A Special Holiday Video!

SHAWN WRITES….A COMIC BOOK!

Finally I can live up to the title of this blog, I have WRITTEN!

Not only have I written (I actually write a lot) but a thing I wrote is COMING TO A STORE NEAR YOU! Now I will give you a moment to collect yourselves.

 

Composed? Good because now we need to get into the nitty-gritty, the fun stuff that we have been building to since the day I launched this pathetic excuse for a blog. There is some information I need to impart and a few pleas that I must make but rest assured it will all be accompanied by pretty pictures to look at. Like this:

What you see is some of the very first color pages I’ve gotten in of a book I co-wrote called, “Pixies”, which was announced today as officially available for pre-order from Arcana Comics via Diamond Distribution.

Once again let me repeat that oh so crucial information:

PIXIES – an original graphic novel

Can be ordered using: DIAMOND ORDER # NOV10 0715

.....SHIPS JAN 2011!

I am beyond excited for this book, more so by the fact that the art and coloring look extensively better than I could ever have hoped for.

I know what you’re thinking as you read this, something along the lines of, sure you wrote a comic and the art looks great but is it any good? Does it have a plot and character that I’ll actually give a shit about?

To this I say, “Of course it does! Now stop thinking in italics and dig on this…”

Our story follow two of the fellows depicted in the above page. The guy in his boxers by the sink is our human protagonist, Joe. As you can see Joe has had nothing but bad luck his entire life. Anything that can go wrong always does, but Joe doesn’t let it get him down. He never assumes for a moment it could be anything other than plain old bad luck. What he doesn’t realize is that our pixie protagonist, Sam, has dedicated his life to making sure that black cloud follows Joe forever.

You see Joe did something in his past that caused him the unlucky fate of the Pixie Curse, condemning him to a life of pain humiliation and failure.

However, all of this changes the day Joe catches Sam the Pixie under a glass in his kitchen and demands the curse be lifted. Almost instantly his luck changes for the better.

Now Joe has a chance to win the heart of the girl of his dreams but only if he can do it before Sam escapes his drinking-glass prison and alerts the rest of the pixies.

It’s a whopper of a book, over 90 pages, and that serves as the set up to what myself and the other writers involved (creator and Arcana owner, Sean O’Reilly as well as co-writer Robert Olmedo) hope to be a fun and hilarious book that comic fans can read to their kids.

Hopefully I’ve piqued your interest with this tiny glimpse into the world of Pixies. There is a strong possibility that a much larger company will be helping us get this book into Border and Barnes and Noble but until I have that info  and because at heart I’m a huge comic book nerd, I would like to request you find your LOCAL COMIC SHOP (which you can do by clicking on those words) and brave the perhaps intimidating surroundings, muster up to the proprietor and (politely) ask to pre-order a copy of the PIXIES HARDCOVER FROM ARCANA COMICS. At which point he will likely not know what your talking about but that’s okay because you’re capable and always come prepared and you’ve brought along the following information:

PIXIES – an original graphic novel

DIAMOND ORDER # NOV10 0715

.....SHIPS JAN 2011!

After the comic shop guy acknowledges he will order you a copy (which helps not just you but also others because usually he’ll order more than just one and stick the copies you don’t by out onto the shelf for others to stumble into), ask you how to contact you when your copy arrives and send you on your way.

 

As we get closer to the release of the book I will post a lettered preview of the book either here or somewhere just as easily accessible. Thanks in advance for reading or even being curious. Certainly pass this blog link along to anyone who you think might enjoy these types of things.

 

   From the Compound,

                           Shawn D.

Please Watch the Linked Video

My roommate is an actor. Here he acts as the Russian kid who invented Chat Roulette. It's funny to me. I think you will agree....please watch and pass it around the webs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8FkENU1bZ4

Seekrit Projects, Sims and Slacking Off or "How I Wasted A Weekend Playing Video Games and Last Minute Lettering"

It's Monday.

It's Monday?!?

Fuck. My weekend flew by and looking back I'm not sure where it went.

That isn't true. I know exactly where it went....to a town called Sunset Valley.

I've been introduced to the world of the SIMS and I have to say I think I have a problem. For years I've heard about these games (mostly from my two younger sisters, HI GIRLS) but never paid them much mind until this weekend.

SIMS 3 was downloaded on Saturday night and by Sunday night at 9pm I had populated an entire household with computer-generated people whose lives are more involved and exciting than my own. This isn't an admission of my pathetic life (actually my life has been highly entertaining and busy over the last few months) but more an admiring of the programmers ability to create a world that I was totally immersed in after only fifteen minutes of game-play. If you've played this game before then I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir but if you haven't and you have a proclivity to these sorts of time-wasters I HIGHLY recommend giving it a shot.

What I SHOULD have been doing all weekend is lettering/editing comics. In fairness, I had a big project on Friday night/Saturday morning that I put a ton or hours into and finished moments before the 11am deadline Saturday morning. Still, that was one of three books I'm juggling right now and although the deadlines for the other two books aren't as tight, I should have been focused on those become my weekdays/nights have been a wash as far as getting any kind of lettering work accomplished.

None of this even takes my writing into account. Finding the time to write, letter, edit, and work my day job has transformed my life into a series of spinning plates on top of long sticks. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I would much prefer to be busy rather than not, but now a new problem of how to juggle all these activities without burning out has appeared.

Priorities become muddled when you're involved with many different passions at once. I'm a writer at heart and in the long run that's where I want to end up, but writing doesn't pay the bills. I love making comics and lettering but that only pays a few bills (READ: NOT MANY). The day job, PAing on a TV show, is what's keeping a roof over my head but isn't exactly where I want my career to stop climbing. On top of all of that there is my love for being lazy, watching too much TV and generally having an aversion to too much structure.

My solution to all of this has been to work really hard on all fronts for a few weeks and then take a two day weekend to complete waste on something inconsequential like playing The Sims 3 all weekend. It is a good life when your biggest problems are to narrow down which fun task you want to accomplish in a week/weekend.

Not sure if all of this makes for a good blog or not, it was just on my mind and need to get out. Sorry if it's not as funny or entertaining as usual (and honestly, how funny or entertaining am I usually?) but sometimes you catch me at an introspective crossroads.

For more silly posts and less ruminations on life and career I would direct you to the new tumblr that my roommate and I have started: http://blazedandneurotic.tumblr.com/

He's the neurotic one, although from just reading this blog post you that might not be clear. I swear I'm not normally this self-reflective.

Richard Pryor's alphabet on Sesame Street

Richard Pryor's alphabet on Sesame Street: "

Richard Pryor teaches the alphabet on Sesame Street, March 2, 1976, episode 0862. SFW! Seriously! (Thanks, Gabe Adiv!)

"

Thanks to BOING BOING for the link. This SHOULD go on the tumblr site but I can't remember the password from work. So this is it's home instead.

How I Would Save AMC'S 'Rubicon' or "Damn....It Had So Much Promise"

"That Glee Club will never find me in this bar...."

 When AMC started 'Rubicon' over the summer with a special online look at the one-hour premier I was as excited as everyone else. AMC has already proven it knows how t make quality TV with it's critical and fan-favorite series' 'Mad Men' and 'Breaking Bad'. These two shows have demonstrated the cable network's ability to tell quality stories using complex characters, each show has a unique visual style and stellar casts. For all purposes both of these shows are home-runs. 

I went into the pilot of 'Rubicon' with no knowledge of the series, I hadn't read even a one-line description of the premise. All I knew what that AMC made good TV and all I expect was that this new series would, at least, meet if not raise the bar already set. It didn't. 

Right out of the gate there were problems with this new series. The pilot alone took me two viewing to get through. Sure there were intriguing moments but it was very slow. Worse than the pacing was the tone of the show, deadly serious. It's as if we're to believe none of these characters have ever cracked a joke before because I don't think I saw one smile or light moment in the whole first hour. 

Obviously the high-paranoia, everything-is-a-conspiracy-style-plot doesn't leave much room for spit takes and knee-slappers but a little bit of levity would've been the first step in the right direction to bringing a new audience into this very stoic world of Government-employed, Think-Tank workers. 

In the pilot episode we meet Will Travers an intelligence analyst for a think-tank called, API, who is still dealing with the loss of his wife and daughter in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. Will discovers a hidden code in crossword puzzles around the country that tie into a secret society that may have a heavy hand in orchestrating world events on a grand scale. I say "may have" because, ten episodes into season 1, and the answer is just as muddled as it was in the premiere. 

As a series-long LOST fan I'm accustomed and totally okay with not have all (or ANY) of the answers up front. I'm generous with TV, especially new shows, and as long as you keep me invested in the people I'll stick through muddle plot details and over-worked conspiracy stories. Rubicon has only succeeded in making one character worth watching, Kale Ingram (played by the spectacular Arliss Howard). 

Kale Ingram is one of Will Traver's supervisors at API, an enigmatic man who speaks in whispered puzzles, is the most appealing and humanized character on the series. He has a live-in boyfriend whom we've been shown he adores, if only because he's so easy to keep in the dark (when you work at API you can't tell anyone what you really do...mysterious, isn't it?). 

So, with all the bits and pieces that are good and bad, how can we save this show? With a few MINOR adjustments I think this could be one of the best show's on TV so I'm going to list them and maybe, someone out there will know a Rubicon writer and pass along this list of suggestions. Or else we can just debate it here. 

1. MORE KALE - This one should be hard to accomplish. Write this guy more scenes and give him more business. It seems like the writers are already onto this gem in their cast, as this most recent episode spent a lot of time with Kale. They're on the right path but they can do more. Kale has recently been helping Will (or at least it seems this way, he could also be working against him) and should continue to do so. Since one of the major faults of this show is that the stakes are unclear, let's start by making our heroes a little clearer. I'm not saying there should be distinctive Good and Evil characters, this show works well in the grey-areas, but it wouldn't hurt to make Kale as definite friend of Will Travers and his ongoing investigation.  Perhaps add some danger to the show by having Kale tell Will everything he knows and agree to help him, in secret, take down API only to have him lose his live-in boyfriend in a tragic accident similar to the one that started Will's investigation (the mysterious death of Will's father-in-law is what begins the series). 
2. ANSWER QUESTIONS AND ASK NEW ONES - This was the one major flaw LOST seemed to have, it constantly asked new questions before it gave satisfying answers to the old ones. Rubicon doesn't do either. In the ten episodes I've seen, we have learned almost NOTHING worth-while about the over-all conspiracy, it's players, it's pawns or it's purpose. This is a bad move. The audience isn't going to stick around just because you keep a carrot on a stick in front of them. The characters will keep asses in the seats but for a show about conspiracy, you need to have lots of conspiring. Let us in on the plan. Show some of your cards and then think up new mysteries to tease us with. By episode 5 we should know exactly what the Crossword Puzzle Hiding Men hope to achieve.  By episode 10 we should know, without question, what Will is going up against. If we knew how high a mountain he has to climb we might be more inclined to stick around and watch him try to climb it. 
3. MORE CONSPIRACY THEORIES - The crossword puzzle thing was cool. So are all the hidden four-leaf clovers people keep finding at random, that somehow tie into the large conspiracy. I would love to continue telling you about the cool little bits of intrigue on this series but it stops there. It shouldn't. Wrap the the xword puzzle and the clovers by episode 6 and then introduce us to something new. Maybe there are hidden messages on TV or in a prominent Gossip rag. If this show gave us more little details to investigate with Will perhaps it wouldn't feel like we've spent the last 10 episodes treading water. 
4.  COMEDY WORKS TO INCREASE TENSION - As I said at the beginning of this piece a little levity goes a long way. If we could see some of these characters out of their work element, or even a bit happier at work, it would help to not only humanize them but increase the tension of the quiet serious scenes just enough to keep the show out of the feet-dragging pace it's been slogging along at. They tried this with light banter amongst Will's team but, for whatever reason, this falls flat and seems forced. Maybe it's because we know so little about these characters outside of the four-industrial green colored walls they work behind it's hard to tell what's meant to be sarcastic and what's meant to be serious. Which leads me to my final suggestion...
5. LET THE SUPPORTING CAST BREATH- We've gotten a little bit of info about each of the supporting characters but not enough information. If a bit more time was spent on each of these characters throughout the ten episodes that have aired, we could be more invested in their personal lives and therefore care more about what happens to them professionally. 

What's past is past and there's nothing we can do but I have no doubt that this show will get a second season and hopefully the creators will look back on the complaints the first season has received and search for ways to fix it. These 5 suggestions are a great place to start. I'm hoping for the best because there are many things about this show I like and with a few tweaks it could be as strong as my other favorite, quietly brooding series, DAMAGES. 

Am I way off base? Do you love Rubicon? Hate it? Share your thoughts below.

The View From the Stage @ SMODCASTLE

Han Solo Has a Theme Song

Han Solo Has a Theme Song: "

Pumpers like to pump. Pumpers need to pump.

Pumpers like to pump. Pumpers need to pump.: "

Pumpers like to pump. Pumpers need to pump.

"

HACKED! or "How Shawn Was Violated Twice in Three Days By Strangers"

If you know me or if I've ever emailed you before then this morning or last night you may have received the following email:

Hello,

What have you been up to ?

Tell you a good news. At last few days,My friend Jack told me where

was called the  factory of world.All the things is very cheap.

Register to be their members as soon as possible, during this time,

they have discount sales, many surprises are waiting for you.

what's more it is very convenient.

The price of products is great low from there. But very perfect. It’s

incredible!

For example: laptops, cell phone, digital cameras, LCD TV, GPS and so on.

Remarkably,they have a very excellent after-sale service.

You can log on their website

wowdshop.com

I would like you to have a pleasant shopping!

Sincerely yours

The guy didn't even sign a name and clearly his broken English is a dead giveaway that it is NOT me writing this email.

Email hacks are annoying to be sure but I'm especially paranoid now because this past weekend my debit card info was stolen and used in failed attempts to purchase clothes and $30.00 worth of McDonald's. Thankfully the douche-mongers who stole from me were thwarted by the ever-watchful eye of Chase Bank Fraud Prevention.

Now I've changed all passwords to every site I log into as well as sending a report to the police about my debit card. Thankfully I'm usually broke so even if they were successful in stealing my debit account, there's not much for them to get.

Douche-mongers. 

Photo

Photo: "

"

The Hamburgler has changed his M.O. His headaches are getting worse and the only cure is the sweet ketchup-blood that oozes from a freshly stabbed hamburger.

Marvelous Marvel Cats Meme

Marvelous Marvel Cats Meme: "

What started simply as a doodle from artist Katie Cook, took Twitter by storm today (at least for me since I follow a ton of artists). Soon you had artists like Skottie Young doing his rendetions of various cat characters.

I can’t post them all, obviously, but my favorite has to be Catvengers Assemble by Mike Maihack. Vision Kitty is too adorable. Yeah, I said adorable.

"

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WANT TO HUG AND KISS THEM AND LOVE THEM TO PIECES!

Frenchman with amputated limbs swims Channel

Frenchman with amputated limbs swims Channel: "A Frenchman whose limbs were amputated after an accident successfully completes his attempt to swim the English Channel."

An amazing, inspiring story of a guy who would've made a great third base but chose to dedicate his life to swimming the English Channel instead.

(Thanks to my Dad for the million year old classic joke I just re-purposed.)

Last Day of Preproduction or "Why Is Everyone Running Around Like Lunatics"

Sorry for the lack of quality posts the last two days. I was in the car most of yesterday and today we are busy with camera tests and such, so I'm not able to give you a true post once again.

After two weeks of pretty quiet times, today the studio exploded with business. Crew trucks, star trailers, craft services, and much more have populated the parking lot of our once silent studio.

Actors are running about testing. Actresses are filling up our lobby waiting for a casting session to begin. The director, dressed in a nice sports coat and jeans is running about with a harried look on his, usually, smiling face.

It's controlled chaos but with less control than you'd think.

I'll have some stuff to talk about this weekend and very soon a whole mess of stuff to say about my upcoming OGN.

Marijuana Ice Cream - The 420 Times

Marijuana Ice Cream - The 420 Times: "

Daily Mail

Marijuana Ice Cream The 420 Times Marijuana ice cream is not new. Recipes have passed back and forth between pot users since at least the '60s, and directions for an untold number of flavors ... Medical Marijuana Dispensary Offering Far Out Ice Cream FlavorsFOXNews Häagen DAZE: Medicinal marijuana shop in California offers dope-flavoured ice ...Daily Mail Pot Ice Cream - Delicious Dairy Treat Made With Medical Marijuana at Creme de ...Gather.com KGBT-TV -KSBW The Central Coast all 35 news articles »

"YUMMY!"

I've actually had some of this before and it tastes great. I don't usually enjoy edibles because they taste too much like grass to me but the pot ice-cream is both delicious and packed full of THC. If you can find it (the place I got it was in Long Beach) then you should give it a try, if only for the novelty of it.

"That Sounds Like the Best Job" or How I Got A Job Driving Porn Stars

It appears I've opened a can of worms with a recent mention I made on a podcast about my days as a driver for porn stars. The podcast, for those curious, is available HERE.

The story of how I got started doing this is a pretty short one: I had been in LA for about nine months and had been without a steady job for about three. I got a call from an old friend of mine from South Florida (954 represent!) who said she was coming out to L.A. to sign a contract with an Agent.

"Cool. I didn't know you were an actress," I said, "Film or TV?"

"Films. Adult films. I'm a porn star now," she replied.

Let me quickly explain something to you, the term "porn star" is through around a lot in the Adult Film world, mostly by the Talent. You would think that "porn star" would be reserved to describe only the biggest names in XXX movies but you would be wrong. The phrase is almost immediately adopted by these girls before the ink on their contracts is dried and certainly before their first scene is shot. In their world it isn't exclusive to stardom, for them it is their job title. This quickly becomes an ego problem for a lot of these girls. With no term to differentiate a "star" from a "performer" these girls all become "stars" in their minds the moment they create a fake name for themselves.

FUN FACT: A lot of times the AGENT actually comes up with the "stage" name, rather than the performer.

This "star" mentality seems to grow with every new Twitter follower they gain and with it, so grows their ego. The problem with this is that unlike actual "stars" these girls are neither rich or famous, which makes taking shit from them that much harder to handle. And oh BOY do they know how to give shit....I've been cursed at, hit, spit at, laughed at, had doors slammed in my face, been told to go to hell, go fuck myself and drop fucking dead. All by girls who have had less than 5 appearances in a full length (pun intended) porn film.

Back to the point. (Didn't I say this was a short story?) My friend was now a porn star and coming to L.A. She wanted to hang out while she was in town and I agreed to meet her at her agent's office the following afternoon.

The office that I went to was a depressing little rental space in a sad-looking corporate park in Chatsworth, CA. The other businesses in the plaza are somber, financial institutions, which makes for interesting reactions when you pull up with a car full of scantily clad girls and walk through the whole plaza to the office in back. Of course the MALE workers love it and the female employees of the various other offices, seethe. I know some have even gone so far as to call the plaza management and complain about the lack of clothes the girls wear.

The first words I hear when I walk into the Modeling office to meet my friend, Katie Jordin, come out of the mouth of a middle-aged woman who looks like she stepped out of the Real Housewives of Orange County.

"Okay Jon, I got your list of nasty whores. They all said they're nasty and they'll lick all the buttholes you want," she said nonchalantly.

Before I have time to react to this I hear my name called out from across the room and turn my head just in time to see Katie, throw her arms around me for a huge hug. Katie is a tall, skinny brunette with a small bust and a big butt (FUN FACT: She is the star of a movie called Little Miss Big Ass). She's the typical girl-next-door type, with big brown eyes and a pretty smile. She was all smiles that day, excited about the beginning to her new....career.

I was introduced around the office and when I met her agent, Katie said, "Hey....Shawn, you need a job, right?"

"Um....depends."

"They need drivers here. You'd be a great driver because you're nice and not at all creepy," she said as she walked with me to meet the head Agent. "Hey, this is my friend Shawn. He needs a job. He'd be an awesome driver."

The Agent looked me over for a minute and then said, "I got a girl that needs to go downtown tonight at nine. You'll drive her, hang around the area and then bring her back. I'll give you a hundred and fifty, plus gas."

"Okay," I squeaked. This was all happening fast and although I was in a bad spot for money, I was still nervous about agreeing to do this job and starting so soon.

"Do you want to be in porn," he asked without looking up.

I shook my head, "Nope."

"Good. Then you're hired. Don't try to fuck the girls, don't show'em your cock, never accept blowjobs or drugs for rides. Got it?"

I nodded.

"Good. The girl at the front desk will give you the info, now, get out," he said. Katie and I started to leave and then the Agent looked up and said, "no, no....Katie, you stay and shut the door."

Katie waved goodbye, shut the door and that's how I started my two months as a driver for porn stars....

"Free Food and All the Coffee You Can Drink" or "How Shawn Met Alan Thicke" (Part 2)

Covered in a layer of skin colored make-up and more powder than at the bottom of Paris Hilton's purse, I was finally released from the make-up chair and sent down the backstage hallway to an empty dressing room for the extra's to wait in. At this point I was still unclear what I was going to be doing exactly and who I would be doing it with, when the 2nd A.D. entered the room and handed me three pages of the script.

"That's the scene you're in. You have no lines but read it anyway so you're familiar with the sequence when we bring you out to rehearse the scene," she said and left the room.

I flipped through the pages and saw that my character (if you can call it that) was briefly mentioned as standing next to music producer called Simon. Seemed simple enough so I quickly tossed the pages aside and wandered the halls. I passed through the main hall again and noticed that the names on the doors weren't of the actors but of the character's they played. Third door down from mine was marked as the room for "SIMON".

Just as I wondered what actor I would be working with the door to the dressing room opened and there in all his silver-haired glory was ALAN FUCKING THICKE a.k.a. Dr. Jason Seaver. This is a guy that I practically grew up with. My family and I never missed an episode of "Growing Pains" and on many occasions I measured my own father's advice and reactions against what I consider to be one of the finest fictional patriarchs of all time.

"Hey there," he said with an unmistakable I could've picked out of a crowd of cheering fans.

"Oh wow. Mr. Thicke! Hi, I'm Shawn. We're working together today," I tried to say confidently.

He shook my hand firmly and patted me on the back, "looking forward to it buddy," and then he walked into the make-up room to prepare for you scene.

About an hour later we all met on the set to rehearse the scene. Basically I'm pretending to work on a computer and Alan Thicke is pretending to work a mixing board while a band in the other room pretends to play the end of a song. Thicke tells the band they suck and throws them out right as the main characters of the show enter the studio and beg him to listen to their music and represent their band. At one point Thicke is supposed to cross away from the main characters over to where I am so that they can talk amongst themselves, he then walks back to them has a few more lines and the scene ends.

They rehearsed the scene about fifty times. I stood in the background looking busy and then when Alan Thicke walks over to me I pretend to be showing him the "work" I had done on my computer monitor. Like any generous actor, Alan would mime looking at what I was showing him and commenting on the song I was supposed to be editing.

One time towards the end of the rehearsal he crossed back to me and we had the following exchange:

(Alan walks upstage and looks at the monitor Shawn pretends to work on. He leans in close to Shawn's ear and whispers.)

ALAN:  The prop guys gave you a real computer to play with?
SHAWN: Yup. I have no idea what any of this stuff does.
ALAN: You know I have a son who is really into music. He know how to operate all this equipment.
SHAWN: .........you mean Robin Thicke? Like the famous R and B singer?
ALAN: Have you heard of him?
SHAWN: Didn't he get a Grammy nomination?
ALAN: He can even work the big mixing board. Know what all those knobs and buttons do.

(Alan hears his cue, nods to me and walks back to the scene.)


It was an amazingly fun day. It also helped me realize that although acting is fun and certainly was a passion of mine when I was younger, my true love is to write. I sat on that set watching enviously as the producers, writers and assistants sat around the monitors, rewrote scenes on the fly and enjoyed the instant gratification of hearing a live studio audience laugh at their jokes. Someday I'll be there. Someday soon.

The capper of this first day was that I was asked to return to the show and film another episode. My character still doesn't have any lines but that doesn't matter to me. I've had every shit job you can imagine and would gladly quit any of them to play even the smartest part in a film or TV production, in front of or behind the camera. The day is relaxed, fun, the people are nice and you get free food and all the coffee you can drink. What's not to love?

-FIN-


NEXT: SHORTER POSTS!!!! (now with 100% more comedy and 50% less subliminal messages...)

"You Better Get in the Chair" or Shawn Gets Extra Work on a TV Show (Part 1)

When I first moved to L.A. (without a place to live, any money or a job) one of my first orders of business was to go over to Central Casting and add my name to the sea of wannabe actors hoping to get some easy work as a Background Actor. Central Casting is one of the largest Background Casting agencies in L.A. and every week hundreds of actors and actresses turn in their resumes and head-shots, hoping to make some extra money by standing around in the background of a movie or TV show helping to populate the fictional world. It is a thankless job and frustrating for most career actors because you get no lines, no respect and are generally treated like cattle.

I don't want to be an actor. I don't look as background work as beneath me. I see it as an opportunity to get paid while standing around on a movie/TV set, which is infinitely better than working in a gas station, McDonald's or some other boring day-job. That's why I felt no pressure the day I went to Central, handed in my head-shot, resume (with NO film or TV credits) and processing fee (everything costs money here, even trying to get work costs money). I also felt no pressure when I NEVER HEARD A WORD FROM CENTRAL over the next 9 months. In fairness, if you're serious about background acting you can't just turn in your head-shot and walk away. You have to call their hotline everyday and submit yourself for as many roles as you think you'd be good for if you REALLY want to get the work. I never did any of that which is why I never got work and ultimately forgot I was even in their system...until they called me a few weeks ago.

My phone rang. I answered and hear, "Hi, can I speak to Shawn DePasquale please?"

"This is him," I say.

"Hi Shawn this is Jessie over at Central and I'm just wondering if you would be available for Monday and Tuesday of next week," comes the kind voice over the phone.

Now, at the time I was working a job I LOATHED, so even though I actually wasn't free and still didn't really know what this call was about I still said, "Sure."

In retrospect I realize this was stupid. I really didn't know what I was being asked to do, didn't even realize "central" was "Central Casting", but I figured at the time anything had to be better than what I was currently doing, so I inquired further, "What's this for exactly?"

"The show is called I'm In The Band. It's a Disney show. Tapes in front of a live audience. They need you to play the part of a music studio technician. Two days work," he said and then went on to explain the details.

When I hung up the phone I immediately called my current boss to tell him something important had come up and I wouldn't be in the following week for two days. I then went to the closet where I keep my head-shots and double-checked what I looked like in them to make sure I hadn't changed anything since taking the pictures. Luckily I had been growing my beard back for the past month because I am fully bearded in the head-shots and that's certainly the reason they picked me.

The following Monday I arrived at the studio, parked, walked to the gate, got my pass and heading towards Stage 10 where they shoot the show. Along the walk I passed signs for other Disney shows that I was familiar with but had never seen (Suite Life of Zack and Cody!) and finally arrived at Stage 10, sweatier than I wanted to be but still excited for the day.

The studio (and as I've grown to learn, MOST studios) was surprisingly relaxed with their security once you get in the front gate. After I had my lot pass no one looked twice at me or stopped me from walking anywhere. When I finally arrived at Stage 10 I just sort of wandered inside and started to look around at the sets built for the show. The first one I saw was the recording studio where I would later film my scene. It was impressively detailed, complete with a WORKING soundboard, computer with sound mixing software and a separate room for the band complete with large Plexiglas window between the two rooms.

I continued to wander through the sets; past a garage and the full living room/kitchen set that stands in as the main character's house until I reached the end of the stage where a full breakfast buffet had been set up by craft services. It was here that I was finally greeted by another person, the show's 2nd Assistant Director, who introduced herself to me, welcomed me to have as much food as I wanted and then instructed me to sit in the bleachers (where the studio audience would sit that night) until I was called for.

As I loaded my plate with eggs, potatoes, the best bacon I've ever had in my life and a few silver-dollar pancakes, I tried to contain my excitement which was growing in pace with the mountain of food on my Styrofoam plate.On the outside I was just another Extra, happily eating and waiting for my day to begin. Inside I was an overly giddy man-child, thankful this was my job for two days but already depressed that I would have to go back to my REAL job later that week.

A large portion of the rest of the day was spent sitting in the bleachers watching them pre-record several of the scenes that the studio audience would watch while they set up the scenes they shoot live. I broke up this time with several more trips to the craft services area (THEY HAD A SMOOTHIE MACHINE!!!) and a few walks around the studio lot. Finally the 2nd A.D. wrangled myself and the few other actors there who were playing background roles and brought us backstage to get approval by the show's make-up and hair people.

We went through two sets of doors adjacent to the  stage and were led into a large hallway lined with the stars dressing rooms. Loud music blasted from behind each of the doors, creating a cacophony of noise in the hall. The A.D. stopped us at the only open door in the hallway which led into the hair/make-up room.

"I got the extra's here. Can you take a look at hair and make-up?"

The hairdresser stopped what she was doing, glanced up at me and said, "Hair's fine."

The make-up lady stopped what she was doing, glanced up at me, made a face like someone who bit into an onion and said, "Um....you better take a seat."

To be continued.....

NEXT: MAKE UP! LIGHTS! ALAN THICKE!

WELCOME HOME!

::HUGS::

Hi. So some jerk bought www.shawnwrites.com. Now it's some crappy site that he's not even putting use. Fuck him. Shawnwrites.com is dead to me and so should it be for all of you.

New website eventually but for now we flip back to the OLD URL....look up in your address bar and favorite this please. Bookmark the holy hell out of it.

As a reward I'll give you an awesome picture of a zebra humping giraffe:

Kill The System ~ Los Angeles

I've been growing more and more obsessed with graffiti, mostly in part to a project I'm working on. So I've been following all these street art blogs and seeing some pretty epic tags. The one below is one of my favorites of all time. I love the noir aspect of it the most. I also like the way the word "KILL" is written. Follow the links below for more.

Kill The System ~ Los Angeles: "

More on GraffHead.com

"

The beginning of the end....

Saw this picture in my news reader. Credits to the original posters.

As for the picture itself, I don't know if I should laugh or piss myself in fear.

This could be the future of warfare. Next are the whales that carry armies of rabid wolverines to our shores...

So, This Happened: "

We didn't really understand what was so terrifying about China until we saw this photograph.

Attention World: We Are Doomed [PBH3/Tumblr]

Read more posts by Jessica Pressler

Filed Under: bearbacking, bears, bears on horseback, china, horses, oh china, photo-op, things that signify the end of the world, weird things

"

PICTURE OF THE DAY!

There are so few words.....SHOCKER is the one that comes to mind.

WHY AM I DRIPPINGS WITH GOO?

DUMB FUCK FILMS KIDS WHILE DRIVING CAR....

I'm not sharing this because it's cute. I'm sharing it because this FUCKHEAD FATHER IS FILMING WHILE DRIVING HIS CAR! What a stupid shit. Seriously, dude, stop filming and drive. you have three kids and your wife in the car. What a dick. 

KESHA + STAR WARS Tik Tok Music Video Spoof!

Thanks to Topless Robot for posting this. I echo their sentiment that this is maybe the worst thing the internet has produced yet. Who the fuck are these people? Why do I get the feeling they are NOT doing this with tongue in cheek. Not at all.
How did they get the budget for this? Where did they get those girls from? Oh God. It's just all so bad.

Streetlight Manifesto - Kristina She Don't Know I Exist

The lyrics to this song are heartbreaking and sweet and funny. Smiles!

"Lady" Caro Emerald - Bad Romance (Live Polka Lady Gaga Cover) @ Giel 3FM

WOW. I heart polka and i heart Lady Gaga!

Photoshop Fixes…..

So I had a ton of changes to make to the old cover of my upcoming graphic novel. It’s still a perfect cover but I’m undergoing a title change (or simplifying) and I have a new publisher so the old logo needed to go. Once I removed the “Detectives In” part I also had to shorten all the left over empty space on top and extend the bottom of the image (the snow, the bloody paw prints)….this was done over four hours with an assist by Robbio (couldn’t have done it without him):

BEFORE:

  AFTER:

 

Thoughts? Comments?

Old tires will remain in ocean off Fort Lauderdale

Old tires will remain in ocean off Fort Lauderdale: 

"Hundreds of thousands of tires were part of failed eco project. With the job undone, U.S. military divers won't return this summer to Florida to clean up a failed artificial reef made of thousands of old tires."

This is fucking retarded. The US government can't make time or money to clean up the fucking ocean where THEY dumped a bunch of tires? WTF? Also, who's bright idea was this in the first place? Of course it happened in the 70's. Let's just tie up all these tires and drop'em in the ocean, I'm sure marine life will just make them their homes. What kind of plan is that????

Untitled Blog Post

Sometimes I get so wrapped up in making a title for these blog posts that I don't even feel like writing the damn thing so today that's the best I can do. I've had a throbbing headache all day that has put me in kind of a weird mood so excuse the mess of words that's about to spew forth.

Been really busy both with work and non-work related things. I lost about a week and a half of my life to two very addictive video games. The first of which is called Dragon Age: Origins, a RPG (Role Playing Game) that's sort of a Lord of The Rings type deal but far more interesting,  in my opinion. Then I played Mass Effect 2, another sort of RPG but set in space and with a high focus on 3rd person shooting. That game was amazing and I HIGHLY recommend getting the first one playing it to completion and then playing the second. What makes the game so cool is that every little decision you make effects the future installments of the game. The ending of this most recent endeavor set up some huge potential plot points for the third, and final, game.

I've also been lettering a lot lately, which is always a good thing. First I worked on my graphic novel (currently undergoing a possible title change) which has 45 penciled pages, another 43 pencils on the way and is hopefully going to be colored soon. I've been lettering the pencil pages as they come in, to provide myself with plenty of time to make any changes to dialogue or story elements. In fact, here are some pages from that:

Next my good friend Charles Soule (who you can find on http://charlessoule.wordpress.com/) sent me a batch of pages for his next graphic novel a book called, 27. This is one of the best books I've ever worked on, the art is amazing and the story is so brilliant that I'll be shocked if this isn't picked up and turned into a film almost immediately. Can't wait to be able to share some pages from that book with you, maybe later in the week Charles will let me post some of those pages.

I also lettered the first issue of  "Neverland" this week for Zenescope. This is a particularly exciting project for two reasons: 1) I've long been a fan of Zenescope's "Grimm Fairy Tales" series, in which they tale classic fairy tales a put a dark, sometimes sexual spin on them. The series is very dark and usually has a cool Tales From The Crypt-like twist at the end of each story arc. 2) I am a HUGE Peter Pan fan. Other than "Alice in Wonderland”, J.M. Barrie’s tale of never growing up is my all time favorite classic. So to work on a book that plays within that mythology is a huge geek moment for me. I believe Zenescope has a preview issue already available somewhere (although I didn’t letter that I am on board to letter the series), you should try and find a copy before issue one debuts.

My other obsession this week is, of course, LOST. We’re in the final season of this amazing show and I have a million and one theories running around my head, unfortunately (or fortunately) for you I’m NOT going to be sharing them here. The internet is full of amazing places to read about LOST (in fact, my favorite blog is Brian’s Lost and Gone Forever which I DEMAND you visit right away!!!) and I don’t think it’s where I should be focusing my time. I could literally write all day about LOST and I fear once I start I won’t stop. So in an effort to keep this blog about ALL things Shawn and not just Shawn Loves Lost, I’ll be keeping my insane Lost rant to myself until the final episode has aired. I imagine then I’ll have a lot to say and I’ll take up a full post dedicated solely to that.

What else?

Oh, a few plugs:

1. A good friend of my, Brian Hoffman, has started a website called Eat This New York where he started out blogging about food he had eaten around the city but recently introduced, what I assume is an ongoing, video-blog. The video is hilarious and entertaining and will make you really hungry for pizza. I would post the video here but I want you to see his site and maybe click on some ads and help the guy out so please visit the link for the video.

2. Another friend, this is a guy I’ve know for a much shorter period of time but I respect his work a whole hell of a lot, Victor Quinaz, is very busy. He’s writing  what i believe will be the one of the most fun graphic novels you’ve ever read and also directing and producing a series of parody videos that I am LOVING. The whole premise is MTV’s the Hills but set during the time of the Pilgrims. Great stuff.  The first video, “Pilgrims” you can see below. The second video titled, “Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome” is already getting buzz from places like NY magazine’s Vulture and can be seen either on the Vulture site or on Victor’s Youtube: HERE

 

Okay that’s all for now. My headache has actually gone away a bit and I wonder if i just needed to write for a while. Sometimes i think too many thoughts get back up in my brain and even though I do talk a lot, sometimes some shit just needs to be written out.

I guess that’s why I’m a writer. Weeeeeee!

Sherri Shepherd Thinks the World is Flat

This is an oldy but a goody. Clearly this lady is insane. Amazing how stubborn and stupid people can be. The audience is just silent, clearly uncomfortable.

BIG HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT!!!!!!!

This is a big project I'm excited to be invited to be a part of....

Kidding.   :)

Not so subtle joke - animaniacs

how did they get away with it? HOW!?!?!!

1978 はごろも缶詰 シーチキン

HOLY COW.

SONG OF THE DAY: Take Me Out

Man asks volunteers to carry him up Manhattan for 9.4 miles

This guy tries to prove that New Yorker's are nice by having them carry him across NYC. CARRY HIM. It's a pretty interesting way to spend ten minutes.

Conan's Final Goodbye as Tonigt Show Host. (ADDED VIDEO)

This was a beautiful speech and it touched me very close to my heart. Conan is an inspiration to me and have been my favorite part of Late Night for my whole life. Can't wait to see him again in seven months. In the meantime, check this shit out:

"Before we end this rodeo, a few things need to be said. There has been a lot of speculation in the press about what I legally can and can't say about NBC. To set the record straight, tonight I am allowed to say anything I want. And what I want to say is this: between my time at Saturday Night Live, The Late Night Show, and my brief run here on The Tonight Show, I have worked with NBC for over twenty years. Yes, we have our differences right now and yes, we're going to go our separate ways. But this company has been my home for most of my adult life. I am enormously proud of the work we have done together, and I want to thank NBC for making it all possible.
Walking away from The Tonight Show is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Making this choice has been enormously difficult. This is the best job in the world, I absolutely love doing it, and I have the best staff and crew in the history of the medium. But despite this sense of loss, I really feel this should be a happy moment. Every comedian dreams of hosting The Tonight Show and, for seven months, I got to. I did it my way, with people I love, and I do not regret a second. I've had more good fortune than anyone I know and if our next gig is doing a show in a 7-11 parking lot, we'll find a way to make it fun.

And finally, I have to say something to our fans. The massive outpouring of support and passion from so many people has been overwhelming. The rallies, the signs, all the goofy, outrageous creativity on the internet, and the fact that people have traveled long distances and camped out all night in the pouring rain to be in our audience, made a sad situation joyous and inspirational.

To all the people watching, I can never thank you enough for your kindness to me and I'll think about it for the rest of my life. All I ask of you is one thing: please don't be cynical. I hate cynicism -- it's my least favorite quality and it doesn't lead anywhere.

Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you're kind, amazing things will happen."

Power Rangers VS. TMNT part 1

I don't know when this is from but I am very glad i found this.

Phoenix - Lisztomania Official Video (Best Quality + Lyrics)

Been kicking this song around in my brain for a few days. Thought I'd share it for those of you who haven't heard it. It's really catchy.

NMA 2010.01.19 動新聞 美國深夜脫口秀大風吹

A weird Taiwanese CGI cartoon about the Late Night Fiasco. It's not in English but stick with it for the hilarious visual interpretations.

MIND-BLOWINGLY AWESOME HE-MAN ART!!!!!

PLEASE GO HERE FOR THIS AND MORE!!!!!!

Lady Gaga - Badder Romance FULL LENGTH

I've made my Gaga love pretty widely know so this should come as no surprise: I LOVE THIS VIDEO!!!

CoCo Says "NoNo"

CoCo Says "NoNo" to Appearing after Jay Leno in new time slot....


LINK TO NYT

Conan O’Brien Says He Won’t Do ‘Tonight Show’ Following Leno

By BILL CARTER

Conan O’Brien says he will not do “The Tonight Show” if it airs at 12:05 a.m. He released the following statement Tuesday afternoon:

People of Earth:

In the last few days, I’ve been getting a lot of sympathy calls, and I want to start by making it clear that no one should waste a second feeling sorry for me. For 17 years, I’ve been getting paid to do what I love most and, in a world with real problems, I’ve been absurdly lucky. That said, I’ve been suddenly put in a very public predicament and my bosses are demanding an immediate decision.

Six years ago, I signed a contract with NBC to take over The Tonight Show in June of 2009. Like a lot of us, I grew up watching Johnny Carson every night and the chance to one day sit in that chair has meant everything to me. I worked long and hard to get that opportunity, passed up far more lucrative offers, and since 2004 I have spent literally hundreds of hours thinking of ways to extend the franchise long into the future. It was my mistaken belief that, like my predecessor, I would have the benefit of some time and, just as important, some degree of ratings support from the prime-time schedule. Building a lasting audience at 11:30 is impossible without both.

But sadly, we were never given that chance. After only seven months, with my Tonight Show in its infancy, NBC has decided to react to their terrible difficulties in prime-time by making a change in their long-established late night schedule.

Last Thursday, NBC executives told me they intended to move the Tonight Show to 12:05 to accommodate the Jay Leno Show at 11:35. For 60 years the Tonight Show has aired immediately following the late local news. I sincerely believe that delaying the Tonight Show into the next day to accommodate another comedy program will seriously damage what I consider to be the greatest franchise in the history of broadcasting. The Tonight Show at 12:05 simply isn’t the Tonight Show. Also, if I accept this move I will be knocking the Late Night show, which I inherited from David Letterman and passed on to Jimmy Fallon, out of its long-held time slot. That would hurt the other NBC franchise that I love, and it would be unfair to Jimmy.

So it has come to this: I cannot express in words how much I enjoy hosting this program and what an enormous personal disappointment it is for me to consider losing it. My staff and I have worked unbelievably hard and we are very proud of our contribution to the legacy of The Tonight Show. But I cannot participate in what I honestly believe is its destruction. Some people will make the argument that with DVRs and the Internet a time slot doesn’t matter. But with the Tonight Show, I believe nothing could matter more.

There has been speculation about my going to another network but, to set the record straight, I currently have no other offer and honestly have no idea what happens next. My hope is that NBC and I can resolve this quickly so that my staff, crew, and I can do a show we can be proud of, for a company that values our work.

Have a great day and, for the record, I am truly sorry about my hair; it’s always been that way.

Yours,

Conan

Life Could Be A Dream (Sha boom Sha boom)

Reminds me of the movie CLUE.

Parents Arrested For Tattooing Their Children [I Heart Mom]

Okay so this is the most fucked up thing I've read in the New Year. Hopefully it won't get any worse than this as the year progresses. It won't...right?

Parents Arrested For Tattooing Their Children [I Heart Mom]: "

A Georgia couple has been charged with illegally tattooing five of their six children using a needle made from guitar string. The parents say the children, ages 10 to 17, wanted tattoos to be more like mom and dad. [Telegraph]

"