Domino Effect

Hello Dear Readers.

I know you are all dying to know just how things are going on the Gold Coast. Well, I'd say they are going fairly well. Life-wise things are great, work-wise they are OK. Not bad, but obviously could always be better.

When I moved out to LA, I had never seen the house I would be living in, nor had I met my future roommates face-to-face. Now, one of the guys, CS, is a friend of a good friend and I had spoken to him on the phone a number of times, but still I really didn't know how the whole living together thing would go. The other guy, JJ, I had never met or spoken to, and would be out of town when I arrived.

I arrived on Wednesday, August 31 and took CS to the airport on Friday. He was gone for about 10 days. So my first 10 days were pretty much (completely) on my own. I took some time to check out the town, to see whats what and all. I called or emailed all of the "contacts" I had to set up lunches or coffee or what have you. It was all fine and dandy.

CS arrived back in town, and the two of us started to hang out. He introduced me to his friends, and told me about some classes etc. We get along pretty great, and I really couldn't have asked for a better person to live with, so that ended up working out perfectly.

I am enjoying the city more than I thought I would, which I find interesting. Not for really any reason that I can put my finger on, but I guess maybe I didn't think I would like the city at all, only to find out that I do, so it seems I like it that much more. Follow?

As far as the acting stuff goes, I wish I had more to report, but I don't. I will, however, tell you what little I have been up to. I started taking some classes with a well known studio not far from my house (which is awesome, because it meets at 7 and traffic is not awesome around that time). It is interesting, and sorta intense. It can be a little...intimidating from time to time. But, I think it is beneficial, so I go nonetheless. I have also signed up for a website called LA Casting, which people put casting calls up, and you submit yourself, and if they like you, they bring you in for an audition. Most of these things are either student films of short independent films, but still, any experience is good experience. I have submitted, and auditioned, for a number of student films, but have not yet booked anything. I'm pretty okay with that. Still trying to get back into the groove and everything.

Starting this Thursday, I am attending workshops that Casting Directors put on. It's always good to get in front of these folks, especially while they are actively casting. There are some people who think this is a waste of money (idiots) because, yes, you do have to pay, and no, there isn't any sort of guarantee that you will ever book anything as a direct result. But, as everyone says out here (much like any other business in the universe) booking is really all about relationships. So, the more opportunities you have to build relationships, the more likely you are to move forward. I'm in the early stages of relationship building mode. If you know of anyone out here that would like a free cup of coffee, well, I'm buyin. I can't believe I have started to drink coffee, but I have (if one cup every few days counts, and the stuff they have at The Oaks is actually pretty good with some milk and a sugar).

I don't have any sort of representation yet, and I don't really have any idea when that will come. Again with the relationship building. I'm not overly concerned about it, but obviously with pilot season around the corner, that would be a pretty big thing to have. I did, however, manage to get a referral to a commercial agent (there are separate agents for commercial and theatrical out here) from a casting director who is friends with a producer who worked on a commercial I did right before I moved here. See how that works? Anyway, that agent has been out of town, so hopefully my submission will arrive on her desk when she gets back. That's the plan anyway.

So, again, life is pretty good out here. Work could be better, but, still learning all the ropes and whatnot, so I guess patience and persistence are the name(s) of the game. Here is the commercial I mentioned that set off the chain reaction to the referral. Hopefully more news to come soon.