Misunderstanding about "Family Time"

The upcoming holiday season is a very interesting season for me.  We are pushed, forced, prodded, force-fed "family"...not a realistic family, but a Hollywood family....the ideal, Normal Rockwell family. That doesn't work in real time.  When I left my home state 6 years ago to pursue the life I felt I had to, for myself, my family and my personal providential responsibility.   I realized the hard reality of "out of sight out of mind."  I also developed the personal philosophy of "family is those who treat you like family"....I owe no personal relations to people simply because we share a family tree... Think, how many people do you call on Thanksgiving? How many to you call the day after?

Hurry Up and Wait

That is the hardest part of it all isn't it....the waiting. Waiting to hear from a potential job, casting call, interview, if your couch sold on Craigslist....waiting is painful. Nothing creates more doubt, more feeling of lost than waiting.  Most of us in the modern age of text message, status updates and instant photos, instant coffee and instant shopping...feel anytime is too long. One day, one week and shutter to think, one month and then I must question all that is normal with the world. If we look through the past...many of the persons we read in biographies experienced a time of waiting.  As I have heard before...you feel like the Heavens are like Brass.  So to all of us....hold on. If you quit now, someone else will get your dream.

The Name Game

You know in every field, they (who ever they may be) say that it is more important who you know than what you know. I have disagreed with this for years...it is inherently unfair and as an outsider, leaves one with a "no hope" feeling.  I must admit, as so many things and ideas surrounding my ideas on employment have shifted...as have I.  I recently had a very good discussion with my brother over the current state of employment/under-employment or unemployment...  we talked of what is missing today is the "opportunities."  The opportunity to work your way up, to reach the position you want simply through hard work, passion and will.  These days, there seems to be a "Fat Cat Ceiling."  The old guard are protecting their own, protecting their guild and refusing to change.  No, make no mistake, they were given opportunities to grow within a company...to learn new skills...but now, they refuse to move.

I still don't agree with it's "who you know".....I feel it is "Who you are Related to." I have seriously considered changing my name.  Rockefeller, Kennedy, Bush, Frist (in Nashville), Woodruff (in Atlanta), you get my direction.  I know so many actors who get work simply by who they are related to. When I graduated school, the bulk of the students who found work was through working for/with their parents.  I know...what is so wrong with that. Nothing inherently, only it leaves a huge group of talented, hungry and passionate persons left with a hopeless feeling.  Although I am down...failure is not in the falling but in the staying down.  Hope to make my name something....then my nieces and nephew's will have an easier path.

As a post script....all those who have the names already, stop acting like you hit a triple when you were actually born on 3rd Base.

Putting it out there in the Cosmos!

Ok....I am just putting this out there in the Cosmos.

I am giving myself 2 years to "make it" as an actor...although I would be okay if came earlier than that.
It was a huge struggle for me personally to admit it's what I want to do. It still is. The hardest question to answer is "What do you do?" I always skirt the answer with "Hustle"...ha ha I laugh it off, but I don't think anyone knows how are the day to day is.  No place to go...looking for work...filtering through so many "NO'S" and filling like life has past you by.
The reason I started acting is because it was all I had. Seriously...getting background acting work was and is the only thing calling me...I moved here to get into the music industry. That was my background, my education and my connections.  But after hitting a wall for 2 years, I was even more desperate. So it started out as a response to a Craigslist ad for film here in Nashville.  Made that, figured what the heck....my wife sat me down and said "Go For It!" but if you do...go 100%! So I had headshots made, started taking acting classes at night and email my acting resume for anything...I have been in music videos, short films, feature films..all as background acting...but I hope to get a role, even a day player, something with lines! To all those who laughed, and made fun...stick it!

So Dear Cosmos...here is what I want-

Constant and Steady acting work..

To be on Syfy

To be on a BBC Series

To be interviewed on The View (Whoopi has to be there!)

To take my wife to an Awards Show.

and if or when I win....I am thanking her first!

Rolling Rolling

My brother asked me to chronicle my various times on a set of a film or television show. As you know, you usually have to signed a non-disclosure agreement stating you can't tweet/blog/write/take pics/semaphore/smoke signals/ Morse Code....etc anything about the scenes....so I will try my best to give an overview of a day in the life of a Background Actor (I was told not to use "Extra").   My last call was for a movie in Atlanta.  The call time was in the late afternoon, we are told to expect at least a 12 hour shoot...putting cut time at around 4-5 A.M.  I actually prefer late shoots...I would rather get home at 4 A.M. then leave at 2 A.M. .....


So you arrive a little before call time....sign in and fill out paper work  (I-9, Tax info, citizenship/residency,  sometimes age requirements, non-disclosure agreements, waiver of use of image and likeness).
The location was a very pretty rented church, so we parked there and dinner was in their fellowship hall.  So next was dinner...by far the best craft services EVER!!!!  I mean full service food tables, sushi table, carving station (as one who doesn't eat a lot of meat and no red meat, it was welcome sight to see fish!)  Full table of desserts (ever strong willed resisted) and even a band. It was great.

Usually it is a hurry up and wait! So this time was no different...it was 4 hours until we were taken by bus to set. (can't say where or who was there but it was neat)...the shoot was actually a re-shoot from a previous scene....
The Assistant Production Director was our handler...he broke us up into groups (as a Star Wars fan we were named different Star Wars Characters, the jaba's, the ewok's...etc etc)...we served as background patrons at a park....back and forth....back and forth...it truly is so much fun....there is a pause to switch camera angles and shots....you learn a lot of movie magic just being on set.  The positive thing was it was just two scene shot....we called it a little before midnight....it was a quick and fun shoot. You get an opportunity to meet some neat people and at the very least, it's nice to say you did it!

up next....two day shoot next week!

SMILE

I realize I don't like to. Smile that is. Laugh...ALL THE TIME! But not smile. I recently had some photos taken for my professional headshots...they look good...I mean it's mean so the photographer is a miracle worker!  He told me not to smile...seriously.  He said I didn't look comfortable...I don't. At age 4 I had a tooth knocked out w/ a rock on Thanksgiving.  Around 8 had one knocked out swimming into the side of the pool (now is a good time to say I am highly accident prone) at 18 both front teeth knocked out playing hockey (let me add....the goal didn't go in!)  I had 12 dental appointments that year.  So I developed a habit of never smiling....I am ok with it. I will laugh, roll my head back and turn beet red...but you wont catch me smiling.

9/11

Of course I remember where I was. I was driving up to Sherman, Texas to have a follow up Dentist appointment after my wisdom teeth were pulled. I heard to the radio about a plane hitting the World Trade Center...made it to my brother's office (he was working for a Congressmen at the time) and we watched the towers fall in disbelief...I remember.
10 Years Later I have lived in 2 different states, 4 different cities and married...
I wonder where are we know? Countless lives lost....Billions spent....Our Country struggling...
I full support us as a Nation pausing to reflect...but we must not remain looking back...
we must allow the wounds to heal....our country to heal...and reunite as ONE.

That's a Wrap!

Had a great time on the set of Vampire Dairies! Episode 304 (season 3 episode 4). There was a lot of really great folks I had the pleasure of working with and meeting. I don't fancy wearing a suit all day outside in downtown ATL but it was worth it. I hope there are more work like that very soon!

Lights, Camera....Wait!

Ok...I moved to Nashville to be in the "Business."  I thought it would be music business. That is my background, my internships and well, honestly what I wanted to do...but after nearly 3 years of knocking on doors and multiple "Thanks but No Thanks" letters and interviews, I can only do what's in front of me...That's what I call THE HUSTLE!  It started when I found a notice on Craig's list for Extras for the Nashville filmed "Country Strong"....made it as an extra.  Cool! Something to do. Oddly enough...had a music video shoot call, TV Pilot call,  Short Film call (all extra or as my true acting friend calls it "Background Actor") Now, these opportunities had months of waiting in between...then I finally broke down...and had to admit...Yes I like this...Yes if I could, I would want to do it. So...that's what I am going to do...I have a photoshoot for a headshot next week, I will start Meisner Based acting classes as well and lo and behold....TV show called...still as an extra and 3 hours away in Atlanta...but will do it. Builds my resume, my experience and as always...something to do. 

New Blog

I finally am starting a personal blog....my previous attempts at blogging were mainly social commentary or book/movie reviews...usually anonymous.  Well, here we go...I will share my musings, thoughts, pet peeves, those things that make me pause and be glad I am alive...my story of the Hustle! The crazy situations I find myself in...the even crazier people I meet...basically life as normal. So now you know Watwood Happen!