10:13 pm - Sun 8.09.2009
Shooting \"The Mentalist\"

In online/Internet terms, this is ancient history, but I shot my "Mentalist" episode on Thursday.

I waited about twice as long, while it took about half as long to actually shoot the scene, as Mad Men (The scene in Mad Men was four pages long, I think, and I had five or six lines; The Mentalist was less than a page, and I had three lines to one of the series regulars).

This means I had a lot of time to write before I was called to the set.

Thurs 8/6/09 (4:45 p.m.)

(In my trailer on the Warner Bros lot, waiting to do my bit as "CHP Officer" on The Mentalist).

Since I didn't have a wardrobe fitting - It was canceled when the uniforms they'd ordered didn't arrive in a timely fashion (Meaning I lost two WW meetings for nothing) - the first order of business today was going to wardrobe to try on one of the uniforms in question.

Which fit perfectly.

(It's still in Wardrobe at this point, where they're hemming the pants and sewing on shoulder patches.)

After Wardrobe, I wandered around a bit, trying to find the right soundstage and base camp, but eventually managed to get where I needed to go (As I've said before, directions are not exactly my strong suit).

And now I've done my paperwork, been through hair and makeup (Who were a delight, by the way), and enjoyed a little "crafty" (Bow-tie pasta, some kind of shrimp dumpling-thingies, and a Diet Coke).

Everyone's been very warm and friendly - More so, I'd say, than on Mad Men (Who were fine, don't get me wrong, just a little more "cut-and-dried" in comparison).

Don't know why, but it felt really nice to tell these folks I'd just done Mad Men on Monday - It seems to be very important that people know I'm "hot stuff" (But for the record, people did seem very interested in what that set was like).

So now, when I update my resume (Which I haven't done yet, oddly enough - Ed.), it'll look like this:

1. Mad Men
2. The Mentalist
3. House
4. Monk
5. Gilmore Girls
6. Nip/Tuck
7. Passions

One reason I'm pleased to have booked these shows is that it really "freshens up" the resume; it was starting to be an "issue" (In my mind, anyway) that all my credits were from old or defunct shows.

And I'm very pleased to have these bookings break me of the fear that "No one likes 'Skinny Jim'".

In fact, anecdotal evidence suggests casting people may prefer "Skinny Jim" - I hadn't even considered this, but in therapy on Wednesday, Javier wondered if the better quality of auditions I've gotten recently is due, in so many words, to the better quality me I now offer.

And all I can say to that is, "It sure would be nice if that were the case!".

(The prop master just came in to see if the holster they have for me fits - it does.)

(6:25 p.m.)

They broke at 6:00 for an hour-long dinner break.

So far, I don't "count points" while I'm on a set - Which is probably something I'll need to re-think down the road - but instead, I just try to "watch myself".

And yes, I had something to eat just two hours ago...but this is probably the last real food that's going to be available, and I'm probably not going to be home till late, so...I had some turkey, some ham (Probably more of each than strictly necessary), red potatoes, grilled veggies, and another Diet Coke.

(7:15 p.m.)

Someone just dropped off my CHP Uniform, telling me I didn't have to get dressed just yet (Actually, she said I wouldn't need to get dressed "...for a long time", which worried me, for reasons which will become clear momentarily).

When I got the call time for this, I was a little bummed - a late-afternoon call would mean driving back home late, with every parking spot in K-town already taken.

Then Brett came to my rescue.

Brett read my FB entry about the parking situation, so since he actually lives near the studio, he offered to pick me up at the Universal City Metro station, drop me off at the studio, then pick me back up when I finished.

Pretty nice, huh?

The problem? I'm afraid things are going to run so late the Metro is going to have stopped running - I don't like the idea of Brett being punished for his good deed by having to drive me all the way home...but I also don't like the idea of having to take a taxi all that way.

Anyway...

I got called to the set around 9:00 - My call time had been 3:00 - And we wrapped just before 10:30.

(So I had time to call Brett and get to the Metro station before the subway stopped running for the night.)

Eric Laneuville directed the episode ("Red Badge", if you should want to look it up sometime), and I was excited about that, cause I remembered watching him as an actor, particularly on St Elsewhere.

He was very nice - He took me aside personally to talk me through how the scene should go, and was very patient with my questions (Quickly realizing there wasn't going to be much in the way of rehearsal, I was eager to make sure I really knew what I was supposed to do before the cameras started rolling).

The scene is with Robin Tunney, who was also very nice, saying hello and welcoming me to the show when she was called to the set.

It's a pretty quick scene, and I don't even know how well you're going to see me (The only camera on me was one showing me from the side), but it's a good scene for Ms Tunney, and pretty important to the plot, so while it's not quite as "cut-proof" as my scene in Mad-Men, I'm pretty sure it'll make it to the completed episode as well.

Like with Mad Men, I ended the night feeling pretty good about what I'd done. I didn't feel like there was much of a "character" to play compared to Mad Men, but I executed what I was supposed to do pretty well, without much fuss.

There was one take I knew they had to do over because of me, because the cord to my radio got caught on the door of the safe, and even though the camera didn't catch it, it threw me off on the timing of my lines (The scene takes place in what I guess is a police evidence locker, and the space I was maneuvering in was very tight). But beyond that, I don't think they had to do any other take specifically because of something I did (Or failed to do), so I'm going to count this one as another victory.

Well, there's a lot of "wrapping up" to do on this big week I've just had, but it'll have to wait till tomorrow - It's gotten late all-of-a-sudden, and my bed is calling me.

Nitey-nite, Citizens...

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