Audition @ Chapman

Today I had an audition at Chapman University in the city of Orange in Orange County. The drive sucked, but the people were really nice and the project seems very interesting. I've also heard some great things about Chapman. I won't bore with the details except to say that they have a good reputation that seems to be growing. I am adding Chapman to the schools that I want to target to be in their student films. I'd definitely be interested in hearing about other people's experiences at the Chapman film school.

Chapman Front Originally uploaded by dalydose.

Elizabeth helps Jeff Shoot!

Here's picture of my great pal and creative partner Elizabeth. She helped me shoot some footage today that will be a major part of one project for the upcoming "No Budget"! Check out her website as she keeps adding to it!

*This shot was taken 'on location' in beautiful downtown Burbank with our new Canon Digital Rebel.

 

Drunk Karaoke

This picture is from the 'after-party' on my birthday. Mindy+Steff+Karaoke on the XBox = PHOTO OP! :)

 

Birthday Recap

Well my birthday has come and gone, but it was a time well spent at Timmy Nolan's! The pictures were great and I think we're gonna have to make some room on 'the wall' to honor people who aren't currently represented.

Many of my gifts that I received will assist me in my acting/self-producing pursuits.

Tripod - Thanks Libbis (real name = Elizabeth), this is EXACTLY the 3-legged upgrade that I needed. We'll use it on our 2 shoots that we need to do before the "No Budget Festival".

Boxing 'stuff' - Cynthia and Karyn owners of RPM Fitness Studio, got me the gear to handle the new boxing section of the Bootcamp that they run and that Mindy and I are a part of. The gloves have also inspired me to write something that could use the boxing gloves as a prop.

Holdon Log - Kristina and Brian, the owners of HoldOn Log gave me one of their organizing books. They also told me that their software will soon support PocketPC! This is great news for all y'all who don't use Palm but need to get organized.

Pretty Blue Shirt - Jason and Steffanie (of Stormmaker Productions) got me a very cool blue shirt. It is now 'officially' the gift that keeps on giving, because we left it in their Explorer. :|

Rebel Without a Crew - This book by Robert Rodriguez was given to me by our bootcamp buddy Marti H. I've heard stories about this book, but have never read it. He apparently made a feature with VERY limited funds and should be a big 'ole inspiration to me!

Real wood frame & Significant Others Episode - Our friend Jessica (we call her Hesika)got me the frame with a quote from one of our creative/funny moments. She also was a ROCK STAR and found me the one episode of Significant Others on Bravo that I missed. Significant Others is completely improvised and I want to do some of my stuff that way...maybe now one of things that I do for "No Budget" will have to be improvised.

PIZZA - Mindy got me some Chicago style pizzas delivered in dry ice. We're on an eating regimine so they'll have to wait a few weeks, but they will be a big bright light at the end of the tunnel.

XBox "stuff" - We bought XBox Live about a week earlier and Mindy supplemented that with another game. I've already used XBox in one thing that I've shot...everything is useable when you got Noooooooooo Budget! :)

DVD - Mindy also got me "The Office" on DVD...a funny BBC improvised comedy about working in a corporate office. We also got "Miracle" about the 1980 Team USA Hockey team...inspirational.

Electronic Football Game - Our own Kelly got me this. It's not really entertainment related, but it might help me pass the time on a set in the near future! Kelly also brought our old pal that we never see Lisa Loo.

Fry's $$$ - Our sometimes long lost friend Kim got me a gift cert for one of my fav stores. It will definitely be used for something related to career enhancement. Maybe to help buy a Compact Flash card for my digital camera or towards Roxio Easy Media Creator to put this stuff on DVD for y'all! We also met Kim's new boy and he seems great.

and finally....

THE BIG ONE! - On Saturday, Mindy and I went to see Troy through the SAG Film Society and then we went to BestBuy. While at BestBuy, we got a new digital camera, the Canon Digital EOS Rebel - SLR. This will help me elevate my love of photography to a more professional level. In fact, I'm going to start doing headshots...FREE SHOOTING SESSONS. If you like the pics, I'll get you a CD of images and I'll post 'em on the web for $100. I'd like to morph my computer biz with actor promotions (photography, postcard design, picture resume's, web sites, etc.) The deal was great too...we got a 10% off coupon, a $50 gift card, plenty of Reward Zone Points and a REALLY great camera!

I'm truly blessed, but the best part was seeing everyone. Catching up with some of the people is such a rare event that the fact that they came out made it an event! Other people we only see in their workout mode, so we got to see them all cleaned up rather than the sweaty 6am version that we're used to. :P

National Holiday! :)

Happy Birthday To ME!!! My birthday got off to a great start with Spinning at RPM. I also officially passed out the "No Budget Film Festival" invitations! 

The Seinfeld/Superman Series

If you missed it last night between the Friends episodes, here's a link.
http://www.jerry.digisle.tv/room.html

Instant Films

I saw a message on NowCasting yesterday about Instant Films. I loved the idea of making a movie from script to production to edit to audience in 48 hours. Again, kind of inspiring...especially on my quest to have the "No Budget Film Festival" in just over 4 weeks.

We had talked with some friends once about a production company called "Sticky Films", but I think that's a whole other genre! :) Those friends are Jason and Steffanie and they are StormMaker Productions. They do editing and production including PetCare TV which is distributed via DVD to vet offices nationwide.

What was I talking about? Oh yeah, Instant Films. The website shows the films from the previous productions. The next showing is THIS WEEKEND (Sunday), so I imagine the writers will get their assignments today. Very exciting and I think Mindy and I might try to attend. If we do, I'll be sure to write about it!

This is a picture at the new AMC 16, movie complex in downtown Burbank. I like palm trees and the shadows they make on the empty walkway. Hmmm...that walkway is empty because, judging by the shadows, most people are at work. Maybe I should get to some of that "work" stuff. 

Biz Plan For Acting?

I just started (last night) taking a class for entrepreneurs at USC. We will be developing business plans for our various ventures. I embarked on this course as a way of expanding my current survival business of computer consulting, but I started wondering if the same principles could be used for an actor.

There will of course be differences since our "customers" are of such a small scope that traditional marketing goals and objective might not apply. Also, our "product" must be treated differently than a manufactured product. Those these instances are true, it got me thinking that we do have customers (CDs, Producers) and ultimately if self-producing is part of your plan then purchasers of entertainment become potential customers. We DO have to market ourselves. We also have a "product".

I'm hoping that some of the pieces of a traditional business plan will apply to acting. It might be as simple as creating a budget for marketing (pics, repros, postage, CD workshops, etc.) product enhancement (acting classes, special skill aquisitions, self production, etc.

Any thoughts?

Check out Joel Pelletier

It's been a while, but I had the fortune of working with a person who I can only describe as an "Artist". He's a musician, visual artist, writer, actor, car restorer, web designer, etc.

His thoughts on the economics of Art and what it means to be an Artist are inspirational. They are also a breath of reality in this town where the bottom line usually defines creativity while also limiting it.

Check out his website. Some highlights on his site are:

"Minute Song" Video - (Windows Media for Broadband) I shot the footage for this one! :) Joel wrote the song, gathered the musicians, setup the (Real) Time 5.1 recording equipment, performed the song, mixed the song, edited the video and put it on the web. How does that not inspire all of us who aim to self-produce??? You can find this and more music on his music page.

His Painting - Check out his latest painting project. It's large scale, has a message and pays tribute to Belgian Artist James Ensor and his painting "Christs Entry into Brussels in 1889"

What is Art - his thoughts on what is Art and who are Artists should start discussions in every medium of creativity.

My Bootcamp Goal: The "No-Budget" Film Fest

Mindy and I participate in a bootcamp at RPM Fitness Studio. This applies to my acting career on a couple of levels:

1. The Obvious - I get in better shape, I'm eligible for more roles...it's a simple Hollywood fact that talent is worthless without aesthetics.

2. The BONUS - This program doesn't just focus on fitness, the owners are into life goals as well, and I have made this goal that must be accomplished by the end of the 5 weeks:

I will be hosting the "Jeff Daly, NO-Budget Film Festival" in my living room for all my bootcamper comrades and assortment of friends to (hopefully) enjoy. This means that I will HAVE TO get some stuff shot and edited in 5 weeks or risk the embarrasment of public failure. Anyone who knows me can probably figure out that this is the best form of motivation for me...possibly even greater than money! :|

To cement the deal, I am sending out the invitations to my ad-hoc festival this week! People should save the date, clear the calendar and plan to attend because I will either have entertainment in the form of digital film or analog failure.

It's fame or shame for Jeff Daly.

On a promotional/testimonial level, I TOTALLY recommend RPM Fitness if you wanna get in shape and have a supportive team on your side in life. Cynthia and Karyn will take you, kick your butt and push you towards your goals.

Postcards Mailed

Today I will be mailing 300 postcards to TV/Film Casting people and I'll only have 94 more to get done. I'll consider it a success if the following are true:

1. 90% of the addresses are valid - I got them from NowCasting and I've heard good stuff.

2. 50% of the postcards get looked at by at least an assistant before being thrown out.

3. 20% actually make it to person on the address label.

4. 3-4 inquiries are made either directly to me or my agent

5. 1-2 auditions happen.

hmmm...400 postcards to get 1 audition - that's a .025% return. In any other business that would be a huge failure, in this crazy business we call show, it's a dream result.

Printing Direct

I may be late in my 'discoveries', but I'm ecstatic that I can now print directly onto the back of my headshots with my laser printer. I am also printing onto my postcards with my inkjet printer.

$ave $$$
Now that I don't have to buy labels for the back of my postcards, I'm saving $$$. I'm also saving because I don't use up my paper for printing resumes to staple (no more staples either) to the back of my headshots.

Save Time
Obviously, I won't have to take the time to affix the labels to my postcards. With my headshots, I don't have to cut the resumes to fit the 8x10 headshots nor do I have to sit there and staple.

Save Reputation
I think the 'direct printing' approach looks VERY professional. The labels that I was using had to be placed in an EXACT way to look right, meaning the process was slow and sometimes sloppy looking.

Save Stress
First and foremost, I no longer have to worry about the resume coming off the headshot in the shuffel. That's excellent enough. I can also more quickly get a submission or mailing together. When my agent calls, I can just put the headshots into the printer...no other steps are needed.

If I could only find a way for the postage and mailing labels to affix themselves...that part of my marketing would be on autopilot. I sure hope all this saving pays off with a blossiming career!

Elizabeth Rick

Here are two links for my friend Elizabeth Rick. She's so cool that she has TWO WEBSITES!

1. ElizabethRick.org
2. ElizabethRick.com

Check her out, drop her a line and by all means HIRE HER so she can start buying all her friends stuff!