Day 149. Good Audition and Some Nuts and Bolts

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

I had an audition today. I arrived sweaty, just because its a tradition at this point. It was for what sounds like a cool project. They’re looking to have an ensemble cast for a sketch show. Of course, it was in a small room with two guys looking at me. They asked for a monologue, so I did my nervous stand up speech. One guy was trying not to laugh, good sign.

When I was done, the guy said, “Great, I have a role for you. I like your look and your acting.” I was caught off guard, so I think that’s what he said. The rest of his demeanor seemed to be saying the opposite. We’ll see, he said I’ll find out in a couple of days via e-mail. When I’m doing comedy is when I feel like I know what I’m doing and not at all like I’m pretending to know what I’m doing, which I feel for a lot of auditions.

Then, I had dinner with the girls. I was starving, so I was disappointed in my “quaint” sized meal.

I feel like it’s time for an update on nuts and bolts of the business. I may have covered this before, I’m not going to look it up.

Let’s talk about SAG. SAG is the Screen Actors Guild, basically the main union for actors. You want to get into SAG. Most everything you see on TV or the big screen is either SAG or AFTRA (Not to be confused with NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Association). SAG is difficult to get into. I think this is probably on purpose, because there are plenty of crazy people out here who the industry doesn’t want to have to mess with if they don’t have to. The unions create a barrier, so people have to actually really want it and/or be talented to get in.

This makes sense and is frustrating.

You can’t get a SAG role, or audition unless you are SAG. You can’t get SAG until you are in a SAG project? What? Yes.

Most people get in through a couple of routes.

1. Do background work. If you can happen to do the right background work, you can get a SAG voucher. 3 SAG vouchers = SAG Eligible. If you are SAG eligible, then you can pay the money and join SAG. Also, if you are SAG Eligible, you can audition for SAG projects. I’ve found this to be difficult.

2. You can be Taft Hartleyed into SAG. Taft Hartley is federal legislation dealing with all unions. I don’t know how it applies elsewhere. In Hollywood, it means that the folks making a SAG project can say that even though you are not SAG, they need you for this role. They have to fill out a bunch of paperwork, and say that you are the only person that can fill the role. Boom, you’re SAG Eligible.

The tough part is that to join SAG is $2,277.00 plus the first semi annual fee. I didn’t have that lying around before I moved, and I certainly don’t have it now. The plan would be to become SAG Eligible, get a high paying role and use that money to pay for joining SAG.

I have some friends who are working on a SAG web series project. At some point they are going to write a role for me and are planning on Taft Hartleying me in. We’ll see how it all works out.

In the meantime, I will keep doing sweaty non union auditions.

Day 148. My Open Letter to All Women

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Michelle’s mom, sister, and cousin are in town for a few days, so today was a girls’ day for us. We went to the beach in Malibu, and did, you know, girly things. Well, we mostly just laid on the beach, which is gender neutral. But, when we got in the water, no one cared about my idea that we pretend like we were pirates. That’s not a gender thing, that’s a maturity thing. Anyway.

The following does not deal directly with my day of hanging out with women, just inspired by being around women. It got me thinking.

Open Letter to Women

Ladies, Women, XX Karyotypes,

It’s Jeff, sit down, grab a diet Fresca, relax. I think it’s time we had a talk. I don’t know how to start other than to just to dive right in. Hey, you know that part of your body that you hate?  You know, the part of your body that you don’t ever want accentuated. You know, the part of your body that makes you try to stand at the perfect angle when a picture is being taken. You know, the part of your body that makes you think, ‘If I could just change that one thing, I’d be great.’ You know, the part of your body that makes you hurriedly get on Facebook and untag pictures.

It’s okay, sit down. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you with my knowledge. You see, I’m married, so I know about these things. Since I have now been married for five years, I’m an honorary female.  I’ve helped pick out a lot of outfits in the morning for my wife, I’ve seen more Tyra than I would like to admit, and I’ve eaten Activia. I’m not quite one of you, but nearly.

Also, I’m a nice guy, we have our hangups too, just not as often with looks (every mirror is somehow a skinny mirror to us). Nice guys don’t set the tone for the societal male voice. You see, we’re like colonial America, we’re a member of the empire, but we don’t have representation. King George is a prick and it’s time to start throwing crap into the harbor.

Remember what I was saying about the part of your body that you hate? Whether it be nose, hips, boobs, hair, skin. Yesterday, I said to Michelle, “Sometimes, I just want to yell out to women,’What if your body is fine the way it is?! What if you’re good? Maybe you’re fine the way you are. Yeah, I think you’re fine.’”

Put the Fresca down. I know, this is revolutionary, it goes against the core of who you think you are. Maybe, the only one who notices that part of your body that you hate is you. Seriously, what if? Speaking as a nice guy, I don’t notice those things. Listen, attractiveness still plays a role, but if I’m a single guy at a bar and I see a girl, I just think, “I’m attracted to her, or I’m not attracted to her.” If I’m a single guy at a park and I see a girl with a big forehead, I don’t think, “Gross, look at that girl with the big forehead, she needs some bangs and a distracting necklace.” No, I think, “A taquito would taste good right about now.” See, most of the time, we’re just thinking about food anyway. We’re extremely simple creatures.

Beyond being noticeable or not, maybe those unique things about you are great in the fact that they are unique. I was looking at trees once admiring one in particular because of the way the roots were exposed and the way the trunk twisted and curved upward. It didn’t look like the others. I remember thinking, “In nature, the beautiful things are the things that are unique. Yet, for people, we think that to be beautiful, we need to look like everyone else.” We turned that upside down. You should be like the rest of nature instead.

Now, I’ve been an honorary woman long enough to know that you aren’t necessarily trying to look good for guys, or for yourself. You’re trying to look good for other woman. Shocker, I know. Pick up the Fresca off the floor, we’ll clean that later. Remember, I know a lot more than you think I know. I know, I know, that is locked door meeting kind of information, but remember, I’m on the inside.

Here’s the thing. You should stop that.

This is the harsh part. You see, you, who has insecurities with your body, are the same one who will point out the deficiencies of another woman if you’re with a group of women. Okay, I never should have given you that Fresca, because that hurt. Don’t blame me or yourself, the socializing started when you were in junior high.

But, maybe, the best way to stop focusing on your ‘bad’ qualities is to not be on the lookout for ‘bad’ qualities in other women.

It doesn’t make you feel better to point them out, in the end, it makes you feel worse.

Here are some suggestions to think about when wanting to point out the deficiencies of other women. These are things that I try to think about when I don’t want to look lustfully at other women.

-The starting lineup of the 1989 National League East champion Chicago Cubs.

-Imagine her quilting.

That’s it, those two things. It’s a mixed up crazy world. You like things that are beautiful, that is all well and good. You want to be one of those beautiful things, again, all well and good. The problem is that you think you aren’t in that category because of the very thing that makes you unique. It affects a large part of your day, your week, your life.

Well, as a nice guy and a woman, let me tell you, you’re fine. Wait, I’m also a husband, so let me rephrase that. I understand and validate why you feel that way, but let me just say, “You’re fine.”

Also, as a representative of the Nice Guy Movement, let me tell you, there are a lot of us, we just don’t like to yell. I know that most of us are married, or gay, but there are still a ton of us out there. If you need a list of men available in your area, I know a lot of them. You don’t see them because they’re working, donating blood, or playing in an adult kickball league (it’s something we care about a lot). But, they exist.

So, please, take my words to heart.

And remember

I’m one of you.

Sincerely,

Jeff Houghton

Honorary Woman

VP of Marketing NGM

Day 147. Abraham Maslow Confronts Me in a Park

Monday, July 18, 2011

I talked to an old friend today. I didn’t even know he was in LA. We hadn’t been in touch for awhile, so we met up at a park. Actually, you may know him, his name is Abraham Maslow, he was famous awhile back.

Here was our conversation:

Jeff: Abe! It’s good to see you!

Abraham: Hey, Jeff, we need to talk.

Jeff: Cool, let’s chat. How’s Cindy?

Abraham: She’s fine. Listen, I’ve been reading your blog, and I have some concerns.

Jeff: Is it because I whine too much?

Abraham: Well, not really. You see, Jeff, remember back in high school when I came up with the theory of the Hierarchy of Needs?

Jeff: Yeah, man, if I recall, you got like an A+ on that. Almost as good as Chuck Pythagoras’s Theorum Project for Geometry Honors

Abraham: Yeah, it actually became pretty famous. It’s in textbooks, people have to learn about it and stuff, it’s called Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. You see, the idea behind it is that you first meet your physiological needs, followed by safety, love/belonging, self esteem, and finally self-actualization. But, you can’t get out of order and skip around, or there will be tension. You need to worry about food before you worry about self esteem, right?

Jeff: I get it, like the food pyramid.

Abraham: No.

Jeff: Like a pyramid scheme?

Abraham: No.

Jeff: Like a ponzi scheme?

Abraham: You have to fulfill your basic physical needs, before you can get to self esteem and self actualization. You see, you’ve been talking a lot on your blog about self actualization, and pursuing your dreams, and big ideas about who you are, etc., and yet, at the same time you aren’t taking care of a sinus infection, you don’t eat, and you stopped exercising because you don’t eat, also you don’t know how long you will have your current shelter. See, you’ve flipped the pyramid upside down.

Jeff: Like an ice cream cone falling on the cement.

Abraham: What?

Jeff: That reminds me of the time I dropped an ice cream cone on the ground when I was a kid…

Abraham: Jeff…

Jeff: Wait, now I relate it to something I did today…

Abraham: Jeff…

Jeff: Hold on, I’m about it to weave it into some fundamental and deep truth about who we all are as people.

Abraham: That’s the problem, Jeff. If you drop your ice cream cone on the ground, you need to pick it up and eat it because you are losing vital weight.

Jeff: We need to be the ice cream cone. Even though we fell to the ground, we owe it to ourselves to get back up.

Abraham: Listen, Jeff, people think my Hierarchy of Needs is a big deal.

Jeff: Not as big as the wedgie I gave you in 9th grade.

Abraham: You’re impossible.

Jeff: Oh yeah, what if I told you I have something called Houghton’s Schmierarchy of Fleeds? Yeah, it’s about how, first you need to blog everyday, and then look up funny videos of people getting hit in the crotch on Failblog, and then pet an old dog, and then got to a beautiful coffee shop, and then, and only then, can you heat up a Lean Pocket.

Abraham: I don’t know how you’re still alive.

Jeff: I was going to say the same thing to you.

Day 146. Comparative Study of Dog Parks and Jr. High Dances

Sunday, July 18, 2011

Today we lived Michelle’s perfect day. We went to a church that she really likes, we went to a “renegade” craft fair, and we went to a dog park. You can have the beach, Hollywood Boulevard, and Beverly Hills, Michelle will take this day a dog park. Yesterday, I tweeted that if Michelle were ever to leave me for someone it would be that craft fair. They flirted a bit, but no vows were ever broken. It was very cool. It’s fun to be around so much creativity. Did you know that Michelle is crafty? It’s true, she’s great at adapting clothing with her sewing skills. She stopped when she started grad school a few years ago and hasn’t started up again. I’m trying to get her to start again.

We then came down to my aunt and uncle’s house in Orange County to have dinner and stay the night. Plus, Monday, I’m going to clean their carpets for cash. Will I do anything for money at this point? Yes. Do I also strangely like cleaning carpets? Yes.

So, my uncle John, took us down to the dog park with their dog, Nellie. I don’t know what kind of dog Nellie is, but she is a small, white, fru-fru dog. We arrive and there are all kinds of dogs running around with their owners standing and chatting. A friendly dog comes up to play with Nellie and she, in turn, tries to bite the other dog’s face off. This happens often. John has to keep intervening (unsuccessfully). To me, there is nothing funnier than a well put togfether, generally in control, middle aged man rendered useless unsuccessfully attempting to discipline a small dog. For ever other aspect of their life, they are in charge, calm, cool, and collected, but a 12 pound hypo-allergenic furball wins.

As I was watching the dogs run around and socialize I realized how closely it resembled an eighth grade dance. Here are the similarities and differences.

Similarity:

Both have a group of well adjusted boy and girls who are flirting with each other.

Difference:

Dogs smell each other’s butts. Boys smell like their dad’s cologne.

Similarity:

Both have chaperones, some who seem to be into it, and some who are just flirting with each other.

Difference:

The chaperones at the dog park, love their dogs, and want what’s best for them.

Similarity:

There is always one boy who is anti-social, pooping in the corner.

Difference:

The dog does it on purpose.

Similarity:

Often times a fight will break out.

Difference:

During the fight, a dog will bare it’s teeth as a threat. During the fight a boy will hide his teeth, so he doesn’t get punched in the braces.

Similarity:

There is a great discrepancy in size amongst the attendees.

Difference:

In junior high, the girls are always the tall ones.

Similarity:

There are often boys who don’t understand the social norms of when flirting becomes chasing.

Difference:

A boy dog will relentlessly try to hump a girl dog…just kidding, that’s the same at both places.

Any others you can add?

 

Day 145. Motivational Videos

Saturday, July 16, 2011

I mostly just finished my Mystery Hour promo video today, went for a jog, and went to an improv show at UCB, with my friend, Tyler, who is visiting. 

Michelle and I can feel that feeling of her time starting to tick down here. We’re feeling morose about it, plus we don’t feel any closer to knowing how this plays out, I’ve got a raging sinus infection again, but can’t really afford medicine. Have I mentioned that I hate our health care system before? I do. I’m voluntarily, temporarily poor, I can’t imagine being someone who is actually poor having to wonder about how they will pay for medicine they need.

I got out my trusty iPhone and played a clip for Michelle from Lord of The Rings to inspire us. It is the part where Samwise is inspiring Frodo to keep going. It does not necessarily apply to us, because they were talking about defeating actual evil and battling against orcs, and Saruman. I’m talking about defeating mucous, but it’s inspiring.

Here’s a montage of motivational movie moments. Try to not get fired up while watching this, even if you only get fired up to watch movies.

 

Day 144. Mystery Hour Promo Video Premiere

Friday, July 16, 2011

My friend, Grant, has started a company promoting some touring acts. He’s a really hard worker, and I think he will be really successful. So, I was excited when he came to me with the idea of having The Mystery Hour be one of those acts. I’ve always thought that The Mystery Hour could work as a touring act where I could interview local guests, and have on local bands and comedians, but I never had the time, energy, or know-how to make it happen. Grant does.

All he needed was a promotional video for The Mystery Hour. In November, I asked, Nate, who has done all the awesome video stuff for the show if he would make one. He never got around to it. So, nine months later, I made one this week. It is a huge weight off my shoulders.

Here is the world premiere of The Mystery Hour promo video.

I’m very excited, because it is the last of the videos I wanted to finish when I moved out here. I’m done…for now. Something else will come up…but now, I don’t have it hanging over my  head.

We’ll see if anything comes from it, I think it would be really fun to travel putting on The Mystery Hour.

Day 143. Listing of Kind of Socially Acceptable Things

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Michelle and I had lunch with my friend, Catherine, who works for Community. She is the most encouraging lady out there. It was really nice to hear some encouragement. Plus, she has connections. 21 affirmation points.

Michelle and I went to a free screening of Friends with Benefits at the Grove. It’s really good, Justin Timberlake is funny, I like the part where he…just kidding, we didn’t get in. Get this, the cut off was after the two people in front of us. Eat it, JT.

While in line I adjusted my belt. It was too loose, so I had to tighten it. I feel weird about doing that in public. I guess there is nothing wrong with it, other than drawing attention to my crotch. I suppose it also resembles the reverse motion of taking my pants off. I would say it is in the gray area of social acceptability.

Here is my list of gray area socially acceptable things:

-Scratching the inside of your ear with your pinky. How is different from picking your nose? I remember my grandpa using a key. Is that better? I won’t be shaking his key when I say hello.

-Clipping your fingernails. I would say this one is clearly unacceptable, but I don’t feel that I’m necessarily in the majority, based on the  number of instances I see others do it. To me, it is the equivalent of shaving your legs, you’re consciously leaving parts of your body laying around.

-Mentioning that you went to the doctor, or had a procedure, but providing no other details. Clearly, the receiver of the information is not supposed to ask a follow up question, but the giver initiates the awkwardness. It’s like they’re saying, “I had to have a minor procedure done yesterday, things are up in the air, do not respond.”

-Saving a spot in line. We all do this one, but when we’re behind the spot savers, we’re still a little pissed off when the friend walks up.

-Crocs.

-Saying something, or not saying something when the person you are with has food stuck in their teeth. The size of the piece of food when you will speak up is inversely proportionate to how well you know the person. A stranger could have a flank steak in there, I’m not saying anything. Michelle could have a piece of salt and I’m mentioning it. One time, when I had braces, I called a couple up after a meal to apologize about the giant piece of lettuce I found stuck on my braces afterwards.

-The mid conversation transition from listening to what the other is saying, to pretending to listen while sending a Facebook message on your phone. This is becoming more socially acceptable. Imagine the equivalent before cell phones. It’s the mid ’90s and you’re talking to your friend about Soundgarden. While you’re mentioning the bridge in Black Holed Sun, your friend grabs a passerby and starts talking. When you complain, your friend shoots, back, “What? I’m still listening to you!”

-Calling someone “brother” when you are not related, and are white. I like it when people call me brother, really, I do, it makes me feel like I’m part of a club. But, I also feel weird about it.

-Complimenting someone on how they smell. Be careful with this one. How well do you know them? Are you describing their smell as good, or luscious? Know the adjective boundaries.

-Telling someone they look tired. You had better be damn sure that they actually are tired before you bring it up.

-Telling someone they look like a celebrity. My personal rule on this one is that it is acceptable, but you have to phrase it, “You look like a better looking version of…” Do this, even if it is not true. If you don’t, the person will automatically think things to themselves like, “My nose isn’t that big, is it? Is it?!”

 

Day 142. The Magic Castle. Seriously, A Magic Castle

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

On the MTV’s old show, Cribs, the celebrity would tour you around their house, finally arriving at the bedroom where they would say, “This is where the magic happens.” What if there was a whole house that was where the “magic happens?” That intro makes it seem like I’m talking about a sex house. I’m not, I’m talking about a house for actual magic.

What is one of the coolest things known to man? That’s right, magic. What is the next coolest thing known to man? That’s right, castles. What do you get if you combine the two? The Magic Castle.

Such a place exists.

To celebrate our 5 year anniversary (actually is Friday), Michelle and I went.

In an old mansion on a hill overlooking Hollwood Boulevard is a castle dedicated to magic. The Magic Castle is a private club for lover’s of magic. Inside the Victorian mansion is a bunch of show rooms where magicians demonstrate their craft, as well as many bars, and a fine dining restaurant. They have a strict dress code, meaning suit and tie for men, and whatever the equivalent is for women. Plus, it’s a private club, so you have to be invited. Michelle an I got in through a friend of a friend. We arrived looking good. I tossed the keys of my 2001 Honda Accord to the valet and thought about what a treat it was for him to get to drive a car such as mine.

I love old houses, and mansions are even cooler. It’s got all dark wood and is dimly lit. It looks exactly like what you would expect for a mansion dedicated to magic. You walk in through a bookshelf to which you say, “Open sesame.” Seriously. We wandered aimlessly, finally finding a show that was about to start. They guy did card tricks to a room of probably 50. Michelle and I got up on stage and were used in one of his tricks.

Magic tricks are crazy! Illusions I can comprehend a bit, just knowing that it’s all light tricks. Magic up close blows my frickin’ mind. It makes me happy to see and angry that they’re doing it in front of me.

We had dinner, which was super expensive, so I just picked up the menu, looked for the cheapest option and put it down. I had the vegetarian option and a water. There was no magic for our server.

Then, we checked out another show in the main room. The magician’s name was Murray, and we was two parts Branson and one part magic. He was very entertaining. I got up on stage again to help out. He did the put a woman in a box and jam stuff through her body trick. No clue. I have no clue how it was done.

We had one more show to get to, but first we had an appointment with awkwardness.

As I was standing in line, Michelle was in the bathroom. There was a guy in front of me with a group. Suddenly, he said, “What’s your name?” I said, “Jeff.” Then we proceeded to have a super strange conversation that involved a lot of side giggling with the other members in his group.

There was the guy, Austin, a heavier dark haired man in his late 30s. There were three fairly voluptuous women with him, that, frankly, were better looking than you would expect him to be hanging out with. Finally, there was the man in his 60s wearing a fedora.

I got a creepy vibe right away. I told him I was an actor, he said he owned a production company.

Immediately, I thought, “They work in porn.”

The rest of the conversation I was trying to add up clues to back up my theory.

A. He was a guy hanging out with women who didn’t seem like they would normally hang out with him.

B. He headed a production company, but didn’t come across as super successful. I think “production company” is a euphemism for porn.

C. The old guy. Why was a heavy set guy and an old guy hanging out with young good looking ladies. Austin said the old guy was a director. Yep.

D. What was with all the side giggling? They had secrets.

E. At one point he actually said to me, “I’ve been watching you for about three hours.” When I responded with a laugh, he said, “No seriously.” People who have normal jobs don’t do that.

I do not have enough evidence to conclusively back up my claim, but there was either just a lot of magic in the air, or the odor of a porn producer.

We saw one more magic show, that I thought was only so-so, until he concluded with pulling two live chickens out of a straight jacket that he had just been in.

We called it a night, and a memorable anniversary dinner.

In other news, I’m one background check away from being an Apple store employee. As long as they don’t dig thirteen steps due east from the old sycamore tree in my parent’s yard, I should be fine.

I had another audition today. This was another one through a family connection. The guy I know is a casting director for commercials and when I fit one of them he calls me in to audition. Today, I was a man concerned about a drought for a PSA. I drove to Sherman Oaks and parked for the audition. Before I got out of my car I realized I had left my headshot at home and had to drive all the way back. It’s like a 45 minute drive. Dummy.

Day 141. Exhausted

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

I’m not much of a complainer, there are people who have really real big bad problems, I don’t claim to be one of them. And, like most people, I prefer to talk about my struggles when they’re in the past and the lessons have been learned. With that said, I want for this to be blog to be an honest account of my journey. I soak it up when I hear someone talking in the present about their difficulties. I wish people did more of that. I might as well start with me.

I’m exhausted.

In my old life, I had a job, and another career acting, performing, and writing. People came to me with opportunities for  a lot of different things and I had to learn to turn them down because I was becoming too busy with them.

I live in the opposite world of that now.

Nothing would come to me if I wasn’t constantly working and striving to go out and get things. No one is going to hire me if don’t sit online applying for jobs for a good chunk of the day. I’m not going to get any acting work if I don’t constantly beat the bushes. Any reels or promo videos I want to have I have to do them myself, while learning how to do it along the way. No one is asking me to do stand up, I have to pursue. Then, when I do get opportunities, I feel like I’m faking my way through them. Plus, there is the money part of the equation, because each day I don’t have income feels more and more like a heavy reality, and adds question marks to my housing situation.

Michelle and I talked last night that I’m too focused on all these things and have difficulty prioritizing her and being in the present with all these other things floating around. She’s right, everything seems to have the same urgency, and the urgency is that it should have already been figured out.

If I was just moving out here on my own as a single guy, or I was moving out here with Michelle, I think I would get a job, settle in, and if I need to take an acting class, I would save up and do that in like December. I feel like the constraints of being away from Michelle and needing to decide if she is going to move out here sometime soon, or if I will go back at a certain point makes the whole thing feel rushed and hurried.

Not being able to be present with Michelle makes me think that I’m failing at all of them. Whatever I prioritize my time with, I’m sacrificing the other things on the list.

I really believe that the best things come to us when we’re in a balanced place between effort and letting things come. Right now, I’m almost entirely effort. That striving and running is making me exhausted. I feel like I can’t rest until I get settled, but I can’t get settled because I can’t rest.

I have the urge to put a “lessons learned” bow on the end of this post, but I’m not really there right now. These are not all consuming feelings, but it’s honest nonetheless.

I’ve got blisters and cramps, but I’ve got to keep running.

Day 140. The Other Side of the Audition

Monday, July 11, 2011

Today, I spent most of the day on the other side of the audition process. My friend, Sean, has a web series he’s creating, so he held auditions. He called me the other day and asked if I would help him out with the auditions. At this point, I’ve done a lot of auditions, but I have never been on the casting side of the table, so I was excited.

I rode my bike, arriving on time, but not hot and sweaty.

An audition can take place in any room. Usually, all there is inside is a a table, with casting directors sitting behind it, a camera, and maybe a chair on the other side of the table for the actor auditioning.

My role was the camera guy. Very important. If I didn’t hit record, it wouldn’t have been recorded. Basically, it was all riding on me and my record button hitting thumb.

We were auditioning for three roles, Claire, Cliff, and Shirtless Guy. Sean or Jen, who was also involved, would read the lines with the actor, I would record it, then Sean would write down notes about each person that came in.

Highlights

My favorite thing from the whole day was the question, “Would the actors auditioning for ‘Shirtless Guy’ take his shirt off or not?” Early on, they didn’t. Some would ask if they should and Sean would say, “Don’t worry about it.” Then, an especially hunky guy asked and Sean replied, “Sure.” This was my first experience with this, so I had to put my Coke in front of my mouth to hide my giggling. Just to make clear, I’m the immature one in this situation.

Seeing good auditions and bad ones. Either way, they last about the same amount of time.

Sean and Jen were both respectful of people when they left the room.

I like the quiet awkward time from when the audition was done, we would say goodbye, to when the actor would reach the door. Everyone was silent until they walked through the door. It was kind of like saying goodbye to someone and then realizing you’re walking the same way as them. I thrive on awkwardness.

I auditioned for the role of Cliff. It is strange to audition for people you know. I prefer strangers.

My Takeaways

I need to take an acting for film class. I feel fairly raw on that. I think it would do me good. I will add it to my list of classes I want to take, screenwriting, more improv, and acting. I can afford none of these, so I will keep faking it.

Even on that side of the camera, my confidence would go up and down and up and down as I watched. I would go from, “Hey, this acting thing is easy,” to, “I don’t know what I’m doing.” I’m used to this roller coaster, however.

The people that auditioned that were the best were the ones who really connected with the person reading the lines. Some of the people just seemed like they were reading lines, the ones who seemed to really be acting were the ones who connected. It seemed that the ones who did this best were the ones who were listening to her lines and not just thinking about what they were going to say next. Huh, just like real life. The other trait that worked well for people was just likability. The people on the casting side of the table want someone that they can work with, that they like.

Also, from now on, I’m going to take my shirt off whenever I enter an audition room.