PACK 'EM UP

With the Texas A&M speaking gig coming up this Tuesday, I feel like a traveling salesmen as I fall back into my packing routine that I've got down to a science.

First I grab 5 "BLT" posters & 20 "BLT" CD's from my inventory to hand out as giveaways and to workshop participants that I pull out of the audience.  Pre-sign them all to save time.  Then grab a stack of about 50 photos to sign after the event.  Can't pre-sign these cuz I've got to personalize them all on the day of.

Those all get packed into a DISH network box that just happens to perfectly fit all the contents and keep them undamaged during the plane ride.  And it's compact enough to not take up too much space.

Then I get the scripts together for the workshop portion in which I have participants "audition" for some of the stereotypical crap I've gone out for in the past as well as some of the ground-breaking roles too.  Count and make sure I've got enough scripts for all the roles.

Make sure I've got all the pages to my 35 min lecture.  A copy of the flight itinerary and contract. 

Pack all those into a different binder along with a glowing "star" necklace that will be placed around participant's neck "auditioning" in the workshop -- so that the audience knows whose dialogue they should be paying attention to amongst the other actors on stage.  Also pack a copy of "BLT Genesis" (35 min documentary of "BLT"'s behind-the scenes) OR a copy of "BLT" in case the school wants to utilize the alternate programming option of having me do a running live commentary of the film.  

These two packs, along with my laptop (to access last minute sides via email for an audition), frequent flyer cards and a change of clothes all go into a tiny carry-on (checking in luggage eats up too much valuable time). 

I thought I had my routine of traveling light and efficent down pretty well until last year's trip speaking at the University of Illinois at Urbana and my co-star Sung Kang topped me by just bringing just a toothbrush! 

Can't wait though to come back to this 'lil nugget. 

Honestly, so much of the day gets eaten away by either a) kissing her tiny cheeks and/or b) staring at her thinking, "Where'd this thing come from?"  Any work that needs to get done career-wise is hastily completed in order to get back to options "a" or "b".

It'll be interesting to see how differently she will inevitably change the way I'll have to prepare for auditions or learn my lines.   No longer can I just lock myself in my office until the wee hours of the night. 

Which is why lately I'm really diggin' the idea of doing just commercials for awhile.  One day of work -- in and out.  Collect residuals for a few months while I just stare into her 'lil face the rest of the 364 days of the year.

Anyways, remember to check out this Thursday's second "Tru Calling" appearance: April 7 at 9pm on FOX.  I think I've got a lot more than the tiny intro last week but it's been so long since I shot these that I can't even remember anymore... but I do recall that I'm in a hottub (sans ladies of course, because the I'm playing your standard asexual-television-Asian-Male).

BUSY BEE

Things just got a little crazy in my life but in a good way -- so here's a mish-mash of random stuff that's been goin' on:

- I shot an Alltel Wireless commercial last Friday.  As I was running my lines in my trailer, I wondered why it felt so weird doing so... and that's when it hit me: In the 9 commercials I've done over the years, this is my first one with dialogue!  I'm not just a pretty face anymore!  

It's a fun ad:  I'm a Sales Rep barreling through the great calling features to a customer in a store.   Meanwhile, random "yelps" of joy erupt from surrounding customers after being told different great features from other reps.  I continue, oblivious to it all, until when I get to a certain feature... MY customer also involuntarily "yelps" in joy.  He covers his embarrassment as I give him an understanding smile. 

It was a bit nerve-wracking because the Alltel Clients kept changing the lines of the features to be "yelped" at.  If there's any lesson I can impart it's: Don't get locked into the dialogue.  Be ready for changes. 

Several phrases like these were casually tossed out: "For the first sentence, do the first half of the original dialogue and then tack on the 2nd new sentence after it.  And then for the 2nd sentence, do the alternate line."  And you have to step up and not freak out (which btw, would be very understandable).  But you've gotta keep your cool and adjust quickly or they'll simply find someone else who can.  Luckily I'd gone through similar situations on the set of sitcoms I've been on, where the writers constantly threw in line changes during the live audience taping.  In times like those, I try to keep in mind that I'm among friends and am just goofin' around with no pressure. 

I think Alltel is only available in the South and Mid-West, so let me know if anyone sees it!

- I'll be in the South doing a speaking/workshop gig for Texas A&M's Asian Heritage Week next Tuesday, April 5th - courtesy of the MSC L.T. Jordan Institute and the ladies of Rho Delta Chi, 7-9:30pm.

- Then the following week, I'll head to the upper left corner of the mainland, to speak on Saturday, April 16th at Washington State University's Asian American Pacific Islander Awareness Month, 2:15-4pm.

- I just agreed to shoot a short film, "Passages" by Ted Chung, from UCLA's Directing Grad program.  It's a great, subtle, sweet little piece that fits perfectly into my schedule before "Hatchet" begins shooting.  And that will premiere at the VC Film Fest, May 3 2005.

- Then this Thursday is what I like to personally call, "Make FOX Regret It Day".  I hope people tune into the final episodes of "Tru Calling" in ROVES this Thursday.  Make 'em have egg on their face for canceling my show!  This Thursday, March 31st at 9pm for the first of my 3 episodes on "Tru Calling"!  Grrrr...

- And then finally... just as my wife and I were getting the baby checked out on a routine visit yesterday, our doctor noticed the baby's amniotic fluid was low.  With the baby still 5 weeks away from being due, we asked him what this meant.  To which he turned to us and said, "Well, it looks like you're going to be parents in about -- 3 hours."

Uh -- say what? 

3 hours later... Emergency C-Section... and out came a 5 lb 3 oz baby, 17 1/4 inches long.

Even though she was born 5 weeks early, everything seems to be checking out okay with wife and baby. 

So please welcome the arrival of : Avery Anne Shen. 

We think she's tiny, cute and perfect.  Guess she was anxious to see her Daddy on "Tru".

"The Shenmeister... makin' copies..."

Once you go through the exhausting process of finding the right photographer and then selecting the one perfect shot among hundreds taken to bestow the honor of being your official "headshot".  Then you've gotta dish out some more time, energy and dough ... to duplicate them.

The debate used to be: Duplicate them as photographs or lithographs? 

I used to always swear by photographs because you just cannot beat the quality.  However, they are pricey -- about .80 cents each.  And right off the bat, you'll need to make about 300-500 of them.  Plus you'll have to make a negative burn of the 8 x10 original (about $30) then add your name/border ($10).  Lithographs were the popular choice among most actors since they were about half the price.  You just needed to have them scan your original 8 x10 headshot and that was it.  However the quality was a little better than a clean photocopy.   

But those days are gone.  Isgo Photo (click reproductions - then litho) has a Tri-Colored Lithograph process that can capture the look of a photograph.  So you're getting the quality of a photograph for the cost of a lithograph.  Granted, an actual photo is still superior but even I'm not that anal about it -- it's pretty darn close and you know how many of these things are going to get tossed in the trash by casting directors?  When you choose either matte or glossy - the glossy option will make it look and feel more like a photograph.  I usually get 300 made for $100 (.33 cents each).  And B&W or Color lithos are the SAME price! 

However, after I reloaded my agents with photos (see Feb 4 entry), it left a big dent in my supply.  I've also got several speaking gigs coming up in which I need to have photos to sign and hand out afterwards - so that's 2 stacks of 500 lithos you see there (.19 cents each).  I paid $190 as opposed to the $500 it would've cost if they were actual photos.  The beer bottle was placed between them so you can get the scale of how high 1000 lithos is.

The downside?  My face and shirt color is slightly more pale than I'd like (you can't tell here).  With lithos, the color cannot always be matched perfectly.  So now I'm stuck with 1000 lithos that I'm only 88% happy about.  The lesson: Stick to 300 increments.  

The Lazarus Show

Last night a few fans emailed me with this notice: My shows on "Tru Calling" will finally see the light of day. 

Apparently the shows that originally sent my show into cancellation (before the season even aired), "North Shore" and "Point Pleasant", are getting the axe as well.  So now the final 6 episodes of "Tru Calling" will begin to air... next week!

Next Thursday, March 31st will be a special Two-episode premiere on FOX starting at 8pm (I'm in the 9pm episode).  Then for the following four weeks, it will be slotted in the 9pm time spot after "The O.C." -- the way it originally wuz supposed to be!!   #!?% Friggin' "North Shore"/"Point Pleasant" -- that'll show you to boot me out of a steady gig with a baby on the way....  

 The episodes I'm in are:

Ep #2: Thursday, March 31 @ 9pm on FOX - "Grace"

Ep #3: Thursday, April 7 @ 9pm on FOX- "In the Dark"

                                  (which if I recall correctly, I've got a hotub scene)

Ep #6: Thursday, April 28 @ 9pm on FOX - "Twas the Night Before Christmas...Again"  

So please tune in, not to see me, but to send a message to FOX that they messed up big time trying to overthink their lineup with dookie like: "North Shore"  and #!*% kicking me to the curb with no steady gig in sight, with a baby along the way no less....

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

My wife has been growing her hair for a few years now.  And it was getting loong.  Almost to her waist.  I wanted her to cut it for the longest time just because when it gets that long, it begins to "draw" down your face the energy of one's aesthetic.

But a few weeks ago it went from what you see above to this -------->

<---- Which then became this.

Why?  To donate to an organization called Locks Of Love. 

Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children 18 years or younger suffering from long-term medical hair loss usually from a medical condition called alopecia areata -- which has no known cause or cure.  The prosthesis created helps restore self-esteem & confidence, enabling them to face the world and their peers.  In no way is Locks of Love associated or affiliated with any for-profit hair replacement business

I guess natural hair breathes better than the synthetic stuff that Barbie's hair is made out of.  You must have at least 10 inches of hair in order to donate so that they have enough to make a wig.  For example, my hair would look like a bag of grass clippings.  As opposed to my wife's that measured in at about 11 1/2 inches. 

Any color of hair is fine, except white, silver or gray.  These wigs are for kids.  And if they weren't already being made fun at school for being bald, imagine the torture other kids would put them through for attempting to "blend" in with gray hair.  

On the Locks of Love site, there's a list of participating salons that will cut your hair for free if you plan to donate.  Then you pop the hair in a padded envelope along with a form and mail it out.  M wife went with one of her 4th graders she teaches and now they both sport these hair bobs as badges of honor in class. 

So if you've been planning to trim those long locks for summer, here's a worthy cause to put 'em to good use!                  OR  

Give them to me so that I can make these cool "Redneck/Rocker" caps!

Ponytail Cap sugg. retail: $29.99

Pigtail Cap sugg. retail: $39.99

Operators are standing by! 

Rock on!

Got Agent?

How to get an agent. 

This has been a much requested entry from a lot of  "actor-to-be" readers and the one that I've long avoided.  Why?  Because the topic's a huge headache.  There is no "right" way to go about it and there is waaaay too much to get into.

And from my experience, 90% of the time, the people who ask -- are not ready to have an agent yet.  Just having a headshot and being ready to mail 'em out, does not make one "represent-able" goods. 

Because once you get an agent, you're going to be instantly thrust into a playing field amongst actors who are honing their chops daily or have been for years.  You don't want to be labeled as being "too green" on your first impressions in front of casting people.  And the agents sure as heck don't want you embarrassing them.  And the agents that do take on tons of newcomers are already known for their weaker talent pools among the casting community anyway - so his/her submissions probably won't get open very often.     

The key is to take your time.  Otherwise it's a lose-lose situation in the long run.  I can't tell you how many times I've personally seen how the agent appropriate for the level you're at -- will usually always wind up "finding" you.  But who am I to be discouraging?  After all, I too once submitted to agencies I had no business sending out to.  So with that said...     

I found a great way to pass the buck with all the agent questions.  Last week I came across a really well done book called: "An Agent Tells All" by Tony Martinez.

Tony is currently an agent at GVA and was growing weary of the same questions.  So he wrote a book from the agent's perspective on how to: submit to an agent, knowing when you're ready for an agent, how to handle the interview, what tools you'll need, what an agent does, what you should expect from your agent, etc.  The book's also got a website. 

In the book, Tony agrees that training is a tool that most actors forget they need.  It's a very easy read and he thoroughly lays it all out in a clear, no-nonsense writing style similar to mine.  If I were to write a book about this stuff, it would come from the same principles.  A "Thumbs Up" from me. 

In fact, I learned a lot about the pilot season process in later chapters that I wish I knew while going through the NBC thing a few weeks ago.  Those starting out may not need that info right now, but that's what good guidebooks do -- have all the info available there when you need it. 

So any of you folks looking for an agent, this is a great place start to accumulating a lot of information you'll need... that is if you're ready (see my site's FAQ #3).

Other good books about agents and the submission process are: "Your Film Acting Career" by MK Lewis (my bible when I started out) and "The LA Agent Book" or  "The NY Agent Book" by K. Callan.  Although both books provide timeless advice, the agencies/names may be outdated in the editions I linked above.  After reading about the agent submission process, then go into a Samuel French Bookstore in NY or LA and pick up "The Right Agent" or "The Agencies" (for some reason not available online) to read about each agency in detail and get their current addresses/agent names when you're ready to submit.  Good luck!

Btw: That last question in the previous entry on State Coins was a rhetorical one.  I outed out so many coin collectors!

State Coins

My Mother-in-Law gave us this cardboard display that holds all the 50 commemorative quarters (from 1999-2008, each of the 50 states will be honored on a unique commemorative Quarter.  Five different coin designs will be issued each year and be released in the order in which the states joined the union.  The reverse of each coin symbolizes the states's history or culture). And as the new quarters are released every year, you're supposed to slot them into the empty holes accordingly. 

You know when you just have "stuff" you need to do but it's not really important -- but it's still piling up in the back of your mind nevertheless?

I mean like alphabetizing your DVD's or CD's to make 'em easier to find.  Well, it's been bugging me for years that I was falling behind slotting those damn quarters in.

So last week, I sorted through all our quarters.  Tossed aside the ones with "the eagle" on the reverse while keeping the others. 

The afternoon went something like this: "Let's see... Pennsylvania... nope, got that.  Maryland... need that... need Vermont...  eagle one, can't use that... Okay, no Confederate Flags or Burning Crosses on any southern state coins; so far, so good... "

I then used a mallot to pound the suckers in place.  Don't try pushing 'em in with your thumbs, it hurts after a while.

So far my favorite ones are:

Connecticut and Texas --

After filling them in, I noticed West Virginia held out joining the union for a long time.  Seriously - look at all the coins around West Virginia (the red state).  Sheesh.  Talk about pressure.  "Hey, West Virginia - why don't you join?  Everybody's doin' it." 

And being a person hating to do things twice, I needed to keep track of what I already had without having to go through this process again.

So I made a little legend with post-its, checking off the states I already had.

I'll trade anybody a New York or Pennsylvania for a Maine, Florida or Tennessee. 

Um, you guys do this too, right? 

The Movie That Almost Was

I've always been a strong writer but I'm lazy... actually, "energy-conservative" is a better word.  As most writers know, you have to be writing everyday to get the creative juices going -- 95% of the time it will be crap but it has to be done to get to that golden 5% nugget. 

But I never could bring myself to consistently expend that much energy on a daily schedule.  I always needed a *spark* of inspiration that would send my brain into automatic pilot.  Very much like Neo at the end of "The Matrix", all of a sudden I could "see" the beginning, middle and end -- and then I could crank out the entire storyline on paper within hours.

So here's how a story idea was almost formulated a few days ago.  I'll numerically lay out the tangents of my mind that day to make it easier to follow:

1) I was powering through this book called "Rebels on the Backlot" by Sharon Waxman.  It details 6 directors that really shook things up in the 90's and follows them making their signature films -- Quentin Tarantino (Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction), David Fincher (Se7en, Fight Club), David O. Russell (Three Kings), Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich), PT Anderson ( Boogie Nights, Magnolia), Steven Soderbergh (Out of Sight, Traffic).

The book contains several interesting observations such as that Tarantino's strength lies in homage as opposed to originating ideas.  Says his former manager, "He pays homage to other people's work and visions.  He can retool other words, put it into his own pentameter, bring his own voice... and pump a new perspective into it." -- as seen in "Reservoir Dogs" (homage to Ringo Lam's "City on Fire") and in "Kill Bill" (homage to Hong Kong Kung Fu).

2) But it was a quote from David Fincher that set off that *spark* in my head.  He was saying that attending H.S. in Oregon was very unchallenging for him; where obtaining a B-plus average was a breeze amongst the laid-back townfolk.  But as Fincher put it, "You're still the fastest guy at the Special Olympics". 

The line made me chuckle.

And then I thought, "Hmm, that would make a great 'taboo' comedy.  Perhaps a guy who's a loser at everything he ever does.  Decides to feign some sort of mental/physical disability so that he can take the gold in the Special Olympics -- be a winner for once in his life.  But he slowly begins to bond with the participants and ultimately redeems himself at the end by not going through with it and/or actually losing the race due to a last minute injury/disability and leaves with a greater understanding of the essence of the Olympics and it's participants."  If the sensitive subject matter was handled right, it could work.  Maybe even as a dark comedy as opposed to a broad one. 

So I set out my laptop all ready to draft the outline and brainstorm... Steve Carell ("Bruce Almighty", "Anchorman") could be in the main role... I'd have to attend a Special Olympics for research... and of course, I'd have to write a role in for myself...  

3) Going online to research where and when the next Special Olympics might be, my eye caught an article in the trades that Tarantino was meeting with New Line to possibly write and direct the next "Friday the 13th".  Which made me think, "Wow, if anyone could pay homage and breathe new life into the horror/slasher genre -- it'd be him."  Which made me wonder, "Would he use Kane Hodder (Jason in the later 'Friday' films) and if so, would he visit the set of my film with Hodder, 'Hatchet', next month?"

4) So I looked up Hodder on IMDb -- see that he's slated for another horror film, "The Forest Prime Evil".  "Hmm.  Wonder who's in that?"  So I clicked on "The Forest Prime Evil"... 

5) To which I saw an actress named Camille Chen was in it.  (I met Camille back in '97 when I toured though Austin, TX. with the hereandnow theatre company and she was also in "The New Guy" with me.)  So I clicked on Camille to see what she's been up to...

6) Under her filmography, I read she's in a film called, "The Ringer" that opens April 2005.  "Hmm, what's that?"  So I click on "The Ringer" and read the film's summary... 

Two guys decide to rig the Special Olympics to pay off a debt by having one of them, Steve (Johnny Knoxville), pose as a contestant in the games, hoping to dethrone reigning champion, Jimmy. Mentally-challenged high jinks and hilarity surely follow.

"Son of a *beep* !"  

And I slowly closed my laptop shut for a long winter's night... 

As a future parent, there are already a few things off the top of my head that I know I want to protect my daughter from:

1) Drug Dealers 

2) High School Boys

3) Over-sized Mascots

Mascot: "Aw, hello cute lil' baby."

Baby: "WHAAH!!" (translation: "Holy Crap!")

How to get "A Head"

Besides the whole NBC pilot debacle (which I'll share more later), last week was very eclectic to say the very least.   Because I also got a latex molding of my head and leg made for the film, "Hatchet", that I'll be shooting in Mid-April.

Why the head and leg?  Well, those are my body parts to be chopped off in the film by Kane Hodder (aka Jason from the "Friday the 13th" installments).

As you can see, they begin by tucking my hair under a bald cap so that I don't really wind up bald when they pull the latex cast off.  They also smear Vaseline on my eyebrows and eyelashes to prevent them from sticking to the goo.

Then they pour this freezing porridge-like substance called Alginate over said body part.

Now the Alginate gels within minutes, so it's important to immediately hold the facial expression the director needs for the head's molding.  In this case, my head's getting chopped off so the expression I needed to hold was the ole' "slamming eyes shut and grimacing teeth in pain" pose.  

And all the while, someone was always watching that my nostrils were clear of Alginate so that I could continue doing this thing I enjoy called "breathing".  

While the Alginate needs to harden for 30 more minutes, you're in this 1/2 inch thick, skin tight, rubber molding getting heavier and heavier as it dries.  Ultimately it'll weigh about 10 lbs more.  

As my neck was straining to hold up the extra weight, all I could think about was "How the heck did Tobey do this when they casted his entire head & body for the Spidey suit?"  Then I remembered, "Oh yeah.   Thinking about the $14 million dollars he was being paid probably helped pass the time."

So as I reveled about becoming a "thousand-aire", the drying process finally ended.  A blunt knife was used to slice the casting from the back.  I blew air into the mask and moved my face around to free myself from the elastic prison.  The marker line you see on the bald cap was to trace my hairline.  The Alginate picks up the ink path so that the wig guy knows where to glue my "hair" onto this head.  Then they glued the cut shut, filled the entire cast with latex and then as Ron Popeil would say, you "set it and forget it". 

Now onto casting the leg.  Repeat Steps 1 through 5.  1) Smear Vaseline on the leg to protect the hair.  2) Apply freezing Alginate....etc.

I'll show you what the finished product looks like when it's done but if you ever do this, remember to always wear your most crappiest clothes cuz' it does get messy!