10:34 am - Monday, Mar. 19, 2007
Slowdown

Sun 3/18/07 (12:02 p.m.)

Well, it was a relatively slow week for commercial auditions; I had the audition for Nabisco on Monday (The one where I was playing a donut), and a callback for Comcast on Thursday, and
that was it.

Three recent �avails��for Jiffy Lube, Lexus, and Verizon�added up to exactly zilch, which was disappointing. I�m having a hard time shaking a certain �fiscal anxiety�, even with two nationals currently running, but if two nationals had quickly become five nationals, it�s hard to see how I wouldn�t have been �set� for at least the next couple years.

In a way, something even more disappointing: Those two spots I was really excited about�for AirTran and Nabisco�and that I thought I kind of rocked on? I didn�t even get callbacks for them (There�s a chance callbacks/shoot dates got pushed back...but probably not).

Add this relative commercial slowdown to the continued dearth of theatrical auditions, and the fact that I had no workshops this past week (My next one is this coming Saturday), and I feel like I�ve been on something of an impromptu hiatus from my career.

But that said, I have used some of the resulting free time to do �career stuff�...

A while back, a casting person at one of the workshops said that if we have credits on IMDb�which I do�we need to have our picture there as well (because casting people do use it as a resource to �check you out�), so I finally did that yesterday.

I wasn't nuts about shelling out $39 for the right to post my picture on the site--as a struggling actor, it gets tiring to have everyone reaching into your pocket all the time--but you have to "spend money to make money", right?

(And actually, now that it's up, I like it; I may only have a handful of credits at this point, but the picture just makes the whole thing look more �professional�.)

I also got a couple of Thank-You cards out (With Starbucks gift cards enclosed)--to Joe Blake, the casting agency that brought me in for the Propel spot, and Kathy Knowles and Alyson Horn, two agencies that have brought me in a lot over the past couple years.

I may need to work a bit on my "Attitude of Gratitude", because Thank-You cards and gifts are a bit of a challenge for me.

If I'm genuinely grateful, and I feel like the person involved "extended themselves" on my behalf, if I thought the experience was special in some way and I really had a good time, I'm up for sending a Thank-You something.

But where I become...uncomfortable, is when it feels more about "marketing", getting my name and face in front of that person just one more time, to say "please remember me, please like me, please hire me again...", then I feel like just another Hollywood phony, an insincere actor suck-up trying to curry favor with the people in power.

And that makes me, like I said before, uncomfortable.

I sent out thank-you's to those casting directors because I have an actual relationship with them--they've all called me in a number of times (Particularly Alyson Horn and Kathy Knowles)--and I appreciate the vote of confidence.

Likewise, I plan on sending something to Lori Hitner--from Lisa Miller-Katz, a theatrical casting agency--cause she called me in three times last year, which, once again, seemed like quite a "vote of confidence"; you've gotta like a casting person who seems to actively want you to get a job(I just have to get their new address from Brett and Molly).

And speaking of "votes of confidence", I've gotta do something for JS, cause I really do appreciate him taking me on, not booting me when I screwed up early on (I missed a callback when I didn't check my messages in time), and for boosting my ego by submitting me for things that specify "Great actor", "Great facial expressions and comic timing", etc. (If you want to be my BFF, just tell me how talented you think I am, and you'll be well on your way). And long story short, he's been the conduit for a lot of good stuff; as with Mark&Jane and Cary&Kay, I probably wouldn't still be here if not for JS and the opportunities he's afforded me.

(Well, I could go on in this vein, but I think you've gotten the idea...)

I also used the "slowdown", and the awesome power of the "To Do" list, to get some personal stuff done (Most notably, finally getting to the X-ray place my QueensCare doctor referred me to--for chest and sinus x-rays--and back to Whittier Dental, for a long-overdue "deep cleaning").

And while I'm hoping for more auditions this week, I'd like them to be conveniently scheduled around my ENT doctor's appointment this Thursday (Fifth time's the charm...!), and my Time-Warner cable hookup on Friday morning.

I haven't had cable for years (And I've never had hi-speed Internet). And while I'm nervous about adding a new bill to my life, the time seems right(The "special" is six months of cable for $29.95, and 12 months of hi-speed Internet for $19.95, with no contract).

And you know what? I want it, I need it (particularly cable), and I've earned it.

And on that assertive note, I think I'm going to clean myself up, then get a way-overdue haircut

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