Secure Your Rights

Liberal Pragamtic, with horrible spelling. Discussion and venting on the arts, politics, and the future of America.

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Older Now

I'd forgotten how annoying actors are. Now I've been in a bad mood for about two months. I know, the first thing most might say is," Hairyape, how can you tell?" But I've just been saddled with some real unfulfilling artistic experiences as of late. This usually leads to a bad mood for me.

But further to my point. I went to a birthday party last night for an local actress, who is lovely, strange, and we share a name - which I find interesting, and strange. Now, I'm not close friends with her, or her friends, but I have hired her (and some of them) and it was my first night completely free of my unfulfilling experience, and another actress who was attending had asked me for some footage for her reel, which I had - so I went.

I've had a beard for about 6 months, and now that the show had finished, I shaved it. So I get to said party, say happy birthday, and then spy the asking actress. So I walk up to her, and she stares at me with a very vacant, and uncomfortable look. I know she has no idea who I am, so I call her by her name, announce mine and tell her I have something for her - producing the DVD. It's all smiles and small talk there after. It's just really annoying to have to do that for someone I have employed. I can say in my life as an actor I have never failed to recognize a director I have worked for. Moreover; what she was asking for was not really easy. It's only about 5 minutes of footage, but the movie hasn't been released yet, and it's in HD - which means I have to process the projects into a single HD stream, then down convert it to the standard NTSC format - then post roll it to DVD. It takes about 2 hours...for 5 minutes of footage. I'm glad to do this for people I like, but not necessarily for those who can't recognize me.

She's young though and I forgive her, unfortunately I met "new" people. Honestly, I don't know why they came and talked to me. I think they knew just as few people at the party as I did. We had time in Richmond in common, and if we had stuck to that conversation I think things would have been fine. Two of them were actors, one male and one female. The female seemed nice, and fairly interesting. The Dude, may have been the most annoying actor I have encountered in quite some time. Primarily a screen actor, he proceeds to waste 20 minutes of my time with a long, convoluted, and ultimately stupid movie pitch. Something about a extra on a movie set who is also a ninja. Then asked me who I knew for almost 2 hours straight. And someone really needs to get the message that you don't disrespect the National Players to the face of a National Player - everybody knows that Players doesn't pay well - but you can't judge if you don't tour. If you haven't been on stage at an Equity Theatre in this town - chances are you are not going to be cast as Hal in Henry IV.

Just a little bit of self awareness is all I'm asking from actors. Just a little bit. A bit of understanding that the people you are auditioning for are not wrong if they don't cast you. I've been cast and not cast by friends - it doesn't change our friendship - or how I feel about there work. There is an English director who has never cast me, but I love auditioning for him, we have really great conversations. This is a business, it can't be personal - the work can, I mean once you have the job do with it what you believe you should. If you think every show you are in is the greatest thing ever, fine. If you think every show is a job and you will do your job, equally as valid. But it's really not about you. And for the love of God, think before you speak, name drop, or poo poo.

This is really odd coming from me; I have history of pissing people off with the truth. Maybe I'm just older now.

1 Comments:

At 5:32 PM, Blogger Dantehicks36 said...

I can actualy picture this post as a conversation between you and I, or you and anyone that you consider a friend (I am assuming that includes me, although I shouldn't assume) over a glass of whisky at any bar or place in the world...made me laugh man. Seriously that is why I only got to functions where I will know a majority of people...I get really werided out when people start listing their resumes or who they worked with or ask me for mine...annoying is the least of terms I can find for it. Sorry man. I am glad I will see you tonight, and hopefully take some money off your hands.

 

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