I'm really not
sure how I'm ever gonna be a patient man. Hell, I'm
not even sure I should be. If I'm impatient, it's a
lot more entertaining for you to read. The fact of the
matter is that it doesn't make 2 shits how I handle
things. The world will take it's own sweet time
anyway. Wow, that's somewhat poignant.
Well now not only
is it impatience kicking my ass, it's big events
happening so soon...but JUST out of reach. I'll tell
you about yesterday's meeting in a moment (it went
very well) - but this newest development is quite the
ball buster.
We get a call from
Alyssa (Aspen judge) and she says she's getting the
other judges together TOMORROW to watch my tape. They
may just make the selection then to save time. So this
baby could very well come down this weekend. The good
news is that this is extremely positive. They won't
REJECT me without allowing me the callback, but they
may just say: "That tape is awesome, he's in". That
way saving valuable scheduling time for the other
acts. So it comes down to the 30th after all.
Apparently they're in dire straits with all the
cancellations because of sickness. They could also
watch it, like it, and ask me to play for them. Or,
they could watch - be unsure and ask me to play for
them. So basically, this new development really means
only one thing: Adam gets to lose his mind for the
weekend. Goddamnit. Then if they don't say I'm in and
want me to play for them, I get to think they watched
it and didn't like it. GREAT. So they've seen all the
jokes, all the charm, what can I do better live that I
didn't do on that tape? That's just nut racking.
Speaking of nuts...
So the
day of the meeting finally came to be.
Charlotte filled me in the night before on
what to expect as she was not going to be
there with me. No one brings their
managers to "General meetings" with
casting directors...DUH. Doesn't everyone
know that? (Sigh) Man, protocol in this
town is getting to be very funny. So as
I'm getting ready to drive into Hollywood,
I immediately remembered Entry #13. And
this
lovely
video.
That was back when I first went around to
drop off my promo tape at every damn venue
and manager/agent's office I could find.
The entry
itself
documented all that.
Well
it hit me as I picked up a diet coke, and
put my hand in my pocket that I had
$4. Of course I had to run and get
another diet coke and make
a
video.
Heh. And how true it is. This time, they
asked for a meeting with me. That is a
very, very nice feeling.
So I get there and
get to walk around the lot looking for the right
building. I knew where it was, but I was early - and
it's Paramount Studios. All the bungalows and
buildings that you know are taping things as you walk
next to them. Studio lots are just kind've magical.
I'm sure this will become commonplace in the next few
years, but that's what the journey is for: To remember
what I was like before I became a hardened prick.
Heh.
Found the
building, and sat down and saw that they had stacks
and stacks of TV guides in their lobby. How funny.
Most places would have magzines, but of course a
casting office will have TV Guides. I was kind've
stoked actually because I had missed Michael
Jackson's cover and wanted to see it. Sweet jesus is
he scary lookin'. As a fan, I feel I need to look at
him a lot so it becomes less shocking, but that simply
never happens. DUDE, IS, SCARY. The article was good
though.
So I see Danielle,
the lady who came to The Comedy Store gig, and
subsequently set-up the meeting. She brought me into
Helen's office for the meeting. I was wearing a coat
(it's nearly 60 out here!!! BRRR!!! lol), and
I hung it up. That apparently clued Helen in that
I was from the East coast. !??!?! Whatever, she liked
it though. I think she was laughing inside because I
actually thought I was gonna be there for more than
5-10 minutes. Heh. It was a very cordial meeting.
Danielle asked how I thought of 4tvs, a story I
have now mastered to roughly 30 seconds. Got us into
what I did back in Ohio, radio, coming out
here...where I was going. Simple things. Was able to
bring Bob Saget up as he was taping on that very lot
at that moment - and how we've been stalking the man
for months now. Yet another avenue to get him to see
this tape. A tape which has now been edited down to 10
minutes. I had it with me and was under the impression
that it would be watched in the meeting, but
apparently not. I kept mentioning that it was only 10
minutes, but to no avail - lol. Big TV and VCR to the
right of me...but nope. It really bugged me because
Helen had seen nothing of The Trinitrons or 4tvs. So
basically Danielle would bring up a question about it,
but in order to answer it I'd have to try and give
Helen a feeling of what it was about. This is quite
impossible. You just have to see it.
Finally Helen
mentioned casting for some of the things they have in
development and that she'd see what she could do for
me. She isn't involved with all the weekly castings
for shows, but can get that tape around. She seemed
very positive, but I kept thinking to myself:
"JUST WATCH THE TAPE". She said she
would. Well OK. So I call Charlotte the second I'm out
the door and tell her how it went. Couldn't really
figure out what to say. It was very surface and
cordial. Made 'em laugh a couple of times, but that
was about it. So Charlotte says: "Well, Helen will now
call me, and tell me what she thought."
?
Welcome to TV
protocal I guess. So your representation sets up a
meeting with you and a bigwig...your representation
does not go. You call your representation to fill them
in, and then the bigwig calls your representation, and
says what they thought and your representation then
calls you and tells you - and you go from there. It's
almost like it's an agreed upon system just so
everyone feels like they have a part. And you all know
how I love beating around the bush. Well she called
Charlotte back right away but Charlotte was at lunch,
then she called and Helen was gone. Everything is on
hold a day. So today, Helen calls and Charlotte is at
lunch, Charlotte calls and woo hoo! Verdict: kick
ass.
She loved the
tape. Very, very impressed. Was amazed at the amount
of work that must've gone into it. She then said what
will become Emmy speech fodder in a few years: "He
said he was writing a pilot with these characters, but
obviously he couldn't play them all." Yes! Gotta love
that fuel. Charlotte kind've giggled at this, and
said: "I wouldn't be so sure about that..." Anyway,
she said she would definitely keep me in mind for
pilot season (January) and the biggie: She's handing
the tape to the VP of Comedy DEVELOPMENT. Ahh
yes, talk about having a bit of influence behind a
tape. The Senior VP of Casting handing it to the VP of
Comedy Development saying she loved it. Ahh, life is
good right now. Even if all I got out of this was a
part in a pilot just for exposure, we're talking
several, several thousand dollars. Pilot money is
INSANE. Most main characters in a pilot get $20,000+.
Amazing huh? So would I get $100,000 for a
Trinitrons pilot?!?! LOL.
So obviously
things are going incredibly well. And now comes one of
the most difficult weekends in recent memory. Aspen,
Aspen, Aspen. Can you believe it could be my next
entry? Whether or not I'm going to the biggest Comedy
Festival on the planet? Whether or not they fly me and
my TVs out to the single biggest industry event in
Comedy?
Wow. I'm tellin'
you, the coming entries are gonna be amazing. :-) I
don't think I've ever been happier in my
life...
Adam
2:51 AM,
11.30.01,
I just got word of
George Harrison's death as I was about to go to sleep.
Ex-Beatle
George Harrison Dies at 58
The
Associated Press
Nov
30 2001 5:47AM
LOS
ANGELES (AP) - George Harrison, the Beatles' quiet
lead guitarist and spiritual explorer who
added
both rock 'n' roll flash and a touch of the mystic
to the band's timeless magic, has died. He was 58.
How
gut-wrenchingly sad. Lennon at 40, and George at 58,
WAY, WAY too young. I really have nothing to say. I'm
just very sad. Balance I tell you...balance. I swear
to GOD, every HUGELY happy occurence in my life is
immediately balanced with something sad. So
strange....my wedding immediately followed by my
grandmother dying - I cannot tell you how freaky this
is. Well, at least he was able to pass peacefully with
those he loved around him - thank god the attack on
his life last year wasn't successful.
Ugh. So very sad.
Fuckin' Cancer. Stop smokin' NOW people.
Stop.
