Late Night Shoots, Wine Tasting, and the New Era of Auditions| Ep 57

MAX: 00:12
Welcome back to Two Unemployed Actors. I'm Max. I'm Sam. And big show today. Uh I've got some stories about being on set, which is great, because it's always good to be on set as an actor. A couple of corporate shoots and a script that's landed in my lap for an after shoot. So plenty, plenty to talk about. First of all, though, have you seen the Fat Man trailer? Yes. What is that? What is that? Remind me what it is. So Mel Gibson playing a Santa. Oh yes. And a boy who got a lump of coal because he was naughty has hired hitmen to kill Santa. It's like it, it's like it starts out at this kind as this kind of Tim Burton film. I thought it was a normal film when it's a little bit more. Fairy tale. And then it turns into this die hard type situation.

SAM: 00:57
I'm not sure. I don't know what it is. I don't know. Because it started out looking normal. And then it something happened in the trailer where I was like.

MAX: 01:04
It's just it's full on. Like I don't understand it at all, but I think I'm still curious. Like I want to see what it is. But it's like it's going to be, it's weird. It just suddenly dropped with no explanation. And it's full on anyway. I'm going to put it on the I'll put it on a Facebook so that anyone else who's listening can try and explain it. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Um, so last week it was all about alcohol, which is kind of cool. Oh, yeah, your wine stuff. I don't have to pretend to like it. First of all, Monday, and this was interesting because I'm on this online platform in Australia called Star Now, and I got a tap on the shoulder on Friday saying, hey, client really likes you. We're doing a shoot for social media for an RSL club. So basically like a pub bar setup um in Gladesville in Sydney, and we'd like you to be there. Can you can you do Monday?

unknown: 01:52
Cool.

MAX: 01:53
Sure, no worries. Good rate, two, I have to say. And uh 2 p.m. till 8 pm. So it was basically four of us, two guys, two girls, so uh doing various setups for social media, so quick videos and photograph, photographs as well, uh, to promote the club on social media. So, you know, us walking in, meeting, high-fiving, drinking, whatever. So it's basically lots of me with a beer. And the photographers like, drink it, drink it, drink, you know, top up his beer. So I think, although I sipped everything, I'm confident I had like two standard drinks throughout uh only two. I drive home. I'm like, if I'd have known, I would have enjoyed a bit more, but uh caught the train or something, but uh Ubered, you know what I mean? Oh god, and then Tuesday is the interesting one because this is the one that can lead to more work. And look, it was a it was a fairly low, just below union, um, rate for each hour to film. And the premise is it's a wine company that sends out wine, also has some in retail, and there's a QR code, you scan it, and there's Maxi who can tell you more about the wine. Very cool, and perhaps a co-presenter as well. So it like great idea, and talking to the owner, like really amazing business plan. He's a guy who's specialized in sort of starting businesses up.

SAM: 03:12
Oh, very cool.

MAX: 03:13
Um, so he's like solid and it's great. And he's ordered already ordered more audiovisual equipment to help record. So that tells me that things are on the right track. He sent he sent my stuff, he actually told me that.

SAM: 03:25
So is it for an app? It's for an app?

MAX: 03:26
Well, no, it's it's it's the company on their on their website, and basically because it's not an app because it doesn't matter what you have, you scan the QR code, and we're all kind of used to that now, checking in with COVID to places, but uh you scan the QR code, and there's Maxi saying this wine is from the Barossa Valley and it's amazing, dropper cause, blah, blah, blah. Yeah. And uh so it's a nice way to find out more, and you can have little packs of like six mini bottles. Okay. So, like for 18 bucks Australian, you can you can purchase that, and that's about the price of a decent bottle. And you might try different varieties you might not normally have tried otherwise, but because it's a small bottle, it just seems like a a bit of interesting purchase to buy in. Okay, and then there's the QR code on each one to explain what it's about. So that's the business plan. The pilot was through Stun Out. Uh yeah, another one through Stun Out. And and this is the pilot, so it was 2 pm till sorry, no, 6 pm till 10, because it's in a in a commercial setup and they wanted to have quiet, obviously. So I thought, okay, this would be interesting. I I know it was a low alley rate, but really it's about what happens next.

SAM: 04:29
Yeah.

MAX: 04:30
So I'm ready to go, right? Ready for anything. Not sure if they knew what they were doing, or there were professionals there, or he's gonna do it on his handicap. I mean, I don't know what's going on, right? Uh I turn up and um it's a great space, green screen, all professionally lit, and uh great cameras, professional um director, and photographer slash soundie. I think um that gave me some comfort. An editor was there as well from one of the outlets that that's looking at um writing about the new business, another sense of confidence, right? And it was all perfectly lit. So they'd done everything before we turn up. Very nice, ready to go into presenting mode.

SAM: 05:10
Jump straight in.

MAX: 05:11
Yeah, so there's a bit of green screen, you know, Maxi on the green screen talking about the region, blah blah blah, whatever. And then a bit of talk two, where I was there with now the co co-presenter dropped out that day because she was sick.

SAM: 05:22
Oh.

MAX: 05:23
So she organized someone to sub in.

SAM: 05:25
Okay.

MAX: 05:26
Um, and uh anyway, at the end of the day, we were filming until 2 a.m. It was a big night. Like, I mean, and like here I am at 1.30 with a script I've seen five seconds before on the teleprompter, ready to go, making it sound like it's fresh, and I'm so passionate for this swine and really engaged. So it took a bit of effort.

SAM: 05:48
Where did you do it? Where did you shoot it?

MAX: 05:50
Um, at their head office, which is just south of the airport here in Sydney. Okay. And I'm like, look, so I I had no issues working through it because over the period of the evening I'd spoken at length with the founder. And what was interesting too, he said he said that he'd sent my profile, my online profile, to the six board members of various prominent businesses they work in, but also they're on the board related to the industry and growth industry. So again, more confidence that it's the real deal. And all six of them said yes, okay, to Maxi. So that was a nice little ego boost at I think about 11 p.m. that night, which is what I needed. Yeah. So, like, it's a great lesson in ask a few questions, um, find out a bit more about the business rather than just the project.

Speaker 3: 06:38
Yeah.

MAX: 06:39
Because looking at it, it's not one I would have gone for. But because I found out more about how it could lead to a regular one day at a really good hourly rate, every month of work, I'm I was in and happy to go push it till 2 a.m., knowing that the quality of work we were recording was to go to the founders to get another injection of cash as well from an investor to then move forward to the next stage, which is Maxi turning up and talking about all the wines.

SAM: 07:04
This was a different wine company or the same one as well. Same wine company.

MAX: 07:08
Yeah, same wine company. So they basically it's a it's a business that's set up, they don't make wine, but they help sell a door uh vineyards uh provide their volume at retail and also from online in various small packs or the actual bottles. So, you know, they're already talking, I think they've got seven distribution channels organized and prioritized, and you know, so like it's it's it's moving forward. The production equipment's already on its way, like it's just it's solid. So hopefully they move forward with me based on Tuesday because that was a hell of an effort, I've got to say. Like, I was wow, like Wednesday, even I slept in Wednesday because I'm like, come on, don't be Hero Max. I had shit to do, but I pushed it off because I'm like, no, I'll sleep even after I slept in, I was still a bit out of it, like jet lag. Yeah, um because I wasn't prepared for a night shoot, which is really what it was, because I would have yeah, I would have you know slept in a bit on the Tuesday before, and you know, taking a bit easy, but I was all over the place on the Tuesday because it just moved, I'm getting shit done, and I've got to do voiceovers, and and and and then boom, it's into and mind you, I didn't finish till 8:30 or whatever the night before. So come 2am, I did my best. I'm driving home. Uh lucky it was only 10 minutes away, because again, I'm sipping wine. So I'm I'm there, and for every shoot, we had to do various takes. I'm practicing how to because basically it's okay, I got the eye line, I'm talking to the camera, right? Reading the auto cue, um, acknowledging the person next to me playing the visitor, yeah, who I'm also talking to about the wine. Then a quick lesson in how to actually pour the wine appropriately and how to hold the glass as you do it, when to pour hers, when to pour mine, how to hold the bottles, the label's not facing the camera, how to put the bottle back down without making a sound while I'm talking, and when to do all this stuff. Yeah. And I'm like, oh my god, my little brain's at explosion. So all the brain cells were on fire that night. They're all working hard to 2 a.m. while I'm sipping wine. That's crazy. They had a spit spit bucket, and but I'm sipping-to use it. I did, but I sipped, I basically sipped during the take, and then every now and then I'm like, that was a really good drop. I'll have another sip, or I might finish that little bit of a you know, taster. Other times I'd take the sip and then empty the rest of it.

SAM: 09:23
Okay, so how much how many standards do you have that night?

MAX: 09:26
I had another couple, I'd say, over the period, and we're talking in small sips. I had a c and they were taster drops, like not fill in the glass as you would sell a door.

Speaker 3: 09:33
Yeah.

MAX: 09:33
I'm like, that was full I again, ten minutes away. If I'd have known, I said to the owner, said to Avery, and I said, mate, I I should have Ubered here. And then just had a but then could you imagine what I would sound like at by 2 a.m.? So there was that to consider as well. Buy this drop amazing. Oh my god, it's good.

SAM: 09:55
Get it in ya. Oh my god. It would have been fun, especially at 2 a.m.

MAX: 10:00
Oh my god, it would have been amazing. But uh, so look, so that was great. So it's a busy front end of the weekend.

unknown: 10:06
It's pretty ugly.

MAX: 10:07
Yeah, he likes to hide. He's uh he's a sausage dog, they like to hide and bury themselves. I know, he's got such a personality. You're right, mate? Good, yeah, you want to say anything? Didn't think so. He's not getting paid, so neither are we actually. Yeah, neither am I. Maybe I should see it. Do you want dog treats? That's all I can afford to pay. Works for him. You can eat dog treats. They look pretty good, actually. He loves them. Yeah, I was on the Monday night shoot, and I get a message from like I'm around the dinner table having real dinner this time, not the fake one. And uh I'm chatting with the production director who's busy. Look, he's doing six days a week. It's so busy at the moment, keeping up with promoting clubs online and other various things that they do at that production company. Yeah, right. So which is great. I think the Daily Press Group is what they're called, really solid outfit, and I really enjoyed working with them, um, which is great. You know, as I said in the invoice, I'm like, guys, great shoot, you know, really professional. I love working with you. And uh good. A, they both paid within 48 hours, which is amazing, but also wrote back and said, Yeah, it was a pleasure working with you too. So hopefully, um it's a good one. Anyway, my story was that I got a message from uh a mate of mine who I'd worked on the interrogation with, my fellow detective Dave. Oh, yes. And so Dave's like, oh Maxie, um, what about an after shoot? Uh not this weekend, the next weekend. I have to pull out because of um scheduling. So I know he's got a paid job come in, which is fine, it happens. So I thought about check my door. I'm like, yeah, I can do that. Because you know I'm like pulled right back on free work and student films, but when it's afters and you know what I mean? Yeah, really good. So um it's gonna be my second time working there. And so I'm like, yeah, fine worries. Go great, because I've talked you up. So I'm like, oh brilliant. So I had a little Zoom catch up after reading the script for the first time on Friday afternoon.

Speaker 3: 12:01
Oh yeah.

MAX: 12:02
Uh with a writer, director, etc., producers, and it looks really good. Like it's it's a heavy like it's heavy.

SAM: 12:08
Well, I've I I've auditioned recently. I was gonna bring up during podcast, obviously. Um I've auditioned recently for many things. Um a lot of auditions like after sure, like student films and stuff.

MAX: 12:18
It's that time of the year, is it?

SAM: 12:19
Yeah, yeah, exactly. Well, graduation stuff. And we're waiting on hearing we're I'm waiting on hearing back from a few of them, heard back from a couple of them, good news and stuff like that. Um so what what what's that call what's the afters film called? What's it?

MAX: 12:33
Um Under the Bridge. No, there must be here. I think it is. Um but it's uh it's about a father and a daughter, very fractuous relationship. The wife has died earlier. Could you be the father? Yeah, she's not make sure you read the audition. But it's really full-on. Like the the this this he's alcoholic, construction worker, and a fractious relationship, obviously not coping very well with the situation. And his best way to cope is to keep using the sort of language he uses on the construction site with his daughter and uh and um little attention and and and um you know cope with everything by drinking. So it's full on and quite different to anything else I've done. So no businessman knows. Are you gonna get a method? No, no, turn up drunk. Yep. Um they're kind of like, look, you know, we can do reads over Zoom. We can do I said, listen, the best way for me is to just keep working with the script. I'll the way I'm approaching it is I'm gonna look at different ways to um work each scene and then sort of settle on a couple, a few options that I can then bring to Thursday. So I'm off book, of course, but also able to bring a few ideas, yeah. And then two hours on Thursday, you know, blocking and working through the scenes with the full cast, ready for ready for the Friday, Saturday, Sunday shoot. That's enough because I I want to be still relatively fresh on Saturday, Sunday Friday, Saturday, Sunday, so I can sort of still things can still come to me in the moment. Yeah. Rather than having um several Zoom catch-ups and read throughs and the rest of it, I want to sort of because in my head then even coming to Thursday's rehearsal will be everyone else's way of working through it and and and feedback on you know the different scenes. So um they're they're happy with that, which is great. Um, and I'm looking forward to stretching my legs on Thursday. Having had a week of corporate stuff, um, to to sink my teeth into a full-on character that I haven't normally I won't normally sort of play. Yeah, um is is really good. Think of Ben Mendelssohn in a number of things, but Animal Kingdom in um what was that television series, Deadwind, Deadwood, I think it is. Dead Blood on um Stan in Australia. Okay where Blood, I can't remember anyway, but uh again, same sort of um uh portraying, you know, a guy with several layers of issues and um and does so really well without being over.

SAM: 15:01
If it's someone I'm thinking of it's blood something.

MAX: 15:02
Blood something, yeah, probably blood wind, blood wood, blood something. I don't know. Blood something. My god, I watched so much stuff like that. Yeah, but I think what's interesting too, like when I had the meeting on Friday, I what do you think of the character? I'm like, great, I love the script, um, really well written. I love the character. I think he's got so many layers to him. It's like he doesn't wake up every morning wanting to be his worst and treat people badly every day. Like he doesn't wake up with that intent, he's not a horrible person. That's the the effects of how he's not constructively dealing with the loss of his wife and and the grief of his daughter, yeah, and his own health, which is coming into as well. Yeah, and they're like So have you definitely got it? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So so they're basically their feedback to that was that's really cool because really we've had a lot of people in auditions going, he's a dickhead, and I like to play dickheads. It's like well, he's not really, he's just a flawed character, yeah. It's so human, he's not really good, he's not really bad. It's just he's a product of not knowing how else to deal with these bad, really bad things that have happened to him. Yeah, so um I thought that was really funny, you know. Like you've really even if you get one page, like at least come with ideas on the character in a bit more depth and you know, he's a nasty guy. I like playing bad guys or you know, he's a dickhead or whatever.

SAM: 16:29
Yeah, you don't want to come in with 2D.

MAX: 16:31
God, because uh I couldn't help but laugh when they said that um that had that was their feedback. They were really sorry to lose Dave though, he was he was solid. I can see why he'd get that character. So thanks, Dave. Very good appreciate the the leg up.

SAM: 16:45
Well, the auditions that I've gone for, I've had a few, like I spoke about before, uh student films, and there was one it's just we're waiting to hear back. Like there was one um I think I spoke about it a little bit where I play I would play a uh like a boyfriend who who has committed suicide and that's a very uh toxic relationship. Then I auditioned for a war kind of short film, but like for the professional production, so I'm like dying. I think I spoke about that as well. Um there's been a couple others now, like I just kept applying and I've auditioned now for this for this other. It's kind of like a teen drama one.

MAX: 17:24
Even okay, that's pretty cool. Because they're so different. So that's different because the three are so different.

SAM: 17:29
They're not all afters, some are afters. There was a James C one.

MAX: 17:32
Right. Um we at least you're going for the right schools, yeah. You know, we've learned, haven't we?

SAM: 17:37
And just and I auditioned for a chicken and chips casting odds for clubs New South Wales. Well played. Nice. So, but who knows? Anyway.

MAX: 17:45
They got all chicken. I haven't been there for a while.

SAM: 17:47
Yeah, yeah. Oh, and we've heard we heard back from like a horror short film, which we also auditioned for.

MAX: 17:52
Awesome. Oh, it's a fun genre to play in.

SAM: 17:55
It w it's so hard though, like to actually make it look not cheesy. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? But we we actually so all these auditions that we did, so with Grant, we've been shooting ourselves tapes a lot more creatively.

MAX: 18:08
That's good.

SAM: 18:09
Um, and people tend seem to like that now, even casting directors. So, you know, with the scene that we shot for the Toxic Relationship, we actually did it against a car outside and made it a bit more everyday, a bit more r r relatable almost. Exactly, and then and almost looked like the short film. Like Grant did it really well, and we cut it together and then for the horror.

MAX: 18:29
So that's interesting because remember ages ago, well, it might have been our first few podcasts, you talked about the Australian actor in Stranger Things and how he had such a very different, unique Zach or Montgomery.

SAM: 18:42
Yeah.

MAX: 18:42
And how he had a very unique uh um sh um audition type, self-type.

Speaker 3: 18:47
Yeah.

MAX: 18:48
And I mean just chunky roles that are available in self-tape, even before the plague. So um it's interesting now that you're actually experimenting with that. So even exactly you know, already you're learning and you and you're getting experience and you're improving just from all these auditions.

SAM: 19:01
Yeah, and with the horror film, we did it like literally in the dark with flashlights and and cut it together. It worked well. They loved it. So that's great. I think I think now, so obviously it depends. I think America's still very much blue screen, nothing else. But I think people are getting more into kind of like being creative with it. They don't maybe, unless they specifically ask for it, want to play in background. Why don't you shoot it?

MAX: 19:25
Like if you can shoot it, uh set in a kitchen, do it in a kitchen.

SAM: 19:28
Yeah, and if you can shoot it cinematically, cool. Like that shows them that you have these skills. Yeah.

MAX: 19:33
Uh do you remember the TV commercial I auditioned for and had Fred in it? Speaker 1, I'm screaming in the world.

SAM: 19:39
Anything different and portable guy. That's right. People are also going against headshots now. They want more action shots or red carpet shots because headshots are so you know, they can be two years old or faked, or you know.

MAX: 19:52
And I think you're right, and that's so stylised, and the person who turns up looks so different. Like, don't be that guy, don't be that person who will be able to do that.

SAM: 19:57
And it's very traductory, and no one wants that anymore. They just want you to, you know.

MAX: 20:01
You're also inspired, and I think remember red carpet came in. I think you mentioned that last year because your agent had mentioned everyone's looking for more real, believable shopping.

SAM: 20:10
Fingers crossed, I get some at my screening for not today. Well done. There may not be the red carpet, but some sort of that kind of thing. I'll just roll one out. I'll bring one. We'll fake it.

MAX: 20:20
Why is this actor got this funny looking backpack? He's got his own red carpet.

SAM: 20:23
Don't worry about it, guys.

MAX: 20:24
And his own little light system that strobes like this press packs there all hankering for him. Yeah, that's just cut away to the Khan Film Festival a couple of years ago, you know, then back to you. Love that. Oh, the montage to your popularity. It'll just be like a boomerang on your IMDB, you know?

SAM: 20:41
Yeah, yeah. That'll be brilliant. Let's do it.

MAX: 20:44
I think that's a great idea. And like I was talking to someone the other day actually about how social media is so important as another way to be believable because they've sure is they'll they'll Google you social media if you're shortlisted, you know, just checking out who you are. And I remember who was the actor, Tom Holland, I think, Spider-Man. Yep. And when he was up for that and being considered amongst others, and he knew that, he started working with stunt men, and there was lots of him flipping and rolling and jumping on Instagram.

SAM: 21:14
And he already knew gymnastics. I know that he already did do a lot of stuff.

MAX: 21:17
So it makes it even easier to see him in the role. Yeah. R on top of throwing whatever you can into self-tapes and auditions in the room.

SAM: 21:23
Yeah, they definitely social media plays a big part these days in actually casting people.

MAX: 21:29
I'm looking at I need to get uh you know, budget willing, need to get to headshots again, uh, but more less because you're right, and I think I've been thinking about the types of characters, like I really want to go prepared with three characters um and do a couple that are just headshot headshots, um, and maybe a couple that are just editorials like I did before. Because before was like I want to freshen up, and that meant new headshots and some new editorial sort of full body picks, whatever.

Speaker 3: 21:57
Yep.

MAX: 21:58
And it's exactly what I got. And I got like I Ended up with like over a dozen shortlisted picks from that one shoot with Sally Flee. It was fantastic. Yeah, right. I want to go back and I want to do against type because I've got you know businessman, lawyer, doctor, yeah, some sort of style detective. So, you know, I want to get like a a raw shot, you know, like looking down the barrel, just shoulders up, no top, just all just skin and and giving it a that a look. Sh shaved clean shaven, I think, and I might do with a beard or stubble, you know. So you do that one first and then you go and do do the old like the character I'm playing in this film, you know, um, off the beaten track, you know, the hoodie on the hood up, and and and a different, very different sort of character. Look, so I'm trying to come up with a few different things that are just different. It might work, they might not work, they might inspire a few other different shots. Sally might have some different ideas, but just to get something meaty a character driven out of that. Yeah, 100%. So um when something's being cast or I'm shortlisted for something, I can sort of pick one and flick it up there. You know, there's me as the doctor with the blood all over me from that yeah, perfect from that suspenseful horror shoot, like whether I'm playing a doctor who's not very good, or or or a serial killer or something. There it is. That's my profile shot um all of a sudden on my social skills.

SAM: 23:22
That's why show reels are so important.

MAX: 23:23
Exactly. And I think that's why, you know, seeing you on the red carpet, it sort of legitimizes you as an actor, right? You're you look more real. It's the same as having a showreel where it's all in scenes, all from rather than all blue, all black.

SAM: 23:35
But at the same time, if you only have a red carpet photo and no show reel, you know, no one's gonna be able to do it.

MAX: 23:39
No, I know, I know, I know. When I say adding legitimacy, at the basis, you should have some decent headshots in your pick in your pick and mix and and and a great show reel. Yeah. And but to add legitimacy, yes, there's you, red carpet, or at events at Q ⁇ A's, meeting so-and-so, whatever, even taking a photo from the like you know what I mean. That's that you're engaged in the industry, yeah, and then they look at your showreel and it's you in all the scenes from all these different films, whether they be a short film or not. I mean, you filter prodigiously as you do with a showreel, but it l it just makes it easier for them to to to picture you picked up and dropped onto set, yeah. Knowing that, yep, this guy can you know add to that character and and turn up work fit and ready for every eight episodes or whatever.

SAM: 24:19
100%.

MAX: 24:20
Um so much to consider now. But uh I think the more there is available for you to show yourself, you know, social media or the online platforms, IMDB, blah blah blah, the harder it is to work at keeping up with all the ways to show yourself because there's so many ways to chip yourself up just by even having inconsistencies throughout all of them, you know what I mean?

SAM: 24:40
Yeah, yeah. You need to make sure they're all updated, go through it, yeah. Exactly.

MAX: 24:44
Fun times. So before we go, thanks to our listeners who have been staying with us through Thicken Thing, particularly hello to listeners in Glendale, California, and Durham, North Carolina. I'm pretty sure I said that incorrectly. Um keep subscribing, and you're listening to two unemployed actors. I'm Max. I'm Sam, and you'll hear us next time. Bye.