Prelude to a Big Break

Some (very) quick thoughts because I have two meetings, a class and I lost my keys last night for the first time in my adult life.

Meeting with Moses

That looks good in print doesn’t it?  I have a meeting this afternoon with Moses Znaimer.

Meeting with Lawyer

Doesn’t look as sexy.  Trying to figure out if I have a case to sue ACTRA for the $25,000 (plus) of my salary that was not in the insurance bond they made for the last film I did.  There will be a longer post to update the whole “them calling me a ‘retard’ and not returning any of my calls” issue, soon.

And how about a big round of applause to everyone at ACTRA National who has not called me back!!  Are you busy?  What are you up to?  Trying to figure out what to charge your membership for Coors Light at this years ACTRA Awards?  Fretting over the state of short-films in Manitoba?  Is your obsolete magazine without any topical information that I use to pick up my dog’s poo going to press shortly?…  Do tell.

The writing job that I’m super-excited for:

Still no word.  Late this week or early next week I’ll know, therefore, so will you.

First day of filming:

Had my first day on The Cutting Edge 4 yesterday – as detailed here.  I’m still trying to figure out the most interesting way to chronicle my days on set for this site.  Until I do, here’s a story:

When I was introduced to the director yesterday morning he told that what won me the job was the way I interpreted the third scene in the audition sides.  You can see the tape here. My approach was to do a casual interview.  He said that everyone else sounded like a cross between Bill O’Reilly and Skip Bayless (I’m paraphrasing).  I think it’s interesting that an inclination I had without any direction (at all) got me a job.  I’m probably not giving myself enough credit, but it just shows that this business is fickle, unpredictable and, occasionally, awesome.

I’d also like to thank the entire production for shooting my stuff in the morning and getting me home to Toronto for the Tribute to Jack at the Cambridge Club.  You went into meal penalty to do it and didn’t even blink.  Thank you.

Do you think being creative is easy?

If you do, then listen to this podcast between Adam Carolla and Greg Fitzsimmons.  If you don’t, then listen to this podcast by Adam Carolla and Greg Fitzsimmons.

Do actors like this site?

Tough to say really.  Actors that are my friends like this site, but as PTABB’s verbal tentacles start poking unfamiliar places (my apologies for the creepy sexual analogy) the reception might not be as warm.  After all, it’s a known fact that all actors secretly hate one another.  Don’t let anybody tell you differently.

So…  About that podcast you said you were going to do…

I’m working on it.

Tidbits:

Lots of stuff tomorrow.  I’m going to put up a page in coordination with the “Audition Meter” and “Job Meter” that you see in the right hand corner of the site.  It will have the date of the audition / the project / the result and it will be in the sidebar like the Full List of The Countdown.

Podcasts

If this blog works they way that it should, one of the benefits for people should be an opportunity to learn more about the acting industry. This will happen through my experiences, through links that are relevant to the greater purpose and, much to my delight, on podcasts.

On my old website I started up a podcast that quickly devolved into what English Literature students call masturbating.

A lot of so-called journalism today is literary masturbation where, instead of researching a subject and writing an informed and stimulating article, the writer has a wank-fest of verbal indulgence expressing their personal opinion. This is forgiveable in the very young who may be playing with language and style and have lived so shortly their lack of experience absolves them from such a waste of words. You have to make mistakes to learn. The real damage occurs when this behaviour lasts past college!

Just take that paragraph and throw the warm blanket of me loving the sound of my own voice on top of it… You get the idea.

Naturally, I found myself gravitating towards personalities in the entertainment industry whom I would approach with a sports angle. Super idea, genius. If we’ve learned anything over the past 28 years, it’s that people LOVE getting out of their comfort zone.

(Hey… That’s neat. My antagonistic sub-conscious finally made an appearance!)

This time around the idea will be to find innovative, smart, successful people in the entertainment industry (actors, writers, producers, tech geeks, business people, directors, agents, lawyers, entrepreneurs) and find out what brought them to where they are. One of the nice things about podcasts – in the words of Adam Carolla – is that you can go “long form”. If one person a podcast finds a little nugget to nudge them in the right direction… Well, wouldn’t that be lovely? (I can see you nodding.)

I’ve already reached out to a few people, and they’ve been super receptive about coming on. Now, I turn to you. Who would everyone like to hear from? You can drop me an email stephenamell@gmail.com – hit me up on Twitter, or leave a comment.

Have a good weekend everybody.

SA