Air. Head.

My brain is in the clouds today.

I thought I had a rehearsal tonight and have been planning my day around it, and by the grace of God I double checked the schedule and realized that I wasn't called tonight before I left. Sigh.

All I want is some frozen yogurt and Maeby love time.

No rehearsal til Sunday then, after the remaining madness of the week subsides.

Family is in town so other than working there is little else I will be doing. Other than my callback for Agamemnon on Friday. Hopefully that will go well.

OH.

To join SAG, a performer must pay an initiation fee of $2,277, plus the first semi-annual basic dues payment of $58. Thus, the total fee to join is $2,335.

FML.

weekend

Had a rehearsal this morning for As You Like It, I really need to start learning my lines. It's really gonna make a difference because it's such a physical part, I'm doing yoga like the whole play so i really need to get off book. Sigh.

Auditioned for a play yesterday, Agamemnon, that Ty told me about. I think the audition went well, I got a callback but I won't be able to go because it's the same day as my brother's graduation. They said that was ok though and we'd work it out. So I'm not exactly sure when I am going to do that. It'd be an interesting opportunity I think. They are planning on doing it under the Santa Monica Pier at sunset for a few days in July, so it could be really fun. Something different. I've always wanted to do a Greek Tragedy. I hope I get to die. If I get the part obviouslyyyyy.

Hopefully Ty and I both get cast.

back to life.

This morning was the final night of shooting for Greenberg and by far the longest and the coldest night. We were called at 5pm and of course sat around for a few hours in Zoe's cabana and watched TV mainly. I re-learned a monologue I am doing tomorrow at my audition for Agamemnon tomorrow afternoon. I did it a couple of years ago so it actually just came screaming back to me fairly quickly. Breakfast was yummy, fruit and uncrustables, which are so gross/amazing at the same time. And oddly enough, even though the whole point of uncrustables is to not have the crust of bread, I still don't eat the faux crust. The pot pie like edge, if you will. I just dont like the ends of things I think. In life or in my food.

We came across the first mean, curmudgeonly person on the entire set last night when we went up to crafties to get breakfast. This woman was telling everyone that because we all ate everything the crew never got any bagels or food and se kept hovering and trying to keep people from eating the food that we were all entitled to. She was a major bitch and kept saying "we just put a bunch of food for you guys down in holding". Which by food she meant chips and candy. Idiot. Not to mention the fact that five minutes earlier I had witnessed the crew get their own cheeseburger bar that no one else got. She was lame. I think someone must have said something to her because she changed her tune later in the evening.

Around 9pm we broke for lunch and it was THE BEST. Mexican food complete with tamales and mole and rice pudding which I adore. Then at 10pm on the dot we started filming and shot straight until 5 3o am. It was long and intense and FREEZING because we shot all the exteriors. I volunteered along with Mariana to play beer pong so we also had to chug alot of O'Douls. Well, I had to chug more because she is shockingly good at beer pong. My toes were completely frozen after an hour and I literally thought they were going to fall off.

We were all delirious with exhaustion and frozen, but the funniest moment was when this oddball kid named Joey was sitting up in the tree behind me during the whole scene. He was up there for a few hours when all of a sudden I hear a giant thump and I turn around and Joey had fallen asleep and rolled out of the tree! It was hilarious and horrifying. More hilarious because Mariana called him a Keebler Elf earlier in the evening.

Despite all the fun I was very glad when we wrapped at5 30 am.

Oh yeah:

What the What!?!?!?

WARNING: EPIC POST


It's just completely insane and random how things in life come to pass. After years of freaking out over building some kind of tangible career, of stressing over how in the world I was going to ever take the tiny baby steps to get me anywhere in life, it just lands in my lap.

As most of you know, this past week I have been doing extra work on the set of a film called Greenberg. Directed by Noah Baumbach and starring Ben Stiller. I got the job because Mariana has a friend, Zoe Di Stefano, who originally auditioned for the lead and though she wound up losing the part to this trick, Noah loved her so much she asked her to come back and do a party scene and have a few lines. Zoe is da bomb. Noah and or the casting director decided that for the party scene they should invite friends and family of the cast to do background work as opposed to hiring real extras. That's where I came in. Zoe asked Mariana to do it and Mariana asked me, and I asked Ty. Cherish was also involved.

We knew that there was the off chance that we would get SAG vouchers but were really doing it for the cash munny and for the opportunity to hang out on an awesome set and watch Noah and Ben work.

It seems that after this project is over tomorrow morning, both Ty and I will be able to join SAG which is a HUGE HUGE HUGE step in our careers for both of us. It signals a kind of sea change in the way not only in how we will approach getting jobs but also in the way people respond to us and the opportunities that we will get as a result. Needless to say, we are beyond thrilled. Over the moon, you might say.

Now I shall give you the deets. Basically we show up around 4 or 5 pm and check in with the 2nd 2nd AD named Ian, who Ty has tentatively renamed the King of the Extras. Then we go to wardrobe if they didn't like what clothes you brought and change into what they gave you. They like my own clothes so I don't have to. (Thanks for the hat Max, I think it brought me good luck cuz peeps think I'm adoro) Then we literally sit around for hours. Thank baby Jesus that Zoe has a bungalow because she has lines, so we go and hang out in there. We usually have breakfast around 5pm, then hang, read, play guitar, until rehearsal which last night was at 8pm. Then after that we had lunch and began filming around 1o pm. Last night they only used Ty,Mariana, Zoe and myself until about midnight then we went back to Zoe's suite and made up insane harmonies and played with internet cameras and were all around delirious until about 2 30 am when we went back on set for an exterior shot. Only worked about a half hour then we were wrapped for the night. I got home at 4 am.

Tuesday night they used me a TON more, basically in the party scene, if you are so interested in knowing, they had me placed in various positions and doing some crosses during the party. I worked from 10pm straight til 4 am that night. It was totally worth it to get to watch Ben work.

He is incredibly generous with all the actors as well as the extras and really takes the time to connect with everyone in the room. He has been very polite and gracious, especially considering that he is old and probably really tired and he has two small children. He told yesterday that when he got home Wednesday morning at 5 am he stayed up so he could play with his kids all day. BALLER. He is basically awesome. And he said hi to me last night when we practiced our cross a few times because I am supposed to cross right in front of him.

Noah Baumbach is THRILLING to watch. He is adorable, first off, and he is really respectful of all actors and when you make eye contact with him you feel your spine melt from the intensity.

This experience has been so incredibly fun and I am so lucky to have been able to go through it with my friends. Tonight is the last night of shooting and while I am glad to not be a vampire anymore I will miss it. Even though its only been 3 nights! I get so attached. geesh.

Shout out to Zach Appelman. His friends (now my friends) Davey Franco and Talia are also working on the film, Davey has a really great part and he is the cutest individual I have met in a long time. They also know my lovely friend Amy Gumenick who has also had quite the week. I hope everyone watched the Natalee Holloway movie on LMN because she was spectacular!

Ok I know the epicness of this epic post was almost too much to handle, but i had to share. I will have more details of the final night tomorrow. I hope that they let me jump in the pool. You get paid more for doing crap like that.

OH ps. and just so that God could remind me to not get too happy, this morning, after getting home at 4 am, my next door neighbor decided to cut down the enormous tree that lives right under my bedroom window at 8 am. It was just cruel. I was so tired and confused. I mean who does that? RUDE. What the hell kind of GD shit is that?

Title.

I had another crazy weekend though not as exhausting as the last one luckily. On Saturday I had a rehearsal for As You Like It, which went great, it just takes every ounce of strength in my poor body to get up for an 8 am rehearsal. Especially when I had to work the rest of the day as well.

Sunday I had a rehearsal in the afternoon at a lovely park in Hollywood that I had never even heard of before and it was pretty cool. It had art installations and live music and a theatre, but we rehearsed outside. It was ridiculously hot but it wasn't too awful. Except for the fact that Jake had his bicycle stolen. That was not cool. As a person who has never stolen anything in my life I just don't understand how one can walk off with someone else's belongings! It is ridiculous! And the fact that no one saw anything just perplexes me.


I'm doing some extra work for Greenberg starting tomorrow and I'm starting to get worried that they won't give me some SAG vouchers which is really the primary reason to be doing this. I just really really need to get in the union. I'm over this! So I really hope to get a voucher out of this. Especially since I am going to have to be a vampire for the next three days. And I'm doing a raw food cleanse so I'm going to be starved the whole time and having to stay away from Craft Services which is actually the greatest part of being on set. Le sigh. I hate "The Secret" but I am going to Secret those vouchers into my hands if it kills me.

On a similar note:

"LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Top officials at the bitterly divided Screen Actors Guild said they approved a tentative contract on Sunday, clearing the way for the 120,000 members of Hollywood's biggest union to vote on the deal.

"Our board voted by a slim majority to send out a deal to our membership," said SAG President Alan Rosenberg, who is opposed to the contract and described it as "terrible."

The vote, following a two-day meeting of SAG's national board of directors was 53.4 percent in favor of recommending the deal.

The membership vote, which requires a simple majority, is likely to happen in the next four to five weeks. For now, the bitterly divided union's supporters and opponents will draw up their arguments and rebuttals to present to voters.

SAG and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents movie studios, announced on Friday that they had struck a tentative deal after months of often rancorous talks that helped bring production to a standstill amid fears of a strike.

The agreement -- covering actors ranging from struggling extras to big-name stars in movies and TV -- delivers 3.5 percent effective annual increases. It will not be retroactive to the June 30, 2008, expiration the old contract, which was a major SAG goal.

As a result, SAG members would lose tens of millions of dollars in pay increases they would have earned had SAG accepted the AMPTP's offer last June, one source said.

A key issue was how much actors should be paid for work delivered by new media, including the Internet and mobile phones, which are seen as a vital future distribution outlet. The new pact largely offers nothing extra in these areas.

Film production has slowed in Hollywood due to the labor uncertainty and the recession, and experts said a deal should pave the way for some increase in moviemaking.

Hollywood has feared a rerun of the 2007/2008 writers strike that crippled most television production and cost the Los Angeles-area economy an estimated $3 billion.

The lengthy talks split the SAG membership, with a moderate faction in January ousting hard-line chief negotiator Doug Allen, a Rosenberg ally, and forming a new negotiating team. Talks resumed, but then broke down again in February.

"I wouldn't say it's our finest moment," Rosenberg said of the infighting.

Rosenberg told reporters he would not resign from his unpaid post if members voted for the pact.

Rather, he hoped a "no" vote would force the studios to "finally deal with us in good faith when it comes to the Internet, when it comes to the future."

In a statement, the AMPTP said both sides reached a compromise deal that promised SAG members "meaningful" wage increases.

"With this agreement in place, our entire industry can work together to overcome the enormous economic challenges before us," it said."

my poor sentimental heart.

Went to go see my new friend Erwin in Sarah Ruhl's Eurydice at the Hayworth Theater last night. Sarah Ruhl is one of my favorite playwrights and I knew that I would enjoy the play and I was not disappointed. It was a really beautiful adaptation of Orpheus and Eurydice, one of my favorite Greek plays. Sarah Ruhl has a really musical and lyrical quality to her dialogue that makes every word incredibly poetic and beautiful. The cadence to all the lines is really beautiful and adds to the almost dreamlike quality to all her plays. They are all very other-worldly, and not just in the sense that this play actually takes place in the Underworld.

Erwin did a beautiful job as Orpheus, one of my favorite male romantic leads. Would it be weird to name my kid Orpheus? I just love him so much! Maybe my next dog? hmm..

Anyone who is in the area should check this play out, it is incredibly romantic, beautifully acted as well as visually lovely and of course, utterly tragic. My sad heart cried but as everyone knows, it is not exactly difficult to make me cry.



Tuesday night I went to Improv Olympic in Hollywood and was surprised at how wonderful the performance was. There were two groups on at the 11o'clock hour which is when I went. The first one, Gypsy Lou, was incredibly hilarious and just spot on. I find improv to be incredibly difficult and horrifyingly scary so I never do it, so when it is done well I am in awe. I could tell the amount of work and rehearsal that went into it.

The second group however was a good example of shit improv. It was hard to sit through, in fact, I got up to use the bathroom which I would normally NEVER do during a show even if my bladder was bursting. But it was just embarrassing. I went with my friends Sean and Malcolm, both actors as well. The trick is to have lots of actor friends to take me to all these amazing shows and buy me beer. It works well. Sean is filming a sex comedy right now and the details of it sounds pretty grotesque. Sex with a bagel? Oh Sean, I like how as the economy gets worse and worse our standards and ethics get lower and lower. We gotta hustle right? Malcolm would never lower himself to such indignities as he is a member of the Actor's Gang. Fancy pants.

Got lots of rehearsal coming up this weekend for As You Like It as well as doing the voice overs for Checkmate so it can be edited. As much as I say I would love to be a stay at home doggy mom (which lets face it, some weeks i am) I am so glad to have lots of work right now. Even if it is unpaid.

BUT next week I am also doing extra work on the new Noah Baumbach film called Greenberg, My sister's friend has a part in the film and got us all into a party scene. By all I mean Mariana, Me, Ty and David I think. Normally I am not a huge fan of extra work but rumor has it that SAG vouchers will abound so I am ready and willing to kiss lots of ass for a voucher. And hopefully it will be fun as well and I'll be making some skrillaaaa.

Peace.

P.S. I apologize to anyone whom I may have called "homeslice" this week. I don't know what has gotten into me. It needs to stop.

Le sigh.

Gaspard Ulliel, Je'taime.

always waiting.

Perpetually.

I sit and wait and see when someone needs me to audition, nanny, show up, drive, anything.

Right now I am waiting to see if I get cast as an extra on the new Noah Baumbach movie called Greenberg. I have been reticent to do extra work because it seems tedious and it's nearly impossible to get a SAG voucher unless you kiss major ass or know the AD.

But on this shoot apparently everyone gets a voucher, so I am really really hoping that I get on. I need those pronto. I am over this shit.

Need a voucher.

I am planning on finally going through Central Casting as soon as things get a little less hectic in the coming weeks anyways but still. This would make things alot easier.

Maeby is definitely glad I am sleeping at home again though. Even if the grey weather made us a bit cranky today.

Am thinking about doing a raw food cleanse. Can't hurt right? I saw some dailies and look like a fat cow. I know in real life I don't but the camera is cruel. Le sigh.

Fin.

Finished principle photography today after a ten hour shoot as well as a late night shoot last night as well. Between that and my rehearsal this morning for the play at 8 am I am pretty burned out. Glad to be home again with my little Mae.

This morning we went through the first scene that I am in in the play, basically the wrestling scene. Blocked it out almost completely and did a couple of runs. It looks good already.

I wanted to put this video up yesterday but I couldn't figure out how to do it. I was on a different computer. It's just too much technology sometimes.



My favorite part of one of my favorite films. It's also a really great example of a short film that has no dialogue other than voice over. Man that shit is difficult.

rehearsing

had my first up on our feet rehearsal on Tuesday at the Odessey Theater in Santa Monica. It's a really nice venue, I had never been there before. We used a side rehearsal room and did a bunch of Viewpoints based exercises mainly focusing on movement and physical work. The cast seems very nice and it's always interesting to see the first few rehearsals when no one knows each other and think that in a matter of probably two weeks we are all going to be best friends, at least for the time being. That's how it goes. Luckily I am not the only one who doesn't know everyone else.

One guy couldn't remember my name and he called me Tiny Lady. It's ok because I can't remember his. And I am only tiny in comparison because I think he is 7 feet tall.

Busy weekend ahead, more rehearsals for the play and it's the final weekend of principal photography for Checkmate. Since I am housesitting in Santa Monica I haven't seen Maeby very much and I miss her like a son of a bitch.

Glad to be working though, and especially that I like the people who I am working with.

Buuuuusy

Still recovering from a busy and slightly overwhelming weekend. But being busy is good I know. I just missed my Mae.

On Sunday we spent the whole day filming outdoor daytime scenes and a couple scenes indoors. I spent the majority of the day slathering on as much sunscreen as possible so I didn't get completely roasted. I also spent most of the day in the makeup chair getting this gross burn on my arm.




and then getting turned into an old lady.




Sitting outside for an hour while Veronica did my makeup was ridiculously relaxing. I absolutely fell asleep for about a half hour of it until I heard one of those carts that sell Mexican chips with chile and lime on it and I ran like a child to get myself a bag. Only a dollar! I totally would have paid at least 3 dollars for it. It was delicious. Then poor Veronica spent the rest of the hour trying to accommodate my eating of the chips. They were just so good I couldn't help myself.

Veronica is an AMAZING makeup artist, and really fun to hang out with. She has really neat eyelashes too.

After the shoot on Sunday I went to closing night of Pounding Nails, as expected my friends put on a highly energizes and exciting performance and I am so glad to have been able to go to their final show.

Yesterday I spent another full day shooting in a theater, so at least I got a dressing room with a very comfortable couch and a Coffee Bean across the way. Veronica made me old again.


We shot very surreal, beautiful scenes with lots of fog and ineresting lighting while Luis and I played the worst game of chess ever. He doesn't know how to play and I am actually awful at it so getting through a game that looked somewhat believeable was a bit of a trial.

Rehearsal tonight!

Owies

I filmed a few night scenes last night for Checkmate, most of them involving getting beat with a candlestick and thrown about. It was fun though doing stunts is always a bit nerve wracking. I am not exactly the most coordinated person, not to mention the fact that I am inherently flinchy. So every time I saw the candlestick coming at my face it took all the strength in my being to not jump back and run away screaming. I was super paranoid I was going to get hit in the face and break a nose or something so I kept practicing it and of course, that went well nothing happened.



And after all that fuss when it was my turn to pretend hit fake hubby on the head with a picture frame we had it perfectly choreographed. We practiced and rehearsed like so many times that my neck hurt from holding it at a strange angle while swinging the picture frame up. When it finally came time to get an actual take they turned on the fog machine and I guess after being flung around when it came time to hit Luis with the picture frame I think the fog messed up my depth perception and I clocked him on the head with the frame. Lucky for Luis I am not very strong and the angle I was laying in made it even more difficult to put any muscle behind my hit but it made a horrific noise.

It would actually have been a great take had my face not instantly flashed total horror at having hit him. Maybe they can salvage that take by taking my reaction out somehow. I felt terrible. I really do blame the fog though, it made me totally disoriented. AND it is toxic for your brain so maybe I was high on the fumes or something.

This morning I had the first read-thru for As You Like It. It's a good, relatively short version of the play, and went quickly as most comedies do luckily. It was alot of fun and there were yummy chips. I am playing two different characters and it should actually be quite fun. They are gonna be wacky I think. My director, Jeffrey Morris, is very into doing lots of movement work and really developing characters through a collaborative, thoughtful process as opposed to just shouting Shakespeare at people.

Am very tired and am going to get some rest before a very full day of filming both tomorrow and Monday. As well as hopefully going to see the final performance of Pounding Nails by The Theatricians.

Sigh

I got this email from my Manager that has apparently been circulating around actors for a few days. It was written by the owner of a Talent Agency and I think it does a pretty good job of summing up the situation we are all in right now and what to do about it. Dear Clients, I wanted to take a moment and give you a number of important updates…. Before I begin, however, I wish to tell you all that I am so very proud of you all for your dogged determination during these most difficult times. Frankly, Hollywood has not seem times like these since the 1950’s and even then, maybe not. Hollywood is being challenged on multiple fronts – labor uncertainty, paradigm shifting and the ‘great recession’. I know a lot of your are getting antsy to get out more, and frankly many of you are in a tight financial pinch; as such, I wanted to describe to you all the current climate in LA and the factors influencing the current environment. 1. SAG STALEMATE: Since the SAG contract expired on June 30, 2008, there have been few to no STUDIO feature films (this does not include companies such as Lionsgate and the Weinstein Company who are not in AMPTP and assuch have completion agreements). Some analysts say there are up to 200 feature films on hold. Around September, we started to see a mass movement of film actors to TV projects. Many of my named actors have done one-day guest stars (this is very typical right now), and we are seeing a number of Guest Star level actors doing CO-STAR roles. Remember from November of 2007 to March of 2008, due to the Writer’s Strike, again there were no feature films shot. So for the film actor, there has only been 4 months of work in the last 17 months. THE BOTTOM LINE: Due to the lack of studio feature film production, BOTH film and TV actors are now competing for a limited number of jobs in the episodic and pilot environments. It is like a back up on 405 after a three lane accident! 2. PILOT SEASON: During the Writer’s Strike of 2007-2008, Studios adapted and used the void to eliminate pilot season as we know it. Gone are the days of hundreds of pilots. In fact, this year, there are only 67 pilots to have registered for production – of which only about 35 have been greenlit for production. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118000479.html?categoryid=3284&cs=1&qu ery=pilots+casting+2009 And this year, due again to a sagging economy, studios and networks believe that by committing named stars to their projects, they will receive more money from this year’s up-fronts from ad agencies. They are banking on star power to leverage better buys at the all important UPFRONTS. So, stars and pop-stars like Richard Dreyfuss, Chevy Chase, Brittany Snow, Elle McPherson, Rebecca Romijn, Ashley Simpson, Scott Caan, Skeet Ulrich, and proven TV talents like Kelsey Grammar, Eric McCormick, John McGinley, Joel McHale, Jenna Elfman, Donald Faison, Maura Tierney, Peter Krauss, Craig T. Nelson, Dax Shepherd, etc…. You do the math, 37 pilots… top stars being sought… BOTTOM LINE: the conflagration of the economy and a lack of roles being cast, means that this pilot season may be even more competitive than the concurrent regular TV market right now. So those of you who have gotten auditions for series regulars… feel great about that! This is more like a backup on the 405 after a four lane accident. 3. TV: While TV has been steady, again due to the conflagration of film and named actors doing Guest Starring roles, we have seen a horrible trickle down. Many Guest Stars are now doing Co-stars and Co-stars/Developmental Actors (those with less than 5 national credits) frankly are not getting seen much. One CD recently told me that she had over 25 women who would be considered ‘working actors’ going for a co-star role. BOTTOM LINE: Again, due to the abundance of named and working actors, many less-developed actors are not even being seen right now. 4. ECONOMIC IMPACT I – THE EROSION OF QUOTES/RATES: There are really three major impacts to actors during this economic crunch. First, we are seeing the erosion of quotes. Due to the availability of so many talented actors, CD’s and Producers are in the driver’s seat in negotiations. When they say, “well we got someone else who will do it for less”, they ain’t kidding. I have spoken to a number of my peers who have confirmed this erosion of pay for their actors. In short, right now, quotesare eroding and for many, the minimum has become the maximum pay. 5. ECONOMIC IMPACT II – THE CONCLUSION OF SAG STALEMATE: Many are hoping that with the end of this stalemate, Hollywood will get back to normal. I have to say, that I am not one who necessarily believes this. First off, due to the economic conditions, most studios have lost their millions of dollars from hedge funds; and European, Asian and Middle Eastern money has dried up. Even Stephen Spielberg has had to beg, borrow and steal to get his company financed …. And it wasn’t anywhere near what he originally asked for. I believe that, even after the SAG stalemate is over, there is probably not enough money for 50 Studio Feature Films to be done right out of the gate. BOTTOM LINE: While this will help us move towards normalcy, it will not be the cash cow some people think it will be. One side note, is that I expect that more formulaic projects will be down out the gate as Studios will be less likely to take significant risks since most of these projects will be financed by both the studio and their investors. In short, you will see more Iron Mans, Animation, and SAWs… they are money in the bank when you factor in ratios, etc. 6. ECONOMIC IMPACT III – OVERALL STATEMENT OF ENVIRONMENT: It is important that everyone follow the economic conditions closely. I know it is easy to be skeptical over the studios, networks, cablers, production houses, show runners, etc, losing money, but it is a cold-hard fact right now. These entities are truly in a difficult spot. If you have read much lately, there have been dramatic cut backs at every studio and network, from firings to asking show runners to cut between 2-7% of their budgets (not to mention the 25+% cutback shows like the Sarah Silverman were asked to swallow recently). Furthermore, these networks and studios are largely owned by conglomerates who have lost in the billions over the last 6 months. When I attended NATPE in January, all the talk was how to get ‘thinner.’ Everything is getting tight. Budgets, Marketing, Staffing, etc., and this will undoubtedly impact the actor. Also, the foreign sales market (where much of the TV and Film money is made, is being hit hard by the erosion of the US Dollar. So these entities are not able to recoup the costs they were in better days by the one-time explosion of the foreign markets. BOTTOM LINE: The economic conditions are forcing the industry to be as ‘thin’ as possible. 7. COMMERCIALS – INDUSTRY AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS: One analyst said last year, that 2008 was the worst commercial market since maybe 1974. I would not argue with this. Think about it: three of the top products/services for ad agencies are banks, cars and other financial services – all of which were struck down in 2008/early 2009 by this recession. This was confirmed when news struck that even the Super Bowl did not sell out advertising this year. The good news is that the advertising industry tends to be one of the first ones to be negatively impacted by a recession, but one of the first to grow as the recession moves to an end as advertisers of products want to start accumulating market share before the turn of the economy. Another impact relates to the overall conditions of the TV/FILM/PILOT situation. Many strong actors havemade enough money on TV/FILM, etc so that they have not had to do commercials in years. Due to the last few years and the lack of work, many top actors are now back in the commercial market; thus again, causing a logjam in casting. BOTTOMLINE: The economic slowdown has caused a dramatic decrease in ad sales and the lack of work has caused more actors to re-enter the commercial market. THE GOOD NEWS!! Okay, so that is where we are today. You know me, I try to always call it straight as I see it. So, I am not going to sugar-coat this either. I anticipate that 2009 will be a tough year overall for actors (and agencies). First off, the economy will not likely get straightened out until atleast the 3rd to 4th quarter of this year and so all the factors above will remain in place through most, if not all, of 2009. Secondly, until the labor situation gets straightened out, wewill not be seeing dramatic amount of film production, and this seems tobe dragging along as well (as we enter the 8th month of the stalemate 2 it was announced today that SAG is thinking now about taking AMPTP to court for anti-trust violations). But again, even if it was finalized, there is not enough investor money to see the film production level normalize and increase for most, if not all, of 2009. Also, since movies cost around $40 for two (tickets, popcorn, etc) – this is not a recession proof field anymore. During our last significant recession, there were few choices for guilty pleasures to get away from the stress of our times – so many people flocked to the theatres. NOT SO THESE DAYS, one can go to the web, TV, cable (not around in 1974, 1982, 1988 much), Video Games, Netflix, RedBox (movie for a $1). So studios are probably not in any big rush to make films as people cannot afford this once cheap diversion – better to divert for a few bucks to all the many other sources of guilty pleasures. OKAY, so that didn’t sound like good news… The good news is that there are some paradigm shifts occurring that make 2010 -2012 look like it might be one of the most prolific times in Hollywood history. Due to technological developments, there are more platforms being developed than ever. The internet is driving millions of new viewers each year. Zillion is going to transform the way we view advertising. For those who don’t know, it has recently been unveiled by the maker of Real Player and the ‘mouse.’ It is a system that makes you watch ads before downloading movies (they already have 14,000 Titles readyfor download), TV, other forms of entertainment to your TV Screen. However, the consumer can choose the products they want to see (let’s say you go retail clothing and watch a Macy’s ad and love the jacket; you can immediately click on the ad/jacket and go directly to their website where you can buy it). Also, you earn points by watching the commercials that you can use towards purchases. Furthermore, SONY and others are now selling TVs that wirelessly connect to your computer, so you can download TV/FILMS at anytime from your computer (websites like Hulu, Netflix, etc) directly to your TV. In short, technology is making more platforms which will require more content than ever. Also, Cablers are all embracing doing scripted shows, some have up to 5 shows this year… again, more content is needed and thus MORE ACTORS! BOTTOM LINE: More platforms = more content = more actors! So as long as SAG/AFTRA canprotect your rates and jurisdictional issues, there will be more good compensated work than ever in Hollywood by 2010-2012. SOME FINAL THOUGHTS: I hope this email helps you understand the nature of the business, in both the paradigm shift that is occurring and the economic recession, and that you keep your expectations in check. IN AM NOT GOING TO SUGAR-COAT this, 2009 will continue to be a challenging year, but we are IN THIS TOGETHER. Remember, if you do not get paid, WE do not get paid. And like you, we are having financial challenges as well (many significant agencies have gone under the last six months – ACME, DRAGON, etc – even talks of Endeavor merging with William Morris). All of us at PTG are learning to love TOP RAMEN AND PEANUT BUTTER/JELLY sandwiches again! BUT REMEMBER, you are all extremely talented actors and I truly BELIEVE IN YOU! Which leads me to my last points: A. PLEASE don’t think that you are alone right now. ALL actors are having trouble getting seen (I have spoken with many of my peers who are not having even the level of success we are right now in getting people out). B. IF you are on my roster, YOU ARE NOT BEING FORGOTTEN! I am not that kind of agent. I THINK OF YOU ALL EVERY DAY and submit/pitch/push like a son of a bitch for you ALL! SO please don’t feel the need to email me about projects you have heard about or a breakdown you saw – I have seen it and acted on it, I assure you! However, if you have a particular in on that project, that is different (I.E., the Producer is my best friend, or that CD Cast me before – However, this should already be in your narrative histories!) C. HAVE HOPE and CONTINUE TO BELIEVE IN YOUR ABILITIES. You are all so freaking good, when times normalize and grow you will be productive… JUST HANG IN THERE – and keep your acting chops ups so when the opportunities come you are ready to roll!!!! My bottom line: We're fucked. And with that I am off to an all night shoot.

OMG

My whole life I have wanted to participate in one of these. And the fact that they are dancing to my hero Julie Andrews just makes it even more magical.