Warehouses, Wood, and Work

What do you get when you combine the three items listed in this blog title?  You get The Actor and his fam, on location, ready to put forth some cinematic effort!  :D

We arrived yesterday to discover some very comfortable accommodations waiting for us.  I might just be in a photographers heaven, there is so much architecture and character to the area!  See for yourself:

The courtyard of this warehouse-turned-condominium building is a sprawling area, with many quiet nooks.  Some reserved for outdoor entertainment; some for quiet reflection; some for simply enjoying nature . . . the privacy afforded here is an urban-dwellers dream!

Even the feral cats think so, as they slink out into the open areas to steal away food left for them by renters and homeowners.  This sly sire of a cat thought he was watching us undetected, hidden away in the lirirope . . . but we knew he was there!

Of course, there was plenty of evidence to remind us we were in the heart of the city!  Such as the water tower, which loomed large above the courtyard, it's tall, lanky legs being hidden by the landscaped trees and shrubbery:

And, who can forget the night time city scape that is always mesmerizing from the top floor:

All the outdoor amenities and visuals are certainly wonderful . . . but indoors?  Oh. my!  

Today on tap?  Wardrobe, rehearsals, and meeting the others!  It's going to be a grand day!  :D

Ramping Up . . .

The Actor just received the request from The Wardrobe Department for his measurements ~ I'm almost afraid to pull out the tape measure, lest I find my little boy has grown even more!

Also, the preliminary schedule has landed in the inbox.  Not too many days hence, we'll be On Location!

WoooHooo!!  :D

The Good News, Bad News Game

The completed project my son, The Actor, filmed in the first quarter of this year has successfully rolled out onto the television screens of multitudes in the past four weeks.  The experience was a unique one, as it was our first step into the ratings game, and all that comes with being a project for a major network.

I think it goes without saying that anyone associated with a project would like to see said project move forward, as it means employment, and a finished product that can lead to other things.  However, as the Big TV Network Execs would have it, The TV Show is not returning for a second season.  We received this news after hanging in the balance in this wise ~ only four of the six episodes were shown.  The window of :thumbsup: opportunity slim as the edge of a dime.

Reviews.  The good, the bad, the ugly.
The numbers.  High.
The Ratings.  Low.
The Cast.  Involved with their fans via internet in a manner, the likes of which I had never seen before.

In the end, no dice for a second season.  We officially received this news on Monday.

Now, The Actor is a solid child, one capable of great feats of emotional maturity during a season of life that can be labeled turbulent for many.  When he received the news, his disappointment was present, yes . . . but so was his presence of mind to move on, move forward, let it be.

I find this so amazingly lovable about him.

So it was that we began Tuesday with a fresh slate.  A new horizon stood before us.  What manner of project would now paint the platform?  On tap:  an audition for tape, a pilot.  Only . . . The Actor was uncharacteristically under the weather.  

We bided time and tylenol, in hopes that he'd revive with enough energy to produce a tape worthy of the project.  The day waned long, and it appeared as though we'd have to arise early in the morning to complete the task.

Not so fast, said the ringing phone, after supper.  Team Israel was calling, and the news was good!

The Actor has booked a film, we're happy to report ~ and it will be shooting practically in our back yard!  New Orleans bound, the news is as a river of water in a dry place, the shadow of a rock in a weary land.

When one door closes, another opens.

Celebrate with us!  :D

Don't Miss It!

Monday, April 12, 9:30 EST on ABC!  The Opening Show ~

http://www.rbr.com/tv-cable/tv-cable_ratings/23038.html

First Interview

I know . . . I know . . .

There are HUNDREDS of details and plenty of stories to share about Opening Night at Stage 9 ~ today, however? I bring you the story of The Tree.

Yes, you see - The Tree stood between my son, The Actor and I as he gingerly and excitedly stepped his way through his very first Hollywood interview.

We previously had it all mapped out. A perfect plan. Since an audition was occurring within a timely fashion post-phone interview, I, the driver, determined that we'd arrive near our destination, so we'd not be on the road, nor distracted when the discussion began. I'd take L'il Man for a walk and allow The Actor a Cone of Silence in the car.

It just so happened that L'il Man fell asleep, so the need to remove him from the premises was no longer necessary. Upon reaching the intended party, however, the cell phone reception was sketchy.

Nonplussed, The Actor hopped out of the car, redialed the number of his appointment, and began talking with great animation and motion . . . all on the sidewalk of a well-to-do LA neighborhood.

This left me with nothing to do. So, I grabbed my camera, and played paparazzi!

I quickly discovered the task not for the faint of heart.

Just between you, me, and The Tree ~ I think he did a mighty fine job discussing his new television series with Melody Simpson. Don't you? :D

Hollywood The Write Way

A New Gig

The Unexpected Benefit

I tried desparately to eek information out of him, but he was distracted by all the hullabaloo surrounding him.

"Out of sight, out of mind." seemed to be his motto towards his mother yesterday, even though I had leaped tall buildings with a single bound on his behalf.

You see, my son, The Actor hopped on a plane, flew to LA, stepped into a high-level audition - then promptly failed to call and inform me how it all went!

It was only at my insistence that a phone call finally ensued . . . and the big news wasn't so much that the proceedings had gone well.

No - the big news was that whilst there, The Actor ran into none other than The Aussie!

What a surprise, as the original schedule had the Australian native returned to his beloved homeland weeks ago. Not so, evidently, as production markers post filming were necessary to be accomplished.

As a matter of fact, The Aussie was flying out today.

A chance meeting? A stroke of good timing? A coincidence?

For two boys with incredibly similar taste, it can all be summed up in one phrase: Happy Reunion.

:D

More to come, as this trip is an extended one, with plenty on the books to get excited about! Stay tuned!

Intermission Ended Three Days Ago . . .

. . . and due to our travels I forget to keep y'all in the loop concerning My Son, The Actor, and his takes and retakes saga!

There is no rest for the weary, so they say, and in my son's case, this was a bonafide fact. His scheduled wrap day actually began with another conference call, with a different individual ~ *the* director of the project he was being considered for. Such a call was a tad unprecedented. Unique. To be valued.

Acting as his personal assistant, I, the mother, took avid notes, whilst my son spoke with the Hollywood Mogul, who was doing what he does best: directing the actor, and asking for some minor changes in his presentation.

And, oh. Could we have that by tomorrow, please?

Gulp.

It was a repeat of two days earlier, when the highly acclaimed Casting Director had asked the same thing. Of course, came the response, knowing then that the day was going to be wild and wooly!

The evening was not just wild and wooly, it was loud and rambunctious, and the sort of 'going away party' any teen might desire in his heart of hearts . . . our apartment, once roomy and spacious, was now filled with four adults, one of them being my son's agent, six teens, and four youngers, plus L'il Man, just for good measure! Who cared if the night was interspersed with rehearsing lines with his castmates, and doing yet more 'takes and retakes' attempting that perfect shot to submit?

Our efforts paid off in the wee hours of the next morning, when, apartment vacated by well-wishing party-goers . . . (I mean . . . advisors to the new project!) and I began the process of editing and preparing for transmittal. And we had yet to pack. Egads.

We managed to do it all, astoundingly. Sleep would simply have to come later, at some future date when time was no longer of the essence.

We boarded the plane the next morning, knowing without a doubt that The Actor had done his very best, no regrets.

Our job now was the infamous job of all in this industry: wait.

. . . to be continued . . .