Not sixteen enough and martial arts

So the first few weeks of the new year have passed and I've already has some big opportunities. One was for a series regular role in a pilot and the other was for a small role in a really established TV show. The only problem was that the first one asked for someone 18-20 years old and the second was asked for someone 16.

It's no real secret... but I'm not an actual teenager. I have been able to play teenaged roles despite being older and I mostly go for auditions as the 18-21 year old. Sixteen is pushing it a little though. I actually thought I did really well in the first audition, but I found out later that they changed the breakdown to looking for 16-18 year olds so I guess I wasn't going to get it regardless of how well I did. Still, they say to book the room, not necessarily the role. So I feel like they'll probably call me in for something else once there's something right. As I left, she asked me "Do you know Martial Arts? We're casting for something and I think you might be a good fit for it." Everyone tells me I should have said yes, but I said no. This was maybe the 3rd time I was asked if I know martial arts, probably because I'm Asian. Unfortunately, as far as Asians go, I'm not that Asian. At least not in the knowing a fighting style department. Should I pick something up for the future? I'll.... think about it.

The second audition was especially tough because it was also for a well established casting director. I remember looking around at the other actors in the waiting room and thinking... I bet a lot of these guys are actual teenagers and these kids are wondering what the hell I'm even doing here... I don't usually get nervous for auditions, but I could feel my heart beating already. When I finally got called in, the casting director looked at me and immediately asked "So how old are you?" Now, I'm told that they can never actually ask this question and yet this was the second time I was straight up asked about my age. This time I was prepared with the answer I was taught by my teachers "I'm over 18." After hearing that, I feel like I could tell that he knew it was an understatement. About halfway through my read he just stopped looking at me and nerves started setting in even more and I just started falling apart. Long story short... I don't think I'm getting that role either.

It's only a few weeks in so we'll see where we go from here, but it's pretty interesting/exciting already so far!

Year in review 2014

I might be a little late on this post, but better late than never!

It's been a good year for sure I feel. Overall I feel like I've been progressing despite some other hickups. Workwise, I found a consistent way to create income by freelance assistant editing/editing for Collegehumor. This provided me the schedule leniency to still go out on auditions and such. On that note, I was also able to sign with a manager, commercial agent, and theatrical agent this year. I've auditioned more times this year than I probably have my entire life combined. That said, I didn't book anything this year (I did book a commercial, but I got cut out). I did get to go on bigger auditions and have gotten close numerous times though so it's not all a loss. So yeah, I now have my worklife figured out and I'm in a comfortable position on the acting front.

Creative wise, I created a couple of web shorts (Braggy Snitch stuff) that I was pretty proud of. Near the end of the year I did a short film (Five Minutes) that I think is really cool and was something I had always wanted to shoot. When I came out to Los Angeles, I had to find my network of people to work with and what resources I would have available to me and I think now I'm pretty much at a comfortable level for that as well. I attempted to write my feature length script with a partner and that went through a couple of hickups. It's likely I'll have to finish that on my own, but I definitely developed the idea a lot more and I'm really excited about working on that. Hopefully next year I get it written and take the steps to get it made.

To end things I guess I've give my mini version of my favorite movies of the year (though I still have to catch a couple)

1. Whiplash - This Sundance hit just had a great energy to it and was funny and had some genuine surprises in it (a feat that rarely happens for me these days). J.K. Simmons should win best supporting actor for sure and someone I'll definitely be watching for in the future.

2. Lego Movie - I might be a little biased since it's made by the guys who made Jump Street, but I found the comedy to just be so on point and, to top it all off, it actually had a very deep message behind it. While watching this movie, I couldn't help but feel jealousy because it was the exact kind of movie that I would want to make.

3. Birdman - This movie was just so cool. It's not a movie that blew me away from the story necessarily, but the way it told was just so unique... As you may know it's made to look like one shot, but it's not a gimmick at all and it actually gives the movie a really cool energy and makes the performances really dynamic. Kudos to the decision to have the entire soundtrack be a crazy cool drum soundtrack throughout. A great example of how you go about a story is as important if not more important than what it's about.

I've still yet to see Inherent Vice, Boyhood, Selma, and a host of others so maybe I'll revise in the future.