It's been all quiet on the western front for awhile, but this past week, Willy got an audition for a Disney TV series and we learned that his film was selected for the Sundance Film Festival! Not just selected but is in the the top 16 films competing for the prize. Almost 4,000 independent films were submitted, 115 chosen and 16 compete in each of two categories, Dramatic and Documentary. Having gone through several title changes, while it was called The Reasonable Bunch during filming, it is now being referred to as the Untitled Sam Levinson Project! Rather than changing the title multiple more times, I guess they decided to wait until they had a title they really liked!
So, we are taking Willy out to the Festival and have booked our flights and will stay at a friend's place. Getting tickets to the premiere of his movie, however, is proving more difficult than I imagined! By the time the movies are announced, most of the tickets have been sold! What tickets are left don't guarantee being able to see a specific selection and are mostly for movies towards the end of the festival. We will be there at the beginning and hope to be at the world premiere of the movie on Sunday, January 23. Willy's manager has assured me that she will come up with tickets for us somehow!
In the meantime, Willy has met with his local acting coach, Steve Blackwood, to prepare his sides for the Disney audition. We plan to tape it this Sunday so I have to come up with his "anime geek" costume asap. I have to admit that his practices of the scenes are looking quite good. I'm beginning to think maybe he can act after all!
Friday, December 3, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
End is in sight
Willy worked late again last night and is still sleeping. It's 12:30 pm on Monday, Sept. 27. He filmed his pool scenes on Saturday and between near exhaustion and being in and out of a warm pool in cold weather, he is coming down with a cold. Thank goodness he can sleep during the day!
In last night's dinner scene, Ellen Barkin got a chicken bone stuck in her throat and was taken to the hospital. The scene they were in the middle of continued but after the last take of that scene, Willy was wrapped and sent home. I hope she is ok. They pushed one of last nights scenes to today as a result which means that Willy will have another very late night tonight and he has to take two tests on set. Tomorrow is his day off, but that means he can sleep all day!
He also just got another audition for a movie called "We Bought a Zoo" starring Matt Damon and directed by Cameron Crowe. He is auditioning for the part of Matt Damon's son. I think he's probably taller than Matt Damon so don't know how that would work out! I was panicking a bit as to how we were going to tape the audition and edit it and get it there in time, but Siobhan Fallon told me at lunch last night that she just has her son tape her with a Flip video camera and uploads her auditions that way! Much easier than what I was planning to do! So we have to try to fit that in before Rick and I leave for Napa Wed. morning. Willy has to memorize the lines for three scenes first!
He last film days are this Wed. and Friday and then he is done!!!! Yay! I think he's probably happy that I won't be here to see his make out scene on Friday! Still don't know who the random girl is going to be. I'm just hoping it isn't someone a lot older than him! Although pretty much every girl on the set is at least 5 years older. And some were alot older than that! I guess he may learn something in the process! Just don't want him learning too much!
Till next time!
In last night's dinner scene, Ellen Barkin got a chicken bone stuck in her throat and was taken to the hospital. The scene they were in the middle of continued but after the last take of that scene, Willy was wrapped and sent home. I hope she is ok. They pushed one of last nights scenes to today as a result which means that Willy will have another very late night tonight and he has to take two tests on set. Tomorrow is his day off, but that means he can sleep all day!
He also just got another audition for a movie called "We Bought a Zoo" starring Matt Damon and directed by Cameron Crowe. He is auditioning for the part of Matt Damon's son. I think he's probably taller than Matt Damon so don't know how that would work out! I was panicking a bit as to how we were going to tape the audition and edit it and get it there in time, but Siobhan Fallon told me at lunch last night that she just has her son tape her with a Flip video camera and uploads her auditions that way! Much easier than what I was planning to do! So we have to try to fit that in before Rick and I leave for Napa Wed. morning. Willy has to memorize the lines for three scenes first!
He last film days are this Wed. and Friday and then he is done!!!! Yay! I think he's probably happy that I won't be here to see his make out scene on Friday! Still don't know who the random girl is going to be. I'm just hoping it isn't someone a lot older than him! Although pretty much every girl on the set is at least 5 years older. And some were alot older than that! I guess he may learn something in the process! Just don't want him learning too much!
Till next time!
Monday, September 20, 2010
End of the all nighters
It is Monday and Willy and I got home at 5:30 am this morning. He has today and tomorrow off although since he worked half the night, he'll spend his day sleeping which means missing another day of school. I had no idea when we signed on that he would have to stay there all night...three nights in a row no less! I'm hoping that is the end of that schedule! He has day time shoots later this week. The powers that be on this movie don't pay any attention to the child labor laws and ignore me when I bring them up! I have our agent and manager looking into it today. I'm not sure what my options would be on set. If I walk out with him I worry that I'd be in violation of our contract. I think they assume that these kids are just so happy to have a chance to be in a movie, that they can schedule them however they want. And many parents I'm sure go along with it because they think they are promoting their kids careers. I just want Willy to get enough sleep and stay healthy!
There were some exciting scenes over the week-end. Demi's dancing scenes were a hoot. And Eamon, once again proved that he is a master at improv. Willy got a kick out of being able to hang with Ashton Kutcher and talk sports. He was surprised that Ashton was not more outgoing and funny. He also asked me how much older Demi is than Ashton. I said I wasn't sure and he said he could tell she was alot older because she has old lady knees! Too funny!
For the next two weeks, we'll be back to a smaller group of actors as all the extras have now finished as well as Demi, Tom Church and Siobhan Fallon. Siobhan was really fun to have around. We will miss her! My sister told me that in the beginning it would all be very exciting and then as the days go on, it gets to be mundane and exhausting. She was right. Last night, instead of watching more scenes, I took a nap in my car!
There were some exciting scenes over the week-end. Demi's dancing scenes were a hoot. And Eamon, once again proved that he is a master at improv. Willy got a kick out of being able to hang with Ashton Kutcher and talk sports. He was surprised that Ashton was not more outgoing and funny. He also asked me how much older Demi is than Ashton. I said I wasn't sure and he said he could tell she was alot older because she has old lady knees! Too funny!
For the next two weeks, we'll be back to a smaller group of actors as all the extras have now finished as well as Demi, Tom Church and Siobhan Fallon. Siobhan was really fun to have around. We will miss her! My sister told me that in the beginning it would all be very exciting and then as the days go on, it gets to be mundane and exhausting. She was right. Last night, instead of watching more scenes, I took a nap in my car!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
A late, late night....
Remember pulling all nighters in college? That's waht this week-end has in store for Willy and I. We went to the set at 3:30 yesterday afternoon and didn't wrap until 3 am which meant we were home at 4 am! I'm not a great daytime sleeper, but fortuantely Willy is! At least I don't have to look good when I go there and I can sneak off and take a nap in my car periodically!
They are filming the actual wedding and reception scenes this week-end, thus it is all at night. The tent for the reception actually turned out quite nice. There is alot of pink! The flowers were gorgeous, done by Gerych's, and there were beautiful chandeliers brought in. The video presentation was pretty funny. They used a few pictures of Willy in it. One is from his PRE-K 4 graduation at Detroit Country Day. His cheeks are all puffed out and he has on his graduation cap! As a movie watcher, you probably won't see much of the slides, but there are some cute ones. The art director was telling me last night that she usually has a hard time getting actors to send in personal photos, but that she had gotten stacks of original photos from Ellen, Demi and Kate. I probably sent in a dozen of Willy electronically.
There were tons of extras there last night and they all have to get there earlier than the principals so by the time I get there with Willy I have to park about two miles away! Since I go back and forth to my car periodically, I'm at least getting some exercise.
I started questioning the PA around 1 am as to when Willy would be able to wrap and he couldn't give me an answer. Willy was required to just sit at his table at the reception for the majority of the night. Then in the last scene, at 2:30am, they took the teen cast members outside and shot a scene under a tree where once again, they are talking about "hot bitches" and getting laid. Lots of f-bombs were falling. The kids were so tired by this point though that as they were ad-libbing a couple of them starting calling the other characters by their real name instead of their character's name. Willy got all the names right but I could tell he was getting tired. He crashed the minute we got in the car and slept all the way home.
I didn't even have a chance to tell him he got his first paycheck yesterday. And yes Rita, I will make a copy of it so he can frame his first ever paycheck! Oh, and the bit of excitement for the day was that Ashton Kutcher was there along with Rumer Willis to watch Demi's scenes last night. He's tall which I thought was encouraging for Willy to see! He's worried he'll get too tall to be an actor! It's disheartening to see all these beautiful young people who smoke! Rumer lit up right next to me last night, and I thought "but, you're just a little girl"! I don't know how old she is, but she's much prettier in person than when I saw her in "The House Bunny". I think she's taller than her mom, but they are both petite.
This week's filming schedule is a rough one and I think it's going to set Willy back in terms of his school work. He tried to take a quiz on set last night, but could only get through 2 parts of it. And I can't expect him to study or take tests at 2 am. He's delirious by then.
Next week, I think he goes back to day time shooting, but that's hard to adjust to as well, when you've been staying up all night and sleeping during the day! My goal is to just try and keep him healthy through this. The main producers on this movie are three very accomplished and beautiful women. I was reading up on their work today and was quite impressed with all of them.
Till next time!
They are filming the actual wedding and reception scenes this week-end, thus it is all at night. The tent for the reception actually turned out quite nice. There is alot of pink! The flowers were gorgeous, done by Gerych's, and there were beautiful chandeliers brought in. The video presentation was pretty funny. They used a few pictures of Willy in it. One is from his PRE-K 4 graduation at Detroit Country Day. His cheeks are all puffed out and he has on his graduation cap! As a movie watcher, you probably won't see much of the slides, but there are some cute ones. The art director was telling me last night that she usually has a hard time getting actors to send in personal photos, but that she had gotten stacks of original photos from Ellen, Demi and Kate. I probably sent in a dozen of Willy electronically.
There were tons of extras there last night and they all have to get there earlier than the principals so by the time I get there with Willy I have to park about two miles away! Since I go back and forth to my car periodically, I'm at least getting some exercise.
I started questioning the PA around 1 am as to when Willy would be able to wrap and he couldn't give me an answer. Willy was required to just sit at his table at the reception for the majority of the night. Then in the last scene, at 2:30am, they took the teen cast members outside and shot a scene under a tree where once again, they are talking about "hot bitches" and getting laid. Lots of f-bombs were falling. The kids were so tired by this point though that as they were ad-libbing a couple of them starting calling the other characters by their real name instead of their character's name. Willy got all the names right but I could tell he was getting tired. He crashed the minute we got in the car and slept all the way home.
I didn't even have a chance to tell him he got his first paycheck yesterday. And yes Rita, I will make a copy of it so he can frame his first ever paycheck! Oh, and the bit of excitement for the day was that Ashton Kutcher was there along with Rumer Willis to watch Demi's scenes last night. He's tall which I thought was encouraging for Willy to see! He's worried he'll get too tall to be an actor! It's disheartening to see all these beautiful young people who smoke! Rumer lit up right next to me last night, and I thought "but, you're just a little girl"! I don't know how old she is, but she's much prettier in person than when I saw her in "The House Bunny". I think she's taller than her mom, but they are both petite.
This week's filming schedule is a rough one and I think it's going to set Willy back in terms of his school work. He tried to take a quiz on set last night, but could only get through 2 parts of it. And I can't expect him to study or take tests at 2 am. He's delirious by then.
Next week, I think he goes back to day time shooting, but that's hard to adjust to as well, when you've been staying up all night and sleeping during the day! My goal is to just try and keep him healthy through this. The main producers on this movie are three very accomplished and beautiful women. I was reading up on their work today and was quite impressed with all of them.
Till next time!
Thursday, September 16, 2010
New shoot location
After a nice long week-end off, Willy's schedule changed again in anticipation of today's rain. He worked yesterday at the home location that is the set of his "grandparents" home. It is down a dirt road in Oakland, MI on 28 acres and is a charming spot. It was a beautiful, sunny day yesterday and they were able to shoot several scenes of the wedding rehearsal which takes place on the tennis court. They surrounded the court with pepto bismol pink lattice type walls to cover the tennis fencing. One of the scenes is of Demi Moore's character shouting at Ellen Barkin's character about who will walk in as the groom's mother. Ellen is the real mom, but Demi raised and took care of the son as his step mom. There was also a scene between Thomas Haden Church's character and Kate Bosworth's that was set outside of the tennis court. It's been really fun to watch the process and to see the creative ways that the crew adjusts to light changes and scene changes. Willy was in virtually every scene yesterday so other than meal breaks, he was very involved.
They used every bit of daylight available and it seemed that they accomplished alot yesterday. The flower girl was on set yesterday as well. She is Sam Levinson's 5 year old niece and was there with her mom and dad who drove in from Connecticut for the long week-end. Sam's sister, Michelle, is beautiful and was really nice. And there was a moment when Ellen Barkin was squatting down to talk to the 5 year old, Lila-ViVi, that almost brought tears to my eyes. She was so sweet with this little girl which was a completely different side to her that I had not seen. I wanted to take a photo at the moment as it was so beautiful, but I took a mental snapshot instead. I did get a few photos yesterday though and will post them here if I can figure out how to do it!
The other bit of excitement on the set yesterday was that Demi's Moore's oldest daughter, Rumer, was with her. Willy and the other teen age boys took advantage of the chance to meet her and I could hear Willy describing to her the huge spider bite he got while in Vietnam! I stayed back in my little spot and observed it all from a distance. It's like being a fly on the wall. I want Willy to have enough space to be able to be himself yet I'm close enough to pick up on what's happening and to be able to monitor what he's doing. I was first told that it was two of Demi's daughters, but Willy clarified at the end of the day that one of them was Demi's assistant who looks similar enough to be one of her girls.
The last scene of the day was the memorial service for the Grandpa, who by the way is not being played by Martin Landau now but by George Kennedy (or Cannaday), I wasn't sure which name was correct as I heard them both. After it wrapped, I told Willy I thought he looked awfully tired, but he said, "No, it's just because I was crying for the last scene." Apparently, they took these air blowers and squirted them into the major characters eyes to make them well up, but Willy, one other cousin and one of the dad's managed to cry on their own without the "eye blowjobs" (not my words). He was quite proud of himself for being able to do that! Ellen Burstyn was in this scene, but she must have stayed in her trailer most of the day because I never saw her. Willy said he saw the back of her head on the set.
He fell asleep in the car within minutes after leaving and crawled straight into bed when we got home.(with his make up still on) This morning he was up early, showered and did his geometry homework in the car on the way to school. I have a feeling he'll crash in the car again when I pick him up this afternoon. Then he works for the next three days in a row.
They used every bit of daylight available and it seemed that they accomplished alot yesterday. The flower girl was on set yesterday as well. She is Sam Levinson's 5 year old niece and was there with her mom and dad who drove in from Connecticut for the long week-end. Sam's sister, Michelle, is beautiful and was really nice. And there was a moment when Ellen Barkin was squatting down to talk to the 5 year old, Lila-ViVi, that almost brought tears to my eyes. She was so sweet with this little girl which was a completely different side to her that I had not seen. I wanted to take a photo at the moment as it was so beautiful, but I took a mental snapshot instead. I did get a few photos yesterday though and will post them here if I can figure out how to do it!
The other bit of excitement on the set yesterday was that Demi's Moore's oldest daughter, Rumer, was with her. Willy and the other teen age boys took advantage of the chance to meet her and I could hear Willy describing to her the huge spider bite he got while in Vietnam! I stayed back in my little spot and observed it all from a distance. It's like being a fly on the wall. I want Willy to have enough space to be able to be himself yet I'm close enough to pick up on what's happening and to be able to monitor what he's doing. I was first told that it was two of Demi's daughters, but Willy clarified at the end of the day that one of them was Demi's assistant who looks similar enough to be one of her girls.
The last scene of the day was the memorial service for the Grandpa, who by the way is not being played by Martin Landau now but by George Kennedy (or Cannaday), I wasn't sure which name was correct as I heard them both. After it wrapped, I told Willy I thought he looked awfully tired, but he said, "No, it's just because I was crying for the last scene." Apparently, they took these air blowers and squirted them into the major characters eyes to make them well up, but Willy, one other cousin and one of the dad's managed to cry on their own without the "eye blowjobs" (not my words). He was quite proud of himself for being able to do that! Ellen Burstyn was in this scene, but she must have stayed in her trailer most of the day because I never saw her. Willy said he saw the back of her head on the set.
He fell asleep in the car within minutes after leaving and crawled straight into bed when we got home.(with his make up still on) This morning he was up early, showered and did his geometry homework in the car on the way to school. I have a feeling he'll crash in the car again when I pick him up this afternoon. Then he works for the next three days in a row.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Yay! We have a day off today! We didn't get home till almost 1:30 am last night so Willy is still sleeping. The plan is to get him to school for his last couple of classes this afternoon. Before we went in yesterday, I did a little more research on the SAG website regarding rules for young performers. The onset teacher, I learned, is also often the child labor law representative which explains why on the previous night she was getting very anxious as Willy and Molly (another local 13 year old girl in the cast) were approaching their 10th and 11th hours on the job. She brought it up to the AD three times and then we were quickly wrapped and sent home.
Our attorney in NY had talked to me about the length of days rules and said that many production companies do not follow them and that it would be up to me to intervene when I felt that Willy had been pushed far enough or was getting so tired he wouldn't be good for the next day. Last night, they sent the onset teacher home long before the kids left. The other two parents and I had been totally cool with the kids staying longer the night before, but the producer made the decision to wrap the kids. Yesterday, we all started much later so even though we ended very late, the kids had not been there beyond their allowed hours. But since both Willy and Molly are local and are trying to also go to school, the latest they are really supposed to be on set on a school night is 10 or 10:30 pm. The kids are so excited to be there though and are on such an adrenaline rush, they never want to leave. And the scene they were shooting was a big one for these kids.
The shot takes place outside the back door of the Rochester Chop House where the boys are hanging out looking into a big window. They rehearse it a couple of times and the boys are all ad libbing and Ezra comes up with a rap song to kick off the scene. Sam, the director, loves when they just go off script so on the third take, the cameras kept rolling for several more minutes and the dialog just got nastier and nastier! At the end of the scene, Willy turned around and gave me this sheepish, embarrassed shrug like OMG, I hope my Mom didn't hear that! He has said that he's more comfortable if his Dad and I aren't watching, so I have stayed away from the actual filming until this outdoor scene came up. I can see how our presence would be inhibiting for him because he is not the kind of boy he has to portray! But, I have to admit, it was hysterical to watch and Eamon O'Rourke who plays 21 year old Brandon (another cousin of the main characters) just killed it last night! You had to laugh but you also wanted to go get a bar of soap and wash out their mouths afterward!
While we were watching the scene, the other two parents and I were sitting at the cast tent with Ellen Barkin and Kate Bosworth. I hadn't had any interaction with Ellen and wasn't sure what to make of her. I have heard rumblings from some of the crew about some difficulties that had arisen. Once she became engaged in the conversation though, she was quite funny and pleasant. You can tell though that she is also a tough bird who knows how to get what she wants. She is also one of the producers of the movie. Kate always seems to be nothing but charmingly dear. She has an assistant as all the major actors on set do, but she doesn't treat her like a slave. When her assitant, Carly, tried to clear her plate after lunch, Kate refused and insisted she do it herself. Demi, I have seen less of, but I trust Willy's judgment of her and he thinks she's great!
One last tidbit before I go wake up Willy. One of the other cast mom's is played by Siobhan Fallon. I didn't recognize the name, but you can't mistake the character. She has bright red hair and played the wife of the farmer who turns into the alien in "Men in Black". Apparently she is also in the movie "Fred" out recently and she's a face you recognize as a very funny character. She's just like that in person as well and is very nice to the autograph seekers and onlookers who want a picture with her! When she popped out of the van last night to return to the set, a crew member asked if she wanted anything from the craft tent, and she said, yes, I'll have 3 peanut M & M's! He asked what color and she said at least one red one! Sounds crazy, but that is how it works. She did it in a very good natured way and it was a little cold last night and she had to go straight in to the restaurant so she wasn't being demanding, she just knew what she wanted and someone offered to get it for her!
I have to go wake up Willy now! I don't think he's going to be as excited to get out of bed today as he has been the last three! Next time, I'll tell you about the proffered Kiss concert tickets and backstage passes for Saturday night! I'm not proofing, so don't hold my typos against me!
Our attorney in NY had talked to me about the length of days rules and said that many production companies do not follow them and that it would be up to me to intervene when I felt that Willy had been pushed far enough or was getting so tired he wouldn't be good for the next day. Last night, they sent the onset teacher home long before the kids left. The other two parents and I had been totally cool with the kids staying longer the night before, but the producer made the decision to wrap the kids. Yesterday, we all started much later so even though we ended very late, the kids had not been there beyond their allowed hours. But since both Willy and Molly are local and are trying to also go to school, the latest they are really supposed to be on set on a school night is 10 or 10:30 pm. The kids are so excited to be there though and are on such an adrenaline rush, they never want to leave. And the scene they were shooting was a big one for these kids.
The shot takes place outside the back door of the Rochester Chop House where the boys are hanging out looking into a big window. They rehearse it a couple of times and the boys are all ad libbing and Ezra comes up with a rap song to kick off the scene. Sam, the director, loves when they just go off script so on the third take, the cameras kept rolling for several more minutes and the dialog just got nastier and nastier! At the end of the scene, Willy turned around and gave me this sheepish, embarrassed shrug like OMG, I hope my Mom didn't hear that! He has said that he's more comfortable if his Dad and I aren't watching, so I have stayed away from the actual filming until this outdoor scene came up. I can see how our presence would be inhibiting for him because he is not the kind of boy he has to portray! But, I have to admit, it was hysterical to watch and Eamon O'Rourke who plays 21 year old Brandon (another cousin of the main characters) just killed it last night! You had to laugh but you also wanted to go get a bar of soap and wash out their mouths afterward!
While we were watching the scene, the other two parents and I were sitting at the cast tent with Ellen Barkin and Kate Bosworth. I hadn't had any interaction with Ellen and wasn't sure what to make of her. I have heard rumblings from some of the crew about some difficulties that had arisen. Once she became engaged in the conversation though, she was quite funny and pleasant. You can tell though that she is also a tough bird who knows how to get what she wants. She is also one of the producers of the movie. Kate always seems to be nothing but charmingly dear. She has an assistant as all the major actors on set do, but she doesn't treat her like a slave. When her assitant, Carly, tried to clear her plate after lunch, Kate refused and insisted she do it herself. Demi, I have seen less of, but I trust Willy's judgment of her and he thinks she's great!
One last tidbit before I go wake up Willy. One of the other cast mom's is played by Siobhan Fallon. I didn't recognize the name, but you can't mistake the character. She has bright red hair and played the wife of the farmer who turns into the alien in "Men in Black". Apparently she is also in the movie "Fred" out recently and she's a face you recognize as a very funny character. She's just like that in person as well and is very nice to the autograph seekers and onlookers who want a picture with her! When she popped out of the van last night to return to the set, a crew member asked if she wanted anything from the craft tent, and she said, yes, I'll have 3 peanut M & M's! He asked what color and she said at least one red one! Sounds crazy, but that is how it works. She did it in a very good natured way and it was a little cold last night and she had to go straight in to the restaurant so she wasn't being demanding, she just knew what she wanted and someone offered to get it for her!
I have to go wake up Willy now! I don't think he's going to be as excited to get out of bed today as he has been the last three! Next time, I'll tell you about the proffered Kiss concert tickets and backstage passes for Saturday night! I'm not proofing, so don't hold my typos against me!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Making a long story shorter!
Ran out of steam on that last blog entry and realized that all the details and minutiae are probably putting anyone reading this to sleep. So to cut to the chase, Willy did not get the part in the Abrams film, but he did sign with Brinda Bhatt at Innovative and met 10-12 other agents in her offices and upon returning to Michigan, we also agreed to work with a manager in NY, Sue Leibman at Barking Dog Enterprises and the entertainmanet attorneys that she and Brinda recommended, Jodi Peikoff and Michael Mahan. So, now Willy has a team of people looking out for opportunities for him who are prepared and experienced in negotiating in his best interests.
The pressure is now off mom to figure out how to do all the industry related things that I know nothing about! I can now focus on making sure Willy gets enough food and sleep...high priorities in his life, and that he gets all his schoolwork done not to mention brushing his teeth before he goes on set! He still has his braces!
So now for the more interesting details of actually working on a movie! It can get pretty boring, although Willy doesn't think so and is having a great time! I've brought along books, knitting, my laptop and fun games on my Iphone to help pass the time. There are several younger actors on the set and Willy enjoys hanging with them and playing cards and word games while they wait. He is also spending a few hours each day with the on set teacher/tutor although since school just started yesterday, we don't have much for him to do yet.
Our first morning here, we pulled into the base camp parking lot and saw Ellen Barkin in her silver dress and high heels preparing to go on-set. There are several trailers at base camp where the actors with the bigger parts hang out until it's time for them to go on the set. I heard one of the crew members say that Ellen and Demi wanted their trailers moved closer to the set. There is a bit of a hill to walk up to get to the restaurant where the scene is being shot, and locals and on-lookers gather along the way so I can see how trekking up the hill in high heels would be an issue for them.
Because of the number of extras and cast in the first scenes, I have not gone on-set to watch the filming but hang out either in the holding area for the first team or at the craft area where there is always something to eat and drink right behind the set. Thomas Haden Church (the sand man in Spiderman and co-star in Sideways), Kate Bosworth and Siobhan Fallon (the redheaded wife of Edgar in Men in Black-the dude in overalls who becomes an alien) and several of the other cast members wander around outside the set and sign autographs etc. Ellen Barkin pops out occasionally for a cigarette. Willy was shocked at how many of the people smoke.
We didn't see Demi Moore until the morning of the second day. She and her assistant were walking right towards us and I smiled and said hello. It wasn't until she smiled and responded that I recognized her. Willy says that both she and Ellen B. are extremely nice to him on set and talk to him alot. His character has to flirt with Demi so I think he thoroughly enjoyed that! This is not a children's movie btw! The story is based on events from the life of the screenwriter/director, Sam Levinson, son of Barry Levinson. The protagonist is a 16 year old boy (who looks alot like Sam) who is a drug addict. Ellen B. portrays his mom. There is alot of swearing in the movie and although Willy does not have alot of lines, the ones he does have are not things any mom would want to hear her child say! I'll leave it at that and let you find out for yourselves!
Lunch is usually served around 6 pm and Willy sits with a big group of the younger actors (mostly in their early 20's). Their is one 13 year old girl and one 13 year old boy in the cast as well. I have had lunch the first two days with Kate Bosworth, her assistant and an assortment of other crew and production members. She is incredibly sweet and down to earth. Willy was very impressed that on the first day, she walked up and introduced herself to him. One of the gilrs in the cast, a 19 year old from Brooklyn, is the daughter of a former band member with Bad Company! Kiss is in town on Sat. night so her dad called Paul Stanley and got tickets and backstage passes for the cast to come to the concert. Willy has to work on Saturday night so he will not be able to go. He was really disappointed! He's also missing the first freshman dance of the year at Cranbrook, but Kiss was a much bigger disappointment! I'm actually relieved as I'm not so sure that going to a Kiss concert with this big group is really such a great thing for my 14 year old! But they have been very inclusive and caring towards him.
The movie has been picked up by Mandalay Films for distribution so hopefully that means that we will actually get to see it. The script is quite good and very powerful. At this point, I'm going to head over to the set to see what is happening!
The pressure is now off mom to figure out how to do all the industry related things that I know nothing about! I can now focus on making sure Willy gets enough food and sleep...high priorities in his life, and that he gets all his schoolwork done not to mention brushing his teeth before he goes on set! He still has his braces!
So now for the more interesting details of actually working on a movie! It can get pretty boring, although Willy doesn't think so and is having a great time! I've brought along books, knitting, my laptop and fun games on my Iphone to help pass the time. There are several younger actors on the set and Willy enjoys hanging with them and playing cards and word games while they wait. He is also spending a few hours each day with the on set teacher/tutor although since school just started yesterday, we don't have much for him to do yet.
Our first morning here, we pulled into the base camp parking lot and saw Ellen Barkin in her silver dress and high heels preparing to go on-set. There are several trailers at base camp where the actors with the bigger parts hang out until it's time for them to go on the set. I heard one of the crew members say that Ellen and Demi wanted their trailers moved closer to the set. There is a bit of a hill to walk up to get to the restaurant where the scene is being shot, and locals and on-lookers gather along the way so I can see how trekking up the hill in high heels would be an issue for them.
Because of the number of extras and cast in the first scenes, I have not gone on-set to watch the filming but hang out either in the holding area for the first team or at the craft area where there is always something to eat and drink right behind the set. Thomas Haden Church (the sand man in Spiderman and co-star in Sideways), Kate Bosworth and Siobhan Fallon (the redheaded wife of Edgar in Men in Black-the dude in overalls who becomes an alien) and several of the other cast members wander around outside the set and sign autographs etc. Ellen Barkin pops out occasionally for a cigarette. Willy was shocked at how many of the people smoke.
We didn't see Demi Moore until the morning of the second day. She and her assistant were walking right towards us and I smiled and said hello. It wasn't until she smiled and responded that I recognized her. Willy says that both she and Ellen B. are extremely nice to him on set and talk to him alot. His character has to flirt with Demi so I think he thoroughly enjoyed that! This is not a children's movie btw! The story is based on events from the life of the screenwriter/director, Sam Levinson, son of Barry Levinson. The protagonist is a 16 year old boy (who looks alot like Sam) who is a drug addict. Ellen B. portrays his mom. There is alot of swearing in the movie and although Willy does not have alot of lines, the ones he does have are not things any mom would want to hear her child say! I'll leave it at that and let you find out for yourselves!
Lunch is usually served around 6 pm and Willy sits with a big group of the younger actors (mostly in their early 20's). Their is one 13 year old girl and one 13 year old boy in the cast as well. I have had lunch the first two days with Kate Bosworth, her assistant and an assortment of other crew and production members. She is incredibly sweet and down to earth. Willy was very impressed that on the first day, she walked up and introduced herself to him. One of the gilrs in the cast, a 19 year old from Brooklyn, is the daughter of a former band member with Bad Company! Kiss is in town on Sat. night so her dad called Paul Stanley and got tickets and backstage passes for the cast to come to the concert. Willy has to work on Saturday night so he will not be able to go. He was really disappointed! He's also missing the first freshman dance of the year at Cranbrook, but Kiss was a much bigger disappointment! I'm actually relieved as I'm not so sure that going to a Kiss concert with this big group is really such a great thing for my 14 year old! But they have been very inclusive and caring towards him.
The movie has been picked up by Mandalay Films for distribution so hopefully that means that we will actually get to see it. The script is quite good and very powerful. At this point, I'm going to head over to the set to see what is happening!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Willy's Career kick-off
Hi all! A couple of friends suggested I write a blog so they can follow the adventures of Willy's fledgling film career! To give you a bit of the background story, Willy first mentioned that he wanted to be an actor about a year ago. His description of the type of actor he thought he'd like to be was a cross between Owen Wilson and Jim Carrey. As many of you know, Willy has done theater for the past few summers with the Telluride Mudd Mystery Theater Troupe and has traveled with them to both India and Vietnam in an international theater exchange program. This past spring he announced that he'd like me to help him find an agent and that he wanted to try to get a part in a movie in the Detroit area. He then went to the New York Film Academy's Acting for Film Camp for three weeks early this summer.
Knowing nothing about the film industry or how to get an agent, I had a few photos taken of Willy when Jack went in for his senior portraits at Orser Studio in Lake Orion. While he was away at camp, I did some research on local talent agencies and submitted Willy's photos and meager resume to them. During my research, I also came across a company I was not familiar with called One Source Talent based in Troy. Within a couple of days, we got a call from One Source saying that they wanted to set up a meeting with Willy. I explained that he was away at camp for a couple more weeks but that we would arrange something when he returned. I was a little leary about this firm as I had never heard of them before but was familiar with other names in the area such as Productions Plus and the I Group. The established talent agencies in town said that we'd hear back in 6 weeks if they were interested in him but that there was very little work in our area for kids.
When Willy returned from camp, we went in to One Source. It was a group kind of setting when you came in with all sorts of people being looked at that day. They would then call them each back, take a few polaroids and if they liked you, would give you a return appt. card. My sneaking suspicion was that everyone got one of those cards, but I could be wrong. It made Willy feel special to be asked back, so I went along with it. On the second interview, they took a few more pictures and explained in more detail how they worked, said that they wanted to sign him and we filled out the paperwork, paid the web page set up fee and signed on for the monthly fee to be able to access casting calls. Mind you, casting call notices are public information, but the web page set up gives you a good place to organize your resume and post your photos. And from the web page, you can electronically submit yourself for auditions. They also recommended a photographer and collected the money up front for his services. Again, I'm feeling like I'm signing on for a scam, but was willing to take the chance for Willy's sake.
Willy then took this project into his own hands and over the next couple of weeks, stayed up late at night scouring the casting notices and submitting himself for anything that called for a teen age boy. Meanwhile, two months have passed and we never heard back from the other talent agencies. While Rick and I were moving Jack into U. of Miami, I got a voice mail from a casting director saying that she wanted Willy to come in for an audition later that day. Joe was staying at home with Willy since he hadn't started back at ND yet, so I called and woke he and Willy up early that Thursday morning and re-arranged their schedules for the day so Joe could drive him to the audition. After the audition, I asked Willy how it went and he said it went well. Since Willy always has a positive outlook on his own abilities, I took it with a grain of salt and was just happy that he'd had a chance to get some audition experience. The same day, my sister Julie had called and left me several voicemails saying that a friend of hers was going to take Willy's photo in to show her friend, JJ Abrams, who was casting for a movie in LA. Later that night, I got a call from JJ (although there is some confusion as to whether it was really him or one of his casting people) that same night saying they really liked Willy's look and could I send more pictures. All I had with me in Miami was my Iphone, so I called home and had Willy start emailing me photos from the home computer.
I sent the additional photos on Friday afternoon and 15 minutes later got an email asking if Willy could come to LA for an audition. Now my head is starting to spin a little trying to figure out the logistics of a trip to LA between Miami and the Film Fest in Telluride. In the meantime, I emailed Willy and said, just be happy you got your first audition. Actors can go on 50-100 auditions before they get their first job. Later that morning, Rick and I were flying back home from Miami and once I got to the airport, I saw that I had a voicemail from the first casting director and that Willy had gotten the job for the movie filming in Rochester Hills, MI. So much for my words of advice not to get his hopes up.
On Monday, Willy and I flew to LA and scheduled his audition for Wed. morning in Santa Monica. When we arrived in LA, Julie met us at the airport and told us that her same friend who had taken Willy's picture to Abrams, had also called her friend in NY who ran a talent management company and after seeing Willy's photos and resumes, she called an agent she knew at Innovative Artists in LA to set up an interview with Willy. So, on Tuesday, I had a conference call with the manager, Sue Liebman at Barking Dog Entertainment, and she was extremely helpful and offered to advise us as we walked through the process. That afternoon, Willy, Julie and I met with Brinda Bhatt from Innovative and after an hour, she said she would be thrilled and honored to sign Willy. I thanked her for her time and said we'd have to process all the information and would get back to her. Sue had also recommended an entertainment law firm in NY to handle Willy's contracts and I was becoming inundated with all of this new information and advice coming from several different directions. I obviously had a big learning curve to get up to speed on everything that was happening.
On Wed. morning, Willy went in for his audition with sides from "Little Manahttan" although the movie being cast for was "Super 8" with Abrams as director and Spielberg producing. They immediately gave him sides from the actual script and did his call back audition 30 minutes later. Jason James and April Weisberg were the casting directors assessing him and they said he'd done a good job and they'd review the video footage and get back to us. During his callback audition, Julie and I walked next door to Bad Robot to visit her friend, Jill, who had made all this happen and we got a tour of Abrams' production company and Jason brought Willy over there after the audition. Very cool offices and a special inside parking spot for Tom Cruise. Now the waiting begins. Sue was following up with the casting office and learned that they really liked Willy and were submitting he and 3 other boys to JJ for consideration for the part.
Knowing nothing about the film industry or how to get an agent, I had a few photos taken of Willy when Jack went in for his senior portraits at Orser Studio in Lake Orion. While he was away at camp, I did some research on local talent agencies and submitted Willy's photos and meager resume to them. During my research, I also came across a company I was not familiar with called One Source Talent based in Troy. Within a couple of days, we got a call from One Source saying that they wanted to set up a meeting with Willy. I explained that he was away at camp for a couple more weeks but that we would arrange something when he returned. I was a little leary about this firm as I had never heard of them before but was familiar with other names in the area such as Productions Plus and the I Group. The established talent agencies in town said that we'd hear back in 6 weeks if they were interested in him but that there was very little work in our area for kids.
When Willy returned from camp, we went in to One Source. It was a group kind of setting when you came in with all sorts of people being looked at that day. They would then call them each back, take a few polaroids and if they liked you, would give you a return appt. card. My sneaking suspicion was that everyone got one of those cards, but I could be wrong. It made Willy feel special to be asked back, so I went along with it. On the second interview, they took a few more pictures and explained in more detail how they worked, said that they wanted to sign him and we filled out the paperwork, paid the web page set up fee and signed on for the monthly fee to be able to access casting calls. Mind you, casting call notices are public information, but the web page set up gives you a good place to organize your resume and post your photos. And from the web page, you can electronically submit yourself for auditions. They also recommended a photographer and collected the money up front for his services. Again, I'm feeling like I'm signing on for a scam, but was willing to take the chance for Willy's sake.
Willy then took this project into his own hands and over the next couple of weeks, stayed up late at night scouring the casting notices and submitting himself for anything that called for a teen age boy. Meanwhile, two months have passed and we never heard back from the other talent agencies. While Rick and I were moving Jack into U. of Miami, I got a voice mail from a casting director saying that she wanted Willy to come in for an audition later that day. Joe was staying at home with Willy since he hadn't started back at ND yet, so I called and woke he and Willy up early that Thursday morning and re-arranged their schedules for the day so Joe could drive him to the audition. After the audition, I asked Willy how it went and he said it went well. Since Willy always has a positive outlook on his own abilities, I took it with a grain of salt and was just happy that he'd had a chance to get some audition experience. The same day, my sister Julie had called and left me several voicemails saying that a friend of hers was going to take Willy's photo in to show her friend, JJ Abrams, who was casting for a movie in LA. Later that night, I got a call from JJ (although there is some confusion as to whether it was really him or one of his casting people) that same night saying they really liked Willy's look and could I send more pictures. All I had with me in Miami was my Iphone, so I called home and had Willy start emailing me photos from the home computer.
I sent the additional photos on Friday afternoon and 15 minutes later got an email asking if Willy could come to LA for an audition. Now my head is starting to spin a little trying to figure out the logistics of a trip to LA between Miami and the Film Fest in Telluride. In the meantime, I emailed Willy and said, just be happy you got your first audition. Actors can go on 50-100 auditions before they get their first job. Later that morning, Rick and I were flying back home from Miami and once I got to the airport, I saw that I had a voicemail from the first casting director and that Willy had gotten the job for the movie filming in Rochester Hills, MI. So much for my words of advice not to get his hopes up.
On Monday, Willy and I flew to LA and scheduled his audition for Wed. morning in Santa Monica. When we arrived in LA, Julie met us at the airport and told us that her same friend who had taken Willy's picture to Abrams, had also called her friend in NY who ran a talent management company and after seeing Willy's photos and resumes, she called an agent she knew at Innovative Artists in LA to set up an interview with Willy. So, on Tuesday, I had a conference call with the manager, Sue Liebman at Barking Dog Entertainment, and she was extremely helpful and offered to advise us as we walked through the process. That afternoon, Willy, Julie and I met with Brinda Bhatt from Innovative and after an hour, she said she would be thrilled and honored to sign Willy. I thanked her for her time and said we'd have to process all the information and would get back to her. Sue had also recommended an entertainment law firm in NY to handle Willy's contracts and I was becoming inundated with all of this new information and advice coming from several different directions. I obviously had a big learning curve to get up to speed on everything that was happening.
On Wed. morning, Willy went in for his audition with sides from "Little Manahttan" although the movie being cast for was "Super 8" with Abrams as director and Spielberg producing. They immediately gave him sides from the actual script and did his call back audition 30 minutes later. Jason James and April Weisberg were the casting directors assessing him and they said he'd done a good job and they'd review the video footage and get back to us. During his callback audition, Julie and I walked next door to Bad Robot to visit her friend, Jill, who had made all this happen and we got a tour of Abrams' production company and Jason brought Willy over there after the audition. Very cool offices and a special inside parking spot for Tom Cruise. Now the waiting begins. Sue was following up with the casting office and learned that they really liked Willy and were submitting he and 3 other boys to JJ for consideration for the part.
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