|
Wednesday October 04, 2006
Audition
I had submitted for the USC student film
Routine
for the role of Clive, a custodian / pool cleaner, whose experiential words and simple insights assist a woman whose regularly predictable life has begun taking a rough patch of Unexpectedness.
At the audition writer/director Scott Brown mentioned how George Lucas and "about ten percent of Hollywood [stars]" were there for the opening of a new wing on the George Lucas Building.
It occured to me, why bother?
In about 15-20 years Lucas will just have the building digitally rebuilt anyway until its entire structure becomes incomprehensible...
|
|
Thursday October 05, 2006
Rehearsal
When I met with Scott I'd read for Clive, and he had me read for the character Lauren's boss as well, but by 9pm, as he promised, he called with the news, that I was offered the role of Clive.
He had asked at the audition regarding my attending an in-class rehearsal, at which time I'd meet the film's lead,
Michelle Misty Lang,
who he mentioned via the voice mail message.
The rehearsal went well.
As planned, the three of us met at the Zemeckis Building, and before we went in, writer/director Scott Brown introduced me to the very friendly Michelle Misty Lang, who'll be playing Lauren, the lead.
Apart from being very talented, she's a fellow fan of
The Amazing Race.
She also told me a bit about the feature
Zombie TV
on which she worked, photos from which are at her IMDB entry
(though her listing doesn't include that comedy film's title).
Still out on the patio, she and I ran lines a few times, after which, to my surprise, out from the Zemeckis Building popped Susan Metzger, who directed me in
Red Ace Cola Project
(when I was done, Susan and I chatted briefly: Red Ace Cola Project was then in sound post, and the short, "exactly twelve minutes, not counting credits," was estimated to be completed by December).
The in-class rehearsal was straight and to the point.
Michelle and I ran the scene, then Scott made some adjustments.
Interestingly enough, to my ears some of Michelle's delivery tended to remind me a little of
Mary Lynn Rajskub.
The class's facilitator was very observant, noting aspects and making very concise suggestions.
I would later learn he was
Mark Rosman,
who has directed
Hillary Duff
in several of her acting projects: a couple of
Lizzie McGuire
episodes, and features A Cinderella Story
and
The Perfect Man,
but what I really hadn't realized was, Mark Rosman also wrote and directed the 1983 horror flick
The House on Sorority Row,
which co-starred the lovely and talented
Eileen Davidson,
the main reason I went to see it...).
Somehow the data on the shoot is missing; I will have to see if Scott still has the date information...
A week or so later we met for the shoot at the
public pool,
then closed for the season and therefore empty.
We had a limited amount of time and the efficient Scott got in all the shots he needed.
For my scenes as I spoke with Missy, I squatted, mostly to avoid getting my light brown pants dirty.
It may have almost been worth it: once one gets filmed A Certain Way, that's the way it stays, so with the multiple takes and coverage angles, it really took a toll on my legs.
After we were complete, Scott drove me home, each of us looking forward one day to working together again.
|
