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May 31, 2005
Booked! Giddy up!
So, tomorrow and Thursday, we're in callbacks for the feature film political mocumentary A New Tomorrow. I'm so damn excited about the cast we've already assembled, I'm hoppin' out of my skin.
And tonight?
Just came home from a two-hour casting meeting for my NEXT gig... Chandler Hall for Pollack Pictures. This is a seriously amazing feature film with a nice, healthy budget. Ooh, how happy am I!! Yippee!
Posted by bonnie at 11:11 PM
May 30, 2005
Here's Some of What I Do
Panel things.
(You may remember the announcement of this event, made right here.)
Yup. It's fun. Me likee.
Posted by bonnie at 9:50 PM
SAG LifeRaft Seminar Announced
It's official! My Self-Management for Actors SAG LifeRaft Seminar is on the books!
Register soon! These things fill up fast! See y'all at SAG on the 21st! Woo hoo!
Posted by bonnie at 12:30 PM
Special Day: 8 June 2005
Okay, so not only is 8 June 2005 the day that Quinn arrives for his annual visit,
but it's also the day that Acting Qs reaches Los Angeles.
Woo hoo!
Now, while I get ready for a big casting meeting for the NEXT feature film (Yippee!) and prepare for callbacks on the CURRENT feature film (Woo hoo!), you go read this (brilliant) and this (also brilliant). Oh, and go outside to enjoy this PERFECT day! Wow!
Posted by bonnie at 11:42 AM
May 29, 2005
How To Work the Media
Note to Tom and Katie: try the Christopher and Adrianne route.
I just watched The Surreal Life 4 reunion show. A Brady and a supermodel are co-habitating. They behave very much like people with an age difference in Hollywood who are dating.
You, Tom and Katie, don't. Shades of Michael and Lisa Marie, anyone?
Of course, Tom, you know how this goes, having sketched out the gameplan for this little media blitz months ago.
Props to Rachael Harris and the crew at Best Week Ever for one of the best sketches on the subject of *shudder* Holmes-Cruise love thus far.
Posted by bonnie at 4:27 PM
May 28, 2005
Joseph Montana Update
Reports from NoCal: Joseph Montana is doing much better, thank you.
Yay! The vibes worked! Thanks, everyone!
In other news: T-minus 11 DAYS until Quinn gets here for his annual visit! YIPPEEEEEEE!
I'm so excited I just can't stand it! Yippee yahooee and hooray!
Posted by bonnie at 11:33 AM
May 27, 2005
Happy Girl/Saturn Return
Okay, I'm a super happy girl!
We're now finished with prereads for A New Tomorrow and I'm going to be able to cast a half-dozen or so roles this weekend, based on the rockstar job the actors did for the minor roles at prereads. Awesome. Callbacks next week! Yippee!
I'm putting this here to remind me that Saturn Return is kicking my ass until mid-July. It's very easy to forget that and to get really really down on myself about things that aren't working. So... last night, I got out the grease pencil and drew Saturn on the mirrors in the house. Now I can't forget to let myself off the hook for the hell that is living sometimes, when things get too overwhelming.
Saturn, the planet ruling lessons learned and realities faced, is now traveling through the very last degrees of Cancer. You have had Saturn pressing you since June 2003, a time that you may have begun to see your responsibilities noticeably increase. Saturn is now moving at unusually swift speed, and in a matter of weeks will be completely out of Cancer. Your end date will be July 16, 2005. No matter how you look at it, you are entering a far better phase. Best of all, Saturn always leaves a gift by the door after he has exited, as thanks for having dealt with the rigors. You will see this to be true in the weeks that follow July 16. When this reward is given, you will know when it arrives. In the meantime, the gifts of strength, wisdom, insight, and maturity have already begun to grow within you, and you have earned the respect of others around you. You have grown in stature and authority, and you see life with far greater clarity.
See? It's not "just" me! It's a huge planet pressing down on me at its hardest. Thank goodness the gift is almost here.
Hopefully, I won't need the reminder to let myself off the hook anymore, now that I have artwork on the mirrors. AND... I have the film 1/2 cast! Woo hoo! Casting meeting for the next film?? Tuesday, baby! It's just rollllllin' in now! Woo hoo!
Posted by bonnie at 10:36 PM
May 24, 2005
Audition Gridlock
So, today we had the first day of prereads in Santa Monica (the first time I've held auditions outside of Hollywood and on the Westside).
The wreck that happened just before prereads started had people late all day long.
Other than that, prereads rocked. I love my job. More casting later this week. Tomorrow, I'm guest-speaking at the St. Monica School across the street. Rock on.
Posted by bonnie at 10:31 PM
May 22, 2005
Joseph Montana
Please send peaceful, happy puppy vibes to NoCal for Joseph Montana, age 14.
Joseph has always been very good to me--sharing a bed with me on visits to Liz and Brandt with Keith, sending me Hello Kitty presents (with Liz's help, of course), and remembering all major holidays with cards in the mail.
Last night, Joseph was taken to the vet with major old-age issues in his back, making his legs basically not work so much. Since Joseph is diabetic (and blind), these are serious concerns.
We love you, Joseph. Hang in there, if it's not painful. Go quickly, if it is. XXOO
Posted by bonnie at 6:50 PM
Best Things on TV
Best things on TV tonight?
That'd be Tina Fey doing the Risky Business spoof on Saddam Hussein in his BVDs and Keegan Michael Key doing "Man Up" stomp on MadTV. God bless TV that doesn't get cancelled. Ever!
WB Shows Cancelled
NBC Shows Cancelled
Fox Shows Cancelled (What???? Life on a Stick? Cancelled? Noooooo!) *rolls eyes*
ABC Shows Cancelled
CBS Shows REMAINING
UPN Shows REMAINING
Huge bummer-meter on the Joan of Arcadia cancellation in our household. That was a Season Pass for Keith. :( And, bigger bummer that our friends' pilots didn't get picked up. Still... I believe it'll happen. There's really good material there... and SOMEWHERE, there is an audience for stuff THAT good. 'Til then... we watch the bad and wish network TV fed us better morsels. :\
Oh, and as if I needed an extraction team to get me out of the house on Thursday nights... there's Hit Me Baby, One More Time, which seriously must be worse than that ballroom dancing show on UPN ABC (thanks, Ames).
Posted by bonnie at 12:24 AM
May 21, 2005
Get To Work, Gang!
Acting Qs: Conversations with Working Actors is up at Amazon.com.
Get to it, gang that I love! Y'all know what to do. Wheeeeeeeeeeee!
Posted by bonnie at 6:34 PM
May 20, 2005
When in doubt...
...believe what the universe shows you.
Yeah. Today was good. Got a call from a producer on the film I'm currently casting, asking if he could send me the script for the NEXT film he's producing--one with a big budget--so's I could consider casting it, seeing as the director on this current film raves so. Rock on!
Best news of the day: El Cholo's seasonal Green Corn Tamale: gluten free, y'all! Woo damn hoo!
Posted by bonnie at 3:21 AM
May 17, 2005
Now THAT's Cool!
You release a breakdown. You start looking at submissions as soon as you get back from renting audition space (it's like an hour after the release of the breakdown). Who's been pitched for one of the roles?
This guy! Man, that's damn cool.
Posted by bonnie at 4:07 PM
Good Upfront Coverage
Posted by bonnie at 12:07 PM
May 16, 2005
New Casting Gig
Woo hoo!
Remember that intense casting phone meeting I had last week? Booked the gig. Yowza! Watch for a breakdown mid-week.
Woo hoo!
Posted by bonnie at 5:00 PM
Announcing: SMFA Seminars
Bonnie Gillespie's new small-group seminar on Self-Management for Actors provides an inside look into the business of acting and helps you identify your primary type, create your best self-marketing plan, and give you confidence to navigate the Hollywood landscape without personal drama.
Remember: Drama Costs Extra!
First seminar: Monday, 6 June 2005. Click here for more information.
Wish me luck!
Posted by bonnie at 3:57 PM
Cross-post: Upfronts
C'mon... NO WHAMMIES!
Posted by bonnie at 3:33 PM
Page Six: Extras Fired
Oh, wow! This is a doozie.
From the article:
The union extras-—who were playing cops, reporters and rioters-—refused to work unless they were paid more. The job action didn't end until a production manager gave an impassioned speech."He threatened us," said another extra. "He said, 'We'll never bring any more movies to New York if you hold up shooting here. We'll let everyone in California know about this.'"
Along with the stick came a carrot. "They compromised and said they would pay us," the extra said, "and then turned around and canned us. We finished that night's shooting, and then everyone who had complained was told not to come back. We're blacklisted."
Yikes!
May 16, 2005--UNION extras upset by smoky fires on the Yonkers set of Freedomland staged a sit-down Thursday night that disrupted filming of the Samuel L. Jackson/Julianne Moore movie reportedly for nearly an hour.The "background performers," who are members of the Screen Actors Guild, demanded extra pay before they would continue filming a riot scene in the nearly abandoned Mulford Gardens housing project, which is slated for the wrecking ball.
"SAG rules say the actors are supposed to get paid extra for hazardous conditions," said one extra. "Steam is okay, technical smoke is okay, but you can't burn cardboard boxes. The smoke is toxic."
The union extras-—who were playing cops, reporters and rioters-—refused to work unless they were paid more. The job action didn't end until a production manager gave an impassioned speech.
"He threatened us," said another extra. "He said, 'We'll never bring any more movies to New York if you hold up shooting here. We'll let everyone in California know about this.'"
Along with the stick came a carrot. "They compromised and said they would pay us," the extra said, "and then turned around and canned us. We finished that night's shooting, and then everyone who had complained was told not to come back. We're blacklisted."
Freedomland is based on the brilliant book by Richard Price, which was inspired by the case of Susan Smith, who drowned her five children and told police they'd been kidnapped by a black man. Jackson plays a police detective who is helped by a newspaper reporter, played by Edie Falco. Moore is the homicidal mother. The movie is being directed by Joe Roth and produced by Scott Rudin.
A Freedomland spokeswoman said shooting was disrupted for no more than five minutes and denied rules were broken.
"We're a union shop. If there are grievances, there are ways to resolve them," she said.
The spokeswoman also denied anyone had been fired: "We had 275 extras on Thursday night. We needed only 175 on Friday night."
The pampered extras also complained that they were cheated out of their "meal penalties" (overtime for missed meal breaks) and that they weren't provided with enough toilets and a space to wait between scenes separate from the non-union extras.
"They've been breaking every rule in the book. They shouldn't be allowed to get away with it," groused one extra, who said he was fired.
Posted by bonnie at 3:15 PM
Y'know...
When you're bored to hell and you've emptied your TiVo,
you begin to learn
that there's some
on the Internet.
Posted by bonnie at 2:50 AM
May 15, 2005
On Bullshit
So 60 Minutes does a piece on the best-seller On Bullshit.
It got me thinking about the term "bullshit." Why did the bull's poop become the most popular in our language? Why not the dog's? The monkey's? The gerbil's? Is their poop of less-importance, when measured up against that of the mighty bull? And if its poop is the more important, more popular, then why does the term mean something is false? Hm.
(Yes, I've added the book itself to my Amazon Wishlist.)
Posted by bonnie at 8:06 PM
May 14, 2005
Proofer Patrol Party Photos
Some of the book's lovely amazing proofers came out to let us buy them some drinks and foods and thank them muchly for the heavy-duty proofing work they helped us do!
Just so happens, we got the blue lines the evening of the party. Yippee! This rocks! Thanks again, everyone!
Posted by bonnie at 12:22 PM
May 13, 2005
Big-Ass Casting Meeting
Just had a big-ass casting phone date with some cool-ass filmmaker types.
I was hoping to end the call with a, "You're hired!" and I certainly may get that phrase from them next week, but they have some budget snags to work out first.
BTW--did you know that SAG Indie's contracts are being revamped July 1st? Whole new set of rules to learn! Yippee! I like what I've seen so far.
Man, that was one hella long/intense phone call. Phew! Hope I get the gig.
Posted by bonnie at 3:16 PM
May 12, 2005
Internet Shopping
I love shopping online.
In four business days, I shall have some goodies at my door. That's fun.
I swear, I love the hassle-free buy-online life. God bless you, little Internet.
Posted by bonnie at 11:44 PM
May 11, 2005
Book Faire
Enjoy.
It's official. See y'all there. And yes... that's how "y'all" is spelled. Don't punk out.
THE FIRST ANNUAL ACTORS CASTING/AGENTS PANEL AND BOOK FAIRE
THE ACADEMY OF TELEVISION ARTS AND SCIENCES and the Performers Peer Group "Road to Success" Series presents NAVIGATING THE NEW HOLLYWOOD LANDSCAPE FOR THE WORKING ACTOR
Casting Directors: Richard Hicks, Jane Jenkins, Ellie Kanner, Sonia Nikore, April Webster.
Agents: Chris Barrett of Metropolitan Talent Agency, Glenn Salners of Stone Manners Agency, Robin Spitzer of Origin Talent Agency, Mitchell K. Stubbs of Mitchell K. Stubbs & Assoc., Jeff Witjas of APA
Produced by: Conrad Bachmann & Alex Georgiev
Moderated by: Bonnie Gillespie
When: Saturday, May 21 2005
Where: CBS Studio Center, 4024 Radford Ave., Studio City. Please park in the structure (Gate A) north of the main gate on Radford. Pre-registration and photo ID required to enter the studio lot. Security guards will direct you to the commissary and event location.
Gates to open at 9:30am
Seminar: 10:30am-12:30pm
Book Faire: 12:30pm-2pm
Come for the Seminar, Stay for the Book Faire.
Actors Access and Showfax members are invited to attend a FREE seminar sponsored by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. If you have already RSVP'd through the Academy, you are set. If you haven't, just go to:
Click here to RSVP and fill out the online form to secure your reservation. Only attendees with valid confirmations will be allowed to attend this free event. If you want to just come for the Book Faire, be at the CBS Radford gate at 12 noon.
After the seminar you will have the opportunity to meet and greet authors who have set the standard for books for and about actors. Meet Terri Apple, Bonnie Gillespie, Margie Haber, Ellie Kanner, Rob Kendt, Judy Kerr, Brad LeMack, Nancy Rainford and other signature authors.
This is an exciting must see event at CBS Radford. Topics will include how technology has changed the way agents and casting directors work and how actors can take advantage of this new work flow.
Posted by bonnie at 11:49 PM
Upfronts
Let's send loads of good luck, break a leg, show-get-picked-up vibes to New York for the Upfronts.
Bob's new show, Nobody's Watching, is going up for the WB.
Jeff's new show, Loved Ones (And Other People We Hate), is going up for NBC, though it looks like it may have been pushed to midseason. Hm.
Either way, way to go, two of the tallest guys I know! Kick ass. Have fun! Get those pilots picked up!
PS--Looks like Rose took me to the TWOP TAR-Con last night. Fun! Got to meet TAR6 castmembers Joe (of Joe and Avi) and Lori and Bolo (and Bolo tells me I must find a way to Taft-Hartley him for this next movie I'm casting. Hm. Could happen). Hee hee. Fun night. Lots.
Posted by bonnie at 1:42 PM
May 10, 2005
Happy Birthday, Animals
A year ago this week, Thwok was born (she's the little grey thing on the right in the photo--with brother Oscar, nursing on mom Chanel).
And here she is today.
Because we don't know *exactly* when Archie and Salema were born, but we know for a fact it was late April/early May of 1999, we choose this week to celebrate the birthdays of ALL the Gillespie-Johnson animals.
Happy birthday, animals.
And mom, tomorrow, happy birthday to you.
Posted by bonnie at 11:52 AM
May 7, 2005
Ya Gotta Love Hollywood
Breaking news: Jennifer Garner, confirmed pregnant.
They break into regular programming for this stuff around here.
Posted by bonnie at 4:36 PM
Geography
Two quizzes from Maria. One from weeks ago that I kept forgetting to put on here. A funny T-shirt spied in NY. Plus a rant and a thank you.
You Belong in London
A little old fashioned, and a little modern. A little traditional, and a little bit punk rock. A unique woman like you needs a city that offers everything. No wonder you and London will get along so well.
What City Do You Belong in?
Nope. Too cold. Too rainy. No London. But thanks.
American Cities That Best Fit You: |
| 75% Los Angeles |
| 65% Honolulu |
| 65% Portland |
| 55% Atlanta |
| 55% Chicago |
Yup. That's about right.
You scored as Chelsea.
Chelsea is an area in Lower Manhattan west of Park Avenue from about 30th Street to about 14th Street which includes the Flatiron District. It's well known as a gay friendly area. It's also really hip and upscale. It's great place to shop for things for the home. If there is some kind of new innovative soap dish out you're bound to find it here. There are a lot of good places to eat... but, the prices can be a little high. The bartenders in this area are some of the best in the city and they know how to make everything. When some new drink comes out you can bet it came from Chelsea! The only draw back is the entire place is crawling with yuppies. But if you're a yuppie that's probably Okay.
Chelsea 83%Which neighborhood in Manhattan is best for you?
Alphabet City 72%
SoHo/TriBeCa 67%
Upper West Side/Morningside Heights 67%
Hell's Kitchen/Theatre District 61%
Stuyvesant Town 61%
Inwood 56%
Harlem 50%
Kips Bay 50%
El Barrio 45%
China Town 28%
Upper East Side 22%
Financial District/Battery Park 17%
Washington Heights 11%
created with QuizFarm.com
A note about TriBeCa: I was seriously embarrassed for the mess of people interviewed during the TriBeCa Film Festival who couldn't tell you what "TriBeCa" meant. Worse, even, was that the show doing the story (some Entertainment Tonight-type show) got it wrong, saying, "It's short for the Triangle shape the district makes!"
*thud*
Morons. That takes care of "Tri." You just need to look at your little map to come up with "Be" and "Ca." Sheesh!
Oh, and thanks for all the support and love on the panic attack stuff. I'm doing better. Need some more time. I'm taking it. Yay!
Posted by bonnie at 1:12 PM
May 5, 2005
Two Things
Go read about this adorable baby. I think it's way cool that he's doing so well--and has such great fashion sense!
Don't read about me. I'm still flying into panic attacks several times a day. I blame this chemical:
Keith says it could also be "seasonal stress" due to the double-whammy of Mom's birthday and Mother's Day, but I would hope, by now, I'm less crisis-level upset and more just normal-sad about that.
Ugh. I'm sick of all this up and down mood crap. I don't have time for it and it's making me really frustrated, agoraphobic, and manic.
Posted by bonnie at 12:09 PM
May 3, 2005
So People Love the New Book
Rock on.
Not yet on Amazon... but there's bureaucracy there.
That said, you can read advance reviews from totally unbiased book-loving readers here and here. Tee hee! LOVE THIS!
Sell, little book, sell!
Posted by bonnie at 11:41 PM
Many New Things
So... what up, G?
Buttloads. That's what.
Sheesh! I'm seriously blogging now.
Politically incorrect observation #1: There is much more traffic on surface streets these days. Why? Someone who wants less traffic on the freeways is shooting people to get the road to himself. Mission accomplished. We're all taking Wilshire now.
Politically incorrect observation #2: What kind of society do we live in where a fallen child star (Danny Bonaduce) can pull himself together, get clean, get a top-rated radio show, do voiceovers and guest spots on prime time TV regularly, often admit that he had his "major addict" days... and then manage to slide, publicly, back down off that wagon (and saying so, regularly), yet be supported in his work environment... and THEN get ridiculed when he puts himself back in rehab?
I mean, really... if you SAY you're slipping, if you OWN that you are boozing it up... how can ANYONE decide to judge your arse once you do the RIGHT deed, which is signing up for help? Fuck! If they're going to bitch about you, they should do so when you're boozing in front of them and trying to hide it. That's what I expect, when I'm off-wagon-falling. At the very least!
There is no politically incorrect observation number three, as there is never a three (which really should be some other number) based on the reality created by somesuch-whatnot and the good folks there.
Not politically incorrect, but amusing... Chip took this shot at the Twilight Criterium. Oh, how I remember the bliss that was our WUOG Sports Director living in the pace car for that in '95! Ah, memories.
Further not politically incorrect, but perhaps self-aggrandizing, is the observation that I no longer am capable of casting a "small project." It started when the first actor arrived at the audition location today. He said, "This must be some good production company with a healthy budget, to get you on board!" I laughed and said, "Oh, honey... I'm very affordable--I'm still at the beginning of my casting journey and that means I'm doing the same thing actors do, at the beginning of their careers: working cheap and choosing great projects with wonderful people."
Typically, one out of every ten actors says something about my books, my columns, previous casting visits, my online presence, speaking engagements, etc. This time? One out of every TWO.
And.
I can usually count on 30 no-shows out of 150 scheduled appointments. This time? NONE. Not ONE no-show. And I am so terribly sad that some people had to leave, after waiting for so long, and/or that people just waited and waited and waited so more. I ALWAYS HAVE ON-TIME SESSIONS! It really bummed me out to suddenly NOT. But then it occurred to me (and Keith said it out loud) that I'm suddenly not a CD who people think is casting one or two little projects here and there--but I'm someone who people know (in an: "if it's not this project, it's the next" type thing) will soon be casting something else they want to get on my radar for... and they show up. THEY SHOW UP! Even if they aren't confirmed, they show up.
Crap. I've just bumped up a tier. I've steadily increased my day rate for casting indies and I continue to get offers. WTF?? I increased my rate to cut down on the number of projects I got, and it's not happening. Sure enough, it's a sign that I'm right where I'm supposed to be and doing it right.
But now I have to schedule far fewer actors for auditions than I'd like to. That sucks. But, I guess it's a quality problem.
Looking forward to the day when I can hire MCJ (My Cousin Joni) to be my full-time assistant and get loads more work done with the sense of efficiency that only a Virgo can provide.
BTW--I love actors! Everyone rocked today. Amazing, how wonderful and confident so many actors are. I love that. I am such a fan of so many wonderful people!
Posted by bonnie at 8:39 PM
May 2, 2005
Love, Love, Love My Life
So, I've just had an amazing few dozen hours.
Big reminder that I love my life. Sometimes I need to forget that (not sure why, but I'm guessing it's all chemical). Keith reminds me that, usually at the end of a book hand-off, I'm in migraine hell for about a week. Well, this time around, I'm off the meds and the gluten that would make a migraine happen and I'm still having the stress--just not the physical event.
Ah... but I am. And the physical event is a panic attack. Okay. Makes sense. And I prefer that to a migraine, truly. Mainly b/c, despite the stress, I'm able to continue work, casting my ass off, selling books, speaking to actors, and loving my man and my kitties.
Y'know... life could be way worse. I've got it purdy good.
Posted by bonnie at 11:38 PM
May 1, 2005
Oh, Okay.
So THAT's what was happening to me.
I was starting up a panic attack. Makes sense. Better now.
Posted by bonnie at 8:22 PM
Saturation Point
I'm often overwhelmingly busy. Frequently, those who know me ask how it's possible that manage to get it all done (the flippant answer is always, "I don't sleep") and still maintain sanity (the flippant answer is, "What sanity?").
I think, though, today...
I reached a saturation point. I can't do it all. I've tried to be very smart about pacing myself all weekend so that I could somehow make it through everything that had to be done by Monday. I was methodical and clever and even asked for help (which is so unlike me). I knew, with good vibes and process, I could make it.
And I haven't.
And I won't.
Some things are just going to have to be NOT done.
It sucks and I hate it and feel like a failure (even when 95% of everything I had to do is at 85% completion or higher).
But.
I'm not going to do that to myself. I'm not a failure. I'm a workaholic perfectionist with OCD and sometimes it just doesn't all work out.
So there!
Much better.
Posted by bonnie at 7:23 PM
Freekin' Sweet!
Unless you live under a rock, you've heard the news that Family Guy is back!
And bigger than ever! Damn, I'm so excited! Life, she is good today.
PS--Freakin' exhausted. What did I choose to do all weekend? Work. And work hard. Thank goodness for the happy present that is the greatness of this show... soon! Yay!
Posted by bonnie at 3:02 AM