Hey, Did Your Parents Buy You A New Fish?

It's that time of the month for me... yes... time to update my blog. I've been wanting to lately, but man, I've been a busy little goof... all wrapped up in acty-stuff....

1. BTI filming: We're scheduled to film this Sunday... if I remember, I will take a few "safe for release, spoiler-free" photos to post here... we're still on schedule to finish initial filming by the last weekend of October, and a couple weeks of editing will lead (hopefully) to the first episode released along with the launching of the project website (which is amazing, by the way) by mid-November.

2. New Acting Class: Man, I love this new class I'm taking in LA. I got to do my first "work" in front of the class last night -- a three-minute monologue I pulled from Of Mice and Men. I've been tinkering with it (read: over-thinking it) for almost two weeks, so it was nice to trot it out. Got a lot of positive feedback, and much good direction to add layers to it for future work. But I'll probably set it aside... I was given a scene partner and a scene to work on for next week - from a play called Lone Star by John McClure... I ordered the script on Amazon - I'll get it on Friday...

3. Audition: I auditioned for the lead role in a feature comedy called Under My Roof (based on the book of the same name by Nick Mamatas), which will be filming here in San Diego. Apparently, they're holding auditions in LA and NY also, so the odds that I'll get the part are slim... but I prepped thoroughly, had fun, did my thing, wished them luck with the project and moved on! What else could I do?

I don't know... auditions used to unnerve me (like they do everyone else, it seems)... but they don't anymore... I may have stumbled into a good place somehow... They're just people like me, eh! And they're trying to put together a great project... if I can help out, cool... if not, I hope they find the perfect cast... what else is there to worry about?

I suppose if acting were my only source of income, I would stress out about it... if rent/food/gas money depended on me getting acting gigs, different story... but I'm just stoked in the knowledge that I've learned a skill that makes me a viable option for certain types of roles, etc. It's a cool feeling to know I have value to offer, if the situation is right.

I'm babbling again...

All that to say, yeah... this is what has been absorbing me lately. Acty-stuff. If I do somehow get the part in that film, it is scheduled to film from mid-November to mid-December, with a break for Thanksgiving. I brought up the fact that I read the book to the writer and director at the audition, and it led to a cool chat about scenes from the book that they kept in the script, etc. and the scenes they had to cut/change, etc. They both lit up, seeming to enjoy the fact that someone read the book in prep for the audition... maybe it will be a plus, I don't know... still, I was confident, had a good energy level, and maybe it will lead somewhere.

I'm babbling again...



I'm currently reading a terrific book called The Thousand Names, by Django Wexler. Excellent book! If you like fantasy + military, you'll love this book. I'm about 70% through at the moment. Great characters, great dialog, great action... the battle scenes are numerous and well-done. What a difference a skilled author makes. I had a couple false starts on other titles I had to abandon... I've got SOOO many titles waiting to be read... I have to balance my desire to read great books with my desire to actually finish a book so I can add it to the 2014 Book List over there on the side of the blog... we're nine months into 2014, and the list is a bit meager, compared to other years... when I abandon a book, I don't add it to the list! But how will you know?! You'll think I'm slacking if I don't read my quota!

Anyways, Wexler is a gifted, skilled writer, and I'm glad I tried him. He's along the same lines as Brian McClellan (Promise of Blood, etc), but I find Wexler a touch more compelling. They're both very good, though... they both favor muskets and cannons over traditional swords and bows/arrows...

It's really cool what some authors are doing on Amazon... writing short stories and novellas that fill in some gaps left between/before the big novels... for fans of the series', it's cool to be able to drop a buck on a taste of the world/characters that you've grown attached to. Of course, would that go on my 2014 Read List? Something, say, 50 to 100 pages long? Does that qualify as List-Worthy?

What else? Fall will fall soon. Not long before Hoodie Season... I used to think nothing could compare to sleeping in the winter with a hoodie on... but, I have to admit... when it's hot, sleeping in the summertime with the window open and... shall we say... a distinct lack of sleepware... is almost as awesome....

That may be too much info... good thing I left it for the end! The odds that anyone read this deep into this boring post are infinitesimal! So I sleep commando sometimes! So what!?!? Sheesh!

Anyways, hopefully I'll have some great stories from filming this weekend. Until then...

Adios!

Dave the Commando