10:43 pm - Sat 12.17.2011
One Commercial Good. Two Commercials BETTER.

The big news in my world?

Got two checks in yesterday's mail - for Austin and Ally and the Progressive spot - and another Progressive check today (The first was payment for Internet use and cable; today's was for a couple of network airings).

It's not a record-breaking amount - The initial check for Budweiser earlier this year was equal to these three checks combined - but it's still pretty damned good (And since the Progressive spot is actually running - while the Bud spot barely ran at all - I may still make more from Progressive in the long run).

As you might imagine, getting this influx of cash is a big relief...but not as big a relief as you might imagine.

But that's only because I have a hard time sticking to the present, and not leap-frogging over it to worry about some imaginary, apocalyptic "future".

In the here-and-now, however, things are good; there's money in the bank, there's undoubtedly more to come (From Progressive, from residuals, etc), and there's every reason to believe I will book more jobs and make more money in the interim.

Monday 12/19/11 (10:00 am)

Today I'm going to Warners - the studio where I shoot Shameless - to do an ADR session (It was originally going to be at 10:30, but they called and rescheduled for 1:30).

ADR stands for, depending on who you ask, "Automated Dialogue Replacement" or "Additional Dialogue Recording", but I've heard it referred to as "looping".

Basically, it's what's done when they want to add or re-record dialogue in a scene "after the fact".

I think in my case, they want to add an additional line of off-screen dialogue.

I've never done it, so it should be interesting (I'm a little nervous, because it's a new thing, and I want to do well. But when they called to change the time, I questioned how long it would take - "An hour?" - and was told probably about twenty minutes, so I have to assume it's not rocket science (You probably just have to drop it in in a timely fashion, and of course, sound basically the same as you did when doing the scene originally).

After that, I'm going to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie with Howard (I've read some not-great reviews, but at least it'll get me out of the house. And I think we get more conversational mileage out of discussing why a movie we disliked didn't "work" anyway).

I'm a relatively bright guy, but I'm pretty numbers-phobic (Just one example of what I mean: I didn't learn to tell time till I was in junior high).

This really comes to the fore with medical bills; the numbers issue combines with the frustration/confusion of dealing with insurance, and multiple people/groups billing you for what feels like one thing (Like a surgical procedure, for example), and I just want to assume the fetal position and pretend it isn't happening.

But I'm having to become an adult about this stuff, because otherwise you can get stiffed by insurance (Like I almost was the last couple times I've had medical procedures done).

I really don't want to be a deadbeat and not pay what I owe - besides it not being good for my credit and what-have-you, it just makes me feel bad about myself - but I also don't want, and can't afford, to pay money I don't actually owe.

Tues 12/20/11 (9:03 pm)

Well, the Shameless ADR session yesterday took no time at all (I spent more time at the studio gate - I'd arrived early and they didn't have my drive-on pass ready - than I did recording my bit).

The line was for a scene in the second episode I shot (The extra scene they brought me back in for). They basically needed to add three words, so they could start with the camera on the character I'm talking to, then cut to me.

They set me up in front of a big screen with the scene in question cued-up, and after I heard three beeps on my headphone, I said my line (Which was on the screen, "closed-captions"-style).

They had me rehearse it twice, the producer giving me a note to sound more "sympathetic" the second time.

Then we did it once, and they played it back for me (playing the line I'd just recorded, along with the rest of the line from the shoot day).

Then they recorded me saying the entire line, as I watched myself saying the line onscreen.

And if I'm remembering correctly, that was it; they conferred quickly, decided they'd gotten what they needed, complimented me on being a "natural", and sent me on my way.

They were quite nice, and I thought it was very cool that, even though I'd gotten there early, they didn't make me wait, but ushered me in to do my thing within minutes.

Anyway, a nice, easy experience, which is just how I like my experiences (And I don't know how much I get paid, but I'll get paid something, and I expect that to be a nice experience too).

Speaking of "nice" and (hopefully) of "getting paid", I have a callback tomorrow (from last week's commercial audition).

It was a weird, somewhat dispiriting audition (Topped off by having to drive home from Santa Monica in rush-hour traffic).

But that said, based on what they were asking for, and what I thought I delivered, I certainly thought getting a callback was not out-of-the-question.

And here we are.

While it wouldn't be the-end-of-the-world if I didn't book this spot, it would be pretty sweet if I did.

Definitely a good way to end the year...

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