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Volume: 2, Issue: 13
Copyright 2006 by Phillip Moon
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Piffy Comments
Well, things are still slow around here. After a week of no work, Linda got me booked on The Suite Life for Friday, and next Tuesday I'll be working on a movie with Robin Williams (assuming he is working that day). Hiatus really is hard on the life style. Thank goodness for road kill. I attended my first Commercial Class and this will be included as part of the whole acting experience, though I will admit to having hoped to miss the old "starving actor" thing. Course, I'll have to lose some weight to qualify for a place in "Starving Actors Weekly", so no room to complain yet. Hope you are all doing well.

Phil...

Date: April 28/May 2, 2006
Show: Monk
Episode: Mr. Monk and the Big Game
Location: Van Nuys, Birmingham School

This was a fun episode to watch film, most of the two days filming it were spent in the gym of the school, where a contest between two basketball teams was taking place, and at the same time, Monk was trying to figure out who the killer was while co-coaching the team on which Natalie's daughter, Julie (Emmy Clarke), played.

Some of the basketball teams players were minors, but many were actors who were “18 to play younger”. In this case to look 14 yrs. to 16 yrs old. There can be a lot of work for an actor who looks younger that 18 yrs., and in T.V. that means they can get more work out of them. Emmy Clarke is 14 yrs. old, and that means she works an eight hour day, and goes home. Period. No O.T.! All of the shots that needed the girls under 18 (the minors) were shot early, since most of them had a 8:00 am or 9:00 am calls.

This episode focuses on a game that requires skill, and so, coaches were brought in to work with the girls on getting the moves on court down. The other way this was accomplished was with those “18 to look younger” actors who were also skilled basketball players in real life. One girl had even been offered a spot on her college team. This meant that the teams looked like they could really play, and clearly they could. Between quick moves on the court, and spinning the ball on one finger, the ringers clearly brought a reality with them, that helped the scene, and at the same time, livened up the filming.

There is a pivotal moment in the show when Julie makes a basket, and then right on top of that one, the ball goes to the other team where Number 5 on the Bee's team shoots from mid-court to score three points for her team. Now remember that Julie, played by Emmy, is shorter than almost all of the other players, and is an actress, not a basketball player. She spent many a free moment practicing her shot between takes trying, and failing to make that basket. When the time came to shoot the scene, the ball is passed to her, she gets to the basket and shoots the ball, missing. This is where we would do a “rolling reset”, that is to say, everyone would return to one (back to their beginning marks) and do the scene again without a cut. We did that three more times and Emmy made her shot. As requested, the Cougar fans (her school mascot is the cougar) go wild. Now for the other sides moment.

Number 5, a basketball player and “18 to look younger” actor stands mid-court and shoots the ball between takes to get ready for her moment. She too, misses each of the shots she took. She had time to make three or four shots before they called picture up, and everyone was ready to film. On action, one of her teammates passes the ball to her and she steps to center court and shoots the ball across the distance to the basket, where she makes the shot in one. The Bees fans went wild and jumped up and down, and in short made for a good take. When the Director called cut, the background gave the young lady a standing ovation.

During the filming, the girls would have to do all those shots that have them running back and forth across the court, first one team running with the ball and then the other. Those are the ones that will be used willy nilly to make it look like a real game. The fun part was, that every once in a while, one of the girls moving toward their basket would lose control of the ball, and one of the others would take it down to their basket and try to score. None of this was scripted, and the BG would cheer the actor/player on. Because it added to the “real” feel of the shots, the Director would let the girls ad-lib this way.

I've mentioned before that Tony Shalhoub seemed like a nice guy on set, and that was again the impression here, as he made a point of shaking the hands of each of the girls on the basketball teams as he met them for the first time on set, a courtesy he extended to some of the BG who where seated near him during the shoot.

And finally, there is Denny Dormody (dennydormody.com), a background actor and author, who brings his published book to set and asks other BG actors to read a chapter and comment. Seems he got this notion to write about his experiences as a background actor. Hummmm...who knew there could be a book in this somewhere?

Date: May 1, 2006
Show: The OC
Episode: Graduates
Location: Mount St. Marys Collage

This is the same episode that I worked last week, and so, I find it funny that last week I was a Yacht Club Member and this week, I am a High School teacher at New Port High (the school that all the rich kids attend). Actually, I was supposed to be a parent, but someone on set decided they wanted only two teachers on the stage (instead of three) with the principal, Dr. Kim, played by Rosalind Chao (Star Trek: DS9 and What Dreams May Come) and they went with one of the Regular BG actors (Christina) who has been on the show forever, and me. Why me? We never found out. The other two BG actors have been on the show as teachers as long as Christina, and knew the AD's and other crew members, so sometimes, it's not who you know, but what you look like, and this time, it seems I may have had the look they wanted.

Most of the day was spent on the set, sitting on the stage with Christina and Rosalind, with breaks in BG holding, chatting with other background actors. There was almost no other choice as to what to do because the phone service was almost nil up on Mount St. Mary's hill.

I really enjoyed talking to Rosalind, breaking the ice with my comment about how much Jessica and I enjoyed “What Dreams May Come”, a film that she had done with Robin Williams. Later, I was sitting on the stage, waiting for the other two to join me, when the 2nd AD came up and told me that I would hand the Diploma's out to Rosalind, who would then call out the “Students” name and hand the diploma to them as they came up on stage. This meant getting into the shots with Rosalind and at one point, getting my hands featured as I handed off one of the diplomas to her. We did the shot in one take, and Rosalind said how wonderful I was, and I told her she was my inspiration, and we gushed over each other for a few more seconds before going on to shoot other angles. After many hours of sitting in the sun, Rosalind said she was ready to go home and that she thought I was ready to move up in the world, and the administration of the school, and I could take her place. I asked her if that meant I would also have to tell the Director she was leaving. She said yes, and I declined politely.

Ian Toynton was the Director, and I know I have worked with him before, but just can't place where. In a profession known for multiple takes on everything, it was great working with this Director, because he did mostly two to four takes and then moved on. On several occasions, he did one take and that was it. If he did more than three or four, it was usually because an actor asked for one more.

This is not a show I watch, but I have noticed that the actors seem to enjoy working, and working together, and that helps make for a very nice set.

Date: May 3, 2006
Show: Commercial Acting Class
Episode: First Class
Location: Daphney Kirby's studio

One of the things that I learned as a working Magician for so many years was how to perform in front of strangers. Still, performing cold, before people I don't know is just a tad bit uncomfortable. Daphney Kirby is a Casting Director, and someone that I would normally go to, to get a job. When an actor goes in to audition, Daphney, or someone like her will be there to decide if you will be the one. While taking this class, she is the one who will help me understand what the casting director for a commercial wants, and how I can give it to them.

There are exercises that we perform in class, starting with expressing our genuine love of a product we have never seen, with words that will likely never show up in a dictionary, and we must pick one of these words and repeat them many times, each time differently and with intent. Almost right up there with “being a tree” as one of my favorite things to do in acting class. Still, there is a reason for it, and so, having put forth my intent to complete this class (and thus make best use of my non-refundable fee), I figure out how to say “sweet and spicy” (the only real words in the group) in ways that do not come natural to most people. How would you say “sweet and spicy” like a Baptist preacher or a square dance caller? Uh huh. Not so easy.

All of this is done before a camera, and about 20 other people, all of whom are hoping to be the best one in the class. See that's what we actors do. We want to see others succeed, but we also want to get there first, so we can give them that helping hand up.

One of the other exercises we did included improvisation. We are in a scene, we are to talk about whatever, and then, on cue, we are to respond to something that we imagine is happening a few feet away. Improvisation is tricky if you have never done it, but I have, and I enjoy improv. Better yet, the young man that did this exercise with me was also an improv fan. Made for a good bit, and helped me relax in this room full of strangers.

There may come a point when I don't have to take acting classes. Maybe, I will get that sitcom gig, or a continuing roll on the next big dramedy. I might even get a repeating national commercial that allows me to retire in style, but...it is really about improving my ability to get the job in the first place, and that is what I hope to do, so to acting class I go