Learn the unspoken rules of Setiquette to succeed as a background actor.
Last Friday, I sat in the front row of a Spanish mission church in San Gabriel, doing my job as a member of a fictional congregation for Eric Arevalo’s film, Faith.

A cold rain fell outside the church necessitating an …

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Oh the dream of becoming a world class casting director slowly fades when it’s 5pm on a Friday and you want to tear your hair out (or what’s left of it) because, suddenly you get a phone call that the actor meetings you have scheduled for Saturday with the Director have to be pushed to Wednesday because the Director is flying to New York (and also, can I please schedule some meetings in NY - ummm it’s 5pm on a Friday) to meet with actors, which is great, but I thought that they were going on a Sunday, so now all of the calls that happened and email confirmations that went through had to be changed and explained and somehow (please God) re-arranged for Wednesday. While at the same time a friend of mine is just off the plane and looking to spend a great weekend with me in L.A and me being stressed out about work does not a great weekend make, so I have to compartmentalize: deal with the film and have fun with my friend. Not spin out about the appointments and have fun with my friend, which translates into eating at fabulous restaurants all weekend and being in denial that I am really stressed about the upcoming weeks meetings and auditions and actually have the actors I want to meet with the Director come in and read for him, for that actually to happen because, oh yeah, there are a bazillion Pilots casting at the same time and every one of the actors on my lists are going to be on Pilot casting lists which means unless an actor specifically does not want to do television, I am going to be doing a lot of re-arranging of my sessions and trying to figure out that one actor who doesn’t want to be in a Pilot but does want to be in a 3 million dollar budget indie-movie with no distribution and where the pay rate is probably well below their quote – GOOD TIMES!

Actually, it is all-good, and thinking about it now, it is rather fun. While at the time it may seem like a huge amount of work: the phone calls, the 70-100 emails per hour (not an exaggeration) the lists, setting up the sessions (4 actors every 15 minutes, because 20%-50% drop out for reschedules and pilot casting – it’s amazing how many actors wake up on the morning of their audition with a sore throat), uploading the auditions and editing them, it is all a good time. I do actually like doing it. It does cause me to stress eat, so going to the gym is even more important when I am busy, because nobody likes to look at “Fat Matt.” I haven’t managed to work out all week, so, a new plan, take care of me and everything will flow as it should be and yes I am talking about my mental health and my digestive system…

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Freelancing is a great deal…when you’re getting regular work. For starters you tend to get paid extremely well, you make A LOT of contacts in the industry and you have a lot of freedom to pick and choose the jobs you want to do.  But there is a negative side to it too. So after a year that’s left a lot of people aching for some form of job security, I could be considered crazy for turning down a permanent position complete with vacation and health benefits.

But that is exactly what I did last week. I took a gamble; trading in the chance to get a consistent wage, a set of people I would work with day in and day out, job security, the chance to grow with the job in favor of a shaky recovery, unstable finances and not knowing what I would be working on next, nor when nor who with.

Somehow though it seemed a lot more of a gamble to take a permanent job – it would be coordinating crews and shoots for an international company in case you were wondering – than it would to continue to navigate my way through the muddy waters of networking, interviews and uncertainty but where I would be my own boss and the opportunity for that elusive perfect job that we all get from time to time can forever be the carrot just around the corner that keeps me on this wild journey.

Because amazing jobs do come along and one of the very best parts about being freelance is that despite all the setbacks, disappointments and hustling you have to do, every time the phone rings or an email lands in your in box, it just may be offering the experience of a lifetime.

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And What I Learned From It.

I just got back from my first trip to Sundance, where we premiered our movie HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE in dramatic competition. What an amazing experience!  To get a standing ovation on your first movie is pretty incredible. And all six screenings were sold out!

After an exhausting five days, here is what I learned from Sundance — and what I wish I had known before I left:

• Hit the slopes. No one is skiing or snowboarding during Sundance because all the locals have fled the city, none of the real skiers are there because they know to stay away during Sundance, and no one who is there for the festival is getting on the slopes. You pretty much have it all to yourself.

• Talk to the locals. See what movies they are seeing. If the locals are buying tickets to certain movies, you know those are the ones with commercial appeal.

• Pack lots of protein bars. I’ve got to be honest:  If you aren’t eating in the high-end restaurants, the cheap food there is disgusting — and expensive (let’s call it the tourist tax.) If you pack some protein bars you can save yourself a lot of money and stomach aches.

• Prepare for the altitude change — 8000 feet is really high up. If you aren’t used to it, you will get winded very easily. (I never thought I would exhaust myself so quickly from walking up hill). Drink lots of water and rest when you get tired.

• Pack warmly. Seriously, it is cold. And coats you buy in LA just don’t cut it. But instead of buying a coat that you use for two days, borrow from a friend who has lived in cold weather. Trust me, you will thank me for this because it is no fun standing in line when you are freezing cold.

Most importantly, have fun, meet new people, take in the beautiful scenery and enjoy the experience!

PS. And in exciting news, we just found out we won the Sundance Audience Award for HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE!

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