An Actor looks at vor v zakone

I enjoy good Thai, Mexican and Indian food. When I eat spicy food, I want to be able to taste the food, not just the heat. Bad food that's overloaded with hot spices does not magically become good or notable food. When I go to a club to see a standup comic, I want to laugh. I'm not a prude, if the joke truly calls for vulgarity in some form or another, fine. But, I vividly remember a performance at Spin's in Midvale in the '90's where the comic seemed to believe that stupid jokes became funny with the addition of an "F" bomb thrown into every other sentence. Finally, if violence, sex or nudity is obviously an integral part of a story, I understand. I say this because "G" and I watched "Eastern Promises" the other night and, well it's VIOLENT!

Before I read the Wikipedia article on the film, I speculated that the film may have been re-cut to get the "R" rating. I truly thought that it may have originally been rated "NC-17" the violence is that graphic.

So, there you are, you've been warned. "Eastern Promises" is a very good film. It was nominated for and won multiple awards in the United States and abroad.

But, my reasons for writing about "Eastern Promises" have to do with the acting and Viggo Mortensen's performance as Nikolai Luzhin. Mortensen's performance was incredible. Mortensen is the absolute poster boy for Lee Strasberg's school of Method Acting.

While preparing for his role as Aragorn in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy Mortensen hiked in costume for days to achieve the look of the road weary traveler. Bob Andersen the sword fighting instructor for the trilogy called Mortensen, "the best sword fighter I've ever trained." (After filming wrapped, Mortensen purchased the two horses he'd used citing the bond they'd formed during the shoot.)

Mortensen worked with director David Cronenberg on Croenberg's "A History of Violence" and when he'd come back to the set on Monday, he'd bring props he'd found and purchased over the weekend.

For "Eastern Promises" Mortensen travelled to Russia and spent weeks talking to men he suspected were Russian mobsters, he imitated their body movements, speech patterns and he learned about the practice of tattooing your criminal history on your body and what the various tattoos signify. When he returned to London shortly before principal photography began writer Steven Knight incorporated Mortensen's tattoo research into the screenplay. The tats were so accurate that Mortensen was mistaken for a "real" Russian gangster in a London restaurant one night and thereafter, washed the tats off before leaving the set.

If you think you can handle the graphic violence and some male nudity, I'd strongly recommend watching and studying Viggo Mortensen's British Independent Film Awards Best Actor winning performance in "Eastern Promises", if not check out some of his other work; Aragorn in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy or the as artist/con man David Shaw in "A Perfect Murder".

If you're a method actor I think you'll learn something, if not, tell me how you prepare for a role and we'll talk next time we're on location, on set, on stage or in the studio…

An Actor’s take on typecasting or is Zac Efron Still 17?

About a year ago I took a month and studied Cary Grant. I read several biographies and watched five or six of his movies I'd never seen. One of his biographers mentioned what was a frequent criticism of Grant, he always played the same character i.e., Cary Grant. Grant's 1964 film, "Father Goose" was his, (in my opinion) very successful attempt to break out of that stereotype. Grant's character, Walter Eckland was totally different from any character or role in his long career. Although Grant didn't win his long coveted Oscar, "Father Goose" did win an Oscar for, Best Writing, Story and Screenplay. It was also nominated for two other Oscars and a Golden Globe.

Last year Gretchen and I saw, "Me and Orson Welles". At the time I wrote a blog titled, "Zac Efron is Still 17". At that time I wrote, "I saw "Me and Orson Welles" at the Broadway this afternoon. While I don't totally agree with Rolling Stone's opinion of Zac Efron's acting abilities, it was a good movie and I'd see it again.

The film was shot in New York, London and The Isle of Man. The locations, costuming and production values were superb. I thought it was well written and a superb example of a look backstage. It would probably work quite well as a stage play.

My only problem with the film was trying to decide who was portraying the lead character. Was Troy Bolton the lead or Zac Efron?

The gestures, speech patterns and expressions were all Troy Bolton. Maybe Troy Bolton and Zac Efron are the same person. Has anyone ever seen Troy Bolton and Zac Efron together?

I can honestly say that Efron did a superior job as Link Larkin in "Hairspray". He wasn't Zac Efron playing himself as a character named Link Larkin; he was an actor who developed a character.

After Efron backed out of Kenny Ortega's production of "Footloose" last summer, an acquaintance commented that he probably didn't want to be typecast and wanted to stretch his acting abilities. I immediately retorted, "Oh, a project like,"Seventeen Again"?"

The problem with "Me and Orson Welles" is that Zac/Troy/Richard is "Seventeen Again", or is that still 17?

Before I agree with "Rolling Stone's" pronouncement that "Me and Orson Welles" proves Zac Efron can act, I'd like to see Mr. Efron portray a character who isn't 17 and doesn't sing, dance or play basketball."

All of this leads me to "The Adjustment Bureau" which we saw this afternoon. (We really enjoyed it, very good film, I strongly recommend it and it may end up on my Amazon Wish List) Anyway, Gretchen and I are big fans of "Mad Men" and "The Adjustment Bureau" features "Mad Men's" Roger Sterling (John Slattery) as Richardson. Once again the inflection and delivery of the lines, the characterization, even the mannerisms had me thinking not of "The Adjustment Bureau", but of Roger Sterling. And, the hat he wore throughout the film didn't help either.

So my question is this; as actors are we all narrowly typecast, (especially in a small market with relatively few casting directors) or do directors really want the same character from the same actor over and over?

Is it our fault when we're afraid to stretch ourselves by auditioning for more challenging roles, breaking through our own sub consciously imposed limitations?

Or, do we consistently audition for roles that we think we have "The Look" for?

I don't know, but I do know I've caught myself doing the same audition for a similar character, the homeless guy, the reformed alcoholic running the homeless shelter and etc. If you know or have any thoughts on the matter, tell me next time we're on set, on location or on stage…

Do you care?

Recently we've been on a Polish Brothers kick. We attended a Sundance workshop awhile back and picked up a copy of the Polish Brother's book, "The Declaration of Independent Filmmaking".

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the brothers, they are identical twins who came on the scene in 1999 with their Sundance Award winning film, "Twin Falls Idaho". They followed up their success with "Jackpot", "Northfork" and "The Astronaut Farmer". Other recent contributions to the world of independent film are; "The Smell of Success", "Stay Cool" "For Lovers Only" and "Oz". We're still working on finding "The Smell of Success" and "Stay Cool". "For Lovers Only" is in post-production and the status of "Oz' is unknown.

Anyway, the book is a great read and an intriguing look behind the camera from the beginning to the end of the independent film making process. The brothers use their first three films to illustrate in both an entertaining and educational way the dos and don'ts of independent film making. The book so piqued my curiosity that we've now seen their first four films. (Note: Wikipedia lists "Hellraiser Bloodline" as their first film, while Imdb lists "Twin Falls Idaho" first. We have not seen "Hellraiser Bloodline".)

We didn't watch them in the order they were made, and in hindsight, that's probably a good thing. The brothers write as well as direct and act in their films. In three of the four films of theirs we've watched, the writing was magnificent, the brothers are master storytellers. In "Northfork" the cinematography was breathtaking. We even watched "Northfork" a second time the following night with the commentary on. It was that good.

So what happened to "Jackpot"?

It wasn't until about halfway through the film that I realized I didn't care about the main character. Sunny Holiday is immoral, deluded and self-indulgent and I don't care whether he lives or dies by the time the film ends.

Last summer when I took Taunya Gren's class, "A Classical Approach to Acting" one of the keys to successful character development she taught was that the audience has to care about your character. Your character doesn't have to be nice or good or moral, but a successful performance requires that the audience care about him. Dick Whitman a.k.a. Don Draper in "Mad Men" isn't a nice guy, but I care about the guy and I find myself wanting good things to happen to him. (We have the first four seasons on DVD.) Daniel Craig's character in "Layer Cake" doesn't have a name and he's a coke dealer, but we care about what happens to him. Guy Ritchie is a master of this; watch "Revolver", "Snatch" or "RocknRolla". His characters are not nice people, but you care about them and what happens to them.

The ultimate illustration of this concept is found in the "Dexter" books by Jeff Lindsay. Dexter Morgan is a SERIAL KILLER for pity sake. But I challenge you to read more than five pages and not care about what happens to the guy. I've read the first three of the four books in the series, and once I started, I couldn't put them down.

I have two favorite characters I've portrayed, Dr. John Allen in "Raising Kayn" and Dale Harding in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". Last month I was recognized in the grocery store as Dr. Allen and that was a really great experience. But, the praise of several actors for my portrayal of Dale Harding was overwhelming. I was so grateful they acknowledged my skills.

So, who are the characters you've most enjoyed developing and portraying?

Wait, don't tell me, send me some clips and I'll see if I can tell you next time we're on location, on set or in the studio…

Birthday Wishes

Tomorrow is my birthday and I've been thinking about some birthday wishes for the local film making community.

At last Tuesday's screening of "The Wayshower" there were several things that stood out in my mind: One, although to my knowledge, they weren't a part of the cast or crew, Sue Rowe, Kami Coleman and Brenda Upright all attended the screening. These three women along with a handful of other local actors can always be counted on to show up and support everyone's projects. And I want to publicly thank them for their support. Two, the Film Commission chose to hold the screening at the Tower Theatre. I've been to a lot of screenings since I got back into this business three years ago and I can't think of a more appropriate venue than the Tower. As local film makers I believe we should use the Tower or The Broadway whenever possible. Admittedly parking for the Tower stinks and the restrooms are, well, they're unique but the more we use the Tower and The Broadway, the stronger our community becomes.

So, my first two birthday wishes are, support each other by attending as many screenings and promotions as possible and using the Tower and The Broadway as much as possible for our screenings. (Just remember, when the Utah Theatre is renovated in the near future we're going to have another truly great venue that will be the envy of even our LA friends.)

Last Summer I approached the Salt Lake Film Society about an idea I have to help local film makers make some money from their work. I would love to see a display case in the lobby of The Broadway selling DVDs of the best work our local filmmakers have to offer. It could be run similar to a system I have with a local consignment bookseller. An equitable split could be worked out to pay the film society for their increased bookkeeping as well as the space needed for another display case. Requiring a donation of one copy to the Tower's rental inventory would further increase the number of potential viewers. More people seeing our work builds a stronger film making community. And, who knows, maybe you'll find an investor for your next project.

Last Summer Gretchen and I attended a screening of Billy Wilder's classic, "Some Like it Hot". When the show was over we ran into Oriana Reyes and her husband. Besides the obvious fun of seeing classics on the big screen, there is so much we can all learn from these films. We also love "Open Mic Night" at the Tower and again, we almost always run into at least one friend at an "Open Mic Night" event. Even if we're not a part of an "Open Mic Night" film, attending this event at the Tower builds a stronger film making community.

But, we can't influence the Film Society if we're not members, so my next birthday wish is that all of my actor and crew friends would become members of The Salt Lake Film Society and attend "Open Mic Night" and the special screenings of classic films.

A few other birthday wishes; I wish that the Film Commission would use the Tower and/or The Broadway for their "Made in Utah" series.

I wish that all my actor and crew friends would join the MPAU.

We all have so much to offer and I truly believe that the things I've suggested will build a stronger film making community. Why wait until the next time we meet on set, I'm looking forward to seeing all of you at the next special screening or at the next "Open Mic Night" at The Tower…

Coincidence?

It's been a week of luck and coincidence; or has it?

Coincidence #1, Gretchen and I really wanted to see the special member's only screening of "Sunset Boulevard" that the Film Society was presenting last Tuesday at the Broadway. So I was a little disappointed last Monday when I picked up a second day on "Guide to Life" a.k.a., "Good Luck Charlie: The Movie". But, money is money and I was enjoying the work as well as seeing friends I hadn't worked with in over a year. Four o'clock rolled around, I called Gretchen and told her it looked like another full twelve or thirteen hour day. Imagine my surprise when we were wrapped only forty –five minutes later, I was able to make it to "Sunset Boulevard" after all.

Coincidence #2, we have season tickets at Pioneer Memorial Theatre and the next show on our program is Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Sunset Boulevard". Before the movie started, the Film Society emcee, stated that the Film Society's screening and PMT's presentation of the musical were not, as I assumed, brilliant cross promotion, but strictly coincidence.

Coincidence #3, on this day in 2002, the brilliant writer and director of "Sunset Boulevard" Billy Wilder, died at the age of 95.

Coincidence #4, Gloria Swanson died at the age of 84 on my birthday in 1983.

Before last Tuesday, I'd never seen "Sunset Boulevard". I probably saw bits and pieces of it on KSL's "Big Money Movie" or KUTV's "2 on the Aisle" but I'd never rented it or watched it from beginning to end. The Film Society found a pretty good print and what a treat to see such a classic on the big screen at the Broadway. Eleven Oscar nominations and three wins, I've never seen the 1950 Best Picture or Best Actress winners, after Tuesday I don't know how they could have beat "Sunset Boulevard".

The writing, music, the performances of the other actors all pale when compared to the performance of Gloria Swanson. Its Swanson's acting and performance in "Sunset Boulevard" that I would like to concentrate on. I've been called a physical actor; Swanson's performance could be a Master's thesis in physicality. Although Swanson was one of the few actors who successfully made the transition to "talkies" her career declined soon after and based on "Sunset Boulevard" I have no idea why. Perhaps then as now, even for a highly skilled actress, having birthdays is a career killer. The ability to convey emotions strictly through physicality and expressions demonstrates, I believe, a truly skilled and talented actor. The looks, the body movements, even the way Swanson grabbed William Holden's arm, fingers gripping him in claw like fashion, was classic. The emotional arc of Swanson's character was wide, dramatic and, when needed, subtle. If you're an actor or director whose only seen Gloria Swanson in "Airport 1975" or in the 1966 episode of "The Beverly Hillbillies" that bears her name, I'd urge you to get a copy of "Sunset Boulevard" (I've added it to my Amazon Wish List) and study not only some great performances, but the work of a truly great writer and director in the person of Billy Wilder.

Without the ability to show emotion through speech patterns, silent film actors, were probably better actors. I wonder if acting schools or workshops ever assign modern actors to study these incredibly talented people and their performances.

Everything fell into place so I could see "Sunset Boulevard" last Tuesday, I learned a lot from the movie and it was entertaining as well. So until next week, I'll see you on location, on set or in the studio, "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."

 

Feedback, not playback…

There was a short span of forty-four years between my first and second "real" auditions. Unfortunately, the first has been entirely forgotten, (thanks to a drug induced stupor, but that's another episode of "Oprah"). I walked out of that second audition forty three years, ten months and twenty some odd days (but who's counting) higher than a kite. I mean I hit that sucker out of the ballpark! (At least I thought so.)

The casting director, (who will remain anonymous) had me go through the dialogue twice, pausing only to give a few bits of direction between the first and second run through. And then came the feedback, "very nice, thank you".

I called my agent and after a thorough interrogation, learned absolutely nothing.

A few months later another film, another audition, but this time a different casting director. This time though different feedback; he said, "thank you, that was very good".

Another call to the agent, more interrogation and then she called back, "______, said you were too big." Too big, how can you be too big for "_________________".

If the common consensus is true and we actors are a totally insecure bunch of psychos, why did we choose a profession that requires a never ending job search?

I don't know, I studied business, economics and history in college, not psychology.

I do know that three times in the last seven or eight months I've received unsolicited emails from directors and casting folks after an audition. In each instance, they were very complimentary of my work and told me I was too old or in one case, the wrong color. In each case, those emails made me feel almost (Note: I said, "Almost") as good as if I'd received a call back or booked the role.

Honest feedback helps me to know what I need to do next time. I bring this up because in a recent meeting with my agent, he asked me about some (in my mind positive) feedback he'd forwarded about me and some other actors from our agency. Apparently, I was one of the few, maybe the only one, who was grateful to get it. (Note to Casting Folks: I promise I won't grovel and claim I can play taller, shorter or a thirty-something female.)

If I can't or don't hire an acting coach or invest in either private or group lessons, then I'll never progress. If I don't have the courage to read reviews of my work or listen to fellow actors at the end of the day, I'll stagnate.

So, at the end of the day, I want constructive criticism and feedback from the casting director, the director or my fellow actors. How about you?

Let's talk about it next time we're together on location, on set or in the studio…

 

Acting is hard work

Acting is hard work. I shot a short yesterday, three pages, four actors and my part was over and done with after six and a half hours. I've had longer days; I'm a veteran of one of those eighteen and a half hour "High School Musical 3" days that was followed by thirteen hours on "Bible Stories". (I was up THIRTY-NINE straight hours for those two shooting days.) I did that sixteen hour, outdoor shoot (in was it October or November?) at the Gateway for "Waiting for Forever" (aptly named). I've had earlier call times, this one was only an hour earlier than what I'm used to five days a week. This project was shot less than three miles from home, I've had to travel farther to get to set (refer to the abovementioned "Bible Stories" shot a gazillion miles West of Lehi.)

So why did I fall asleep for five hours yesterday afternoon (yes, and evening) after I got home?

I've often joked that a man is only allotted so many overnight shoots in his life; this certainly wasn't one of those.

Acting is hard work, and it wasn't until I started acting that I realized how physically, mentally and emotionally exhausting it is. I don't know if it's the need to constantly be "on" for hours on end or if it's the repetition of the same emotions time and again. It's probably both. In my role yesterday I had to tell the parents of a nine year old that their daughter has cancer. I got to the place I needed to be by reliving my real life experience of telling my sister that our mother had cancer. (My own little "Stanislavsky moment, but at the same time, the DP commented positively about my physicality.)

I've had roles with more dialogue, I've had more emotional roles and I've even had roles with no dialogue which were far more demanding from the perspective of physicality. What I haven't had until yesterday was a role that was an emotionally draining "Perfect Storm". Since I started acting again nearly three years ago, I've developed an appreciation for what my fellow actors do. I constantly find myself sub-consciously dissecting roles and scenes wondering how they did it and what it took. Natalie Portman in "Black Swan" is a recent example.

But I do love it; the drive for perfection, being "on" for your fellow actors, showing the director that they made the best choice when they cast you for the role, the inner satisfaction that comes from knowing you did your best.

So, Dawn thanks for a good script, a good cast and crew and thanks for the opportunity to practice my craft.

I guess the only time acting is hard work is when you do it right. I can't wait until the next time I'm with my friends on location, on set or in the studio…

Thank you…

One of the many virtues that my parents taught and hopefully instilled in me is gratitude. With the passage this afternoon of HB 99, I feel compelled to thank everyone who was involved in the process and worked to make HB 99 the law. And through this blog, I'm urging everyone to follow suit and also thank those involved.

First, to the officers, board members and members of the MPAU for their time, money and energy to get an incentive program passed and, with the passage of HB 99, improved. If you're not a member of MPAU, please join, if you are a member, renew your membership. (Mine expires this month, but I am committing through this post tonight to renew.)

Next, I'd like to thank Representative Greg Hughes for his sponsorship of HB 99. I'm certain that there are a lot of groups and organizations who would love to have a sponsor of Mr. Hughes' stature on their side. I'm a student and an observer of politics. At a time when many states are reducing or eliminating their film incentive programs, we can all be thankful that ours is coming out of this year's legislative session better.

Next, I'd like to thank all the members of the House and Senate who voted in favor of HB 99. In particular, I'd like to thank the members who took time to respond to my emails extolling the virtues of HB 99. Admittedly there were a few who declined to support the bill, but at least they were honest and allowed me to address their concerns and hopefully I educated a few of them.

A special thanks goes out to the members of the "Executive Appropriations Committee". We're still in some pretty difficult economic times; across the nation the states are faced with $125 BILLION DOLLARS in combined deficits and I know I wouldn't want the job of divvying up the state's tax and revenue pie.

Governor Herbert, I understand you were involved in some meetings about HB 99 last night. In anticipation of your signing it into law, thank you.

We can't forget Charlie Evans either. Charlie is the lobbyist the MPAU hired to educate the members about our bill and its benefits. The employees of the Film Commission are barred by law from lobbying. But they've been instrumental in gathering the facts and figures needed to educate the Legislators regarding the benefits of first, SB 14 and this year HB 99. So, Marshall, Trevor, Ricky, Tammy, Mimi and Tommy (I hope I didn't miss anyone) thank you for all your work, not only during the legislative session, but the other 320 days of the year too!

Finally, to my facebook, acting and movie crew friends who responded to my requests to write and call members of the House and Senate, thank you. I value our friendship and I hope that I didn't come off too strong with my requests. If I didn't truly believe that HB 99 was good for all of us, good for our families and careers, I would not have asked you to do the things you did. Thank you and I'll see you on location, on set or in the studio…

 

What kind of food is Bosnian?

What started out yesterday afternoon as trying out a new restaurant in a strip center, ended up more like having dinner in the home of a good friend, but, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Yesterday morning Gretchen and I were driving up 33^rd South and she said, "There's a new Bosnian restaurant over there." We talked about it for a few minutes and decided to try it "sometime". Between her photo club meeting yesterday afternoon and the Symphony last night, dinner out was the only alternative. It came down to a choice between "Tasty Thai" and the new Bosnian place.

We chose Bosnian and weren't disappointed. When we arrived we were greeted and seated by the chef/owner, Ibro Sameric, his wife Mila works right beside him. I thought that this restaurant, "Old Bridge Café" had more choices than our usual Bosnian place, Café on Main, Gretchen thinks fewer menu choices. Whatever the case, the food was great.

If you're looking for a restaurant where the Sysco truck pulls up every Monday and Thursday and the food comes hot out of the microwave, this isn't the place for you.

We started with a portion of Zeljanica; a totally delightful appetizer of philo dough stuffed with spinach and a white cheese. A portion for each of us was my only mistake of the evening. We could have shared a portion and been satisfied. "Old Bridge Café's" portions are generous and a great value for the money.

I enjoy Cevapi, the beef sausages that are a staple and favorite at every Bosnian restaurant. I chose a half order of five and they came to the table hot and flavorful nestled between a piece of very fluffy Pita bread. To call it Pita though, doesn't do it justice. It's unlike any store bought Pita you've ever had. I also ordered Shish Kebab. The pieces of beef on my Shish Kebab were tender, moist beef rib eye steak. The chicken was pieces of breast meat that were just as moist and tender as the beef. Both had been marinated, cooked to perfection and came to the table piping hot.

Gretchen ordered the Muckalica, a Bosnian stir fry of beef, onion, mushrooms and peppers. Again the food was flavorful and hot. The special of the day was Goulash, and unlike Hungarian Goulash, the Bosnian variety includes vegetables. The Goulash was heartily recommended by fellow diners.

The bread basket was generous and served with Ibro's special unique blend of Feta, Cream Cheese, Butter and Whipping Cream. There was also a delicious portion of a Red Pepper puree that added still more flavor to an already wonderful meal. The great thing about "Old Bridge Café" is that everything is made from scratch on site.

Did I mention the desserts?

We split a piece of chocolate "Multi Layer Delight Cake" that was a delight. It was difficult to pick between that, Urmasica, Baklava and an apple version of the "Multi Layer Delight Cake". Before we left however, our host persuaded me to try a little piece of Urmasica, and it was very good.

So what kind of food is Bosnian?

Hearty, flavorful and spicy without being too hot.

The "Old Bridge Café" is named after a bridge in the city of Mostar in Herzegovina. The owners are from this city and the region of the same name. "The Old Bridge" was originally built in the mid 1500's, severely damaged during the war in the 1990's and restored in 2004.

Ibro and Mila moved to Utah over twelve years ago to give their children a better future.

It's amazing what you can learn during one dinner. We'll definitely be going back and I hope that you'll take the earliest opportunity to sample the wonderful food and hospitality of "Old Bridge Café" at 249 East 3300 South in South Salt Lake. "Old Bridge Café" is hearty cuisine, generous portions and a great value at a moderate price.

To pay, or not to pay, that is the question…

In late December or early January Gretchen and I were talking and Gretchen commented that with her set still photography she was now at a place where she could get all the free work she wanted. Then a week ago Saturday at the Utah Women in Film meeting the often thorny issue of paid versus free work came up several times. It's a real issue.

My personal goal is to re-join the ranks of working actors by the end of this year. I've defined what that means to me in terms of dollars per month as well as what counts as acting. (I'm including voice over and background work in my calculations.)

I've been acting in Utah for just under three years and in my opinion, I've done my share of "food, copy and credit" projects. (Special note: If I'm working for copy and credit, give me the respect I deserve, spell my name right and get me the copy of my three minute short within two years!)

Anybody ever waited forever, you finally get the DVD and it's a total piece of doggie-doo?

I've made a conscious decision to give one day a month back to the local film making community. That's why I do student films. I love doing student films. The students at the "U" and BYU are the best and I love working with them. I think that most of us are willing to do student films. I also think many of us are willing to do the "occasional" non pay project. Where I've started to draw the line is the guy who's on his 673^rd film and still doesn't pay his actors or crew. Or the guy whose films have commercial distribution and he doesn't even feed his extras!

If I'm willing to work multiple days on your project free, why aren't you willing to commit to pay me if, IF your film project earns some money?

I've got some ways for film makers to earn money that I'll be announcing in the coming weeks. I'm investing my time and skills in your project, if it's a hit, are you willing to pay me?

I'm not telling anyone that they have to pay their actors or crew, I just know that I've become very discriminating about whose free projects I choose to work on. And in my opinion, as we stand up for ourselves and demand the compensation we've earned and deserve; our self confidence and self respect will spread like a virus and Utah actors and crew will be recognized as the professionals we are and are working to become.

If we choose to become a working actor in Utah, we can achieve it. After all, "Professionals get paid for what amateurs do free."

 

 

HB 99, A Call to Arms! (Would you believe, “A Call to Your Keyboards!)

A few years ago I attended a seminar where among other things the presenter asked, "Why depend on 100% of your income from someone who only has a 10% interest in it?"

At the time it seemed that all the auditions I was being sent out on were "freebies". That seminar and my wallet inspired me to intensify, on a daily basis, my own search for acting opportunities. Soon after attending that seminar, I changed agencies, but I still look for work on my own every day in addition to taking advantage of the opportunities that come to me from Knightstar.

The Utah Film Commission is an award winning state agency and we're very fortunate to have such a talented group of people working on our behalf. It seems to me that especially over the last two years they've intensified their efforts to sell us to the rest of the state as well as Hollywood. The Film Commission is doing great work, but we can't and shouldn't rely on them to do it all. Some things, such as lobbying members of the legislature, are illegal.

Lobbying the members of the legislature is where the Motion Picture Association of Utah (MPAU) comes in. Two years ago the MPAU was instrumental in getting S.B. 14 passed by the Legislature. The MPAU has worked tirelessly over the years first implementing and then improving the states film incentive program. It's my considered opinion that all of us owe the MPAU, former Governor Huntsman and the members of the Legislature who voted in favor of SB 14 our sincere thanks.

This year we have a new challenge in front of us. Senate Bill 14 is up for review and a new bill HB 99 has been written and presented. This new bill will be coming up for debate on the floor of the House in the very near future. We're asking for more and better incentives. Getting this bill passed means more jobs for Utah actors and crew. (We just got home from watching "True Grit" at Brewvies; that could have been US!) I'm urging each and every one of you to write your state Senator and Representative and ask them to support HB 99. HB 99 was passed out of committee unanimously; it enjoys bi-partisan support. But we can't assume it will pass both houses of the legislature. We all need to work for it. If you choose to email, use the word, "Constituent" in the subject line. And, while you're at it, if they were in the Legislature two years ago, thank them for their vote on SB 14. I've already heard back from my Representative and the two emails took less than 10 minutes to write and send.

Finally, if you're an actor or crew member who lives and works in Utah, please join the Motion Picture Association of Utah. A student membership is $35 and a general membership is $50. That's less than $1 a week and if you attend the forums and eat enough of the cookies and hot dogs, it basically pays for itself.

Calling or writing your state legislators and joining MPAU isn't quite everything. If you're serious about your career in entertainment, you need to constantly practice your craft and educate yourself about it. Take classes, read books, talk to your friends in the business; let's show the folks in LA and New York how professional we truly are and I'll see you on location, on set or in the studio…