Just got a call…
for more extra work on the new Mike Judge movie…
As part of a 40 man “guitar army”…
This Friday when I will be in England.
A tiny piece of my soul was just bludgeoned to death.
My friend, Andy, works for a video game company here in Austin. It just so happens that this is also the company I have been trying to get a job with (and continue to try). When Andy first moved to Austin and was looking for an artist job, I pointed him to NCSoft, and he eventually got a great job there! Go Andy!
He emailed me the other day to let me know that someone there was putting together a play to be performed at a party that will take place at the head honcho’s super mega video game guru compound. I decided I would audition since I hadn’t done any theatre in ages, and hey, maybe I could get to know some more folks at the company! One slight catch was that for some reason they are trying to keep the play a secret for as long as possible so I wouldn’t know what I was auditioning for until I got there.
I convinced Jess to come audition, too! She was hesitant at first, but once I told her auditions were to be held in someone’s living room, she reconsidered, knowing that it wasn’t going to be some huge cattle call with 100 people all much better looking than you to make you feel incompetent. No that I’ve ever experienced anything like that.
We arrived at the house. It was a nice house! We let ourselves in and there were about 10-15 people there. Some were much better looking than me, but that’s O.K. because I have chops baby! Acting Kung Fu! It was then we learned what the play was: “Watership Down: The Musical”. Alright, I’m totally lying, but wouldn’t that be crazy? It could have songs like “Duel of the raging bunnies”, and “There’s a dog loose in the woods”.
The actual play is something fairly well known, but I’ll keep it under wraps for the moment just in case it’s still supposed to be a secret for some reason. We did some improv, and then read several times for different parts. I think I was quite “on” that day. Several of the auditioners complimented me on my performance and said they had a hard time improving because they were laughing at me. In a good way. Because I was being funny. Many of the people there were also employees at this video game company. I had to refrain from being that annoying guy who hits them up for jobs when I’ve just met them, so I instead just sat, stewing in my silent envy, and had nice conversations, planting the seeds for my future nepotism.
Everyone was incredibly cool, and not just because they have cool jobs. Some people didn’t even have cool jobs, and they were just as cool! We very quickly felt right at home, and everyone was chatting away like friends. Jess and I definitely have parts in the play, we are just waiting to hear which parts.
After the audition we went with some of the other auditioners to go out to eat. This did not include any of the company employees, because they don’t dine with the plebs. Well, that and the fact that they were allowed to leave earlier than us and went to eat on their own, but I can read between the lines. It probably didn’t help that they were all better looking than us plebs too. Actually they were all way cool and friendly, and probably had no real plebphobia, but it’s more fun the way I told it. Unfortunately (or possibly fortunately) the play conflicts with my band playing a biker rally at a nudist colony. It was supposed to be a 2 night engagement for about half our normal price, so I’m not too disappointed. Nude Bikers and nepotism. Sounds like an album title to me.
I recently spent a day as an extra on Mike Judge’s new untitled movie starring Luke Wilson. Luke portrays a man who takes part in some government experiment and wakes up in the future where he finds he is the smartest person on Earth because we’ve all been dumbed down so much while he was asleep.
I showed up bright and early at 5:45 a.m. (otherwise known as stupid o’clock) with several changes of clothes for wardrobe to choose from (I was told to bring 4 different outfits). I went and checked in, then began the time-honored movie making tradition of…waiting. As always some good snacks were provided, and I wished I had brought something to read. While we were waiting they picked about 15 people to stay on for a later scene as prisoners in the future. I wasn’t picked, despite my stunning aura of charisma. After a good while we went and met with wardrobe who looked over our clothing choices. From my clothes, they had me wear one of my favorite funky patterned shirts, my converse with flames on them, and some cargo pants with the legs zipped off to convert them into “shorts” mode. They seemed particularly enamored of my bitchin’ flaming Chucks. We went back to “holding” as they call it (thus reiterating how extras are much like cattle, only we’re not butchered and made into meat products…well most of us anyway), and one of the hair/makeup ladies came to check us out. She decided to gel up my hair a bit. Mike Judge, the director and writer, came in to scope us all out and make sure he liked what he saw. This was way cool, as it was Mike Judge! Beavis and Butthead! King of the Hill! Office Space (a true classic)!
For this first scene, we were supposed to be white trash people waiting in line at a traveling carnival in front a fun house type exhibit called “Future Town”. The props department came by and loaded us all up with huge fanny packs, balloons, popcorn buckets, admission tickets, stuffed animals, and various other white trash carnival accoutrements. I was then put with a group of people who walk by in the shot instead of being in line. During this scene they recruited some more people for the later prisoner scene, and this time they obviously recognized my potential, as I was picked! Fame was just a step away! A very large, size 157663 EEEEEEEEE step away. We shot the scene a few times, and that was that. Whether or not I’m visible, we shall see.
They released the extras who weren’t sticking around for the later scene, and the rest of us then went to wardrobe again. We were issued shiny orange futuristic prison clothes and shoes. Everyone knows clothes will be shiny and synthetic in the future. They’ve known this since sci-fi movies in the 50’s. I’m still waiting for the days when we all get to wear comfy silver jump suits.
We then stood in line to get make up to stamp our wrists with bar codes, and then it was off to the hair people. They put many extras in wigs if they had short hair, and they left most long hairs alone. My hair they gelled up into a pseudo Mohawk style. I found it peculiar that they didn’t allow any facial hair in the future, but tended towards longer messed up hair.
After more waiting, then lunch, and some more waiting, we went to the futuristic prison set. Way cool. We stood in line to have the props department put big shackles on us, and then proceeded onto the set. I started out towards the front of the line, and as Mike Judge and some crew members planned the shot, it looked like I would be right next to Luke Wislon! Then they rearranged us all and hand picked some other prisoners to come up front. Me and several others were relegated to the back. No further back. Keep going. Don’t worry that you’re completely off the set, the line of prisoners will be moving. Then they needed shackles for some of the guys up front. I was de-shackled. I never thought I would be sad to be “set free”. So now, shackleless and off the set, my prospects for being seen were pretty much nil. Those of us not being used in the line were then put into the prison cells, which looked through a plexiglass wall into where the line of prisoners was. I’m right up against the glass, in the very last cell, furthest away from the camera. Chance of being seen? Next to nil. However, between takes, Mike and another guy are looking into the cells and talking about something. As they scan over into my cell, I’m standing with a completely crazed, maniacal expression on my face, which causes them both to laugh. Score. I made Mike Judge laugh. At least I think it was me. However this does not prompt them to “discover” me and put me in the movie. Oh well, maybe next time. Later, after a few takes, they changed angles and some of the closer cells might be seen, but we weren’t even needed because we were totally out of shot. We wait around for about another 2 or 3 hours without being used before they wrap and we are released for the day.
As usual, it was both an exciting, and somewhat depressing experience all at once. It was great to be on a 20th Century Fox movie with Mike Judge and Luke Wilson, but it’s also a bit taunting to get this tiniest taste of the world you want to live in, but can only visit as an alien. I’m going back for a second day of shooting as a prisoner. We shall see if this day bears more fruit!
*update*
No fruit. The night before I was supposed to go back, I called to get my call time. There was a recording saying to call back after 9:00 p.m to make sure no times had changed. I called back at 10:30, and it still said to show up at 9 a.m. When I showed up I was told that at 9 p.m. the night before, they were informed that they only needed about 30 of the 100+ people booked. I of course silently wondered why the hell they didn’t change the recording then, but maintained my cooperative nonchalant facade. So they sent me home, but still paid me 2/3 of what I would have made had I actually worked. Ahh, my glamorous Hollywood lifestyle!
Tonight was The Kinetoscopic Wonderment Film Festival. This was the specific festival for which we made our “Keep Austin Weird” movie. I’m sure you’re all on the edge of your seats, wondering how we did…
“Keep Austin Weird”
It’s in Quicktime format. I tried to minimize the file size (it’s about 42MB) so obviously there are some compromises in quality, but hopefully it’s good enough to get the idea across. This also includes our gag reel and bonus footage, including an alternate ending scene in which we had one actor play two parts using split screen. We’re hoping to actually throw together a DVD just for posterity, which will actually have a commentary track (not that anyone but me would really care about that…lol).
For some smaller options (which also don’t have the bonus material on the end) you can view it in quicktime or mpeg formats.
So my experience as a Production Assistant for the Sharon Osbourne show was a blast, but would be pretty boring to write about. Basically, 3 people who do a lot of the “field” segments for the show came to Austin to do a remote from the American Cancer Society call center. They hired me, another P.A., a sound guy and a satellite truck here locally. Describing P.A. work is difficult, as you do so many different things. Basically whatever is needed. A sampling of my duties that day: improvise some door stops, take care of the snacks and drinks brought by the crew (it was a tiny crew, so there was no catering, just snacks and then we ordered dinner), and my most important duty was pulling the cables behind the cameraman to keep them out from under his feet.
Everyone was very cool to hang out with, and for the most part it was all casual and laid back. We rehearsed how it was all going to go, and then later in the evening recorded the piece “live to tape”. In other words it wasn’t actually live, but it went live to tape so that it was basically just like a live spot (although they could edit it in post if they really needed to). Sharon was talking to the to women who were on camera for the ACS through their earpieces and then what we were filming was being piped back to the studio in L.A. We had a few hectic moments when they thought they’d lost the sound board back in L.A., but figured out the problem, and then 5 minutes before we were going live, one of the lights blew out, and the cameraman and sound tech raced like a ninja pit crew to replace the light.
Twas a blast and only made me yearn for more work like that. Work that I actually enjoy doing. Nice work if you can get it! The show airs today (or tonight, times vary according to your market).
As part of my Production Assistant pursuits, I had placed my name in the Texas Production Manual. I got a call from L.A. last night saying they had looked me up in the manual, and wanted to know if I was available to do a one day P.A. job for the Sharon Osbourne show which was shooting a remote in Austin.
Pretty cool.
I have many irons in many fires. Hopefully some will pan out.
First off, I went to the voice audition for the “Fist of the North Star” anime film. I read one part of a secondary character where I got to use a fairly normal voice, which was nice. Then I read a big muscular villain with a set of metal claws, for which I used my big, burly, deep, tear my throat up voice. That was fun. I got be the typical cocky villain with lines like “So I see you practice martial arts!” and “No one can defeat me!” and such. I then get into a fight with the main character and had to make fighty grunting noises, and eventually the other guy puts his finger on my forehead to which I retort “You think you can kill me with one finger? Absurd! Hahahahaha *gurgle*” at which point I begin to bubble, twist, and my head explodes, so I got to spend about 20 seconds just screaming and gurgling horribly. It was cool.
Still waiting to hear on the video game tech support job with NCSoft where my friend Andy works. I’m really hoping for that one.
Also had a call about a possible 12 month contract job doing PC and networking support which sounded better than my current call center job.
I also submitted both my crew and acting resumes for the new Mike Judge film, “3001” to start shooting here in April. Damn that would be cool. Of course I would have to quit my job, but for that opportunity, I think I would have to.
Thinks are back on track for the CD, so hopefully we’ll finish that up soon.
Many opportunities, however my job prevents many of them, which is obviously going to continue to be a problem. We’ll see how that all ends up. Sooner or later I must choose my muse over the man, but hopefully I can fend her off until Jess has a better job, or until some really good opportunity comes along that I can’t resist. Life is complicated and stuff.
For the beginning of this saga, go here and read my wife’s account and my subsequent comments. What follows is my epicly long account. I’ll be surprised if anyone actually gets to the end. I’m sure I still left out tons of stuff as it’s all very in depth and complex, but here’s the basics of it all.
The musical project I’ve been working on with a collaborator and friend just about self destructed in a huge ball of flame worthy of a theatrical film.
My partner came over to bring me his latest song to listen to. He mentioned he was thinking of maybe cutting a couple of the songs we had already finished, and replacing them with some of the newer songs that he thought were better. I disagreed with this tactic because that would delay the release of the album even longer. As it stands we wanted to get about 3 more songs, but if we cut some of the already finished songs, then that means we now need 4 or 5 more songs. This eventually led to the airing of many complaints on his part about my participation in this project.
Now a little back story. The way we generally work is that he cranks out what I call “song skeletons”. He writes songs amazingly fast. He lays down the basic chords and vocals, I then take it and add the “skin” to our skeleton. I add parts, dynamics, leads, guitars, bass, and little creative parts that take the song to another level (in my purely immodest opinion). If you ever listen to one of his demos, then listen to our finished product, I think my contributions can not be trivialized. His songs are great all on their own, but I think it’s the combination of both of us that takes into another realm. I’m extremely proud of the incredible music we’ve made.
Another of the ways in which I think we compliment each other well is that he cranks out loads of really great songs, and I think I’m really good and picking out the especially “cream of the crop, goes to eleven” gems from all the good stuff to choose from. This leads to some contention because he, almost inevitably, thinks that his latest batch are the best. Every time he cranks out some new songs, they become his favorites.
The first problem to be addressed here is that this album is taking forever to finish. He blames me, because I take forever to put my parts on a song, while in the meantime he cranks out 10 more songs. I will fully admit that I could work harder and get more done. I don’t deny it. It is true. My lazy nature is one of my greatest enemies. However the problem lies in that he refuses to accept any responsibility for it. I bring up specific examples of times when he’s said he would do this or that and call me back, and then doesn’t call back for weeks, or says he’ll get me this CD, or we’ll get together this week, etc., and then just doesn’t follow through. He of course denies all of this blindly and chooses to have a very selective memory, basically acting as if I fabricate all this or like I’m not remembering events correctly. The fact is that, yes, I could crank out tunes like mad if all I did was play the basic chords and not really venture any further, but I spend about 4 hours per song composing bass parts, leads, and cool guitar parts to really do the great song writing justice, compliment the composition and create something above and beyond the norm. This is why I like to determine which song we definitely want to tackle next, and make sure it’s a “keeper” before we really fully produce it. Once we have fully produced something, I get really attached to it because we’ve both put so much of our heart and souls into it. I find it kind of funny that I become more attached to our songs than the guy who initially wrote it. For him it’s all about newer and fresher things, and he easily loses interest and discards the old creations.
This also had to do with my argument about cutting songs. On the one hand we’re both frustrated that it’s taking so long, but on the other hand if decide to cut some songs in lieu of newer ones then we’ve just pushed the finish line even further away.
Now onto the song selection process. As this album has been going along, we have constantly discussed which songs to cut next, which to cull from the demos he’s made, etc. This is another fact which he denies and says “we never discuss these things”. The 12 songs we already finished (when I say finished I mean songs that we have both laid down parts on and are therefore beyond the solo demos he’s laid down himself) were culled from a larger group of about 20, yet he seems to not remember that, and thinks we just cut the first songs that came along and therefore we should consider replacing some with some of the “newer, stronger” songs. My argument was that these were already selected because they were some of the best and strongest songs, and therefore should be put out. We can always use the new songs for another album, but if we cut any of the old songs, they are effectively put into the trash can since I seriously doubt we would ever come back to them for a future album when there’s new stuff being cranked out all the time. I say put out these 12 AND the best of the other 20, instead of replace perfectly great songs with some of the other 20. This all goes back to him always liking his new stuff best. A prime example of this is that his first 2 albums have some of his best stuff ever, in my opinion, but he generally doesn’t really think that much of them any more. This circular logic could go on forever, in that we could constantly replace old songs with “better” ones until we die and never put out an album. His retort is that we could have had an album a year ago if we’d just cranked the songs out, to which my reply is, yes, but it wouldn’t be nearly as good since we have come up with some kick ass songs that wouldn’t have been written yet. So you can see it’s a fine line of figuring out how long to cull “the best” and when to call it a finished album.
He also expressed resentment at the fact that I have time for all this “acting stuff”, appearing in silly little projects that no one will ever see, but yet producer songs so slowly, when it would be just as easy for someone else to wonder why I’m doing this “silly little music stuff that no one will ever hear” too. Now of course, I don’t believe that, but it’s all about viewpoints. He’s not into anything but music, so to him it’s all frivolous, yet I’m sure others would see musical pursuits as just as frivolous. Needless to say, I find neither frivolous. Of course he doesn’t even take into consideration how I have to pass by a lot of things I want to do because I have a normal job and because I want to spend time making this project happen. Apparently, if I don’t spend 100% of my free time devoted to music, then I’m just not interested or dedicated.
Now one big problem is that when he gets mad, or hurt, he gets totally defensive and refuses to even listen to the other side. He is totally in the right and everyone else is to blame. He also gets very self-righteous and says some very nasty things. At one point, he said maybe we should let Jess listen to everything and see what hooks her, and then later after Jess could no longer ignore the baseless accusations and circular illogical arguments and therefore started speaking her mind, he pulls out the “John an Yoko” card.
Then there’s the money issue. Early on, he was instrumental in helping us out. He was beyond generous, and one of the best friends you could ever have. However, last night he repeatedly touted his “good will”, claimed he was “the best friend I have in this town” and told me how I might be able to “learn a thing or two about song writing” from him. I think I know as much about song writing as he does. Quantity has nothing to do with quality, and I can and have written songs every bit as good as anything he’s written (which is a lot of really great songs). He also repeatedly mentioned how he’d been such a great guy when I “went back on my word” regarding some money he lent me which was patently false. I pride myself on being very honorable and loyal so this blow hurt the worst. One day I needed $520 to pay rent. He was going to pay me $200 for sessions I had done, and then lend me another $350, which I said I would pay back the next day when I got paid for a jingle. The next day I found that bills coming out of my account had cause me to not have the $350, so I called him and said I was going to borrow it from my aunt to pay him back as I’d promised. He then insisted that I could just work it off doing recording sessions and not to worry about it. Last night he then says he was just being nice. He repeatedly brings up the money I owed him and how he’s bankrolling this album etc. Jess and I both insist on paying him back whatever we still owe him immediately then, to which he repeatedly refuses.
Eventually, after feeling ganged up on, he tells Jess that this is between me and him, and not me, him, and Jess. Jess indicated that if that is how he feels, maybe he shouldn’t come over to OUR house and have a blazing argument in our living room. He storms out. I chase him down and insist we settle this financial matter right now. He says don’t worry about it, I don’t owe him anything. I repeatedly insist on giving him whatever I owe him, he repeatedly refuses and says forget about it, I don’t owe anything. We talk some more about the whole situation and each of our feelings on it, and the fact that we each consider each other like family. Eventually we come to an amicable conclusion.
However, there is definitely scar tissue from this blow up. I’m not sure that I can go on with this nagging knowledge that he assumes no responsibility at all for dropping the ball from time to time, and that I am totally responsible for the lack of progress. He disrespected my talent, my wife, my contributions, and me and though I know it was out of anger, the words cannot be taken back. Especially since I know that his words were based on his own feelings even they were exaggerated by defensiveness.
I think that the parts I add to the songs are as much an integral part of the final creation as his songwriting, but I know he would totally disagree with that. If the roles were reversed, I would give him co-songwriting credit, but I’ve known all along that he does not feel that way, and sees my contributions as cool creative additions, as opposed to integral parts of the whole. I’ve never addressed this because I know how he feels, and I can live with that, because the songs we create kick ass, and I’m not going to quibble over credit or ego, at the expense of cool music. He writes the music and the words and the melody, and while I fell my parts are equally important to the whole, I don’t think him being credited as the sole writer is necessarily wrong. In fact that’s probably how the industry would do it I imagine, but to me it’s more about personal loyalty. Hell, I still credit some old band mates with writing credits on songs that they just added guitar parts, or bass parts to or whatever. I’m all about the team, and unfortunately I know I’m in the minority in that aspect and that it will almost always lead to me being screwed over in some way, but that’s okay. I’m still going to do what I think is right regardless of what other people do.
I want this album to happen. I want this band to come together and kick the music scene in the ass. Whether it can recover from the damage done last night remains to be seen. There is definitely still discussions to be had and bridges to repair. There’s still a lot of raw nerves, and tension in the air. I do know that our relationship is forever changed. I will never go to him for any kind of help again, regardless of whether or not our professional relationship (and more importantly, our friendship) recovers from this nasty exchange, because I do not want that held over me as a weapon any time he gets pissed at me. I’m more than willing to admit my faults and do my part, but I am not willing to be the only one who does so. I just hope that this doesn’t turn into the greatest album that never was.
So I called the PA job and told them I couldn’t do it. Then I called Jess to say hi, and while I was on the phone, I got a call to come and audition for an anime voice over job.
I thought I had blogged about this before but I can’t seem to see it anywhere. A couple of weeks ago I saw an audition notice looking for people who could sound like seven foot tall, muscle-bound road warriors of the wasteland for an anime project. I worked on my best rough, gruff road warrior voice, and initially decided that I couldn’t do it because any voice I came up with would shred my vocal chords after about 5 minutes. In fact, just practicing it trying to get a voice down was pretty trying on my throat. I figured it just wasn’t right for me so I would pass on this project. Then I thought, ahhh screw it, I’ll try and get in the door then I’ll worry about long term shredding of my voice. So I followed the instructions, called the number and left a message in my best big mean rough, deep road warrior voice.
I’m going in to the studio to audition on Thursday (and I’m still waiting to hear about the video game tech support job too).