A Success Story

A Success Story, obviously this blog post isn't about me. It's about my good friend Bobby. Bobby and I hit it off right away when we met down here because he was also from New Jersey and had a great sense of humor. I think our "Jersey humor" put off the locals. "Eric, can you hand me the ketchup?" "Whaddo I look like ta you? Huh? Am I  your friggin waiter? Sorry, this ain't my table."  Such comments made us feel at home. "Now go home and get your friggin shine box."





Early on when he asked me how I was getting by in New Orleans, I explained that I had been working as a background actor in film and television productions down here. He was impressed and I explained that there was no real reason to be impressed. "Ya know, I always kind of wanted to try my hand at that acting thing. It was always in the back of my mind..." We sat down on line and signed him up with casting companies here in NOLA and sent in his pic. "Yea, well, what about my nose..." "DUDE! Your nose and ridiculously retentive hair cut are your best features. You could pass for a construction worker, cop, Army Sargent, put a lab coat on you and you would look like a scientist."  As opposed to me, when I go into wardrobe for a fitting I get cast as a stoner-crackhead-homeless dude.


Almost right away he got background work as an air traffic controller in the film Green Lantern. That kind of burned my ass because I had applied for that part and didn't get it. I was happy for him, and he was like a little kid coming home from the first day of school. "We hardly did anything and they gave me lunch!!" He got the acting bug bad. Since he was used in deep background, they were able to use him again in another scene.  This time wardrobe placed him in a cop uniform. He so looked the part, that on the set I was looking for him among hundreds and walked right past him.  He told that during one of the days of shooting a woman ran up to him upset yelling "I want to fill out a police report!!" "Whoa, lady, I ain't a real cop." Conversely, I had strangers coming up to me asking if I had any weed.


In true American fashion Bobby jumped in head first. Applying for any and all roles while taking acting classes with local actor Lance Nichols. I've worked with Lance on a couple of films and he is an extremely talented and likable gentleman.  Check out his IMDB page: LANCE E. NICHOLS.  I was impressed by Bobby's enthusiasm and commitment to his future profession.

Meanwhile he hasn't quit his day job and he is still working hard at his own contracting and handyman business. If you need work done in the New Orleans area he's still available before he moves to Hollywood. I pointed out to Bobby that Harrison Ford was almost ready to quit acting and devote himself to construction work when a guy named George Lucus called him up to remodel a kitchen. Yea, the rest is history.

 Well, I just found out last night on Facebook that Bobby just got his first speaking role in the film production "Battleship" being shot in Baton Rouge. A speaking role is a big deal for any background actor, it's a major step up to a S.A.G. card and future roles. He still has a long road ahead of him, but with his distinct looks, enthusiasm and continued luck he'll do ok.

I guess driving all the way to Mississippi every other week to get a flat top haircut has paid off.

Graphic Action

Since I have been an artist supplementing my income through working in the Louisiana film industry it seems only natural that I should try to combine the two talents. Storyboard art is really just a comic to set up the shots for the director and camera crew. Every angle, pan, zoom and movement is drawn out extensively before shooting begins. A film needs hundreds of these drawings done by someone, it might as well be me.

To all of my NOLA film contacts, please forward this graphic to anyone in the industry you know who might be interested in my services.  Thanks.

The New Orleans Bingo! Show

Here's a show I hope to catch one day. Looks fun and unique.

Street performing ain't easy....

I keep saying that I am going to get back over to the Quarter on a regular basis to juggle. Hats off to those guys, it takes balls to do this everyday for a living. A lot of the musicians hawk DVDs for $10 and play clubs at night. Get hassled by asshole drunken tourists. Just like driving a cab at night on the Jersey Shore.

Only one time did I ever have a problem with another performer. A balloon bender claimed I was on HIS corner. I replied "AND?...) Even I'm not afraid of a guy with a balloon poodle on his head.

For the record I AM NOT A MIME, I am a juggler.

The other La

There are more major film productions this year in Louisiana than anywhere else in the country. Why? This state offers excellent tax refunds to film investors.  A THIRTY PERCENT tax incentive is given to those who film in Louisiana. The next Batman film will be shot here next summer. To put it in perspective, if the budget is $200 million, the state will give $60 million in tax credit back. Imagine, a state offering tax breaks to encourage business. Would New Jersey do that?

No, a $200 million dollar film anywhere else would cost $250 million in NJ. Between political kick backs, mob shake downs and the unions with their hands out, no producer in the country would want to go there.  Three union electricians to plug in one extension cord, Teamsters sitting around doing nothing but laughing at how much they get paid to do nothing. Louisiana is a right to work state, a few unions get involved but not to the point of choking to death the employer.

So with the rest of the country floundering in economic chaos, LA has a steady industry keeping us employed. Oh I forgot,  you are all so proud of "Jersey Shore" Wait, aren't they filming that someplace else this season?

Local girl

Coming from New Jersey I realize that my home state has a certain arrogance about natives who make it good. I've made the observation that the rest of the country isn't nearly as impressed by Bruce Springsteen as a Jerseyite is. Nj can boast of a few important names.  Bruce Willis, Danny DeVito, Susan Sarandon, Frank Sinatra,  Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Kirsten Dunst, Bruce Springsteen, James Gandolfini, Ed Harris, Queen Latifah, Abbot and Costello, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, John Travolta,  Jon Bon Jovi, Christina Ricci, Brooke Shields and Tom Cruise, (ok, no one in Jersey ever boasts about Tom Cruise.) 


Down here in Louisiana the locals are proud of the great contributions to the music industry that their state has made over the centuries.  Anytime my friend Russell mentions a favorite actor I'll point out "Yo, he's from Jersey, Exit 117."  He will be quick to point out Britney Spears. Ok, I'll give you that one.  


Ms Spears hails from the small town of  Kentwood Louisiana.  Sure she's had her highs and lows. (Lows resulting from highs.) I never really listened to her music, not my kind of tunes. I think now that I'm a Louisianian I should take more of an interest in her career. 

Does anybody know if her mom is single? Once I get my teeth fixed I might start dating again. Yo, you guys back in Jersey, check out my step daughter....

What else is on?

I have a couple of friends who are big fans of the show "Smallville" They were literally counting down the hours until the tenth season started. I tried to watch the show, I just can't get into it. Even though I am a cartoonist, the whole super hero comic book genre never interested me. How could I identify with those characters? Super powers? Defending mankind from evil villains? Give me X ray vision, I'll be downtown at lunch time watching secretaries.

If asked what my favorite Television show is, I can't answer. There is really nothing on TV that will cause me to drop the nothing I am doing to watch. You have to reschedule your life because "Dancing with the stars" is on? Never seen it my life, along with every other top rated show. Hell, I forget to watch shows that I'm a background extra on.

When pressed for an answer if there ever was a show that "I had to be home and watch, never missed an episode of" it was Moonlighting. I think that was the last time TV held my interest. I've tried to watch other shows, nothing else seemed as well written. I'll have to try and find all of the seasons on DVD. (Well except for the last season, I think I stopped watching it half way through.) If anything else ever comes on close to the calibur of Moonlighting, I may pick up the remote.

Shop and Compare

Thanks to HBO, you can get a fairly accurate idea of the difference in attitudes
between New Jersey and New Orleans.

Locals have asked me not to be inviting down everyone in New Jersey to live here.

The New Orleans 48 Hour Film Project

Last night my friend and I went down to the 48 hour film project screening. I'll admit, we only stayed for the first half. We watched 14 short films. Some were very good, some of the movies we could have gone our entire lives without ever seeing and not felt as if we were gypped.

There were a few with the sound being so bad, entire dialogue is missed. A few were as sharp on the technical as on performance and writing.





My favorite was "Trust Bob." Funny, well written and performed by the Trophy Whore team. Directed by Jason Waggenspack, Trust Bob provided laughter with two bumbling thugs who kidnap a very intelligent woman, and soon she has her captors questioning the very existence of their boss Bob. I missed lines just because of the audience's laughter. Very good performances from the four actors. Deep theological questions presented with the charming visuals of a retro fetish film. I look forward to seeing it again.

The 48 Hour Film Project is an event where local film makers are given a tiny piece of dialogue and in this case a folding chair and they must complete a film using those elements over a two day period.  I had an opening to work on one of the productions, however it's a game for the young. Being awake for three days or so would probably be the ingredient to finally cause my heart to blow out like a bald tire on the Turnpike.

After the first half I stepped out for a smoke with a few familiar faces. Young film students milled about, optimistic about the world and their talents.  My friend and I decided to call it a night and head home. I remembered that I needed to pick something up at a small shop on Bourbon Street.  "Sure, we can stop for a few minutes." Walking from one end to the other in the humidity, we worked up a thirst. He had his diet Coke, I decided since I had never had a "Hurricane" that tonight was the time to do so. Being dehydrated the beverage went down fast and easy. Two  blocks down Bourbon St, I started to look for another Hurricane vendor.

Darting into the Tropical Isle for air conditioning and live music, no Hurricanes were available. So the other great Bourbon St tradition of a Handgrenade was my next beverage quickly downed. 20 minutes or so later my friend and I both came to the realization that all of the Cajun music that the band was playing sounded about the same. The guy wearing the washboard and playing it with spoons was starting to wear on my nerves.

Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar

I'm through with standing in line
To clubs we'll never get in
It's like the bottom of the ninth
And I'm never gonna win
This life hasn't turned out
Quite the way I want it to be...


Last night was the wrap parties for the film I was working on. The background extras had theirs at Club ampersand. More of a higher class joint that I have been in since arriving in NOLA. People I had spent the past two weeks with running and sweating with were there. This time we were stepping on each other's feet on the dance floor.

Film people work hard. Most folks have no idea the long grueling hours that production people put in. Production assistants, hair and wardrobe, grips, actors and stunt people put in anywhere from 12 to 16 hours a day for months at a time. So when it's done, these artists need to cut loose.

At first I didn't want to go, I had spent almost two weeks with these sweaty muthers in holding. The last idea of fun for me was to be crammed into a club with them. My friend Russell told me how uncommon it is for a background wrap party, and this being one of the largest film productions in New Orleans this year I shouldn't miss it. I'm glad I didn't.

It wasn't the type of club you would usually find me in, but I had fun. Youngsters dancing with glow sticks and illuminated hula hoops, generous friends from the set who were quick to share whatever they had. Drop dead hotties on the dance floor. Good times, my friend Bobby pointed out that there were no fights or skirmishes despite the diverse crowd.

I of course approached all of this with the eye of a journalist to document it for this blog. My night wasn't going to be complete until I made it into the VIP room. We could catch a glimpse of it from the dance floor. A second floor window looked down upon the crowd as the VIP's danced with drinks held high. We got to get up there I told my friend.

And we'll hide out in the private rooms
With the latest dictionary and today's who's who
They'll get you anything with that evil smile
Everybody's got a drug dealer on speed dial, well
Hey hey I wanna be a rockstar



He walked up to the bouncer guarding the steps like he belonged there and got ushered right in. I was stopped the the Ving Raymes of security. I eventually was allowed in after a handful of people staggered out. The VIP room was kind of boring. I saw a few things of interest, but after you have partied with strippers nothing really surprises you.

I wasn't going to let this opportunity go with out being a drunken asshole of some kind. As I was leaving the VIP area the DJ started to play the Beatle's Twist and Shout. So in a very Ferris Bueller moment I found myself dancing in front of the window looking over the dance floor. A spastic bump in grind with some trashed girl half my age. My friend Adrian looked up from the dance floor to see me removing my ugly shirt to reveal an uglier torso as the night was just kicking into high gear.

The song ended, I miss-buttoned my shirt up and staggered down the steps past Marcellus Wallace who had let me up stairs. I told my buddies that I was ready to go home to blog about my night at my first wrap party. I'm sure the "Inner circle" folks have much more interesting stories than I, but for a 47 year old cab driver from NJ, it was fun.

< (I am still 5 years older than their combined ages.)

The other "LA"

NOLA's only real booming economy down here is the film industry. The state and city won over Hollywood years ago with nice tax deals to motion picture producers to move operations to New Orleans. My buddy Steve was telling me today on the ride in to work this morning. An ex cop pushing a Lincoln over the bridge at 4:00 am in the morning. Feeling safe, but at the same time feeling like I'm commuting into a video game.

With little traffic and a beautiful night time skyline, we're signing into wardrobe 10 minutes later. A decent breakfast with co-workers that I like. I don't even look at the carnage anymore. This morning we passed a half a dozen car wrecks, school buses and gasoline tankers involved. Large sets built to get demolished. The black night sky is blotted out by the artificial rented light.

As a former sign crane operator, I can tell you the cost and scale of this operation is equal to a bridge build. Cranes the size of dinosaurs that probably had been on call 24 hours a day for months, safely dangled a monstrous metal framed scrim diffuser over my head. Think of it as an artificial cloud. The day before we lost time waiting for cloud cover. We stood in the direct sun with a 110 heat index for 20 minutes. When some god who directs the wind does smile upon us with healing shade, we have to run at full speed towards a camera.

I am so impressed by the production people. I have never seen so many hard working people pushing together to complete a great project. Professionals with sincere love of the art doing their best, then in come the background extras. Upon seeing a jack knifed gasoline tanker I commented to myself, "Looks like an interesting day at the office today." Asked about my day I spoke into my phone, "Ahh, nuthin new, same ol. Yea, still getting chased by monsters. Dude, stunt chicks have the hottest bodies, yea."

CRUDE

Here it is. Much thanks to my friend Russell for the many hours invested in this project. In the middle of production, he received a call to help out on the special effects for a low budget ghost movie. That gig payed, Binge didn't. Russell still managed to work on both projects.

So here is the first real animated BiNGE project. It was a learning experience for the both of us.

What fun am I missing?

Well, this is the first summer in the past five that I haven't driven cab on the Jersey Shore. What fun am I missing? People thought that we made boo-koo bucks. The summers I worked were ok, but earned it. Loud drunken Bennies. A Bennie is slang term on the Jersey Shore for summer tourists. The slang comes from railroad conductors years ago who transported summer people down from north Jersey. The word derives from the stations that they got on to go south: Bayonne, Elizabeth, and Newark. In south Jersey, the term "Shoobie" is used. Folks from Philadelphia would bring their lunches in shoeboxes on to the coast bound train. Florida calls them "Snowbirds."

Guido, is used to refer to an Italian American from north Jersey or New York who comes down in the summer to act like an ass. I bet this summer they will be more obnoxious and abusive because of the TV show "Jersey Shore." Now the idiots will think it's cool and fashionable to be a negative ethnic stereotype. The guys will be pumped with even more steroids filling them with rage. They will come down with even more insecurities to cause them to act like a pack of male dogs trying to out hump each other or each other.




The girls named Maria will give themselves ridiculous nicknames and believe that you're not drunk enough until some stranger punches you in your obnoxious mouth. Thanks MTV.

Sneek Peek

I've been promising all three of my fans that there will be a short animated BiNGE episode soon. Well here is the opening sequence. The rest is still being painstakingly glued together to be debuted shortly. So to tease you, here is the opening titles. It's a two minute cartoon, what did you expect, a trailer?



We threw in a Taratino reference, and kind of a slam against cheap anime.

La Vie Boheme

By extension, Bohemia meant any place where one could live and work cheaply, and behave unconventionally; a community of free souls beyond the pale of respectable society.

Wikipedia

The tag line for my comic strip BiNGE is "An artist in search of a 21st century Bohemia" It never really dawned on me, but I guess that was what I was searching for. I tried the Ned Flanders life of Sunday school and white picket fences. It wasn't me. Not that there is anything wrong with that life style, I just can't live it. Suburban keeping up with the Jones. Spending money I don't have to buy things I don't need to impress people I don't like.

I've met a lot of people who claim to be non materialistic, claim to be simple spiritual beings. The same people are quick to boast about their new car, which when it's paid off won't be new any more and they will have to take out a loan for a newer car. New agey neo hippies who want the illusion of Bohemia in a chic four bedroom house in an expensive town with perfect landscaping. They'll talk about positive energy and karma, then talk about their best friend behind her back.

New Orleans is a city where it's people have learned from experience that all material things will end up in a landfill someday. Why run down to Home Depot for a new ceiling fan, here's one on Craigslist for $10. It's not new? That's ok, by the end of the summer we may not have a ceiling to hang it on anyway. Are you driving an 15 year old car? Let's paint it to look like Zebra.

Down here when you fill out a form that asks for occupation, you can fill in artist, actor, writer, musician or juggler and know one questions it. Back in Jersey, you would get a snide comment "What's your real job?" Well, at least it's not processing pointless paperwork.

Yea, I was in a chick movie

Revenge of the Bridesmaids
7pm Sunday July 18 ABC FAMILY

Look for me in the background wearing a 70's disco shirt.

The Where's BiNGE Drinking Game

Tomorrow night on Memphis Beat my friend and I will be on, in the background. Outdoor bar-b-q scene. Maybe, or we might be on the cutting room floor, or just a blur. We haven't seen it yet.

Anyway, if you spot me you have to do a shot, if he and I are standing next to each other take two shots. Some fat dude gets stabbed, so it's probably in the beginning of the show.

Memphis Beat - Tuesdays at 10/9c TNT

easy out

I didn't have anything really funny to say today, so I thought I would just post a favorite movie clip. I hope you enjoy.

face time

I worked in a kitchen all day. Hot greasy place, stained and nasty apron, cops hassling me. Ironically when I moved to NOLA most of the job applications I filled out was for dishwasher at the fancy restaurants in town. Ok, and strip joints. The irony is today that I worked as one as a background extra. I'm just working as an actor until I can find full time work as a waiter.


I was lucky to have a 1:00 PM report time, some had 5:00 AM. Wardrobe gave me a new apron and proceeded to splatter it with various kitchen stains. A Pollock masterpiece of berries, melons and chicken grease. Then a make up artist gave me some gel to smear on my skin for a look of sweat. "Be careful not to get any on your wardrobe." But the other lady just smeared...never mind.

They filmed Memphis Beat at a posh hotel in NOLA, my third time working the show. After lunch the crew, actors and background proceeded to the kitchen for filming, I was singled out. "What's your name?" the director asked. I instantly thought "Damn, they recognize me from the other two episodes I did and are going to send me home." They don't like to keep using the same extras if they can help it. There is a shortage of dependable background at times in New Orleans. Right now the film the Green Lantern is tying up a lot of background actors. So I guess I'm the best they can get. "Your name?" "Uhm...Styles?" "STYLES! We got something for you to do...."

When we took positions in the kitchen and Jason Lee and Sam Hennings walked in. I'm not sure but I might have gotten the "Oh no, not this asshole again." look from Jason. I'm familiar with the look. I shot back a "I'd rather be working background on Green Lantern right now" look. The best face time I've gotten so far as a background actor and I had to be wearing a damn hairnet.

I've been a background extra on the show so many times,
I could become a drinking game.

I had a featured extra part as a minimum wage earner getting questioned by cops. Not a real stretch for me as an actor. But I did have a lot of experience to draw from. At first Sam Henning was improvising some questions. "Did you see anything, what time did you come in?" The director stepped in, "Just ask yes or no questions so he can just nod." If I even mumbled an answer it would've been a couple hundred more in my paycheck. Just nod, we have a budget. "Did you see anything?" I looked at the ceiling and nodded no.I walked away with my meat.

Check out Sam Hennings IMDB page. This man has an amazing history of working in television. It was a privilege to be on screen with him.
SAM HENNINGS

Cool Car

This clip has a chase scene in it that was shot about 3 blocks from where I live in Algiers. The car rocks. I'm working again as an extra on Memphis Beat tomorrow. I explained to the casting agent that I had worked two other episodes. Since they were several episodes back she said it would be fine. My first episode will air next week. Look for me at a Bar B Que festival. I'm the sunburned guy.

I'm glad I got more background work, I was afraid that I had become a washed up has been extra.