Geoffrey Gould
Reports from the set/s...
Glee
Episode 105: The Rhodes Not Taken

Friday March 20, 2009
Interview
2009 had been a bare year to this point. Apart from two USC student films (Happy Birthday Johnny and Womanhandling), and being cast in two indie short films (Milkshake and The Invention of Coffee, the latter of which lost funding at the last moment), actual paying SAG work had yet to materialize, residuals for my national commercial notwithstanding, as that was filmed the previous November and began airing February 1st during the Super Bowl.
My calling service had provided me with the information for an interview down at Paramount at 7pm, which was a good thing as I'd had a 3:45pm commercial audition. The directions, as usual, were for people with cars (and I use public transit), so my arrival at the address given turned out to be the wrong address. I knew it was too far north to be Paramount, so I kept on down Gower until I came to the correct entrance.
The uneducated rent-a-cop "security" guard chose to demonstrate being severely mentally challenged when he decided an expired passport meant I was no longer me. His looking as in shape as this guy (e.g., Robert from the then-current season of Hell's Kitchen), didn't help his case. As I tried getting a signal to notify my calling service that I was being barred from the audition, fat-head security guy called up and someone came down to escort me in. I do want to update and get a current passport, but available applications have applicants falsely declaring themselves as 14th Amendment-defined, second-class "US Citizens," meaning Property Of The State, as opposed to the other way around.
As all I knew was my being interviewed for possibly being chosen to play a "Bingo caller," while being brought up to a waiting area, I inquired as to the project, which I was told was a new Fox TV series titled Glee. The completed pilot episode would air in May, and the series would begin in the fall.
After a few minutes in the waiting room with several others being interviewed, soon vouchers were brought in for us to fill out for the interview.
The Bingo caller role was first up; I went in second. I'm not sure why I chose to do it this way, but as the director described the action the Bingo Caller would be doing, instead of my waiting for the full set of directions and then doing it, I slightly turned from him, and did the action as he described it, essentially having him talk me through it. It just seemed natural, and apparently he found it both amusing and natural as well. "That's exactly it," he said, thanking me and shaking my hand again.
I went back to the waiting room, and the AD or PA guy came in and asked for a still/digital photo of me for reference. Actually it turned out I had been selected, but someone must have missed telling me officially. For all I knew I'd hear about it in a day or so, but the guy taking my photo began giving me details as I left, which is when I "found out" I'd booked the gig.
From the action description during the actual interview, I figured they'd managed to retain my being Featured Background instead of an actual Vocalizing Bingo Caller, which would have had me as a Day Player.
I was told the shoot would be one day, on Thursday, at a Bowling Alley in Eagle Rock. I knew Eagle Rock well, and the only bowling alley of which I knew was right by where I had once worked... I confirmed with my calling service regarding the booking, and at home clarified even if it was a substantiall early call, at least I could get to the Eagle Rock Boulevard bowling alley I knew.

Thursday March 26 2009
7-10 scenes split...
I arrived at the location with 25 minutes to spare, easy enough as the location was the bowling alley directly next door to where I'd once worked for about 18 or so months for then eventually jailed (for fraud) Kent Stryker.
It turned out the scenes being shot were for episode 104: The Rhodes Not Taken. The episode features Matthew Morrison and Kristen Chenowith (Broadway's Glinda of Wicked).
The main background wrangler was the pleasant Michael DeVaney, who resembled a cross between Michael McKean and a young Rick Overton (he admitted that in younger days he was compared to James Spader).
While it was a very good day, it was one of those shoots where some were brought to set from holding, where they'd sit not being used, and eventually be sent back to holding. Set in the bowling alley, and its ajoining bar/lounge in which the Bingo game is going on, the majority of the day was spent on the lanes aspect. During the day I met the cute and funny Norma Jean Riddick, as we shared the love and fascinating for the paranormal. Using her Blackberry, she was able (at least to see if not hear), my recent commercial, and she was delighted to learn about my working on Strictly Background, much about which she'd heard but at the time had not yet seen. Earlier in the day, another backgrounder recognized me from Strictly Background, and conveyed (having heard Jeff Olan's announcement about it on his hotline recording), the award-winning feature documentary having a screening in early May. I called Jason who later called back to confirm that at 7pm May 5th (2009), Strictly Background would screen at this year's Los Angeles United Film Festival, this time at the Los Feliz Theatre on Vermont just south of Franklin. While the majority of the festival screenings' tickets were ten dollars, the Strictly Background screening tickets would be twenty dollars, which beyond the screening ticket would also include receiving a copy of the DVD. Norma Jean declared being quite intent on attending the event. We exchanged information, for me later to send Add Requests to her for my Facebook and MySpace profiles. I emailed her the link to the information on my then-recent para-x radio show guest appearance report on which is the link to hearing or downloading the show.
In the late afternoon, my calling service contacted me, having booked me the next day on a project called Spring Break '83, the information for which was already on its hotline. Filming the next day way up in Sylmar, as the night progressed I wondered how much sleep I might get.
Meanwhile, Norma Jean was part of the group in the lanes scene. At the thirteen hour mark, her group was finally wrapped. The rest of us, the Bingo group, waited while inside they filmed Matthew Morrison and Kristen Chenowith doing their musical number. We were then brought in, as the principals had wrapped, and with two cameras filming our reactions to the sequence, after thirteen and a half hours, we literally spent about five minutes in front of the cameras, two takes, then Checkin'The Gate... This is a baffling aspect of the business I just find far too funny to find annoying, as might some people.
Mike wrapped us at 11:48pm (with a 48 minute lunch hour, this rounded us out at a fourteen hour day, with an eighteen mileage bump, and four meal penalties). We were all fine with that...!
I took the transport shuttle to crew parking up at Colorado and Broadway; with no idea how long the next 180 or 181 would be able to get me at least to Hollywood at Vine, a friend offered to come pick me up and brought me home.
Norma Jean and I would remain in touch, and on my mentioning to her that Strictly Background was available on Netflix, she realized she'd had it in her queue for quite some time; with the re-inspired interest, she planned to bring it forward to watch it.

Saturday August 01, 2009
Air date uncovered
Getting closer to fall TV premieres, I glanced at the episode's IMDB entry to find its air-date was scheduled for Monday, September 21st. I notified Norma Jean via Facebook, and set it to my calendar. Hopefully as with my Jim Norris episode for Eli Stone, I hoped someone would DVR it and burn it to a disc for me.

Monday September 14, 2009
Approaching
Lacking cable, I began watching Glee via Hulu as the show settled onto Wednesday nights. I found its pilot and first three episodes to be extremely entertaining and addictive. I began to suspect most likely I would obtain its DVD set/s as they became available.
Noting the episode had been changed from fourth to being the fifth episode of the first season, its airdate was scheduled for September 30th.

Wednesday September 30, 2009
Airing
With no access to television and having to rely on hulu.com to view what TV I still watch, I would have to wait until the next day to view the episode. During and/or after it aired on the east coast time zone, I began getting Facebook and email messages that I was Very Visible, "albeit" one single shot of me.

Thursday October 01, 2009
Good shot
After handling my afternoon errands, I got home and viewed the episode on hulu.com. At time marker about 26:54 I am visible for about four seconds. It's a crane shot of sorts, from the Bingo Ball Sorter to my smiling face.

Video on Demand:
Glee episode 1.5:
The Rhodes Not Taken

Friday December 18, 2009
Re-air, on air anyway...
At the end of the week at my day-job, our CFO Steve notified me he had seen my Glee episode that Wednesday night. Strangely, Hulu did not re-activate the episode for viewing, as it did for my episode of The Office when that one was re-aired.

Tuesday December 29, 2009
DVD
While Glee was granted full-season status, the first season initially was about half a season's worth of episodes. Going into hiatus after the group went to Sectionals so the rest of the season could be filmed (alas, none with me), the first half of the season was set for DVD release (along with Volume One and Volume Two of CDs of the show's sung songs). The first DVD, released today, is comprised of the episodes leading up to and including Sectionals. After the rest of the first season is shot and aired, the second DVD (Season 1.5), would be comprised of the group working towards and attending regionals.
While I do not begin to fathom why they don't just call this season one and the next segment of episodes season two, I pre-ordered the Glee: Road to Sectionals DVD from amazon.com. At "only" $24.95 it meant that in order to get (an over-$25 order to have) free shipping, I had to order something else. Thankfully I had plenty from which to choose.
I had pre-ordered it so long ago I literally forgotten that I had done so, until I received an email notice Monday the 28th that it had been shipped. I was aware of its $24.95 "discount" price at amazon, but decided to check Target to see if its Opening Release Week discount might be better. It turned out Target's Release Discount was the same price, plus tax. So apart from their mailing it the day before so it did not arrive on its release date, the amazon purchase worked out for the best.

Sunday January 24, 2010
Still online... elsewhere
My photographer friend Martin conveyed he'd just seen my Glee episode; I asked if it re-aired again on Fox. He relayed he found it online, clarifying not hulu. He provided me with the online location for episode The Rhodes Not Taken (at which as well is viewable the rest of the show's first half of the already-aired season).
(That has since been removed from that site as well.)

March 06, 2010
One of the best TV series is retained
Whilst awaiting the airing of the "second half" of its "first season," I happily learned that Glee has been renewed for an actual second season...!
(Now if I can just get booked on it a few more times...)

Tuesday June 01, 2010
I have to concur...
I was not the only person substantially disappointed in the Glee DVD anti-marketing anti-strategy. Numerous amazon pre-reviews on the unreleased "full season one" DVD set were understandably upset to outright furious. This pre-release review possibly summed up the issue best:

What a way to create instant customer dissatisfaction, May 28, 2010
By R. Wilfahrt
This review is from: Glee: The Complete First Season (DVD)
I love Glee, it's one of my favorite shows on television right now. I was so excited when I signed up to be notified when "Glee Season 1, Volume 2" would be released. Now imagine my surprise when I got an email notification for "Glee: The Complete First Season."
I thought it was a mistake but when I visited Amazon and read around I find out that it's not a mistake. I am extremely disappointed as I have no intention for paying $40 for a series I already own over half the episodes for. I wouldn't be so mad if it had been made clear when "Volume 1" had been released back in 2009 that it was created for the original 13 episodes before it was officially decided to expand the first season. That happens, and there's nothing wrong with it, however to have "Volume 1" is misleading and implies that there will be a "Volume 2."
I refuse to purchase this DVD unless, in my wildest dreams, they cut the price in half to make up for the money I already spent on Volume 1. I'll get the rest of the episodes another way, either iTunes or something else.
Really though, whoever was in charge of marketing the DVDs needs to have their position reevaluated. If you want to entice more people to buy complete sets as opposed to individual volumes you add things like exclusive content or limited edition swag. You don't give customers an ultimatum of either paying $40 for an extra 9 episodes or buying lower video quality episodes from iTunes (sorry iTunes but I've yet to see you reach full DVD quality with live action shows).

Tuesday June 06, 2010
Missed accolades
On arriving at my day-job, I learned that on Friday the second at the all-staff meeting (which normally I miss as I leave by the time it starts), they showed the Glee clip of me as the Bingo Caller, reporting they had "a star in their midst." With no foreknowledge of this bit of silliness, I did not stick around for the meeting as I otherwise would have. I had been receiving various notifications on Facebook of people seeing the re-air of which I was also unaware when it re-aired (but then, I have the Volume One DVD set anyway). I am almost surprised they didn't do the same with some other clips (also available on DVD), such as Alice in Wonderland or my more visible bits in GED or Joy in a Bubble episodes of My Name is Earl.

My attire for playing the Bingo Caller
for Glee episode 105: The Rhodes Not Taken.
(Thanks to Norma Jean for the photo.)

Opening frame of my shot

Reaching my "neutral" expression

Impressed with their singing

Saturday April 24, 2010
SAG Conversations
One of the benefits of SAG is the occasional SAG Conversations events. This evening was actor-singer-[now]dancer Chris Colfer who plays Kurt Hummel, his Q&A following a sneak preview of the upcoming week's episode Home, which ironically featured the return of Kristin Chenoweth as April Rhodes.
Chris gives fantastic interview; he came across relaxed, and was extremely erudite, witty and often outright hilarious with his analogy-filled humour (e.g., at one point describing his treadmill running as resembling a duck having an enema...). Unlike many such guests who allow themselves to be whisked away after their Q&A, Chris remained, creating an informal Meet and Greet. On the quickly formed queue I found myself behind two pleasant young ladies, one of whom, Courtney Pettaway, took my photo with Chris with her digital camera, after I snapped a photo of Chris with her along with her friend as well.
As he and I posed, I hastily mentioned to Chris I'd worked on The Rhodes Not Taken episode, and in what capacity. Chris was pleasantly surprised and said, "You did? Oh wow, that's great; we're like... co-workers..."

with Chris Colfer (Kurt Hummel), of Glee.
(Thanks to Courtney Pettaway for the photo...!)

July 08, 2010
Someone in marketing woke up
An email from amazon reported the upcoming release of the Glee: Season One, Vol. 2 - Road to Regionals DVD set, with a September 14, 2010 release date.
I guess they finally heard (of) all the complaints of there not being a DVD with the final nine episodes of the first season. Ironically, now completist Glee fans may actually purchase both this and the Full First Season DVD set.
While it may be a while before I can afford the full first season set, I put in my order for the Volume Two, to have the remaining nine episodes.
I did also notice that of this entry date, that the $44.99 price tag for the Full Season DVD had dropped to $38.99. Six dollars was still not a significant enough of a drop for me to afford it, but come the release for Season Two on DVD, I figured Full Season One should be more affordable...

Sunday July 13, 2013
Shocking loss
I was stunned and shocked to learn than Cory Monteith had died, having been found dead in a Vancouver hotel room, having recently finished a stint in rehab for substance abuse.

DVD: Glee,
Vol. One:
Road to Sectionals
(first half of
season one)

DVD: Glee,
Vol. Two:
Road to Regionals
(second half of
season one)

DVD: Glee:
The Complete
First Season

[Blu-ray]: Glee:
The Complete
First Season

Video on Demand:
Glee episode 1.5:
The Rhodes Not Taken

CD: Glee: The Music,
Volume 1

CD: Glee: The Music,
Volume 2