Well, sort of. You be the judge...
This first one is something I made on xtranormal.com. It refers to a stock that me and a few buddies have been following over the past two years. And it's a never-ending saga, hence the title: Wall Street: Wamu Never Ends.
Below is the promo video I made. It hasn't received the church's blessing quite yet; red tape and all, y'know? Well, since the program starts next Wednesday, I thought I'd post it anyway.
The actor is Brian Park and the voiceover is by Michael Kim. Sorry for the rough quality of the edit, but that was kind of the point of the vid. I really do need to study up on editing, among other things. But thanks for watching...
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
2,000 Complaints!
LA Times reports that the Better Business Bureau is warning models of scam agencies that charge upfront for headshots or portfolios, yet offer few actual auditions. Over the past 3 years, the BBB has collected over 2,000 complaints. I'm surprised, however, that it isn't in the tens of thousands.
Back in my hometown in the Pacific Northwest, I went to a couple of these kind of agencies that required me to pay for photo sessions. That was part of the deal. No photos with their photographer, no chance at representation.
Unfortunately for those in Seattle, the opportunities are slim to none, so the agencies got away with it. I even went to an audition where the photographer wanted to charge me for "test" photos. I went for it, and yes, I was stupid, but at least the photos were decent. How much did I pay? $65, which was a decent amount of cash about 20 years ago. I've talked to a few others who came to LA from other hometowns and they had similar stories of checking out their local agencies, only to find they would pay more in upfront fees than they would ever make from bookings. The lucky ones saved their money and moved straight to LA. The unlucky ones wasted a few years getting had.
Recently, a neighbor asked me in the gym if I did some acting and he explained that he was thinking of getting into doing commercials on the side. I gave him my usual tips on headshots and getting an agent, but he was hesitant to do it because he had no experience. And then I told him to try it anyway.
About a couple weeks later, I found myself in the unusual position of having to direct a promo video for my church for one of the ministries I serve in. This may seem like small potatoes to you, but to me, the opportunity to challenge myself like this was too great to pass up. Plus, the HD camera I'd use would cost a would-be filmmaker quite a chunk of money. I somehow (God?) got the opportunity to write, direct, cast, shoot and edit my first video since college.
My neighbor also happened to go to my church, so I asked him to star in the promo. We shot it on Friday and I'm now in the process of editing — well, learning to edit — it. We'll see how it goes. I haven't directed or edited anything since college, so the learning curve will be huge.
But this video is a perfect example of how someone just starting out can get some experience under their belt. One, I needed an actor eager and willing to work for free. Two, you need some tape to show an agency, or just something to put on your resume. It's a win-win. As long as you're not doing something exploitive, don't worry about getting paid for it. If this person makes money on it without your talent release, you have cause to sue, given of course that this person actually makes money on it.
If I can get the video done by this week, I'll post it here.
Back in my hometown in the Pacific Northwest, I went to a couple of these kind of agencies that required me to pay for photo sessions. That was part of the deal. No photos with their photographer, no chance at representation.
Unfortunately for those in Seattle, the opportunities are slim to none, so the agencies got away with it. I even went to an audition where the photographer wanted to charge me for "test" photos. I went for it, and yes, I was stupid, but at least the photos were decent. How much did I pay? $65, which was a decent amount of cash about 20 years ago. I've talked to a few others who came to LA from other hometowns and they had similar stories of checking out their local agencies, only to find they would pay more in upfront fees than they would ever make from bookings. The lucky ones saved their money and moved straight to LA. The unlucky ones wasted a few years getting had.
Recently, a neighbor asked me in the gym if I did some acting and he explained that he was thinking of getting into doing commercials on the side. I gave him my usual tips on headshots and getting an agent, but he was hesitant to do it because he had no experience. And then I told him to try it anyway.
About a couple weeks later, I found myself in the unusual position of having to direct a promo video for my church for one of the ministries I serve in. This may seem like small potatoes to you, but to me, the opportunity to challenge myself like this was too great to pass up. Plus, the HD camera I'd use would cost a would-be filmmaker quite a chunk of money. I somehow (God?) got the opportunity to write, direct, cast, shoot and edit my first video since college.
My neighbor also happened to go to my church, so I asked him to star in the promo. We shot it on Friday and I'm now in the process of editing — well, learning to edit — it. We'll see how it goes. I haven't directed or edited anything since college, so the learning curve will be huge.
But this video is a perfect example of how someone just starting out can get some experience under their belt. One, I needed an actor eager and willing to work for free. Two, you need some tape to show an agency, or just something to put on your resume. It's a win-win. As long as you're not doing something exploitive, don't worry about getting paid for it. If this person makes money on it without your talent release, you have cause to sue, given of course that this person actually makes money on it.
If I can get the video done by this week, I'll post it here.
Tuesday, September 07, 2010
First Union Job Since Being Back in Action
I got booked on an industrial video that shot last week. These are vids that are instructional in nature and used to illustrate various work and corporate situations. I've done a few for Von's and Safeway, as well as one where I was supposed to have a Chinese accent, so I donned my best Bruce Lee impersonation.
This one was for a pretty established company that sells its videos to companies on a piecemeal basis and then pays its SAG actors a small percentage of the proceeds. So yeah, there's a potential residual income involved.
How much did I get paid for the gig? It was a half-day booking for me: about $306, plus $19 for the wardrobe I brought in, and a "plus 10%" for my agent. But I was there a total of 2.5 hours, 1.5 of which I spent reading a book I brought along, just in case. Makeup took 10 minutes, changing 10 minutes. I shot for about 40 minutes, did the scene about 5 times with another person in the scene, and then the director wrapped.
At then end, just before wrapping, there was something they had to record that my AD friend called "wild sound" or "room tone." Everyone stands still with the mics hot and they record about 30 seconds. And sure enough, about 25 seconds into it, some wiseguy farts in the background. Man, I almost lost it.
This one was for a pretty established company that sells its videos to companies on a piecemeal basis and then pays its SAG actors a small percentage of the proceeds. So yeah, there's a potential residual income involved.
How much did I get paid for the gig? It was a half-day booking for me: about $306, plus $19 for the wardrobe I brought in, and a "plus 10%" for my agent. But I was there a total of 2.5 hours, 1.5 of which I spent reading a book I brought along, just in case. Makeup took 10 minutes, changing 10 minutes. I shot for about 40 minutes, did the scene about 5 times with another person in the scene, and then the director wrapped.
At then end, just before wrapping, there was something they had to record that my AD friend called "wild sound" or "room tone." Everyone stands still with the mics hot and they record about 30 seconds. And sure enough, about 25 seconds into it, some wiseguy farts in the background. Man, I almost lost it.
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Praying for Bookings
It's been a number of years since I've done this, and definitely things have changed, people have changed, casting has changed, audition notices have changed.
So when I see actors who I haven't seen in years tell me "You haven't changed a bit!" I get a little suspicious. I mean, sure, thanks for the compliment, but you can't tell me age has actually been so kind as to not have had any effect on me!
But there is a difference, and I'll be frank about it. When I started this blog, I had little clue about how long I'd last in this business. In fact, this was just a little experiment of mine to see how "the other side" did it, meaning the actors versus the writers. I still consider myself a writer first and foremost, and an actor not second but probably tenth in the grand scheme of things.
About three years ago, I met the right woman, well, Mrs. Right, and she got me thinking about what I believe in. And so I got baptized, in my 40s, in front of a great big congregation at a great big Christian church.
And so, now, I pray in Jesus' name for just about everything I do and hope to do, and that includes auditions, bookings, headshots, you name it, I pray for it, and then I thank the Lord for it afterward in gratitude. It's a crazy thing, well, for me anyway, knowing how big a selfish wretch I was before all of this.
In the 2 months since I've been back in the game, I've had at least 2 auditions each week, 3 callbacks and 1 booking for a print job that I can't really disclose. NDA sort of stuff, ya know?
What do I pray for? I don't often pray to get the job. I just pray for a really great audition, and I pray for God's beautiful light to shine down on me during it, so that I can look my best. But when I get close to the booking stage, that's when I get to being specific.
I just saw a couple of films as part of my Film & Theology course after church on Sundays. One was Stranger Than Fiction and the other was Book of Eli. I highly recommend them, no matter what you believe.
And if you should be curious about how I came to this crossroad, you can find me one place every Sunday, and I'll probably have some time to tell you all about it.
So when I see actors who I haven't seen in years tell me "You haven't changed a bit!" I get a little suspicious. I mean, sure, thanks for the compliment, but you can't tell me age has actually been so kind as to not have had any effect on me!
But there is a difference, and I'll be frank about it. When I started this blog, I had little clue about how long I'd last in this business. In fact, this was just a little experiment of mine to see how "the other side" did it, meaning the actors versus the writers. I still consider myself a writer first and foremost, and an actor not second but probably tenth in the grand scheme of things.
About three years ago, I met the right woman, well, Mrs. Right, and she got me thinking about what I believe in. And so I got baptized, in my 40s, in front of a great big congregation at a great big Christian church.
And so, now, I pray in Jesus' name for just about everything I do and hope to do, and that includes auditions, bookings, headshots, you name it, I pray for it, and then I thank the Lord for it afterward in gratitude. It's a crazy thing, well, for me anyway, knowing how big a selfish wretch I was before all of this.
In the 2 months since I've been back in the game, I've had at least 2 auditions each week, 3 callbacks and 1 booking for a print job that I can't really disclose. NDA sort of stuff, ya know?
What do I pray for? I don't often pray to get the job. I just pray for a really great audition, and I pray for God's beautiful light to shine down on me during it, so that I can look my best. But when I get close to the booking stage, that's when I get to being specific.
I just saw a couple of films as part of my Film & Theology course after church on Sundays. One was Stranger Than Fiction and the other was Book of Eli. I highly recommend them, no matter what you believe.
And if you should be curious about how I came to this crossroad, you can find me one place every Sunday, and I'll probably have some time to tell you all about it.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Maybe I Should Rethink This
I got new headshots done and put a couple of looks up on all my casting sites last Thursday. Then on Friday, I got two notices from my agent for auditions on Saturday. Say what?!
The first one was for a promo commercial for a cable channel and the second was a print audition. Both castings were on the west side and around the same time. Score!
But here's the problem: I got to the promo audition at 3:45 expecting to be finished before 4:40, the time of the print audition. Unfortunately, the casting was running late, and there were 10 people in front of me. To make matters worse, we were all supposed to run our lines with someone who would play our son—and only a couple of kids showed up!
I kindly asked the casting agent if I could run to the next "appointment" and come back, but she snapped, "We're only running till 4:20." I looked at my watch and it was 4:10. Great. So I'm pissing off the casting lady and I'm gonna be late for my 4:40, because there's no way she's getting through 10 people in 10 minutes!
I have to say that it's a good rule not to worry, even when you're running late. Because when you worry, you're bound to piss off someone. And if you piss off someone, just don't let it be the casting agent. Fortunately, she was too busy to even remember what I had said to her, and she was perfectly pleasant while running lines with me on camera.
The print audition was at the Barrington Recreation Center, which I've been to for a softball tournament. Unfortunately, there are 2 Barrington Rec Centers, a block away from the other. I got confused and wandered around in the parking lot for half an hour before a pretty woman in a red dress smiled and asked if I was there for an audition. She pointed the way down the street and totally saved my butt.
By the time I got signed in and stood in line, I was a good 45 minutes late. But it didn't seem to matter. A dozen people got in line after me.
After the auditions, I was famished. My wife was in Orange County visiting her parents, so I told her I was gonna get a burger and beer at the original Father's Office on Montana Street. If it's in the early evening, it's a good bet you can find a seat there and I did, right in front of the TV at the bar. I was so happy, I even ordered a side of fries.
The first one was for a promo commercial for a cable channel and the second was a print audition. Both castings were on the west side and around the same time. Score!
But here's the problem: I got to the promo audition at 3:45 expecting to be finished before 4:40, the time of the print audition. Unfortunately, the casting was running late, and there were 10 people in front of me. To make matters worse, we were all supposed to run our lines with someone who would play our son—and only a couple of kids showed up!
I kindly asked the casting agent if I could run to the next "appointment" and come back, but she snapped, "We're only running till 4:20." I looked at my watch and it was 4:10. Great. So I'm pissing off the casting lady and I'm gonna be late for my 4:40, because there's no way she's getting through 10 people in 10 minutes!
I have to say that it's a good rule not to worry, even when you're running late. Because when you worry, you're bound to piss off someone. And if you piss off someone, just don't let it be the casting agent. Fortunately, she was too busy to even remember what I had said to her, and she was perfectly pleasant while running lines with me on camera.
The print audition was at the Barrington Recreation Center, which I've been to for a softball tournament. Unfortunately, there are 2 Barrington Rec Centers, a block away from the other. I got confused and wandered around in the parking lot for half an hour before a pretty woman in a red dress smiled and asked if I was there for an audition. She pointed the way down the street and totally saved my butt.
By the time I got signed in and stood in line, I was a good 45 minutes late. But it didn't seem to matter. A dozen people got in line after me.
After the auditions, I was famished. My wife was in Orange County visiting her parents, so I told her I was gonna get a burger and beer at the original Father's Office on Montana Street. If it's in the early evening, it's a good bet you can find a seat there and I did, right in front of the TV at the bar. I was so happy, I even ordered a side of fries.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Back in Action! Out of Retirement!
Seriously, I'm back in the saddle again! Wasn't really expecting it this soon, but I'm back in the trenches, next to the other aging Asian guys, trying to make a living out of this thing. And, oh, am I ready for it...
Then again... the headshots. OLD! My casting sites, wow, there are now three of them they use regularly. Casting Frontier, LA Casting and Actors Access. These things take forever to set up. But I sent an email to my old agent (Bobby Ball Talent Agency) asking if they were interested in submitting me again. Amazingly, they gave an enthusiastic YES!
Unfortunately, my first commercial agent, Brandon (Brando) Olech, passed away last summer at a fairly young age. He was great. The coolest guy ever. Gave me some of the best advice in the world, and was always encouraging, to say the least. He was representing some rock bands, the last I heard. I'll miss him.
I'm trying to schedule some quick headshots with my photographer buddy, but he hasn't returned my text yet. He likes to do that to me for some reason. Go figure. He's another aging Asian guy.
Well, maybe I can use these old headshots for a while. Just tell the casting agent I'm having a little cold or something.
Then again... the headshots. OLD! My casting sites, wow, there are now three of them they use regularly. Casting Frontier, LA Casting and Actors Access. These things take forever to set up. But I sent an email to my old agent (Bobby Ball Talent Agency) asking if they were interested in submitting me again. Amazingly, they gave an enthusiastic YES!
Unfortunately, my first commercial agent, Brandon (Brando) Olech, passed away last summer at a fairly young age. He was great. The coolest guy ever. Gave me some of the best advice in the world, and was always encouraging, to say the least. He was representing some rock bands, the last I heard. I'll miss him.
I'm trying to schedule some quick headshots with my photographer buddy, but he hasn't returned my text yet. He likes to do that to me for some reason. Go figure. He's another aging Asian guy.
Well, maybe I can use these old headshots for a while. Just tell the casting agent I'm having a little cold or something.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Macho Like Helie
The Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Fest begins April 29 to May 8 this year, with films being screened in Hollywood, Little Tokyo and Koreatown. But being so removed from the Asian acting scene, I don't really know what movies anyone should see.
Usually, per the 6 or so times I've been to the fest, the opening and closing movies are the most popular, with a handful of interesting choices popping up here and there.
Author Helie Lee's Macho Like Me just might be one of those choices on May 5. The film stands out to me because I once participated in Helie's writing workshop and even ran into her documentary film crew on at least one occasion.
Helie, as a writer, is one of those live-it-first-then-write-about-it memoir types, and this was before the memoir was even popular. When she went to North Korea via China to rescue her long-lost uncle, I thought she had bigger cojones than anyone with a nut sac, including me. Especially me.
But when she brought up the idea of chopping off her long hair and getting butch for a documentary, I thought she was a bit, yeah, nuts. In fact, I told her so, and I think that probably fed her determination a bit. Okay, so I'm not particularly persuasive.
Now, more than a decade later, her doc is hitting the festival circuit and, frankly, I'm afraid to look. You'd think that after all these reality shows, I'd be jaded enough to watch something like this. Bored even. But no, I cringe at just the thought of it.
Yeah, I know what you're thinking. And I agree: I am (whatever you are thinking).
The festival's Opening Night Gala is at the DGA in Hollywood, and if you've never been to one, try to score a VIP ticket and get up close and personal with your favorite Asian American film or TV star. Believe it or not, there are actually quite a few of them these days.
Usually, per the 6 or so times I've been to the fest, the opening and closing movies are the most popular, with a handful of interesting choices popping up here and there.
Author Helie Lee's Macho Like Me just might be one of those choices on May 5. The film stands out to me because I once participated in Helie's writing workshop and even ran into her documentary film crew on at least one occasion.
Helie, as a writer, is one of those live-it-first-then-write-about-it memoir types, and this was before the memoir was even popular. When she went to North Korea via China to rescue her long-lost uncle, I thought she had bigger cojones than anyone with a nut sac, including me. Especially me.
But when she brought up the idea of chopping off her long hair and getting butch for a documentary, I thought she was a bit, yeah, nuts. In fact, I told her so, and I think that probably fed her determination a bit. Okay, so I'm not particularly persuasive.
Now, more than a decade later, her doc is hitting the festival circuit and, frankly, I'm afraid to look. You'd think that after all these reality shows, I'd be jaded enough to watch something like this. Bored even. But no, I cringe at just the thought of it.
Yeah, I know what you're thinking. And I agree: I am (whatever you are thinking).
The festival's Opening Night Gala is at the DGA in Hollywood, and if you've never been to one, try to score a VIP ticket and get up close and personal with your favorite Asian American film or TV star. Believe it or not, there are actually quite a few of them these days.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Polanski's 'Ghost'
It's unusual to go to a public movie theatre and only see Bernie Madoff types in the seats. Landmark Theatre is just such a place, and until recently, I didn't know how they could maintain such a clientele.
Last night, I saw The Ghost Writer at the Landmark, which, other than the Laemmle, is one of the few theatres in the city that show first-run independently distributed arthouse-type movies.
On the way up the escalator from the parking lot, my wife asked why I wanted to see the movie. I said it was because of a review from Kenneth Turan in the Times. She then asked what the movie was about, but I didn't know because I stopped reading the review after the first couple of sentences when he called it "Polanski's best work in quite a while."
After the movie, my wife wondered how the director could get away with filming at all the locations, since it's set in both the East Coast and the UK.
It's a great point, because to put those kinds of limitations on an artist -- i.e., shoot your film only where you can't get arrested -- is amazing. It reminds me of how my dad made me take photos as a young photography student using a manual-everything Nikon F without a zoom lens. I know it's a stretch, but you try shooting cheerleaders at a football game with a standard lens. It just can't be done!
The plot grabs you from the beginning of the movie, with Ewan McGregor as the Ghost as well as the perfect Everyman. Pierce Brosnan was excellent as the Tony Blair-like former Prime Minister Adam Lang, but the most interesting casting choice had to be Kim Cattrall in a British accent as Lang's executive assistant. I am sure her performance will be debated, but in terms of story shorthand, I have to applaud the choice. There's subtext to her role that would be difficult to understand without her actor backstory.
Mr. McGregor's assignment is to ghost write an autobiography for Adam Lang, or rather, to take an autobiography already written by the previous ghost writer and rewrite it. Thus begins both an adventure and a mystery, in which the protagonist unwillingly needs to figure out what happened to the previous ghost and why it happened.
I love how filmmakers these days -- Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and Woody Allen's Match Point -- build tension and keep it tight until the very end, and Ghost is no different.
As for the Landmark Theatre and getting a seat, well, that's another mystery I'd like to reveal. You just have to know how to operate the system: purchase tickets in advance. How much in advance? Try at least one day in advance, as all the seats are reserved, and no one buys a seat in advance if it's for a seat in the first row.
But here's the thing. Bernie Madoff types get to be that way not because they spend money, but because they save it. So buy your passes in advance at a discount, then physically go to the theatre and use the passes to get the best seats in the house -- one week in advance! It works great when you watch a film and then buy your reserved seats for the following week. In the comfort of their stadium-style leather seats, it's just like having your own private screening room.
Last night, I saw The Ghost Writer at the Landmark, which, other than the Laemmle, is one of the few theatres in the city that show first-run independently distributed arthouse-type movies.
On the way up the escalator from the parking lot, my wife asked why I wanted to see the movie. I said it was because of a review from Kenneth Turan in the Times. She then asked what the movie was about, but I didn't know because I stopped reading the review after the first couple of sentences when he called it "Polanski's best work in quite a while."
After the movie, my wife wondered how the director could get away with filming at all the locations, since it's set in both the East Coast and the UK.
It's a great point, because to put those kinds of limitations on an artist -- i.e., shoot your film only where you can't get arrested -- is amazing. It reminds me of how my dad made me take photos as a young photography student using a manual-everything Nikon F without a zoom lens. I know it's a stretch, but you try shooting cheerleaders at a football game with a standard lens. It just can't be done!
The plot grabs you from the beginning of the movie, with Ewan McGregor as the Ghost as well as the perfect Everyman. Pierce Brosnan was excellent as the Tony Blair-like former Prime Minister Adam Lang, but the most interesting casting choice had to be Kim Cattrall in a British accent as Lang's executive assistant. I am sure her performance will be debated, but in terms of story shorthand, I have to applaud the choice. There's subtext to her role that would be difficult to understand without her actor backstory.
Mr. McGregor's assignment is to ghost write an autobiography for Adam Lang, or rather, to take an autobiography already written by the previous ghost writer and rewrite it. Thus begins both an adventure and a mystery, in which the protagonist unwillingly needs to figure out what happened to the previous ghost and why it happened.
I love how filmmakers these days -- Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds and Woody Allen's Match Point -- build tension and keep it tight until the very end, and Ghost is no different.
As for the Landmark Theatre and getting a seat, well, that's another mystery I'd like to reveal. You just have to know how to operate the system: purchase tickets in advance. How much in advance? Try at least one day in advance, as all the seats are reserved, and no one buys a seat in advance if it's for a seat in the first row.
But here's the thing. Bernie Madoff types get to be that way not because they spend money, but because they save it. So buy your passes in advance at a discount, then physically go to the theatre and use the passes to get the best seats in the house -- one week in advance! It works great when you watch a film and then buy your reserved seats for the following week. In the comfort of their stadium-style leather seats, it's just like having your own private screening room.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Something I Came Across
I was copyediting a press kit recently and happened to look up Anjelica Huston on Wikipedia. If you scroll down on the site, you'll see a note about her personal life, including a long-term relationship with Jack Nicholson.
Just below that is a note about Roman Polanski's alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl. Apparently, the rape took place in Nicholson's home. The reason it's on this page to begin with is that Ms. Huston was a witness for the prosecution back in 1977, saying she unexpectedly saw both the girl and the director at the home after an impromptu visit.
FYI, Wikipedia could use your donation, so please send them a few bucks if you can afford it.
God Bless and Happy New Year.
Just below that is a note about Roman Polanski's alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl. Apparently, the rape took place in Nicholson's home. The reason it's on this page to begin with is that Ms. Huston was a witness for the prosecution back in 1977, saying she unexpectedly saw both the girl and the director at the home after an impromptu visit.
FYI, Wikipedia could use your donation, so please send them a few bucks if you can afford it.
God Bless and Happy New Year.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Wish I Saw This 20 Years Ago
About 20 Halloweens ago, I dressed up as Michael Jackson, complete with white glove and jerry curl wig. I must've practiced those Thriller moves a million times, prepping for my Halloween debut. But the one move I never seemed to master was the most famous of MJ's moves, the Moonwalk. Ah, if only.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
My New Hero
My new hero, Roger Fan, airs his complaints about the Hollywood Establishment (HE) in a blog he and some colleagues have been maintaining. It's a must-read for any Asian looking to start a career in Hollywood as an actor. If you're already here, you already know this stuff, but it's enjoyable nevertheless. Of course, most of you actors will continue to take what little scraps are fed you anyway, but at least we can join along in the tirade. In fact, many of the comments are by other Asian actors.
Roger, by the way, was the one who helped me find my way in this business originally. He told me how to take a headshot, how to locate agents to send my headshot, and what to generally expect in this business. I totally respect Roger's path in this business, as he has done whatever it takes to achieve his level of success.
It does ring familiar, however. Back about a decade ago, an old friend, Steve Park, wrote a mission statement to the HE after a rather insensitive (and subtly racist) comment by an assistant director on the set of Friends.
Steve's statement was subsequently reprinted and rementioned about a million times until Mr. Park was forced to walk his talk by quitting the whole Hollywood thing and moving to New York. I miss Steve and his friendship, and I also miss his acting. He once asked me to write an editorial about his role in the movie Fargo, and I quickly obliged.
I just hope that Roger will retain some anonymity through his blog, as I doubt he intended for this commentary to reach as far as Mr. Park's did. Then again, maybe he had finally reached his limit.
Roger, by the way, was the one who helped me find my way in this business originally. He told me how to take a headshot, how to locate agents to send my headshot, and what to generally expect in this business. I totally respect Roger's path in this business, as he has done whatever it takes to achieve his level of success.
It does ring familiar, however. Back about a decade ago, an old friend, Steve Park, wrote a mission statement to the HE after a rather insensitive (and subtly racist) comment by an assistant director on the set of Friends.
Steve's statement was subsequently reprinted and rementioned about a million times until Mr. Park was forced to walk his talk by quitting the whole Hollywood thing and moving to New York. I miss Steve and his friendship, and I also miss his acting. He once asked me to write an editorial about his role in the movie Fargo, and I quickly obliged.
I just hope that Roger will retain some anonymity through his blog, as I doubt he intended for this commentary to reach as far as Mr. Park's did. Then again, maybe he had finally reached his limit.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Nasal Wash Addiction
This is less gross than you might think. Then again, maybe it's because my old roommate used to wash his nasal passages with a neti pot every day in the kitchen sink. Now that's gross.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Oddly Mesmerizing
I don't know the entire story on this, but some Japanese guy attaches electrodes to his face and syncs it with electronic music, at least that's what he decided to do with four of his friends. See their reaction at the end.
I can see this sort of thing catching on at a club, for some reason. Maybe it already has. I haven't been to a club in ages.
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Not So Stupid Today
What's amazing about today's Amazing Race is that all the white people are the dumb ones, both intellectually and skillfully. I mean, who doesn't know who Chekhov is? Two attempts at spelling it, tops, and you're done. Do I feel sorry for the deaf kid and his mother? No, because they're not at a disadvantage here. In fact, reading should be his strength. And after he and his mom put a U-Turn on that dating couple? I gotta say they get no sympathy points.
By the way, did you see the Chevy Traverse commercial that aired during the show? The one where the little girl points her finger, just to the left of Howie Long's crotch, and says, "That's a big girl car!" Ah, heck, I'll post it.
Was the intent here to be viral? I gotta wonder. Otherwise, it's just sick, and I guess that makes me sick for catching it.
Back to Amazing Race. This one, the Asians were on their best behavior, and they finished well above last place. Education, that great equalizer, put them back in the race, and good behavior kept them from falling out of it.
So, yeah, my people made me proud. Today, at least. ;)
By the way, did you see the Chevy Traverse commercial that aired during the show? The one where the little girl points her finger, just to the left of Howie Long's crotch, and says, "That's a big girl car!" Ah, heck, I'll post it.
Was the intent here to be viral? I gotta wonder. Otherwise, it's just sick, and I guess that makes me sick for catching it.
Back to Amazing Race. This one, the Asians were on their best behavior, and they finished well above last place. Education, that great equalizer, put them back in the race, and good behavior kept them from falling out of it.
So, yeah, my people made me proud. Today, at least. ;)
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Stupid Asian People
Watching The Amazing Race in utter amazement. I love this show, by the way. They pick some interesting participants. Last season featured a mother and her son, two annoying frat brothers, two blonde bimbos, and an older husband and wife who were separated. The mother and son were great in how supportive and patient they were to each other, while the frat boys got more irritating each show, culminating with the most ridiculous military training attempt in history.
This season features an Asian brother and sister who are also lawyers. Clearly Americanized, they appear either Vietnamese or Chinese. As I watch, the Asian guy, Victor, is insisting on continuing to go up the wrong path and follow the wrong signs. "I think we would be making a serious mistake if we don't continue on this path," he says. Meanwhile, his sister, Tammy, is being as patient and mature as she can, and finally just relents, "Okay, Victor, let's keep doing it your way."
Unfortunately, we get to see this team another week as they finished second to last place.
In other news, I went to my writing class, "Movies & Memoir," on Saturday and went through some short 6-minute writing exercises. Afterward, we all read our work and get some comments by the teacher and, later, by the other class attendees.
I had some resistance to going to this class, but only because I've had some bad experiences in the past with going to writing classes. I realize now it's probably because those classes were taught by Asians. I know that's a big statement, but I'm standing behind it.
First of all, if you take a class and see an Asian female playwright named Judy Soohoo, get the hell out of the class. I suspected she had "borrowed" from my work, but when I later interviewed her for a news article on a play she was debuting for a new theatre company, she admitted to borrowing heavily from more famous playwrights, both living and dead. Apparently, she is in the habit of doing this, and it doesn't matter if you've published your work or not. There's just too much of this kind of "borrowing" going around in the publishing world to walk into a class and just give it away to someone who admits to using others for inspiration.
The class I went to on Saturday was filled with white folks, including both instructors in the program. They find terms such as katas and samurai to be exotic, which makes me smile. They are also very good when it comes to analyzing the work.
In regards to my earlier statement on Asian instructors, I also don't recommend going to a class where the instructor says that you "flush" out your work and its characters. You don't flush those things out unless you got shit for brains or are writing about shit.
One last note before I head down to the gym. I got a reuse/holding fee for the commercial I did back in October of 1997. In fact, I'll be getting another in a week or so as it seems the previous reuse/holding check got lost in the mail. I called my old agency and they confirmed there was an outstanding check mailed to me.
So, anyway, at least I'm still in the game. Hardly, but I'll take what I can get. Cheers!
This season features an Asian brother and sister who are also lawyers. Clearly Americanized, they appear either Vietnamese or Chinese. As I watch, the Asian guy, Victor, is insisting on continuing to go up the wrong path and follow the wrong signs. "I think we would be making a serious mistake if we don't continue on this path," he says. Meanwhile, his sister, Tammy, is being as patient and mature as she can, and finally just relents, "Okay, Victor, let's keep doing it your way."
Unfortunately, we get to see this team another week as they finished second to last place.
In other news, I went to my writing class, "Movies & Memoir," on Saturday and went through some short 6-minute writing exercises. Afterward, we all read our work and get some comments by the teacher and, later, by the other class attendees.
I had some resistance to going to this class, but only because I've had some bad experiences in the past with going to writing classes. I realize now it's probably because those classes were taught by Asians. I know that's a big statement, but I'm standing behind it.
First of all, if you take a class and see an Asian female playwright named Judy Soohoo, get the hell out of the class. I suspected she had "borrowed" from my work, but when I later interviewed her for a news article on a play she was debuting for a new theatre company, she admitted to borrowing heavily from more famous playwrights, both living and dead. Apparently, she is in the habit of doing this, and it doesn't matter if you've published your work or not. There's just too much of this kind of "borrowing" going around in the publishing world to walk into a class and just give it away to someone who admits to using others for inspiration.
The class I went to on Saturday was filled with white folks, including both instructors in the program. They find terms such as katas and samurai to be exotic, which makes me smile. They are also very good when it comes to analyzing the work.
In regards to my earlier statement on Asian instructors, I also don't recommend going to a class where the instructor says that you "flush" out your work and its characters. You don't flush those things out unless you got shit for brains or are writing about shit.
One last note before I head down to the gym. I got a reuse/holding fee for the commercial I did back in October of 1997. In fact, I'll be getting another in a week or so as it seems the previous reuse/holding check got lost in the mail. I called my old agency and they confirmed there was an outstanding check mailed to me.
So, anyway, at least I'm still in the game. Hardly, but I'll take what I can get. Cheers!
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Clearing the Dust
It's been a while since I've posted here. Call it laziness and ennui (with the site and the topic, hence my life). It's been so long since I've auditioned for anything that I think it's useless to keep writing about it.
But then there's this... I've decided to explore fiction writing again. In fact, I signed up for my first writing class since, like, forever!
I don't know what inspiration is left in the well, to be frank. But perhaps I'll blog about what it means for me to be a struggling Asian writer in Hollywood. (Boy, sounds fun already!)
I suppose I'll mention the many bottles of wine I've been uncorking for ideas. Just hope the genies will be gentle at first. I've got a lot of rust to shake off.
In regards to the wine, I'll recommend one of my latest inspirations. Montepulciano. It's a deeply purple red wine with very few tannins that goes great with burgers and such. You can try one at Blue Dahlia for about $7 a glass. They serve what I think is a 2007 Farnese. But for a real treat, go out to your nearest wine store and locate a bottle of 2005 Kurni.
OK, happy 2009 everyone, and happy year of the ox to everyone else. ;)
But then there's this... I've decided to explore fiction writing again. In fact, I signed up for my first writing class since, like, forever!
I don't know what inspiration is left in the well, to be frank. But perhaps I'll blog about what it means for me to be a struggling Asian writer in Hollywood. (Boy, sounds fun already!)
I suppose I'll mention the many bottles of wine I've been uncorking for ideas. Just hope the genies will be gentle at first. I've got a lot of rust to shake off.
In regards to the wine, I'll recommend one of my latest inspirations. Montepulciano. It's a deeply purple red wine with very few tannins that goes great with burgers and such. You can try one at Blue Dahlia for about $7 a glass. They serve what I think is a 2007 Farnese. But for a real treat, go out to your nearest wine store and locate a bottle of 2005 Kurni.
OK, happy 2009 everyone, and happy year of the ox to everyone else. ;)
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Sunday, November 23, 2008
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