Acting classes

I'm looking for excellent professional acting classes in or near Santa Fe, particularly ones relevant to film acting. I can stand to learn a lot more, and I know that being in classes looks good to Casting Directors.

MJG

Casting call for Class Action

I went today for a casting call for a movie with the working title “Class Action.” It’s the fictionalized story of the first major successful sexual harassment suit. It’s going to star Charlize Theron, Sissy Spacek, Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, and Sean Bean. The director is Niki Caro, who wrote and directed “Whale Rider.” I’d love to work with those people. It will be shot in this area in March and April.

I decided to go early and hopefully get at the head of the line. By the time I arrived, though, there were at least 50 people in line ahead of me. I guess other people had the same idea.

I saw and talked with a number of guys I’ve worked with in “Into the West.” Leonard was in line next to me, and I talked with him quite a bit. There were all sorts of people there. Ric Barela was there herding a group of people, acting as their mentor.

They came and took the people who have agents out of line and created a special line for them. Then they saw them first. Clearly I need to get an agent.

When I got to the table, the member of the casting team that I talked to recognized me from “Into the West” and said I have a good look for this movie, too. She wrote “Courtroom” down on my card and sent me off for a photo. I think that means I'll be cast.

They said they need 2000 extras, so I have no doubt that I'll get some kind of role.

MJG

ITW costume fitting

I called Gwyn about being in more of ITW, and she’s cast me for next week as a railroad dignitary. She asked me to come in today for a costume fitting. It was sort of strange because the offices and wardrobe department are at the penitentiary. I had to have my trunk searched to get in.

I saw Tracy Collins there. She’s working on wardrobe. I wasn’t all that surprised to see her.

So, they fit me in a costume – no big story.

Then I talked with Gwyn. She said they might want me to shave my beard into a goatee to change my look a little and said they can keep me working if they can change my look. Fine. Change my look to keep me working. I accept.

Of course, Antoinette doesn’t like goatees. I hope she can live with it.

MJG

ITW day 3

Back at the Ford Ranch again. Brutally cold again. I'm familiar with this scenario.

We were continuing with scenes related to yesterday’s. I was a townsperson again.

They shifted to shooting “inside” the saloon. (The walls were really canvas, and it wasn’t much warmer than outside was.) They placed us around the saloon and then replaced us. Finally Michael (the Director) decided they needed a drunk to get up on the stage with a couple of the dancing girls and then to be dragged off the stage and out of the saloon by his wife. Well, I was chosen and got the part. Later I found out that Fidel Moreno had recommended me for it. Thank you, Fidel.

I think I did my drunk act really well. I'm eager to see what of it ends up in the film.

Later in the day I was a townsperson who was greeting some people coming off the train. I'll probably be seen in that scene, too.

After the shooting was wrapped for the day and I was standing in the wardrobe line to return my costume, I saw a woman who I thought was Glen Powell, Jr.’s mother. I knew she was there and her name from Antoinette. So, I said to her, “Are you Cindy?” She was, and we ended up talking for a while. Glen came up after a couple of minutes and joined the conversation. Nice people. They’re from Austin, TX, so I now know for certain that people outside L.A. can get speaking roles in films.

I'll have to call after today to see if they need me any more.

MJG

ITW day 2

We were out at Ford Ranch for my second day of being in ITW. That’s a well-known movie site for Westerns. “Wild, Wild West” and “Silverado” were shot there, among others.

It was brutally cold all day with moderately strong wind, but especially at sunrise when we started setting up. Then, shortly after most of us were in our places, it began to snow hard. I don’t think the word “blizzard” is too far off from the true conditions. It was bad enough for me, but I really felt sorry for the women who were dressed as bar girls/prostitutes. Many of them were wearing low-cut, off the shoulder dresses, standing out there in the blizzard. Some wardrobe people and P.A.s gave them jackets, but it was still freezing. Fortunately the snow didn’t go on for very long.

Then, not long after the snow stopped, the train whistle spooked a team of mules pulling a wagon, and they took off running through the middle of town with actors and techies scattering ahead of them. I admire the wranglers working on the film. They did a good job of stopping the mules – and of taking care of all the horses and mules. There were LOTS of horses for these scenes.

I was supposed to be an immigrant for this day of filming, but they turned out to use me as a regular townsperson instead. Or maybe I was an immigrant who was now a townsperson. I spent the day doing crossings and then watching Custer and his cavalry ride up to the saloon and then ride away again with some deserters in tow. No big deal, but I may be seen.

I saw an example of the improvisational quality that can occur in filming. A woman who was playing a prostitute was doing a crossing directly in front of one of the cameras in one of the scenes. She accidentally tripped and fell. Well, Michael Watkins, the Director, liked it and asked her to do it again for every take. So they outfitted her with knee and other padding, and she fell down over and over for probably 20 takes. For that, they bumped her pay up to $125 for the day. I'll fall down, Michael!

Lance Henricksen, Warren Blosjo, and Glen Powell, Jr., were in these scenes – all actors Antoinette knows from the hotel where they’re staying. She’s a concierge there. I had the opportunity to talk briefly with Glen and to tell him that I'm Antoinette’s boyfriend. He’s a young man of about 17 who’s playing one of Lance’s sons.

I enjoyed the day again. I love this filmmaking business.

MJG

ITW day 1

My first day working in a movie!

We were out at Diablo Canyon, just north of Santa Fe and Las Campanas. I arrived to find large white tents set up beside the parking lot. I found my way to the one to check in, filled out the paperwork, and was sent off to wardrobe to get a costume that would make me look like an Irish railroad worker. After wardrobe, I went to the “dressing room,” which was really a crowded tent full of other men changing into their costumes, too. When I was in costume, I was sent to hair and make-up, where they made me look dirty, like I’d been working on a railroad (of all things). They also greased up my hair some. I see that showering before I come to work in this film is a waste. Then I went back to wait and got to eat some food they had for us for breakfast.

A van took us up to the set, probably another couple of miles up the road into the canyon. One of the first people I saw when I got there was Fidel Moreno. He was working as a Production Assistant (P.A.). All day he kept pointing out to people that I look like John Malkovich and telling them that I'm a “preacher.” It was good to have someone I knew there, though.

They took us out to where they had a lot of tents set up and some railroad tracks and began to place us. My place was by one of the tents and some cook pots over a fire. The fire was great because it was quite cold.

As I talked with the other guys between takes, I learned that some of them had already been working quite a bit in the movie – and in different roles. Maybe I'll be able to work more, too.

Most of the rest of the day was a lot of carrying wood repeatedly, crossing from here to there repeatedly, and waiting. Toward the end of the day, the Director, Michael Watkins, began selecting people by playing games. Whose birthday is closest to today? Who played third base for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1959? Other than Cletis, what was the name of Ken Boyer’s baseball-playing brother? That’s the one I won. I was the only one who knew Cloyd Boyer. Because I won it, I was given a nearly front row spot in a scene they were shooting and promised a close-up in the movie.

That scene involves the workers watching some Chinese workers place dynamite on a mountainside. There’s danger, so we have to look concerned and then relieved/celebrative when the man is rescued. I think I did a good job of expressing those feelings. We’ll see what I look like on the screen.

One more thing to note: Great food!! They definitely fed us well.

We worked about a 12-hour day, and then they sent us home. I loved it, and when they asked who could work next week, I jumped at the chance.

When I got home, I immediately called Antoinette. She was eager to hear how it had gone. I appreciate her support.
MJG

Called for ITW

Someone from “Into the West” called me to be in the film! I am so excited. They want me to be an Irish railroad worker. I report tomorrow at 5:00 a.m. 5:00 a.m.!

I had about given up on being in the movie. I guess they meant it when they said it might be a while before I heard anything.

MJG