SCAM-a-lam-a-ding-dong!

Like with any industry/business, the entertainment one has it's share of scammers. We usually associate scammers and Hollywood with lurid fantasies about the casting couch and sweet, young gullible wannabe starlets. That may still happen here and there, however there are other more insidious scammers who readily take advantage of the wild wild west known as the internet.

It takes a judicious red flag system to know when you are falling into not an acting job but a scammer job. While some are obvious, like the "agents" who promise you jobs, yet in reality want your $500, because, this is something a real agent does not do. Craigslist can also be a breeding ground for scammers although I've actually found some work through it. It's the red flags like asking you for money upfront, wanting you to send them personal information before an audition, or asking for headshots...or maybe just a little bit more!

The few times I've been on the road to scamtown I've been able to avoid any loss of money or pride by looking out for those red flags. Even though Craigslist may be easy to pick on, if you are applying for auditions through a legitimate clearing house, scammers are lurking there, too. Let me tell you a story how I almost got scammed. I was using one of my audition clearing house sites and came across something interesting to apply for an audition. It was a one day commercial shoot at the beach and the pay was a flat buyout of $300. I sent a request and within the hour got a reply e-mail (not that unusual because the shoot date was only a few days off) which asked for a slightly red flag request. Could I send a photo of me wearing a towel as if I was at the beach? I thought "why not, no skin off my back" (so to speak) and I knew I could come up with a funny photo. Here it is:

I figured if they weren't scared off by this photo, they'd laugh and schedule me an audition. Well, they did respond a couple of hours later via e-mail waving a red flag that (one would hope) even the wannabe starlet would see. They wanted yet another photo, but this time they wanted me in a swimsuit, as they put it, "fully aroused". After I had myself a laurel and...hearty laugh, I sent them off an e-mail sans any photo attached. "Are you really that hard up you'd want to see a middle aged guy wearing a swimsuit with a hard on?"

I never received another e-mail from them.
 

When You Lose A Day

I was rather excited last week about landing a two day shoot on a TV show that at this time I can tell you little about. Yeah, that's going to be an ongoing refrain in this blog. Anyway, it was good to be in front of the camera for the first time since "Incendiary", which filmed in August.

This leads me down two avenues which will converge into one. I loved working on "Incendiary". It was one of those one day shoots that you won't forget. Then the months went by. Certainly plenty of auditions, but no in front of the camera gigs. What the hell? Then along came this two planned days gig!



(Here is a rare behind the scenes shot during a take of a scene for "Incendiary". Look closely, I'm the one behind the viewfinder.)

Since I love being on set, like a kid on a playground, I arrived early and found out I was in three short scenes. It was fun and it was like, "oh, how I missed it so" and other such inner exclamations of cliché. I even had a short solo scene, just walking, and felt good about the whole atmosphere. The cast and crew were gracious and hard working. As an actor, you'll find out, if you don't already know, how important that is.

Then came the news. I was only needed one day after all, not two days. Hmm, well that is too bad I thought. Not only because I had a great time, but because of the less money aspect of the news. I must stress here, my friends, that this was not a guaranteed two day gig. It was one of many gigs available that are, up front, one, two, three, or possibly whatever amount of days. A lot of that comes down to the type of contract you signed. But, that's not what I am here for.

Now here is where the avenues converge. The avenue of keep trying during your droughts of no on camera work and the avenue of not allowing bad news to ruin a great day on the set. Of course no one wants to go through a drought and no one wants to lose a day of shooting and pay. I realize that I was spoiled my first few months in Los Angeles. I was getting several bookings and then it happened. That creeping sensation when you have gone two months without a gig and then three and so forth, and as they say, so on. But you have got to persevere, not only with constant daily submissions but also with constant, when need be, submissions to TV shows asking for characters you really match.

When it comes to losing a scheduled day because of whatever occurrence which you, as an actor, truly have no control over, go home happy. Because you love your work and because you do like being like a kid playing on the playground.
 

We're All Poor Here

The other day I was standing in a line with a bunch of other actors and, of course, the wannabes, outside a studio in Hollywood. As I was feeling pretty good about securing a gig, I pulled out a fresh pouch of tobacco and rolled a cigarette (that skill is listed on my resume). A guy standing next me remarked how quickly I rolled my smoke and sure enough I was maybe three drags in before he asked if I'd roll him one.

I didn't have a problem with that and within sixty seconds he had his own cigarette. He again remarked how fast I rolled and how evenly the tobacco was distributed. I thanked him and we chatted for a bit about "the biz". Apparently, word spread fast along the line of two facts: one, I had tobacco and two, I could roll pretty fast; for within a brief few minutes a fellow came up asking for a smoke. Again, no problem, I was already in a good mood. Seconds later, yet another fellow came up wanting a smoke. I then joked that I should set up a little table and charge 50 cents a pop.

When the fifth person came up to bum a smoke, another fellow who was standing next me and had been observing this scene finally piped up in a very clear, loud theatrical voice, tinged with just the correct amount of bitterness and regret. He exclaimed, "You guys should get your own tobacco. We're all poor here!". I paused. He was absolutely correct. The cigarette hand-out was over. It's not that I'm against handing out a smoke every few days as I wander the mean streets of Los Angeles, but the fellow was right. We were all standing in the line for the same reason: get a gig, get some money, pay some bills and eat a little something.

(photo by Tammy Harrel-Fraley)

 

The First Year

Here it is already: my first year anniversary of being an actor in Los Angeles. At times the year flew by and at other times it seemed to drag. Now a look back, both pro and con, over the last year.

(photo by E. L. Nagode)

I will do the con list first because it is shorter. I live too far from where most of the studios are, resulting in sometimes rather long commutes. Of course, working harder and making more money would result in the funding to move closer to the action, as it were. It's as hard to secure a "regular job" here as it was in Portland. However, sure attrition will eventually work in my favor. Finally, I lost my food benefits due to a paperwork error and spending what little money on food has been a bit of an issue lately. Yet, see above: hard work to get gigs to make more money.

See what I did there? Every con had a way to improve it to a pro. You have to think like that here otherwise the city may indeed swallow you whole without too much mercy. You have to be constantly "pimping" and you must be able to figure out the best way out of any bad situation.

(photo by Jovan Jupiter)

Now, the pro list. It is longer, so long in fact, I will focus on only a few of them. I haven't made much money acting here, but I have made more in the last year than my last 5 years in Portland. There's that word again, "money". It's the necessary evil of our society and the more of it I make, the better able I can take care of not only myself, but others. I have submitted to over 500 productions and have auditioned over 70 times. It's beyond my expectations and it's always nice to see a casting agent more than once. From this work at finding work I have slowly built up a resume of Los Angeles acting work.

First, the short videos I did for Ralph Wong. Not only were they my first gigs here, they also allowed me to ride the bicycle again and realize I'm not going to fall over. Then there was my guest appearance on "America's Court" which they say has aired, but I have yet to see it. Yep, don't waste too much time trying to find your work, you have more important things to do. Then there was the excitement of working on the Japanese/American production of the movie spin-off of the popular Japanese TV show, "Ataru". When will it be released in the United States? Working on the short film, "Incendiary", was a total joy more than likely due to the fact that improving lines was allowed. I have also recently been working a steady gig that I cannot tell you any more about. Yes, you better learn what a confidentiality agreement is all about.

(About to "strangle" the star of "Incendiary".)

The weather. It's perhaps not too surprising that would make the pro list. I don't have any problem leaving behind the months per year of rain and cold that Portland provided. Finally, the area itself. It is steeped in the kind of history I've been studying for decades. The history of film and television. So many famous locations are around it will take years just to see most of them. Vasquez Rocks, Franklin Lake and a couple of cemeteries, just to name a few.

It's been quite a year of learning about my new location and the industry that is film and television. Some transitions have been smooth while others have not and always there is the persistent belief that I can actually do something I love, acting. I can do it well and with conviction and perhaps someday soon it will reward me with not only a decent living but a wealth of new friends and, of course, new blog posts.

Until next year, from Los Angeles, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
 

OF Mass Transit & Chickens

How in the name of death is easy but comedy is hard does an actor travel to auditions, callbacks and shooting sites without a car in Los Angeles? Why, mass transit, of course! I'd say over 90% of the time I use mass transit with only a couple of rides from pals. So, except for when my friend, Art, picks me up every 3 to 4 months to do a run of a dozen or more casting agencies, I'm a mass transit working actor.

In Los Angeles the mass transit system is called Metro and considering the sprawl of this area it does a fairly good job of running on time. Metro also operates a subway and several light rail lines and dedicated busways. The subway is an especially great way to get from North Hollywood to Hollywood as it takes only ten minutes which is impossible to do by car. On most lines, buses/trains arrive every ten minutes or less.

(Me trying to catch the Malibu Beach bus. - photo credit: E.L. Nagode)

Now, before you think this post is a puff piece for Metro, let me advise you of some of the drawbacks of the system for the commuting actor. When I went to Culver City from my home in Northridge to appear as a guest on "America's Court" with a 8:30am call, I had to catch the very first bus of the morning. That meant waking up at 4:00am because in more "suburban" areas, Metro's service is spotty in the early morning as opposed to more main corridors. This holds true for late at night as well, for although Metro operates some Night Owl service, there are only 2 routes in the entire Valley. Plus, except for Friday and Saturday night, the subways and trains stop running before 2:00am. So, one of the rides I received was after the night shoot for "Ataru", which ended at 2:00am.

You may be pondering, what does any of this have to with chickens? Actually, there may be some correlation, especially when you spend any time hanging around the subway, however, it mostly has to do with practicing your lines. Whether you are doing the practicing for an audition or a shoot, your roommates may not be interested in being THAT person over and over again. Hence, chickens.

(Chickens fascinated by my powerful line practice. - photo credit: Jovan Jupiter)

As you can see in the photo above, chickens make a rather attentive audience. You practice one path or another, speak softly or break out in a bellowing yell and they continue to stare at you with a fowl look in their eyes. You stand and try a little move and they seem to ape your movement. When you are done with your practice session, the chickens will always give you a round of appreciative clucking. Just another helpful hint from your favorite mass transit working actor.

The First Show

I popped my Los Angeles acting cherry in front of Ralph Wong's camera a couple of months ago for his web show called, "One Against Dumb". This edition is a parody called "American Biographies" and I play your friendly Host.

Now, it has been released. Here's a link right below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4QEi07U7mc

UPDATE:

Here is the second video from OneAgainstDumb, the comedy troupe I'm involved with and yet again I'm playing a TV Host, but with a twist!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFHk7M0nP0g

Adapt Or Die

(photo credit: E. L. Nagode)

So, you have a gig and have a few days to work on a character. Then, you show up on set and the director doesn't like the character you've spent so much time and energy to develop. What do you do? Simple. You adapt or die.

The piece you are a part of is the director's baby, and, as often is the case in the world of short films, the director is also the writer and/or producer. So what if the character you've developed is rejected, adapt it to what the director wants. Use your skills and (hopefully) experience to achieve what is being asked of you and not only will the director be happy, but you will be, too. That character that was rejected is still there and more than likely can be put to use on another project. Or even pieces of the character.

I know it seems cliched, but thinking about rejected characters in these terms is all part of the positive attitude you need to have in order keep most, if not all, of your sanity in the insane world known as show business. I know what happens if you cannot adapt enough: you don't get called back. I recently went in for an audition with the most delicious Southern accent of all time. After greeting the director, he promptly informed me that he decided he didn't want the character to have an accent after all. I did the scene but was very uncomfortable, unwilling to fully adapt, and consequently didn't get a call back. But, it was a valuable reminder that you must be ready for anything, that you must adapt or die. Metaphorically, of course.

This Is The City; Los Angeles, California

("This is the city...")

My friend and I arrived in Los Angeles driving a pickup and a U-Haul truck, respectively, nearly eight weeks ago. After a few days of recovery from the three day trip from Portland, I began to get audition calls almost immediately.

Don't let anyone fool you, it is a lot of hard work just to get an audition. You have to submit first, no wait, you have to get your stuff together first: your photos, your resume, your contacts and your internet! Then you submit, submit and submit again! Once you get that audition, of course, be ready to go. Have fun fer cryin' out loud. I have had more than 15 auditions in the last 6 weeks after submitting to over 110 productions. That's a pretty good average they tell me. The 15th audition got me my first call-back. The next step in the process is to book that job! Then, work your ass off in the joyous spirit and then, in the words of Humphrey Bogart, "...work breeds work".

More to come...

Well, Hi Everybody!

Here is a direct website to Rod Harrel - actor. Yep. I'm out there now. And once you check out the You Tube links and my photos you'll slap your head and exclaim that you "could've had a V-8" and then want to hire me.

Here's a link to my actors access profiles.

For more entertainment, there will be more photos and links to come of course. But, for now, here is a production photo from a theatrical production of "Exit The King".

I was the King, of course.

(With Virginia Belt in the "Exit The King" stage production. - photo credit: Llewelyn J. Rhoe)