June

Peechee Neric - Diary of a STAR .... to be

June 1 - Today I marketed myself all day. I also went to a seminar where I met Actor/Producer Bill Blair. Fascinating guy... he's known as the Alien Actor as he has played more aliens than anyone else. Check out his web at www.alienactor.com Anyway, he taught me something really good today. Usually when I go to the seminars (which are 4-5 hours long), I'm usually dressed down. Well, he made a comment that none of us in the seminar was good enough to meet a producer because we didn't represent ourselves as professionals. He was right! Here I am trying to impress them and I'm not dressed the part. It's like going to a job interview.. you wouldn't go in jeans, right? What a wake up call. From now on... upscale casual to business dressy. Hey! I got a call today at 8:30 pm for an audition tomorrow at 4:30. Talk about short notice!

June 2 - Went to the audition and got there really early. I left my house 2 hours ahead because of the traffic. The place was only 20 minutes away. But hey! Better to be early than late. Here's a motto I love... TO BE EARLY IS TO BE ON TIME, TO BE ON TIME IS TO BE LATE, TO BE LATE IS UNEXCUSABLE. I now try to live by that motto. After the audition, I dropped off my h/s at a producer's mailbox. I saw a script laying there and started reading it - it was good. I just got to the first 10 pages. Anyway, I discovered that this producer is the guy who has done all the Puppetmasters and Trancers and so, so much more. I really would love to work with him. Keep your fingers crossed.

June 3 - OH MY GOSH!!!! I got the part! I got one of the leads in the commercial audition that I did yesterday. I'm so excited. It's only a local commercial here but still, it's a start! I am so happy and even more motivated that I marketed myself more. I also had a nice long talk with the producer whom I met at his house regarding his upcoming movie "Kaya".

June 4 - Wow! I got 2 audition calls today. Incredible. It sure does help to market yourself. And I'm doing all this without an agent. I'm having a great week so far.

June 5 - What a busy, busy day. I had 2 auditions - one was a second call-back for a host job, another was for a commercial for Karvel Cakes. Now that was a crazy audition. I had to die for my audition.. so I did. I was in a chair and I just slumped over and fell off the chair onto the floor. I had a guy next to me at the same time auditioning and he too, fell on the floor. Funny thing is when we landed, my heel of my shoe was up his behind. Oopps! But it didn't matter, it stayed until the director yelled cut. That was weird, but really fun! I also had a meeting with a marketing manager, and had a seminar where I again met Casting Director Ricki Masler. She is fantastic. Look her up in IMDB.com!!

June 6 - Today was my last day being a PA for Miss Castaway. Although the work sucked and I felt unappreciated, I will still miss everyone. The crew and cast was really great, it's only the production that's a little screwy but they do have a lot on their hands. I wish them all much luck. Wish I could go with them to Neverland (Michael Jackson's ranch). Hey! I got a second call back for the Karvel Cake commerical. Problem is they want to see me on Monday and that's the day I am filming my other commercial. I talked to the producer and he said for me to call him after my filming and he'll try and fit me in. My friend Josh arrived today

June 7 - Marketed all morning and got a response back to be in a Toby Keith music video on Tuesday. Cool! Now I work on Monday AND Tuesday. I'm so excited. In the evening, I helped out my friend with his pitches to script buyers. My friend is a script writer and he has 4 already ready to go. All different genres. Cool stuff!

June 8 - Ran errands in the morning and went to another seminar. I saw Bill Blair there again and he was offering a class right after the seminar. It sounded really good and I already knew people who were taking the class. Plus, it was cheap enough. So I told him I'll take it and he said come now. So I ended up going to his class immediately after my seminar (which ran from 3 to 7). His class was supposed to only run for 2 hours but I didn't get out until 11:30. This guy is just so full of knowledge and he's so willing to pass it on. Great!!!

June 9 - Damn I am tired! Got home late last night, prepared my outfits for today's shoot, left my house at 5:00 to be on set by 7 am and filmed all day. I am so tired. But it was a great day. They aged me from 35 to 45 to 55 to 65. Really cool stuff man! And it sure was nice to be pampered. There were PA's on the set and I MADE SURE to thank them for everything they were doing. I even tried helping out but the producer made me get back to make-up to be ready for the shoot. OH! I didn't finish in time for my second call-back for Karvel.

June 10 - Filmed the Toby Keith video. It was a long day because we had to work with animals. Funny thing about this video is that they didn't want to see anyone's faces. As an actor, we want our faces on the screen. So a majority of us tried - almost like on spite now (as a joke), but they kept catching us. It was like a game. Basically all they wanted was body fillers for the video and for the girls... lots of leg shots. So if you see really pretty legs with black ankle wrapped heels... that's me!!! We were only set to film for 10 hours but it went past and the production company gave us extra cash for the extra time. Now that's a first!!! Hey! I filmed in the Pacific Palisades... in a Mansion! What a view! Wow what money can buy!!!!

June 11 - I did nothing but sleep all day today... trying to catch up from the past 2 days of hardly any sleep.

June 12 - Cleaned up the house and marketed ALL day!

June 13 - Was a bit lazy today but started to get ready about 4 pm. Went to a networking party hosted by Pathfinder Films. Saw a few producers out there - Bill Blair and Don Glut where there. Met a lot of people in the industry - reviewers, entertainment lawyers, filmmakers. Got back home at about 1 am. It was fun!

June 14 - Had a seminar from 3 to 6 and met a Casting Director. She invited me to go to an outdoor short film festival. That was cool.. met Dot Jones who is an actress who used to beat up Al Bundy on the Married with Children show. The CD also then casted me in an upcoming film shooting on Tuesday- darn... she don't even know my name. Crazy! I then went to another networking party hosted by Bill Blair. Met even more people. Great food! I am tired!

June 15 - Spent the day with my relatives for father's day. Got a call from the CD that she needs me tomorrow morning and not Tuesday. Call time is 10 am.

June 16 - I am NOT happy! I filmed today and I am happy to film, specially because I got a good spot on the film, but I felt like I was taken advantaged of. I was told I was getting compensated and that we would have a nice holding area and craft services. HA! Holding was under a tent outdoors with fold out chairs and no table. Craft services hardly had anything and compensation was....a coupon for a seminar, a coupon for an acting class, a coupon for a discount for demo tapes, and a $1.00 lottery ticket. I would have rather have the $1.00 so I can go to the dollar store and know that I REALLY got something instead of that. I wouldn't have minded so much if she told me straight out that this was volunteer. Instead, she ran around the question anytime someone asked BEFORE filming what the compensation is. I'm really upset because an actor friend of mine passed up a paying job to be on set - he has no car, took the bus (2 hour long trip) and walked over 2 miles to get on set because the bus doesn't go into the develpment center where we were shooting. That was just NOT right! It is so hard to be a full time actor here and find a part-time paying job and for them to "fool" us that way was really wrong! I'm not so mad for me, but for my actor friend.

June 17 - Got a call for an extra job on film on Thursday. It's paying. Also got a call from Bill Blair if I could help a producer friend of his who is making his first short. It's non-pay and will only be about 4 hours. No problem. Went this evening and it was a lot of fun. Met the production crew and here's a nice bonus, they fed us barbeque. I wasn't expecting that. See, I don't mind doing freebies, just don't fool me into doing it. Be straight with me!! I'm not an idiot.