(I have to get ready for work in the next 15 minutes or so, but wanted to start on this anyway; I feel very "backed up" in here.)

Since the HBO commercial, I've bounced from inactivity to very unsatisyfing auditions (More on those in a bit), then back to inactivity, and haven't been very happy about it. But it looks like there might be some more exciting commercial news in the making� I am "on hold" for Macy's! (For the uninitiated, being "on hold" means they're interested, but nothing's official yet. In other words, it's "a definite maybe".)

JS called me about it on Tuesday; It was "straight-to-callback", which has never happened to me before (Meaning I got to skip the "thinning the herd" process).

It was at Ross Lacey, where I booked the HBO commercial, and at first, I thought it was the casting agency that had requested my presence. But then I thought maybe this was another commercial being done by Noam Murro and the Biscuit Filmworks people (They had been very enthusiastic about me, and Noam said we'd definitely be working together again). It seemed more likely it would be Noam Murro following up on that promise than Ross Lacey being all excited that I'd gotten cast in a commercial.

Sure enough, when I went in to Ross Lacey's Wednesday afternoon, I saw the commercial was being shot by Biscuit. And after I turned in my paperwork�my headshot and size sheet�I overheard two of the Ross Lacey people talking about me; I didn't hear what the first person said, but the second person's response told me everything I needed to know�"He was a �request'...".

Sat 8/23/03 (11:50 am)

To continue...

So it turned out that Noam Murro wasn't just blowing sunshine up my skirt�Or however that saying goes�by expressing his happiness with my work on the HBO commercial. He'd said he would be using me "a lot", and apparently this was him making good on that statement (We hope; It's still not a done deal).

I would not be the "star" of this spot; This one would cast me as one of a number of "sherpa" husbands, loaded down with packages, as our wives take advantage of the wonderful bargains at Macy's (A "Labor Day Sale", perhaps?).

Anyway, the "audition" consisted of a half dozen of us going in and... basically just standing there, artfully arranged, with some prop Macy's bags.

Frankly, I had gone in hoping there would be more to it than that (Apparently, so had one guy in the group ahead of me; He came out and said "I want my degrees back...". I suggested he could probably get at least a rebate; I didn't want my degrees back, mostly because I don't have any degrees). Anyway, like I've said before, "it's all good"�You either get paid to create a "character", maybe have a little acting "moment", or else you get paid to basically hang around on a set, hobnob with other actors and creative folk, and enjoy some free food and drink. I'd rather do the former than the latter, but the latter still beats working for a living!

I was dying to ask Mr Murro (I'm going to call him that till he says "Call me Noam") about the HBO commercial�Was it finished? When was it going to air? When would I get my tape? Etc�but knew enough to know bothering him with that in the middle of a callback was not a good idea. I just contented myself with responding warmly to his greeting when I entered the room, then trying to somehow radiate vibes of "watchability" while doing nothing more than leaning against a wall holding a Macy's bag (We weren't supposed to be "acting bored". When I couldn't help myself, and started to close my eyes as if falling asleep, Mr Murro immediately said "open your eyes", and I realized I'd made a pretty bad "choice"; If you're standing in front of a camera doing "nothing", then pretty much the only thing that might be of any interest is what's going on with your face. After that, I just let myself think about whatever, and allowed the camera to caress my amazingly expressive features).

JS called shortly after 6:00 to let me know I was "on hold". Like I've said before, this is a "definite maybe" and nothing definitive, but I have a feeling it's going to happen. I just can't really see why it wouldn't; They know me, they've already dealt with me professionally, so they know I'm a good guy, and they called me in (Who am I going to lose out to? Someone who can hold a Macy's bag with more authority?).

The next day, JS emailed me to let me know that Ross Lacey had called; A decision on the spot would be made at some point over the weekend, and they'd let him know Monday morning.

The only down side to getting this, if I get it (And I hope I get it!), is that it might shoot during the time I'm supposed to be vacationing in Michigan. The "window" is basically from this coming Wednesday through the 6th.

If I book it, and I'm not able to leave for Michigan when I planned, I might still be able to leave a couple days later. I'd miss Emily's wedding, but still be able to see people at the party Jane's planning the following week.

But I'm getting ahead of myself here; The first order of business is to actually book the thing!

It's crossed my mind that I "asked" for one more commercial gig before heading off to Lansing; "Ask, and ye shall receive"...

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