt very bleary by the time I reached the cute little hotel in Del Mar where Bridge was staying. Still, nothing like seeing a dear friend for the first time in 8 months to perk up one's spirits. We set off for the evening to the Hotel Del Coronado, a really beautiful old hotel on an island just a short trip across a bridge from downtown San Diego. We were so hungry by the time we got there that we just headed straight for the wine bar and didn't stop to take any photos along the way. In fact, I left my camera back in Del Mar anyway. A small regret; it would have been nice to get some happy snaps of us with that magnificent hotel in the background. For those of you unfamiliar with the place, it was where the classic film Some Like It Hot was shot. Here's a link to the website so you can appreciate its gloriousness:
Hotel Del Coronado
I vow to return and stay a few nights! Of course, I'll have to be rich in order to do that. Or dating someone rich, that could work. Maybe I should take up pole dancing, apparently those girls make hundreds per night. One can but dream. But back to Wednesday night. The bar - called Eno (as in oenophile, presumably) - had a special deal on food; everything 50% off. The food choice wasn't broad but it was very appealing; cheese platters, marinated olives, charcuterie platter, chocolate. Sounds like a balanced meal to me! We ordered one of each plus a flight of champagne and another of pinot noir to share. Each flight contained 3 x half-glasses of wine from different regions. The bubbles were all very good, but I can't recall where they were from; wait, maybe I can. One from France, one from Germany (I think), one from California. The pinot's had one outstanding winner, while the other two were pleasant but forgettable. The standout was Thorne, from the Santa Rita hills outside of Santa Barbara. I don't recall which vintage. For the oenophiles out there, here's a link to the company website:
http://thornewine.com/wine.html
At the bar we got chatting with a woman, who, hearing our accents, naturally couldn't resist talking to us. Such is the power and charm of the Australian accent. Well, she was lovely - and also indulging in the Thorne Pinot Noir - and we found ourselves having quite an in-depth discussion about relationships, career goals and the pressure on women (much of which we put on ourselves) to retain the appearance of youth (as in equalling beauty in this youth-obsessed culture), pressure many begin to feel acutely as we approach our forties. Our American companion was in her mid-40s so this is something she is experiencing and has observed amongst her friends, and indeed I too have friends broaching the big four-oh and considering a touch of botox in the forehead. No!!! I cry. It's a slippery slope; where does it end? There are so many freaky looking women walking around with frozen faces who seem to have lost all sense of normalcy. Actors, especially, I think should resist botox and extreme cosmetic surgery; yes, they are under the microscope and blown up on huge screens in HD magnifying their every imperfection - I understand the pressure - but by freezing their faces, through which, frankly, 90% of a screen performance is expressed, they are diminishing their most important tool. Cate Blanchett once described wrinkles thus: they are the songlines of your body. Botox is a short term, illusory solution to an inevitable change. You can't hide your age forever, and there comes a point when you simply look weird - if not absurd - trying to do so. All hail ageing beauties (and phenomenal actresses, to boot) such as Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep!
The next Melburnian in town was Kelly, another green card recipient, who stopped in LA for a few days en route to Chicago where she's going to study improv with Second City. She and her boyfriend had been doing the touristy things in LA, and getting around mostly by cab - an expensive way to travel. It was my pleasure to pick them up from their Hollywood motel and take them to the good old reliable Cat and Fiddle, where we sat in the lovely courtyard surrounded by trees and Spanish-style buildings, relaxed with a beer and chicken pot-pie, and talked comedy, LA and the biz.
On the job front, I have started reading scripts for an agency - unpaid but interesting and a lovely way to spend a couple of hours in a cafe, 'working' - and was interviewed this morning for an assistant job I applied for with a small, up and coming production company which specialises in documentaries. Cross fingers for that one I'd love to do it!
Well, there you have it, enough bloggery for now methinks. See you in a few days!
Hotel Del Coronado
I vow to return and stay a few nights! Of course, I'll have to be rich in order to do that. Or dating someone rich, that could work. Maybe I should take up pole dancing, apparently those girls make hundreds per night. One can but dream. But back to Wednesday night. The bar - called Eno (as in oenophile, presumably) - had a special deal on food; everything 50% off. The food choice wasn't broad but it was very appealing; cheese platters, marinated olives, charcuterie platter, chocolate. Sounds like a balanced meal to me! We ordered one of each plus a flight of champagne and another of pinot noir to share. Each flight contained 3 x half-glasses of wine from different regions. The bubbles were all very good, but I can't recall where they were from; wait, maybe I can. One from France, one from Germany (I think), one from California. The pinot's had one outstanding winner, while the other two were pleasant but forgettable. The standout was Thorne, from the Santa Rita hills outside of Santa Barbara. I don't recall which vintage. For the oenophiles out there, here's a link to the company website:
http://thornewine.com/wine.html
At the bar we got chatting with a woman, who, hearing our accents, naturally couldn't resist talking to us. Such is the power and charm of the Australian accent. Well, she was lovely - and also indulging in the Thorne Pinot Noir - and we found ourselves having quite an in-depth discussion about relationships, career goals and the pressure on women (much of which we put on ourselves) to retain the appearance of youth (as in equalling beauty in this youth-obsessed culture), pressure many begin to feel acutely as we approach our forties. Our American companion was in her mid-40s so this is something she is experiencing and has observed amongst her friends, and indeed I too have friends broaching the big four-oh and considering a touch of botox in the forehead. No!!! I cry. It's a slippery slope; where does it end? There are so many freaky looking women walking around with frozen faces who seem to have lost all sense of normalcy. Actors, especially, I think should resist botox and extreme cosmetic surgery; yes, they are under the microscope and blown up on huge screens in HD magnifying their every imperfection - I understand the pressure - but by freezing their faces, through which, frankly, 90% of a screen performance is expressed, they are diminishing their most important tool. Cate Blanchett once described wrinkles thus: they are the songlines of your body. Botox is a short term, illusory solution to an inevitable change. You can't hide your age forever, and there comes a point when you simply look weird - if not absurd - trying to do so. All hail ageing beauties (and phenomenal actresses, to boot) such as Helen Mirren and Meryl Streep!
The next Melburnian in town was Kelly, another green card recipient, who stopped in LA for a few days en route to Chicago where she's going to study improv with Second City. She and her boyfriend had been doing the touristy things in LA, and getting around mostly by cab - an expensive way to travel. It was my pleasure to pick them up from their Hollywood motel and take them to the good old reliable Cat and Fiddle, where we sat in the lovely courtyard surrounded by trees and Spanish-style buildings, relaxed with a beer and chicken pot-pie, and talked comedy, LA and the biz.
On the job front, I have started reading scripts for an agency - unpaid but interesting and a lovely way to spend a couple of hours in a cafe, 'working' - and was interviewed this morning for an assistant job I applied for with a small, up and coming production company which specialises in documentaries. Cross fingers for that one I'd love to do it!
Well, there you have it, enough bloggery for now methinks. See you in a few days!
Monday, May 31, 2010
Felines, photos and BBQs
Gina moved out during the week so I have the apartment almost to myself - Milo the cat remains in my charge for the time being. He is a bit out of sorts without Gina, but not too much since he is still king of the castle; cruising around the building, visiting his human 'girlfriends' who play with him and feed him treats, and terrorizing the building manager's cat, a fluffy white princess called Penelope who mostly stays indoors. Just as well, too, since Milo has been known to attack her. Does he simply dislike her that much or is he like little boys in the schoolyard who don't know how to talk to a girl they like so they just punch her and run away? I've had some territorial battles with Milo myself. He likes to sleep on my bed, especially now with Gina gone, which is fine so long as he sticks to the end of the bed on a blanket I've laid out for him. He knows the rules but he likes to test what he can get away with. More than once I've caught him settling down up near the pillows, whereupon I've moved him firmly to the blanket where he pretends to settle, only to come back 5 minutes later to see he has moved back to the pillows. When he does that, flouting his second chance, he gets kicked out altogether.
My new roommate, Shannon, will be moving in tomorrow, although she will then be off on holiday for a couple of weeks.
Some ripples on the job front - finally! - over the last week. I had two interviews - one a phone interview, for an arts admin job which I would LOVE to do (cross fingers I make it to the next round of in-person interviews), and the other with a recruitment agency after I responded to an ad for a temporary proofreading job. It pays peanuts, but that would be better than nothing right now. This week I have an interview to intern (aka unpaid work experience/slave labor) at an agency reading scripts and writing coverages (summary and assessment); this is something I'd love to do long term and would be able to work from home primarily but like so many entertainment industry jobs it's hard to get a foot in the door without some kind of personal recommendation. Doing an internship will help and of course I'm hoping that donating my time, two days a week for three months, might lead to an offer of ongoing, paid work. Will be interesting either way.
On Thursday I had some new headshots taken. They are primarily commercial, meaning I was aiming for a few specific looks/character types (such as Mom, cop/detective, cute/quirky/comic, business suit/lawyer/reporter etc). The photographer, Patricia, is one of my new LA friends; an actress I met in a workshop - kept meeting in workshops actually! - who also happens to be a pro photographer. I was really comfortable and relaxed with her (which makes a huge difference) and she was always quick to spot when I was unfocused or 'faking it' - "Fake smile!" she would yell - and great at getting me back on track. We toured around a few spots locally, using natural light and taking advantage of several different background textures and colours. Here's a few highlights:
It's Memorial Day today (Monday in LA) which means a three-day weekend for the average American. BBQs abound and I have already attended two. On Saturday my Aussie friends Nicola and Mike threw a good old Aussie barbie at their home, complete with snags and home-made burgers, beer and cheesecake. You beauty, mate! Most of the guests were either Aussie or English; I haven't been surrounded by that many non-American accents for quite awhile. Yesterday one of my neighbours threw a barbecue to which the whole building - Melrose Place style - was invited. It has been a very warm weekend, so it was lovely to sit around (and in) the swimming pool, sipping on a beverage and chatting with some of the neighbours with whom I've previously only exchanged waves and polite greetings. Very convivial.
This week Bridgette will be in San Diego - hooray! - and I'm looking forward to seeing her. Unfortunately she'll be working most of the time, but we'll squeeze in a good catch up and yes, photos will be posted!
My new roommate, Shannon, will be moving in tomorrow, although she will then be off on holiday for a couple of weeks.
Some ripples on the job front - finally! - over the last week. I had two interviews - one a phone interview, for an arts admin job which I would LOVE to do (cross fingers I make it to the next round of in-person interviews), and the other with a recruitment agency after I responded to an ad for a temporary proofreading job. It pays peanuts, but that would be better than nothing right now. This week I have an interview to intern (aka unpaid work experience/slave labor) at an agency reading scripts and writing coverages (summary and assessment); this is something I'd love to do long term and would be able to work from home primarily but like so many entertainment industry jobs it's hard to get a foot in the door without some kind of personal recommendation. Doing an internship will help and of course I'm hoping that donating my time, two days a week for three months, might lead to an offer of ongoing, paid work. Will be interesting either way.
On Thursday I had some new headshots taken. They are primarily commercial, meaning I was aiming for a few specific looks/character types (such as Mom, cop/detective, cute/quirky/comic, business suit/lawyer/reporter etc). The photographer, Patricia, is one of my new LA friends; an actress I met in a workshop - kept meeting in workshops actually! - who also happens to be a pro photographer. I was really comfortable and relaxed with her (which makes a huge difference) and she was always quick to spot when I was unfocused or 'faking it' - "Fake smile!" she would yell - and great at getting me back on track. We toured around a few spots locally, using natural light and taking advantage of several different background textures and colours. Here's a few highlights:
It's Memorial Day today (Monday in LA) which means a three-day weekend for the average American. BBQs abound and I have already attended two. On Saturday my Aussie friends Nicola and Mike threw a good old Aussie barbie at their home, complete with snags and home-made burgers, beer and cheesecake. You beauty, mate! Most of the guests were either Aussie or English; I haven't been surrounded by that many non-American accents for quite awhile. Yesterday one of my neighbours threw a barbecue to which the whole building - Melrose Place style - was invited. It has been a very warm weekend, so it was lovely to sit around (and in) the swimming pool, sipping on a beverage and chatting with some of the neighbours with whom I've previously only exchanged waves and polite greetings. Very convivial.
This week Bridgette will be in San Diego - hooray! - and I'm looking forward to seeing her. Unfortunately she'll be working most of the time, but we'll squeeze in a good catch up and yes, photos will be posted!
Friday, May 21, 2010
Powder blue shorts
What are the ingredients of a typical week in LA? Depends who you ask, I suppose, but sunshine and sitting by the pool would be on a lot of people's lists. Then for the actor there are (hopefully) auditions, classes, meetings, learning scripts and having coffee (ahem, networking). Then there's the human, social stuff like catching up with friends and seeing movies. I can pretty much tick all those things off my list this week.
Tuesday night with Vinny we had a special on-camera class specifically playing with those oft-featured moments in film and TV where a character wakes up - at home, in a hospital, on the beach, in an alley - perhaps slowly, perhaps suddenly, and must take in and adjust to their circumstances. Another common scenario is a character receiving a phone call that forces them to stop what they are doing and decide to take action - perhaps its great news, perhaps terrible. Little or no dialogue, this exercise was about creating that inner monologue or narration that can help the actor through a series of discoveries leading to action, without rushing through it. That was the key; everyone rushed their first take. Our minds work so fast that we jump from one thing to the next before it registers to the camera (or the audience) and time seems to slow down in silence, which also prompts us to rush things because 10 seconds can feel like a minute. Very interesting class.
On Wednesday, I was supposed to drive 3 hours to San Diego for a commercial audition; it's a hell of a long way to go for maybe 5 minutes with a casting director, but I was prepared to make a day of it. However, a reprieve came in the form of two other auditions I got for the same afternoon in Los Angeles. Can't do all of them, so sacrificed San Diego. Felt fabulous to find myself juggling all those auditions in one day! Being a woman of a certain age means I'm squarely in the range of "young mom", unavoidable I'm afraid. I went shopping for a couple of items to add to my audition wardrobe. Ross is a big clearance store where fashion (and various homewares) goes to die; there are racks of clothing, including some designer stuff, hugely marked down. You need to know what you're looking for or you could be overwhelmed. I came away with a pair of knee-length, powder blue shorts - Greg Norman's women's label no less - which originally retailed for $60 but I snaffled for a mere $9. Yes sirree! I also picked up a navy blue polo short and a cute orange t-shirt for about $6 each, and some new pillows for about $8 each (my neck is already thanking me for the investment, I've been sleeping on some really cheapo awful pillows). All up a very satisfying expedition.
Wednesday evening I had dinner with friends at their not-quite-fully-renovated-but-looking-pretty-slick home in Hawthorne, which is anywhere between a 35 minute or hour and 35 minute drive south of the valley, depending on traffic on the dear old 405 freeway. 'Twas a very convivial evening, bordering on riotous when we started in on vampire fiction. Thanks Amber and Jamie. They introduced me to School House Rock, a series of short, animated songs designed to teach kids about everything from grammar to basic systems of government. Here's a link to the oh-so-catchy "Conjunction Junction (what's your function?)" -
SchoolHouseRock-ConjunctionJunction
On Thursday I hung out with Regi. We went to see Tina Fey and Steve Carell in Date Night, a very funny comedy (seemingly a rare thing these days) about a nice married couple from Jersey having a night out in Manhatttan and getting into all manner of unlikely (but very entertaining) scrapes. Being a beautiful, warm day we decided to go to the Getty for lunch. We knew the view would be far superior to the cafeteria food - correct - but it was worth it. The Getty is spectacularly located up on a hill with 360 degree views of the eccentric urban sprawl that is the City of Angels. And there's some quite good art there too.
Today is Friday and I have applied for a part-time admin job and filmed an audition for another commercial. Had to do this at home using the webcam (not ideal, but useful in a pinch) as the commercial will be shot in Washington state (north of California and the home of Seattle - not to be confused with Washington city, home of US politics) and presumably the casting house is located there too. If I get the gig, my travel and accommodation will be paid for on top of the fee for the commercial. Fingers crossed, would be lovely to earn some money AND get to see a part of the States I haven't yet ventured to.
Tuesday night with Vinny we had a special on-camera class specifically playing with those oft-featured moments in film and TV where a character wakes up - at home, in a hospital, on the beach, in an alley - perhaps slowly, perhaps suddenly, and must take in and adjust to their circumstances. Another common scenario is a character receiving a phone call that forces them to stop what they are doing and decide to take action - perhaps its great news, perhaps terrible. Little or no dialogue, this exercise was about creating that inner monologue or narration that can help the actor through a series of discoveries leading to action, without rushing through it. That was the key; everyone rushed their first take. Our minds work so fast that we jump from one thing to the next before it registers to the camera (or the audience) and time seems to slow down in silence, which also prompts us to rush things because 10 seconds can feel like a minute. Very interesting class.
On Wednesday, I was supposed to drive 3 hours to San Diego for a commercial audition; it's a hell of a long way to go for maybe 5 minutes with a casting director, but I was prepared to make a day of it. However, a reprieve came in the form of two other auditions I got for the same afternoon in Los Angeles. Can't do all of them, so sacrificed San Diego. Felt fabulous to find myself juggling all those auditions in one day! Being a woman of a certain age means I'm squarely in the range of "young mom", unavoidable I'm afraid. I went shopping for a couple of items to add to my audition wardrobe. Ross is a big clearance store where fashion (and various homewares) goes to die; there are racks of clothing, including some designer stuff, hugely marked down. You need to know what you're looking for or you could be overwhelmed. I came away with a pair of knee-length, powder blue shorts - Greg Norman's women's label no less - which originally retailed for $60 but I snaffled for a mere $9. Yes sirree! I also picked up a navy blue polo short and a cute orange t-shirt for about $6 each, and some new pillows for about $8 each (my neck is already thanking me for the investment, I've been sleeping on some really cheapo awful pillows). All up a very satisfying expedition.
Wednesday evening I had dinner with friends at their not-quite-fully-renovated-but-looking-pretty-slick home in Hawthorne, which is anywhere between a 35 minute or hour and 35 minute drive south of the valley, depending on traffic on the dear old 405 freeway. 'Twas a very convivial evening, bordering on riotous when we started in on vampire fiction. Thanks Amber and Jamie. They introduced me to School House Rock, a series of short, animated songs designed to teach kids about everything from grammar to basic systems of government. Here's a link to the oh-so-catchy "Conjunction Junction (what's your function?)" -
SchoolHouseRock-ConjunctionJunction
On Thursday I hung out with Regi. We went to see Tina Fey and Steve Carell in Date Night, a very funny comedy (seemingly a rare thing these days) about a nice married couple from Jersey having a night out in Manhatttan and getting into all manner of unlikely (but very entertaining) scrapes. Being a beautiful, warm day we decided to go to the Getty for lunch. We knew the view would be far superior to the cafeteria food - correct - but it was worth it. The Getty is spectacularly located up on a hill with 360 degree views of the eccentric urban sprawl that is the City of Angels. And there's some quite good art there too.
Today is Friday and I have applied for a part-time admin job and filmed an audition for another commercial. Had to do this at home using the webcam (not ideal, but useful in a pinch) as the commercial will be shot in Washington state (north of California and the home of Seattle - not to be confused with Washington city, home of US politics) and presumably the casting house is located there too. If I get the gig, my travel and accommodation will be paid for on top of the fee for the commercial. Fingers crossed, would be lovely to earn some money AND get to see a part of the States I haven't yet ventured to.
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