The week is over…shooting is not.

Posted on June 27, 2009

Hey guys and gals!

What a week.  I have had one of the best times of my life and I will remember this experience and these people forever.  We have more to shoot on Sunday…the montage for the opening credits.  We’re shooting it at the Sigma Nu house at UCLA…which is hilarious since I was a Sigma Nu for the one semester I was at ETSU.

Shooting has been great.  I caught you up on the first day.  The second was more of the same.  My huge fall went okay.  I started out jumping off the TV onto a crash pad, but it just wasn’t looking right…it looked like I was jumping instead of falling.  Finally, a guy got behind the TV and they said, “Don’t jump.”  So I didn’t.  He pushed the TV, and my life flashed before my eyes.  When he pushed the TV, I went backwards and landed safely a few inches from the fallen big screen.  Since I was scared shitless, it was hilarious, they loved it, and we moved on…after we dried the dribble of pee from my  pants.

On Thursday it was crazy because of Farrah, and then because of MJ.  But we got through it, and we did my favorite scene when I dance with a hot black chick and offend her by singing along to a rap song that has the “N” word in it.  Really funny stuff.  I am so thankful for those years of dance I took as a kid…kinda.  I was getting so into the dancing that my pants ripped, and I mean I split the hell out of them.  All the way up the back.  The room of 50 people erupted in laughter, and I was totally embarrassed.  I felt like a kid again with people pointing and laughing.  The director loved it, and we kept shooting.  Eventually the pants got mended, but I caught a draft for a while there.

Today was again, wonderful, but kinda sad as some of the cast and crew won’t be there on Sunday.  I was pampered by hair and makeup and even art department as you can see in the picture.

Man, I want this to continue.  I hope this momentum keeps up and I can book some more stuff.  Working is AWESOME!!!  I hope I can find a manager to help push me along as well.  We’ll see.  If you’re a manager, let’s meet!!!

I’m already missing it.  We won’t know for a very long time if it gets picked up…like til September.  There’s another post-college show up for Comedy Central’s fall lineup called “My Secret Girlfriend” that’s in the same vein as “22″, but not entirely the same.  We’ll see.  Please keep good thoughts and prayers going for me.  I hope to keep working, and I hope this gets picked up and I have a job…for a season at least!!!

Thanks for reading!!!

“22″ Day 1 shooting…for me…and more

Posted on June 24, 2009

What an incredible day.  Everything is right with the world.  And we all feel it.  All the actors.  We’re in our skin.  Doing what we’re meant to do.  Like a hawk on the thermals or a Rainbow Trout in the river…and we are living the life out of every second.

Things have been great.  Last week on Thursday night we all went out drinking at the Powerhouse in Hollywood.  Boozing and bonding ensued.  As the pilot is about post-collegiate fraternizing bros, what better way to bond?  We had a blast.  Took shots.  Threw darts.  Made a homeless friend named Royal who came in and had some beers with us.  The bartenders kept asking all of us if he was with us…we kept saying “Hell yea!  That’s Royal!”  It was really shitty how they were treating him so inhumanely…I mean, it may be they crappiest (in a good way) dive bar in Hollywood.  People should be treated like people, regardless.

Anyway, the next day we had a rehearsal at a bar we will shoot at this Thursday and Friday…the Little Joy in Silver Lake.  Most of us were moving pretty slowly due to the previous nights shenanigans.  I got kinda worried that the director and producer thought we were bringing our best…which we weren’t.  Truthfully, I thought the rehearsal was going to be more for camera setups and stuff.  As I have said before…I hate to be unprofessional.  So we decided to meet again on Saturday for a couple of read throughs.  They were really helpful, and I couldn’t feel closer to these guys…unless we were all on a crab boat in the Bering Sea (I’m a Deadliest Catch fan)

Saturday night/Sunday morning I went camping at McGrath State Beach and had a blast.

I was off Monday (they shot scenes I wasn’t in), and so I went to see WILCO with my great buddy Andrew.  I had 4 tickets for tonight (6/23) as well, but I just didn’t think I could work it into the hectic shoot schedule.  I got them sold and that was that.

So, I woke up today and had a kick ass breakfast, had to be at set at 10:15am.  They put me in wardrobe…makeup…yes, some base, anyway.  We started shooting.

I just have to tell you that I love everyone.  Nicole and Debbie in wardrobe, the other actors (Jordan, Will, and Nick), the AD’s…Coz and JP, Kendra in make-up, Jon, Scott, and Eli running camera, Ryan the Bears-fan sound guy, Todd, Dan, and Paul, Elvis, Hillary, and the amazing Art Department, the Jens, Marissa, G and E, Sandy, Jared and all the P.A.’s who are awesome!  I P.A’d for years so my heart goes out.

I mean, I love these people.  Truly.  I am having a blast!  I just want to hug everyone, and tell them what a great job they’re doing.  Cause they are!  It’s so much fun, and we got everything done in 12 hours…the norm.  I mean, most pilots have 2 weeks…we have 5 days!!!  Everyone is doing great work.

The highlight of my day was the shot where we walk to a club…me and Nick Rutherford (Matt).  It’s the money slow-mo shot of us walking down the street…a la Reservoir Dogs, Napolean Dynamyite, and, many, many other flicks.  I’m a bit worried abou a fall I have to do tomorrow morning where I surf a TV on a stand, the stand breaks, and I fall about 6 feet onto a crash pad.  I’M not really nervous…but everyone else is which makes me nervous.

So there’s an update.  I’m not a fast typist so this has taken me awhile, and I have to be up at set at 8:45 am.  I’ll send more stuff soon.

Hope you are great!!!  Thanks for reading!!!!

The Day After

Posted on June 18, 2009

The initial shock has worn off, and total thankfulness and humility have come in.  I hope I suck the juice out of every moment this experience provides, and blogging helps me do just that.

Today I was late for my fitting in the morning because Kobe Bryant is so awesome.  The Lakers had a big hoopla at the Colliseum and the 110 was a nightmare.  I was so nervous, but it turns out the wardrobe people were late too.  I hate being unprofessional, but I gave myself an hour for a 30 minute trip and was still late.  Turns out it didn’t matter, because we were all late, they couldn’t fit me in before their production meeting anyway.  But that’s okay, I had an opportunity to go over my lines…next to the original “I Love Lucy” soundstage!!!  I thought of my twin sisters.  They always loved Lucy…pun intended.

After that I went to Sam French (a bookstore for actors) and picked up Scott Sedita’s book on comedy.  I was so impressed I called and booked him for an hour tomorrow of one on one time to work on my scenes.  I hope it goes well and he can give me some more perspective.

Later I went to Dan’s (one of the writer/producers) house.  It was awesome.  We did a read-through with Tom (director) and Paul (another writer/producer).  Meeting the other actors was a trip.  I had read with most of them in the audition process, and I really think they got some of the best comedy people around.  All the guys are hilarious, and we jive really well.  Each is perfect for his part.  Kudos to Joe Blake for awesome casting.  We’re all going out tomorrow night for drinks/bonding since we’re supposed to have been friends for 6 years or more in the script…we’re gonna cram it all into one night!

YYYEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry.  Had to get that out.

I am so overwhelmed…in a great way.  So thankful.  Excited.  But I need to stay excited about what’s in front of me.  I’m a working actor, working on a great script, with some of the most talented people around, and getting paid for it.  Life is definitely great!

But…when I think of what it might be…a series…not just a week of work, but months.  Great money…but more…a career.

This could be the big break.  It’s just hard not to become a “what if” junkie.  What if I get paid enough to pay off my student loans?  What if I get to do a movie with my comedic heroes because I get on a Comedy Central show?  But there’s a downside…What if the show doesn’t get picked up?  Or what if it does and they re-cast my part because I’m not fat enough…or worse…because I’m not funny?

Enjoy that trip down my cerebellum for a minute?

Just want to let you guys in.  That’s the point of all this anyway, isn’t it?  Anyway, thanks for reading.  Hope to write more soon.

AWESOMENESS!!!!

Posted on June 17, 2009

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That was me.  So excited I slapped my hands on the keyboard.  Guys and gals, I just booked a pilot!

…a sitcom.

…for Comedy Central.

I really can’t express my utter elation right now.  I’ve been wanting to update you, but I was on hold…they weren’t sure…I had 3 callbacks, then they wanted me to get a lot fatter…still do.  I’m on a Whopper, Big Mac and PBR only diet right now.

But I booked it.

So, hopefully we’ll shoot the pilot next week, Comedy Central will love it, and we’ll shoot a season!  I’m on hold for the next 3 months!  Wooooooohooooooooo!

It’s called 22.  No, it’s not a 24 spoof as I originally thought.  It’s about these 4 friends post-college.  They mainly chase chicks and drink all the time.  Reminds me of me when I was…well, nevermind.

So, I’ll keep you updated as much as I can.  I have a fitting tomorrow, and then I don’t know what else….

It’s funny.  I remember doing PA work for these people from Comedy Central.  They would come out from New York and we would shoot commercial promos for the shows.  Mind of Mencia, and a bunch for Reno 911.  Now some punk’ll be getting ME green peanut M&M’s and latte’s sprinkled with caviar!!!!! MOUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!! (evil laugh)

Ahem.  Humility Matt…humility, bro.

I’m just aghast, truthfully.  It comes in waves of excitement and then true disbelief.  Thanks for reading!  Check back!!!

God is good.

Jonah and the gym

Posted on June 6, 2009

Hey peoples!

Been awhile since my last update.  It’s been pretty slow.  LA tends to go into “hiatus” in the summer, but some things have been happening here and there.

I’ve had a couple of commercial auditions to no avail…no pun intended.  Voice-Over auditions have been pretty steady.  A ton of video games.  No news on the looping front, but I really want to get into a loop group.  I’ve kinda hit a wall there and am unsure of what next steps to take.  I’m assembling a home studio so I don’t have to go all the way to the office 3-4 times a week for VO auditions.  That’ll help the gas budget quite a bit.

I haven’t decided on a manager yet.  I have another meeting this Tuesday, and I’ll decide after that, I guess.  But hopefully this SAG contract will be approved (I voted YES, though it’s really a horrendous contract) and we’ll get more opportunities for work.  There are a ton of films on hold until the contract is approved, so those will get greenlit when it passes.  It’s a strange time in the industry.  Celebrities are doing TV and even commercials because of the lack of work.  This means that up and comers like me get less opportunities.  Also Endeavor just merged with William Morris.  Many actors lost representation and many agents lost jobs.  Seems like everything is shrinking.  But I remain optimistic and hopeful.

I had a theatrical audition on my birthday…last Tuesday, and I have a call back on Monday!   I’m really excited.  It’s a pilot produced by Adam Corrolla and Jimmy Kimmel called 22.  A sitcom about 4 guys post-college.  The script is really funny, and this could be a great in with some great comedy people.  As much as I like dramatic stuff, I am comedy.  I look it, and not to sound arrogant, but I do it quite well.  I’m starting to market myself predominantly as a comedy guy.  This means joining sketch troupes and focusing my casting director workshops to people that cast sitcoms…How I met Your Mother, 30 Rock,  and 2 1/2 Men as opposed to 24, Lost, and CSI, for example.

Anyway, I’d appreciate some good thoughts and prayers for the callback Monday.  I’m scared I’m not fat enough.  LOL.  They may be looking for more of a Jonah Hill as opposed to a Seth Rogan.  All of this has sent me back to the gym so that I can be in more of a Paul Rudd, Jason Segel shape…if that’s possible.

Hope all is well with you and yours!!!  Thanks for reading!

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