What Casting Directors Actually Want (Plus Our Most Embarrassing Set Blunders) | Ep 26

Speaker 2 0:00

 

MAX 0:12

Welcome back to Two Unemployed Actors. I'm Max. I'm Sam. And we've got some updates for you. Movie review or two. Just bits and pieces of what's been happening in the world of up-and-coming actors.

SAM 0:23

Sorry that it's been quite MIA, but.

MAX 0:26

It has. But you know, things happen. Life happens. It's been busy. What can I say? I have an in full intention of getting this out every Thursday. Yep. All around the world, on all the apps. It doesn't always work out that way. But uh with life getting in the way. But anyway. It's been busy. What can I say? I've first of all, I owe you an apology.

SAM 0:45

Thank you.

MAX 0:46

You don't even know what it's for. No. Because mid-January, you said to me, you said, Max, my agent just sent me a message saying we need to have US visa for pilot season. And that you to be submitted to be considered for a year. Because for those that don't know, US cast globally now, they even factor into their timelines to do paperwork from overseas. There's nominated casting direct casting agencies in Sydney for each of the networks, CBS, NBC, blah blah, um, who then source talent to do uh castings, and it's probably uh uh a self-tape after that in their office to send to be considered, and then probably you go over there for if you're on the short list. Having said that, this year, Sam, your agent did say, you know, you need to have US visa in order to be considered.

SAM 1:34

Yes, many casting agents are not actually auditioning any Aussies who actually don't have it. Correct. Zero visa. So you gotta be zero or whatever.

MAX 1:41

You gotta have US accent, obviously, you've got to be ready to go, paperwork-wise, passport-wise, you know, if they say yes, off you go. Maybe they had bad experiences last year in that people were shortlisted and then uh-oh, can't get a visa for whatever reason, your background or whatever. Sure. Maybe it's uh a shorter timeline.

SAM 1:58

He was saying something about Trump and making kind of like the new sort of thing stuff.

MAX 2:04

Because there's some confusion, and even within American um government agencies, there's confusion. Essentially, what's happened is they haven't changed new laws. Yeah, they've just really tightened up how they're enforcing them. Yes. So where there was some lax sort of consideration in the past, a bit of you'll be okay, mate. And then tightening up the visas. It's really tightening up on how they enforce it. So you've really got to have your I's dot and T's crossed. It doesn't make it impossible. Yeah. You know, it's still there. We're still considering we've got a great relationship with the states in our visa offset program and everything.

SAM 2:37

Well, I remember I appreciate you asked your agent and you got back to the page. I did.

MAX 2:40

I did, and my agent gave a response going, first I've heard of it, and I remember replying, going, Oh, bloody acting grapevine. And then a week or so ago, this message has popped up on Facebook group for the agent, for my agent. So the Facebook group just saying, you know, by the way, now you need to have your US visa. First of all to be considered for pilots, yeah. Okay, it's been a while since mid-January, it's now like mid-Feb, and that's four weeks. I could have been saying, okay, I've applied for my O1 and here's my application number, and this sort of you know, so you know. Yeah.

SAM 3:14

But no. And you gave your loyal friend here.

MAX 3:18

I know, and that was uh that's a month goes by, and then it's just hey, a bit of a little Facebook update.

SAM 3:24

Yeah, no, it's not nice.

MAX 3:26

What people like us have spent like time preparing to have a show real ready for US and all their I's dotted T's cross ready for pilot season.

SAM 3:34

They're tightening up those people.

MAX 3:35

And they got a little and I made a few comments on it, like, well, we've got part of the offset program, blah, blah, blah. And then uh other people who aren't the agent, like other actors, just starting to go, no, no, actually, you do this, actually do that. I'm like, the last thing you want to do is have a bunch of actors chatting about what is right and what is wrong in terms of I'm like, really, the agent should step in and go here for clarification is the deal. Yeah, I know. That didn't happen. So I actually wrote to them and said, look, you know, just emailing, hey, um, a bit of confusion from the Facebook post. Does that mean I need more than the current visa? I need like an 01, or like what's the minimum to be considered? Yeah, what if you have an example? Oh, so is it 01 or 01? Oh, 0101. I don't even know. I don't even know what it is. Anyway, continue. Um so I'm a bit confused. Oh, well, each submission. Have they email? They have an email? They've replied and they said each submission has your relevant visa info. It's up to them to get you in for an audition. Your agent. The casting director. The casting director. So quote unquote, each submission has your relevant visa info. Up to them to get you in for an audition or not.

SAM 4:32

No. It's not a good idea.

MAX 4:33

So I'm like, I don't, I don't know. So I I no, what they're saying is when they submit you to whatever casting agency for it's then up to the casting agent if they want you or not. They'll supply your relevant visa info and it's up to like, yeah, but that doesn't help me. Because like, does that mean I don't need to do an 01? No. Or does it mean I can do like where is my clarification?

SAM 4:53

Yes. So I actually organized a meeting with Mark because I hadn't spoken to him face to face or uh a cut a small phone conversation about a year ago, but for two years I hadn't actually spoken to him face to face. Okay. So I organised a meeting with him uh over FaceTime and we we spoke at about an hour meeting um and clarified all that stuff. Uh so yeah, so now because all the visas are being tightened up in America, and even even when you get a visa there, you can actually like use your zero one visa or whatever it is. Yeah. Um and while you have that, apply for a green card. And you can actually do it like that. So that's pretty good. But he was saying how most casting agents here now as opposed to two years ago where it was like 20% of them were like only want people submitted if they have a visa. Now there's like 60 to 70% of the casting agents are now saying you have to have a visa. So I looked it up, and to apply you need to have a kind of good credentials in in the industry and and I guess reference. Body of work, yeah, yeah, media, exactly. I would I'm I'm starting to now compile not hard copies. You don't mean you need hard well, maybe even hard copies of officers. Because you have to go into the consulate for an interview or the embassy. Where are we? You have to talk to talk to an immigration lawyer. So I I spoke to Mark and he said, listen, that's up to you and an immigration lawyer to talk about, then get back to me. Yeah. Um so yeah, I'm gonna start applying to see if I can do it. Um but there are some casting agents, you know you know, you know, it it he was talking about how if you're under 18 it's easier for you to just audition for American TV or whatever and film because you're a child still, so they can get you there. Once you hit 18 and over, it's it's harder and you need that visa. And so I was talking about how I know a couple people who have gone now to LA because they got a pilot job, but they're younger.

MAX 6:41

With with our visa waiver program, you can you can work and and and travel up to 90 days in the States and and you're not employed by any means in the earning any money, certainly not when you're auditioning. So I mean you can be over there and audition, audition, audition as long as you know, because there will come a time when they go shortlist and hopefully shortlist and and uh what's your what's your paperwork look like. And it's like, well, um, you know, about to apply. So then it takes time. And then you can pay to fast track it.

SAM 7:06

Yeah.

MAX 7:07

But um, you're right, you want to have I's dot and t's crossed, because if you start thinking about it then, way too late.

SAM 7:12

Yeah, well, yeah, exactly. Most of them want that 01 visa now.

MAX 7:16

Look, the easier you make it for people to hire you, yeah, you know, the better it is, right? Yeah. So anyway, I've just replied to my agents, gone, you know what? Um, thank you for clarifying. Not really, but yep. Uh thank you for clarifying. I'm just gonna apply for an O one, go through that process now. Yeah. And uh so I know there's a there's some businesses in America that help uh Australians get the right paperwork, um, evaluate it based on what they've seen, pass and not pass. Like performers-wise. Yeah, performers-wise. And then one in particular that's run by performers who had been to that process themselves based in New York, but obviously, you know, the first meetings over FaceTime and then what's the company called? Uh Visa Pack, as in PAQ.

unknown 8:01

Cool.

MAX 8:01

Uh recommendation from a friend of a friend or a friend, but uh it looks okay. Uh yeah, exactly. And not as expensive. So I'll have a look because there was another one, another one, uh, through the union, uh an info session set up with an American lawyer who specializes in immigration for businesses and and talent for you know, various, whether you're at athletic talent or whether you're, you know, you're going over to train there or something, or whether you're um uh student or whether you're acting, singing, whatever. Um they've got people that that specialise in that. So that was a great sort of overview. And and even then they're like, yeah, look, it's not that everyone's rewriting the rules and no one knows what's going on, it's just that they're tightening up on enforcing existing rules under the current sort of environment of Trump.

SAM 8:45

I set up this meeting, like I sent him a fat email beforehand, yeah, just so it wasn't like I was ambushing him with all questions. I actually made I made an Excel spreadsheet. Um, and I actually I got all this I got all this help from my new boss, by the way. He's helping me do all this business stuff, which is very cool. Yeah, but I sent him a spreadsheet with my auditions over the past two years and his auditions that he's gotten me over the past two years, because I've been with him for two years. Okay. My fail rate of the auditions that I've gone myself, yeah. My fail rate was around 20%. Right. 23%.

MAX 9:18

Um I love the way you've calculated that. That's okay. Yeah, yeah. Sorry, like I don't even want to think about that side.

SAM 9:23

I had I had like no, I so all the everything I had had auditioned for, I pretty much got except for five different things. Right. His side, bring that combine them two, bring uh combine my auditions and his auditions together. I had a 60% fail rate.

MAX 9:40

Okay. Um I haven't got to come with something uh something more motivational uplifting than fail rate. Call it I didn't say you're too harsh and corporate again. That's me saying that.

SAM 9:52

No why? Because Greg, my new boss, has been helping me since he says that. But um no, he Dan at Greg. Yeah, Danot Greg. Um no, no, no, but it I was showing Mark how I actually haven't gotten any roles through him for the past two years. Right. Um and I actually asked him and he and he said he's putting me forward for stuff two to three times a week.

MAX 10:11

Yeah, sure, sure. It's uh it happens.

SAM 10:13

I'm in this age range now, which kind of works but kind of doesn't like I can play a younger one, yeah, but I need this visa as well. Yep. Uh yeah, stuff like that. And but they're not looking for this mainstream, like he's saying he's getting emails from all his mainstream clients, like, why am I getting as much work as I am in two years ago? And all this stuff. So I was talking to him about that, and he sent me 19 different scripts for self-tapes. He says, more stuff I have of you, the better. I will send them all out to casting agents.

MAX 10:39

Yeah, and and the more fresh stuff and consistently in front of agents are the better.

SAM 10:44

Yeah, and he said, bold and risky choices is what's getting everyone now. Like make those bold and risky choices as a character in your self-tape, keep a blank background, that's all good. But self-tape wise, uh acting wise, bold and risky and and and be different, quirky. And even if you like I still think of you as the like good acting, good good boys don't win, or what what it what is it?

MAX 11:04

Um I have no idea what you're doing.

SAM 11:06

Nice, nice, nice guys never I don't know what's good. Nice guys never win. That's what he's pretty much saying. He's saying, like, I still picture you as the nice guy in acting, show me the assholes.

MAX 11:14

Well, I reckon grab a script, live with it for a period of time, yeah, even get coached in the scene, and then deliver that and just f just go for and just go for it. You know what I mean? Yeah, exactly.

SAM 11:26

And he said, send me one a week, get it done, and and he said, Hey, I've sent an eight-page script back to one of my clients because he stumbled over one word. They're looking for clean, yeah, immaculate acting. Ready to go.

MAX 11:40

Like they can see you walking onto set tomorrow and not mix missing a beat.

SAM 11:43

Yeah, I just it's it's hard because you I've called some casting agents as well. I sent them emails and then called them, and Barrett and McGregor casting. Barrett McCasting and McGregor casting, the two big the big ones. I I rang them and and they both said send me through self-tapes. Yeah. So I've sent them through a couple and I said there's plenty more to come. So I'll record all these ones that Mark have sent me and send it through them as well as Mark. Yeah, it's just so like you've gotta have a relationship with the casting agency for saying he's saying, I'm the middleman. Obviously, like I want to know how you act and all this stuff, but more more importantly, the casting agent needs to know. And they'll they'll they'll know it through Mark anyway.

MAX 12:16

But yeah, and there's different ways to do that as well. Like, yes, for self-tapes, absolutely. It doesn't have to be complicated, no, and a simple scene doesn't have to have all the super colour grading and text introductions, that sort of stuff. Just show them a good scene.

SAM 12:31

Your acting needs to be good. Forget about whatever's in the back, costume, whatever.

MAX 12:34

Yeah, and for example, um, with this play that that that's coming up for me in May, I'll I'll as it gets closer to the date, I'll send them a little postcard which has got me, you know, in the character and details of the play and inviting them to come and see it and just you know, little things like that, even as a good casting agents. Me for casting agents. I mean, I say a major one, but uh but I think you know, casting agent particular, because it's just another simple way to stay in front of them without taking up too much of their time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um a simple little little thing, but it means a lot because there's not many people who are doing it. No. I went to one audition recently and um it was kind of a bit relaxed and like, oh by the way, have you got something that to rem for us to remember you by? And of the four people standing there was the only one. Because they're like, oh well, I can email you something, yeah, and then there's a oh well if you I've got a a profile on blah blah on star now or something, you can have a look at that and print that off or something. I'm like, well, here's my C V.

SAM 13:28

Yeah, bring a hard copy.

MAX 13:30

Because you always have you always have a couple of copies of that and a couple of headshots, you know. Yeah. Because there's gonna be a time when someone knows someone who knows someone and yeah, exactly. But uh it's yeah, there's lots of different ways to to keep current and tell them what you're doing. Yep. You're not stalking them by any means and make sure it's relevant.

SAM 13:48

But yeah. Oh I yeah, yeah, yeah. I can't even it just needs to, it's like lots to do. I've chosen this career. Yeah, I need to sleep in it.

MAX 13:57

So I'll let you know how I go with my Visa application as I start that process. Yes. Now I'm gonna start it too, actually. Visa pack. What else is it visible? I saw Parasite last week.

SAM 14:13

I'm I need to still watch it. It's up on Netflix now.

MAX 14:15

My god. It's worth the hype. Yeah, I've heard it's like a perfectly made film. It's it's brilliant. It's brilliant. The way it draws you in, the way you get to know each of the characters, how real and relatable they are. Oh, no way. And and how it's this amazing, it's like there's so many themes.

SAM 14:32

Yeah, because I was reading a thing that's not your traditional three-act kind of film.

MAX 14:36

It's just kind of done a cool and it doesn't feel as long as it is. Someone told me yesterday, oh, I've got it on my watch list, but you know, it's three and a half hours. It's such a commitment. I'm like, it did not feel like it was three and a half hours. Really? I I was surprised, I was shocked. I'm like, what? Three and a half hours? It's like two hours. But uh it just really gets you in. And won four awards. It's it's amazing. Oscars. It's amazing. And uh I think it's still on the cinema in Sydney in Australia. Hopefully, elsewhere you can catch it in the cinema wherever you are, because you know, it's one that you really want to lock in on and not be interrupted and be totally absorbed by because it's it's really remarkable, quite remarkable. I think it's fantastic, and I can't wait to see more from the director. It's just I I like I'm gushing like an idiot, but I don't want I don't want to give too much away for people who haven't seen it. Just make sure you see it. Just see it. And busy, busy recently with uh, I mean, voiceovers are picked up, lots of voiceover stuff, which is great because that pays the bills. But also the short film that I actually auditioned for with these uh recent graduates last year, I think it was September or something. I finally got to do it because I worked on another project with them called The Interrogation, which will be out in a week or so. They're just finishing color grading cut I saw before that actually, which had a bit of the music as well. Oh, it's just it's really cool, really cool. I'm really I'm excited, I can't wait to share it. They're gonna do it on festival runs, so it'll probably be a bit of social thirst, but as soon as I'm allowed to share it, I will. It's called The Taking. I play Victor, who is the lead character. He's a bit he's a bit he's imbalanced. He's seeing things, he's seeing things, he hears things, um, he's really off the charts. You'd sort of you'd you know, and you'd cross the street rather than walk past him if you saw him. And yeah, the last thing on his mind is looking after himself. So Q disheveled, um, psychotic maxi. Or is he actually lucid and sane? Just terrified about what might happen.

SAM 16:25

Aren't we all?

MAX 16:26

So yeah, it's just another Monday. Um, but no, I'm like, so really fun character to play with, you know, having had all the dads recently. Well, like the audition I had today for some Amazon thing, like everyday dad. Uh with a nice voice over voice over one, no, no, no, actual uh yes, uh with uh chicken and chips casting here in Cleveland. Yeah, yeah. Five minutes down the road, great stuff, because it only goes five minutes, you know what they're like. Walk in is the everyday dad. So it's yeah, clean shaven, uh blue polo, you know, complete opposite of dishevelled victory of yesterday. And the character, like to get in that head space, like I'd really I really worked during the setups to to to get to be ready. Yeah. And it was so like the intensity, the intensity in the eyes and everything. Like I sweat, I I thought I was gonna give myself a nosebleed halfway through one of the scenes. Oh my goodness. But uh and I I'm I the second day I took the Vespers, I'm riding home and I'm like, oh, I'm getting a headache. Yeah, too much victor. Oh my goodness. That's all right. A red wine and another script is a nice way to ease out of that character.

SAM 17:27

Well, uh did I tell you so I did that bartender audition for that short film? Yes, yes. Oh Freddie, seriously. Fred, don't jump. You're crazy, man. Um I got it. I got so I got it. Oh, you got it. I got it.

MAX 17:39

Oh, that's right because they were No, no that's right, because this is the one that invited you, and you like immediately just said, let's get this done and send it back. And he's like, awesome. Yes. But I'll have to watch the others first before I give it to you. And then he gave it to you. Yeah, exactly.

SAM 17:51

So I got it, yeah. One line, one day at an actual bar. He has a friend who has a bar, so that would be sick.

MAX 17:57

Great production value. Yeah, yeah, and and it's making real drinks and drinking real drinks.

SAM 18:02

Yeah, I actually feel like I want to do that actually. Um and it's it's okay, like it's 25 bucks an hour, so whatever. I don't know how long it was. But it's set on the contract, like 25 bucks an hour, including production meetings. I was like, oh, so this read through, we were there for an hour, and I was just saying that this one's not oh, I was just wondering, this one's doesn't count. He's like, Oh yeah, it does. I'm just feeling generous. And I'm like, oh cool, sounds good. Um, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

MAX 18:25

How generous of you. How charitable to look after an actor by giving them money, yes, minimum wage.

SAM 18:30

But he yeah, but he was saying that that it's gonna be so these are five different films. It's called it's called it's like an anthology series. It's called I'm not gay. I'm in one called Boys in Love. Or it's it's kind of like a web series sort of thing. No, no, no, it's about all relationships, it's about like kind of how uh getting through relationships but seen through the lens, like a gay lens. So it's all gay relationships, but it applies to everyone, it's kind of that vibe. But he's gonna mix it with documentaries in between, like documentary stuff in between, and sell like pitch it to Netflix. Okay. So he wants it on Netflix, so that's pretty cool. Um, so I'm gonna do that in March. I spoke to the guys for not today, not today short film. Should they have they they think it should be a hundred percent done by early to mid-March? Okay. I freaking hope so. I can't wait to send that to my agent because I know I'm the same with the interrogation. Yeah, yeah. I've told him I've like, I'm different, like, look at this. Like, I can't wait to send this to you. The footage is great, and I've got to get these self-tapes.

MAX 19:27

I'm already using steals from a rough cut in my social now. Like, just looks, it's yeah, it's really cool. I'm really happy.

SAM 19:33

I can't do anything, I can't send anything. Like, they're like, don't do it. Yeah, I know. I've got to be careful.

MAX 19:36

I said to them, I said to the guys the other day, I'm like, look, I'll take your lead. If you're sharing it, I'll share it.

SAM 19:40

But uh Jess actually had to take some stuff down because I asked her to oh really? Yeah, because this wants to go to big festivals. Yeah, same. Keep it under wraps.

MAX 19:49

I'm just like some stills are okay and some photos, character photos of the day. Sure. But um, as it gets closer, yeah, I've got to make sure I've got every eye and cross every teeth. But that's okay. Yeah, nice.

SAM 20:00

And also recently, Jess and I started a new Instagram account and YouTube channel. It's called Sam and Jess, and it's that's good. Music covers, and we've got some good followers. It's hopefully lifting up. We're gonna post another cover soon. We've posted one. And I spent like this week, part of this week, like three days of this week, designing and creating an intro and trailer on Cinema 4D, uh-huh, adding music to it, and it looks free.

MAX 20:28

That's great if you've got the time and the talent. I have neither. I actually paid. I was on a freelancer, freelancer.com. Yeah, no time or talent for that. So I like I could do it, but it'd just take me forever and it probably wouldn't look as good. So I I I think I had 40 bucks on freelancer, and people submit their bids, and you but m you leave commentary on what you really want by it. So it's 40 bucks to have this new for two unemployed. Yeah, and that's perfect. It's not because I adjusted it a bit, yeah, the curtains and everything, you know. But I'm like, you know, where's my time best spent?

SAM 20:54

And I'm like, I can't just you know, season three, you know what we should do. Well, we should have so we have the curtain now, which is quite theatre-esque, which is cool. Uh season three, as in 2021. We should have we should have like almost like a camera, and it's like like it's like has the reels going and then it spins and you look through the lens, and then that's the turn I'm just kind of. That's pretty cool.

MAX 21:13

And pretty complicated.

SAM 21:14

I don't know if I could do that, but kind of wanna do it. I'm gonna start now. It might take that long, yeah. But anyway, yeah, so we started this account and hopefully it's gonna build and build it's Sam underscore Jess underscore music for Instagram, and it's called Sam and Jess, so you guys can. I'll put a link in the our Facebook page.

MAX 21:29

But that sounds good, it sounds like fun, and you guys get to sing together. I've got an embarrassing story. Go on. Okay. It wouldn't be me without an embarrassing story. Oh no. So it wouldn't be two unemployed actors, embarrassing story. I had a great rehearsal for the the the production this week on Sunday. The Victor one. The Victor one. Yeah, great rehearsal. And I I I I love doing that, and you can make all these bold choices and get some great feedback. So you can walk on set calls. confidently knowing how you're going to approach a character and different scene setups and stuff. And there's some, I mean there's some stuff we changed on set, but it was just great to build on such a solid footing. So we love that. Great stuff. I'll send the you know the call sheet out later on. Cause originally it was like Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday hold. And I had that. Then it's like oh it's only going to be two days. So I left Monday, Tuesday and I just took Wednesday off. Whoops. Because the call sheet went out Sunday night, which is great. But I'm just like okay Monday, Tuesday. Because there's only two days and the call sheet comes out and oh you always get the call sheet night before we're the last to be in terms of consideration, right? Yeah. Actors you get you get the call sheet last minute. They've planned everything else. There you go. Turn up tomorrow it's such a time. So there I am uh down to Mennai, which for those that don't know Sydney is 45 minutes away. And uh knock on the door. Well it's it's Monday. Yeah it's Monday. No no it's Tuesday. What do you mean it's Tuesday? It's Monday. No no it's Tuesday, Wednesday for the production. I'm like not Monday. It was the most awkward and longest weirdest conversation. That was it yeah it I well I only had it in the subject line the email and the attachment how did you miss it? Because in my head I'm like it's three days it's three days and then they said it sometimes oh it's only two days great so I just drop Wednesday Monday Tuesday straight into it didn't call sheet same Tuesday Wednesday it just said the dates or something. It said Tuesday Wednesday oh and that and but the call she comes out the night before I'm like yeah all done it's my diary no worries rock and roll and so yeah that happened. So you knocked on whose door like the door I'm at the location and fortunately it was the writer's uh farmer's house and he was there so thank god because if it was a location was booked and yeah and uh oh my god and thank god I've worked with them before they know I'm not you know an idiot oh my god we need to recast uh but uh that's how good is that right that's very similar to my an awkward conversation it's Monday yeah it's Monday no no it's Tuesday I'm like maybe it's Tuesday it's Monday he's like he meant it's Tuesday I'm like what what I'm like you're joking and I'm literally pushing myself past to get in the house anyway.

SAM 24:09

God damn it that's okay that's very similar to my story with when I I was doing um a film by with Ramon at Afters this is a film that's still yet to come out um doing we did two days at afters of like 50s dancing style that one the music one yeah yeah yeah next day they asked for me on yeah the next day or two days later they asked for me again just for another different sort of area uh different sort of area within the film shoot. Okay. And I got the call sheet I was like cool cool great great park the car waltz on up up the street to afters head on in um and I'm I'm like I say to the reception I'm like I'm here for a film by uh shoot and he's like uh there's no shooting today I'm like what do you what do you mean? What do you mean? And then and I was like are they they're not in there? He's like there's no one in there no shooting today and by saying and wishing it doesn't mean and I'm like oh shit shoot get it like a shoot and I check my phone I check the call shape it's like oh my god it's in frickin' like Ashfield or something oh that's like what another 25 minutes yeah it was 20 minutes and I was 10 minutes early okay okay it was okay so I sprinted to the car that would be and I like texted them on I'm like in traffic um and then I in stupid in yeah exactly and I raced over and got there um luckily they were running behind and they were still setting up which sets always 90% of the time that's right sets always do it so I'm I shouldn't be worried anymore like I know but it it no it's still good to do like I remember I had on home and away and then I told them the story of what actually happened I said I went to art yeah once once then you've proven yourself yeah yeah but um yeah home and away and I've turned up and mad extra stuff yeah mad panic no this was when I had my uh all clear featured extra line uh it ended up being a quite exciting what was the scene like all clear with Pierre Miranda what was the and uh scene again and I so so so excited I was so excited I was looking at her instead of favoring the camera so it's like you get the back of my head as I walk across camera going all clear what was the scene what was it I was a police officer oh yeah so I've turned up and I always turn up 15 20 minutes early because okay I found it but can I get a park and you know all that sort of stuff.

MAX 26:23

Yeah yeah the park and they're in a mad scramble oh my god oh my god the the the call time is accidentally the time you're required on set so and a police uniform is complicated there's layers there's equipment there's an arm scratch like I'm still doing out the belt I got there at like five to eight literally on set so I was supposed to be there at eight as a call time relax have a coffee have a chat air makeup get on set by eight yeah no no no they're ready and they're and them in a mad panic first day he's like racing and so uh there's Maxi front and center because he was the one and the poor guy who turned up five minutes late ended up being raced on to set at 20 past and was sort of limbs and things in the background. We we did another couple days actually I think there were three of us and over two days we all ended up being upgraded to a line. Very cool. That never happens no it never happens and you get paid more. You get paid more you get an IMDB credit it's it's real it happens wait hold on you're on the home and away I am if you look at IMDB I got a credit for home all clear it's a great scene policeman number one a little bit I can close car doors of police cars I can close front doors of apartments very cool and I can say all clear it's amazing it's amazing but it's like yeah usually they're running behind right it's almost as bad.

SAM 27:39

No but it's almost as bad as when I slept in till the call time and I was meant to be No Yeah I think I told you for the for this Crimson commercial I slept in like the alarm went off and I was like shut up and like turned it off woke to a call from the producer like hey where are you just I'm like oh yes I'm I'm almost there like 20 minutes away and I jump in the shower I get out of the shower so I get in the car did it take you 20 minutes? I was 10 minutes late.

MAX 28:07

Oh 10 minutes I don't know how you did it don't ever tell anyone because I'm sure road rules are broken.

SAM 28:13

I swear to God I did not speed it's just what happens is when it's a yellow light you speed up to the speed limit.

MAX 28:20

Says as he was driving on the footpath to avoid traffic.

SAM 28:23

No I don't know how I did it like it was ridiculous. I was just gonna pay it but there was still but they're like no don't worry like um Nathan had more time to set up lights and experiment I was like oh cool well the only and that's what the shoe that I rung you that was the shit that I rang you to be my dad yeah oh yeah very so oh more for me.

MAX 28:42

I just hate being late and the only other time yeah I've made a mistake like that yeah was when I was doing featured extra work on the Gold Coast as a teenager and it was for Flipper and they'd said because there's yacht clubs all over the place on the Gold Coast as you can imagine by the water there and X um you know yacht club I'm like yeah no worries because I we shot there before and they just have you know the the whiteboard with the F on it so you know it's flipper flipper set and easy easy peasy. So I get there and I'm like let's be quiet. Board's not out unit base is moved. Okay where is oh I can't see any white trucks at all actually let me just check it Yeah that's that's the giveaway isn't it let me just check where and it was another one that was look in in Gold Coast terms where everything's five minutes away it was a long way away it's probably like 15 minutes. And I I turned up sort of five to ten minutes late but because I was early in the wrong spot that's the only other time and I think that taught me to to make sure you double triple check and if you don't know ask your agent the day before because nothing worse than ringing your agent day off going oh the door's locked yeah so you know what I mean so anyway but I mean sometimes life happens you know and things happen and just you added shoots are stressful at times. Indeed indeed but yeah you do you do limit your chances in this business if you turn up late all the time I remember I was in I was in my agent's office once for something else I was waiting while Jess was on the phone and she was really counseling this guy like where are you why are you still at home you're supposed to be on set 20 minutes ago okay well how long will it take you okay do you need a taxi like no but you know just really counseling it must have been some someone young or someone young and dumb I don't know one of the two because basically the and as soon as she hung up the the the set they'd called from set going how much longer are we waiting and they hadn't even left time it was like 40 minutes to get there it's like and she had to explain I I this is why I can't be an agent because like no but the agent she's just like she wouldn't have kept him it's not see you later not reverse if there's a neck and neck for a project to put someone for would would they not pro yeah it's you know you've got to be nice you've got to make life easy as I said so many times the easier you make it for people to to to deal with you um the easier you make it to yeah because you want to be a nice likable guy on set but if all they see is you turning up late and swearing and then you're probably not going to be there. There you go.

SAM 31:06

Yeah.

MAX 31:06

There's my thought for the day sounds good pretty powerful.

SAM 31:09

Sounds excellent.

MAX 31:10

So Sunday I'm not going to church no Sunday um the first read through of Lipstick the play super excited Sunday 1030 get to meet the cast meet the it's actually there's actually two directors co-directing interesting yeah I've had that before it's not great.

SAM 31:26

Okay we'll enjoy it and uh it's it's nothing worse it's good if they get along but if they both have two different visions and then they assign themselves multiple different scenes like you do this scene I'll do this scene and then it looks like a bunch mashed together.

MAX 31:39

I'm confident there's like a lead in a two IC situation the worst for me was an amateur production so I don't do amateur theory anymore uh where and it ended up being uh a a director a co-director a deputy director and like there was basically it's like five different people giving me direction it was all contradictory and nothing to do with what you were doing you know it's like oh for say good experience but then as uh my acting coach said yeah sometimes good experience is the right experience not the wrong experience which is what you're going through at the moment so I'm like okay yeah food for thought anyway but yeah so I'm looking forward to that I'm really stoked to meet the rest of the cast and um you know make it a bit more real a bit more official I spent some time with the script the character development all that sort of stuff I'm I I'm really psyched to get into it and being a comedy fast type thing I'm really looking forward to getting off book as quick as I can so I can just really play with the physicality of it. Cool and you're talking to like the director like I'm really excited no I this is me and I like because he's really good at acting guys because well he thinks he is whether it is or not we'll find out when it when it uh when it's on in May uh 14th to 17th of May cool um in Sydney tickets available now just in so yeah at the moment you know off off off off Broadway but uh very very off the Chip and Street Theatre in fact in Sydney so off Broadway yeah just around the corner but uh all my theatre jobs have been off Broadway guys I can't wait to play the because there's so much you can do physically when it comes to that sort of comedy and being the relatable relaxed sort of guy who is kind of you know the more identifiable for those watching versus the high fast comedy um over the top characters that I'm surrounded with don't don't yawn. I'm really putting effort into this oh sorry it's just so um no no yes so so um being the sort of relaxed relatable guy versus all the high energy uh huge farcical um characters and caricatures of characters yes who are I'm surrounded with uh makes it a lot more fun to play with for me so I'm I'm really looking forward to that I can't wait for rehearsals to kick off yeah it's just you know just more walking around with the script in hand and doing what you love. But look you know I'm still when I read the script I get a chuckle it's like you know when you've read a script a few more times and it's a comedy and you're still laughing at that gives you some hope that it's actually going to translate and be funny. Yeah yeah yeah nice you don't have to use too much substitution good stuff thank you for listening to two unemployed actors I'm Max I'm Sam and uh you can listen to us next Thursday don't forget to like subscribe uh share follow us on social media uh follow us on YouTube and just follow us just follow us individually yeah um follow us around the town you know pop in say goodbye have a chat enjoy great time bye bye to unemployed actor