On set of Ridgewood Bank Commercial

(from Sunday, January 18th 2009)

After a very slow week, I figured I would just chill at home and catch up on some of my administrative work on the weekend. I have tons of papers to sort through. It is true when they say that things come into your experience when you least expect it. This reigns true as I was not planning on anything and then all of a sudden I get a call from my friend, Steph, who I have not heard from since last year or seen on any background sets.

She was going down her list and gave me a call to see if I wanted to do this Bank commercial. At first I was hesitant because I really hate working on Sundays. It sounded on the message that they (production) really needed people, and since it was a paid gig, and being financially crippled right now,I sure won't /can't turn down money!


So she gave me the details really quickly as she was on set when she called me. She gave me the info and the call time which was for 7:30 am to be over by the film center on 9th ave. Now that is not a terrible call time, though since I have not got up before 9am for the past month, it was really hard to do so. Also I kept tossing and turning all night long as I was worried that I would miss the alarm.


I got up at 6am and tossed some business casual clothes and headed for the subway. Sunday subways are the worst subways. I waited over 25 minutes before some light appeared through the dark tunnel with the train approaching. Finally I got on the "E" for "Evil" train and surprisingly the regular homeless guy was not on board. Guess I missed his shift!

I got out at Times Square 42nd street and exited out to a very snowy Sunday morning, and vacant streets of Broadway. I felt like I was walking in my own musical as the big fluffy chunk of snow were falling and Times Square was sparse of people. Maybe only one or two people tinkled past, but for the most part it was not the usual chaotic mess it can be in that area. It was peaceful and euphoric. Definitely a rare moment indeed.


I arrived at the "pick up area" on 9th ave right on time. I went into the lobby of the building where my friend Steph was and to my delightful surprise, my very good friend Bill Rapp was there as well. I knew it would be a good day from that point on, and it was.


After about twenty minutes, some of us got into the first van that was to take us to the actual Ridgewood bank in Queens. Through the inclement weather our driver was very cautious and drove extra slow for safety purposes. We arrived to location in about half an hour. We got out of the van, went inside through security to get our badges for the day and then downstairs to a nice array of big fluffy croissants, muffins, danishes, and much needed coffee!

About an hour later, we were led back up stairs to get to set, which was the bank. Our job was to be customers at a bank. Bill Rapp and I were assigned to each other to portray a couple at the bank. We had our deposit slips ready and went from the line to the teller a thousand times over and over. We made SO many deposits and got the same lollipop in return that was given to us by the teller as a thank-you for our patronage.

As we were standing in our second positions waiting for the director to call "Background Action", we stood by our teller friend who turned out to be a really sweet girl. We started talking and I found out that she lives in Astoria too. Not only that she also lives on 49th Street! I live on 49th street! Talk about coincidence. This bit of information really came in handy later on when it was time to leave.

The commercial itself moved relatively slow as many of these productions do. You would think that because they are using the bank itself that it would be easy to shoot this commercial. Not so much. They designed the commercial around a full sized bed that was placed in the middle of the bank.

On the bed they had this black man laying in the bed and pretending to be sleeping. Talk about the best role! All he had to do was lay in that bed while the other bank activity was going on. In the scene his wife gets up form the bed , puts on her housecoat and slippers and interacts with one of the bank managers, while her "husband" is still sleeping and totally oblivious to what is going on because he actually fell asleep for real!

During break, Bill and I thought the concept was great about wanting to take a nap while waiting in line to get banking done. So Bill and I tried out the bed for ourselves and came to the conclusion that the bed was indeed comfy.

The rest of the day was dragging by after that. We had lunch which were platters of sandwiches and cold pasta salad from a local restaurant in the area. Our eating are was in the basement of the bank where the real employees eat during their shift. There was a TV down there and all the guys were swarming around the TV watching their precious football. After Lunch we went back up to set and they were doing close-up shots of the bed and the actors.

Finally as the evening was setting in, they moved on to the next commercial which involved a motorcycle in the middle of the bank. This Woman who looked liked she rode bikes on a regular basis, rolled the Harley to the middle of the bank where they were to shoot the scene. I think she owned the bike b/c after she brought the bike in, the commercial evolved around 2 guys on the bike in the bank.

Bill Rapp and I did a quick walk through and that was about it. Since they used us so much in the first scene, they really didn't need us. That was a relief because it was getting late. The young teller that I was talking to earlier already told the director that she had to leave, so I followed suit and we caught a car service back to Astoria.

Got home around 9pm. I was lucky to meet up with Heather to take the car service home together. The other option would have been going all the way to the "L" train through Manhattan and all the way around back to Queens which would have taken over 2 hours.

This wasn't a terrible expereince, though I must admit that it sure was not worth only getting paid 75 dollars for a commercial like this should have been at least $150.00. Oh well the way things have been as of late, you have to take ANY money that comes in, no matter how bad the wage is.

On set of Cupid as Homeless Patron (day 1)

(from Friday January 16th)

I got called by Central Casting to work on the Disney/ABC show
"Cupid". I haven't worked on this show since December 1st of last year. This is the first job for me this year. I have submitted to SO many bookings to be in a fashion show, upper east siders, elite roles, etc..I can't get booked on any of these. What do I get booked as?? I got booked as a homeless person! Yes that's right when you think of a homeless look, give Canada Anne a call. What an insult! Since I really need the money, and am going crazy from not working consistently,I took the job, reluctantly.

Since this was Disney, they didn't want us homeless to look "Homeless". The production hot line insisted that we don't look like raggedy homeless and no obscenities as this is Disney. Also they kept insisting that they wanted bright colors that "popped" like pinks, greens and yellows.

So we had to be clean respectable looking homeless. This message from Central casting went on for 14minutes repeating over and over again the wardrobe criteria. You would think you were dressing for the Oscars how specific and how many changes they wanted for a homeless look. ..and the Oscars goes to.. the best dressed Homeless person!

It actually turned out to be a better day than expected. The best part was that we were indoors. Though I was prepared for the worst and was going to make friends with a SAG player because they always get the heated cardboard boxes!

Though even being indoors didn't protect us from the frigid icy cold of a day where it went down to 5F. Every time the crew and grips were rolling equipment through the church doors, you felt the frigid blast of frosty air zip through your bones and numb you instantly.Our scene was taking place in a soup kitchen.We were all really thrilled to be indoors and to be served the best "Food Kitchen Slop" ever. The trays they gave us with food got increasingly more putrid with each passing hour of food sitting out in room temperature and growing bacteria every moment.

Though we all stayed in character and held our trays and nose up high knowing that this was all for a paycheck. It sure is fun portraying a homeless when you know you have home to go back to. Some background really got a good "Whiff" of the rotting food:

Though with the little amount of work I have been getting lately, I have to wonder where I'm going to be a month from now. Where will any of us be?

NO SAG WAIVER on Duplicity Movie Trailer!!!

I actually just got back from being away 2 weeks up in Canada. I am getting e-mails and a plethora of phone calls that I am indeed seen, CLEARLY, in this upcoming Julia Roberts and Clive Owen movie "Duplicity"! I didn't even know how clear it was until I saw the trailer for myself. The bummer about that is all I got was a measly 75 dollars and a walkaway lunch.

The funny part has got be that in that scene I was angry b/c Julia Roberts is SO cheap and such a snob that I was dissing her, and this is what got on film. I was pissed that we had to be on set for Saturday , 4am call time. I was the last one to get to set and screamed at by some shitty 20-something PA to get to set.

So when I got to Grand Central where set was, the PA's were placing people and I disappeared for a while to avoid getting a prop. I basically placed myself by the balcony b/c I was too tired to go down to the main floor. Without even realizing it, Julia Roberts was right beside me.

No one told me to move, just to turn around. Julia was a real snob and told the first AD to tell me to keep the talking down saying I was too loud talking to my friend who got cut out of the scene. I was glad when that day was over. Sometimes you have to make your own opportunities.

Sometimes you have to break the rules to get ahead. Too bad I got NO waiver for that. I really didn't even think of it at the time. Now that I have settled in I am going to call up SAG and see if I can get a waiver or something out of this.

What is amazing here is that I only got 75 dollars to be in a movie trailer. Julia meanwhile gets 75 GA-zillion dollars for being a cheap, snobby movie whore! Go Figure!

Here is the clip to view. You will see me in the Grand Central scene at approx 1:48 in the clip:
http://duplicitymovie.net/?__source=gglduplicity+trailerMovieTitleDuplicity_Brand&sky=gglduplicity+trailerMovieTitleDuplicity_Brand

Sigh ;)

Wilkomen 2009! Bienvenue!

Finally made it to my callback for the Sorcerer's Apprentice, a Disney film. Spent the last two weeks up in Canada Land for the Christmas Holidays. Being around with family and Friends was great, though I could not stop thinking about this audition.

I entered this new year with "Great Expectations" knowing that I had a booked audition to come back to. This wasn't for some lousy "cattle call", this was for a real role/part and a chance to really get ahead after all the crappy lousy non-rewarding background work I have done in the past.

Perhaps I focused on it too much and this is why chaos ensued. It wasn't horrible, though not my all time best. I hope I get another call back to re-audition. The fact is when in this lifetime will I EVER get a golden opportunity like this one again?? The following describes that days events:



The call back was as expected where they wanted me to partner up with a Russian man and to see how that would look on camera. So from the very start in the waiting room, I come in with my Russian hat and start with "I'm Herer for ze callback, Yes!" Seconds later, Julie the Woman who initially auditioned me came out and said Hi and introduced my partner to me.



This man was probably union and very snobby. I tried to talk to him, but he was like dead wood. Normally you want to talk to your partner to get a feel for what they are like and it helps to connect in the audition process as we may end up working together.

I asked him who sent him here and he goes "St. Clair" agency. That was the extent of our communication outside in the waiting room. So I got ZERO vibes from him, and was called in shortly after to come into the room.

The Woman Julie who initially auditioned me was there plus 5 other casting directors this time in the room. I didn't get intimidated and went right into character with this dead wood of a man. We both get into the scene which is basically where the Russian man has this huge urn that he found at some flea market.

So he is opening up this urn with a crowbar and the lid is really heavy so he is grunting and moaning. My part was to basically get angry and be the wife and nudge him on to what he is doing and what an idiot he is. All of a sudden he gets the lid open and POOF a big black smoke and some evil spirit like a genie appears. The Russian Woman is taken aback in utter shock and races out and screams. This is what I did, only too assertively.

There was this huge backdrop they put in behind us as a green screen. So when I did the SHOCK thing, I ran out to the the corner wall, grabbed the backdrop curtain and down it came! It was SO embarrassing. Luckily they had a step ladder handy and immediately fixed it. I got one more shot at it as the director was explaining what he wanted from the character.That was it. Said Thank you and Good bye. No hints if I will hear a word from my agent, nothing.

This is worse than American Idol, b/c at least with Idol, the judges tell you right then and there if you suck and didn't get the part. Now it's this huge waiting stressful game of did I get it or not. If I don't get called soon, then I guess it's gone, and then I will wonder what I did wrong for weeks.

The only good thing is that by "breaking the curtain" at least they will remember me. Don't know if that is a good thing or bad thing. I have no idea. I wish I knew. So that's the latest.

Now I'm even more stressed out with the unknown. Sigh ;(

On set of Cupid @ HellSGATE Studios, Queens

Rush calls and crappy shows that will bomb is all that seems to be coming in these days. What pisses me off the most is that you submit for all of these shows and say you are available and they don't call you.

Then in the morning in a panic attack with BOLD CAPS, they have ***RUSH CALL*** Must report immediately!!!! So you call these bitches at Central Casting and they are like "WHO told you to call!!!!" I tell her " I am calling about the Rush call..." (pause) Then she says.. "Well Jon doesn't do the Cupid Rush Call!!!!!!" (breath) "Give Shaniqua a call!" Meanwhile Shaniqua is right there in the office as I hear in the background someone calling her name.

I Interrupt and say bluntly "Do you need people or not!" Then she holds the phone to her chest and I could hear her whispering to Shaniqua! Finally I get transferred to Joanie who gives me a check in number and asks how long it will take me to get there. I tell her 15 minutes. Meanwhile I deliberately took over an hour getting ready on purpose.

So I finally get to the set and its filming here in Queens, though it's not Kaufman or Silver Cup Studios. Instead it's at "HELLGATE" studios all the way down by the east river by the Triboro bridge. The only good thing about this was that I could take the Q18 bus around the corner from here.

That bus ride was about 20 minutes. When I got on the bus, I asked the bus driver "Are you going to 2nd street???" He replied, "Oh you're going to CUPID." He said this in a way that he knew all about CUPID and the evil of it all, secretly thinking : "I know all about Cupid and you ARE going to have a Excruciatingly LONG day on set! Good Luck, thank God my shift is ending soon! ha ha Sucker!"

Turns out that Mr. Bus Driver was right! The original call time was at 6am and they went until 11pm! I'm not kidding. The only good thing about being on a RUSH call was that I got there at 10am, and that was still a long day.

The worst part about this was that this scene they were doing was actually a re-shoot of the show that they taped back in July over at Silver Cup Studios. The reason I remember this SO well was that they had a Mariachi Band on set. Well guess what?? The exact same Mariachi members were back and playing the same damn tune. IT was like an unwanted dejavu!

This is why this show IS going to bomb and be canceled within the first week of it's release. Too many re-shoots and plus it's already a re-make of the show back in the 90's starring Jeremy Piven that only lasted a week. Why even make a new version of this show?? It's called NO originality anymore. It's ALL CRAP!

On top of all this I am really getting tired about these guys bragging that they have nine waivers. So why don't they join SAG?? Probably lying. Through ALL this I am still stuck at one lousy SAG waiver. I hope they go on Strike. I will be the biggest SCAB!

A ;)

Kings at Broadway Stages

In between working on "No Love in the City", I got work on KINGS, again. I was rather hesitant to accept the work, since my last experience on this show was horrible over in the Brooklyn Navy Yards. Though this time it was to be a little better as it was an indoor event.

I did an overnight over at the Public Library in Manhattan that Thursday night. This is just an example of what a BIG budget this show really is. To be able to get that space must have been mint. Right after we wrapped, I had to go back to "No Love in the City". So I pulled a 38 hours on set back to back with my friend Laura.

The only reason we did that was that we needed to accept this in order to get the guarantee of work for two days the following week. What a BIG week it turned out to be with the election and seeing History revealed with Barrack Obama becoming the first Black President of the United States.

That was definitely hope and something to look forward to. What was not something to look forward to was the location of Broadway stages which was in the middle of nowhere by the rail yards way past McGuiness Boulevard in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn. Luckily our call time wasn't for 6am. Still trekking all the way there was a hike.

Taking all this work is basically the only thing keeping me alive these days. When I'm at home I have nothing going on and I get bored and depressed staring at the same four walls wondering if I will ever have success or even get a SAG waiver. The quest for the almighty Sag waiver seems more like it will never happen. Some people just get the Sag waiver for waking up in the morning. I struggle through so many different elements and I am really trying, yet nothing ever seems to happen. Still I prefer to be working as it is a paycheck, as pathetic as non-union wages are.

Back to the set of Kings at the Broadway Stages and the tale of the PIG! Ah yes the 500-pound boar that was brought to the Brooklyn to be a star. The scene was in this amazing courtroom that was built for this show. Magnificent layout, including a panoramic poster of Columbus Circle in the daytime during the season of either early Spring or Summer being the fact the trees in the picture were in full green blossom.

The King Silas had his enormous desk in the front as a real judge would and he was ready to hear the cases with his Chancellor by his side. In the room there were several groups waiting to have the judge hear their case. Some of the groups were these "Goth Kids", and another was a church group.

The one case that involved the pig was a case between two farmers in the land. It was a dispute where one of the farmers blamed his neighbors pig from destroying his fence on his property. So at this time King Silas looks up to the main doors and looks up in anticipation of this pig that was supposed to come through the doors. NO sign of the pic. Nothing.

This is after of course we got the "Pig Speech" not to look at the pig, touch the pig, and just to completely ignore the boar upon his entrance. Well as it turned out, that wasn't too difficult b/c the pig got stage fright and never made it to set. They even had a "pig shrink" on set being that it was a SAG pig. Since the pig didn't fulfill his contract, the next day we had a plethora of bacon and no one saw the pig again. Makes you wonder.

A.

No Love in the City Russian Tour bus

(Thursday October 9, 2008-November 9th 2008)

The set of "No Love in the City", a Russian movie about three young Russian guys that come to New York to have a great time with Ladies and indulge in the Wild Party lifestyle. An Angel comes down from the heavens and makes them all impotent until they realize their true loves and stop cavorting around in debauchery.This concept sounds stupid, though I have to tell you that working on this movie was by far one of the most pleasant experiences I have had in a very long time.

What made this by far the best set for this entire year were the fun experiences shared with friends and just the wonderful attitude of the cast and crew that made it memorable in a good way. I also must mention that we got paid cash on set and we had wonderful international food which I dined on for days because I took some leftovers home in Tupperware which I shared with my friend and roommate.

I worked on this set six times. From the club scene to the restaurant scene to the "get-away" Russian tour bus. Being a Russian tourist was by far the best scene and most enjoyable times on this set and perhaps all year.

Playing the part as Russian tourists we were cast to sit on top of this Double-Decker tour bus. The three young Russian guys were to be out "tour guides" taking us on a wild journey racing wildly through Manhattan down Canal Street to the cobblestone streets of Brooklyn .

The stunt driver and bus driver in the scene drove that bus wildly speeding across the Manhattan Bridge to the Promenade in Brooklyn, where the bus gets stopped and the Russians get arrested by the (fake) police. All along our tour guides are freaking out as their is a helicopter overhead trailing the bus all the way from Manhattan to the other side of the bridge.

Never have I had such an adventure on a film shoot as I did on this one. We ALL shared SO many laughs and felt free and alive. Especially when we were on the double Decker bus top level and "touched" sign posts and leaves of trees as we drove by. It became like a challenge and a silly game, though it was fun, really was.

This was one of the few sets that I really was sad to see come to an end.

A.