Trish and Harold's Weblog

Starving Artist? You Don't Have To Be... And The OMPA Agrees!

2011-12-13T14:34:00.002-08:00

Hey there kids - as I was doing some year-end tasks (pulling together mileage records, invoicing producers, seeing where the retirement accounts are - yeah, retirement accounts. Trish and I are actors - in Portland, OR - and we have money set aside for retirement. It really can be done, ya know...) it occurred to me that I haven't shared this article I wrote for the December issue of the Oregon Media Production Association's monthly newsletter, The Call Sheet about just this sort of thing. See, for the past year I've been working with the OMPA's Talent Committee to put on a series of workshops that give film and TV workers resources to live a sustainable life... well, it's all right here in the article:

OMPA’s Talent Committee Takes On The Myth of the “Starving Artist”
By Harold Phillips

Most people working in our industry have been exposed, at some point, to the romantic notion of the “starving artist” – that person who lives in poverty, works three jobs to make ends meet while pursuing his or her creative endeavors on the “off-hours,” and is often hungry (but nourished by those endeavors.)

It’s a romantic notion, to be sure, and our hat’s off to anyone who can make a life like that work for themselves and their families. OMPA’s talent committee, however, doesn’t believe our members need to starve to work in this industry. On the contrary – we believe that our industry is only weakened if those working in it are living “hand-to-mouth.”

Of course, we know first-hand how difficult it is to make a living in film, TV, commercials and new media here in Oregon – the variable work, the sometimes (if not often) low wages, the unpredictable schedule… we also know there are ways to take charge of one’s life and business that will not only help those working in our industry “make a living” – but LIVE a stable life.

Over the past year the Talent Committee has presented a series of seminars aimed at giving OMPA members and others in our industry the resources they need to get their business and personal lives in order. In February, the Committee held a workshop on tax planning. In September, we presented a panel discussion on health insurance options. This coming January, the Talent Committee plans a panel discussion on saving, investment, and retirement. These seminars, and others the Talent Committee has planned for 2012, are presented free of charge for OMPA members (and are open to the public for a nominal fee.)

As our members toast the end of 2011, we hope they’re also analyzing the challenges and missteps that may have occurred this past year… and that they’re laying plans to make 2012 an even stronger year. The Talent Committee’s seminar series is there to help with those plans. We hope you’ll join us in the coming year as we explore ways to make our industry stronger, by keeping those working in the industry from starving.

Holiday Shopping Is Here - But Who Are YOU Buying From?

2011-12-05T11:06:00.001-08:00

www.madeinusaforever.com

Hey everyone

I know, right? Two blog posts in two weeks? I haven't blogged this much all year, it seems... but hey, I've got a couple of minutes before I have to be at my next appointment, and what am I going to do... eat lunch? Ha!!

So, my dad occasionally forwards me emails. Yeah... he's turned into that guy. Now, don't get me wrong - I don't get 50 emails per day with cute photos of dogs and "funny" videos and such (well, not 50...) Honestly, he's pretty selective about what he forwards around. He's been on the receiving end of those email barrages, and he doesn't want to clog anyone's inbox with things they don't care about.

He sent one recently that I think all of us ought to care about, though. I didn't write it, so don't ding me for the language or spelling errors... but the sentiment is right-on-target in my book. Oh, I may have added a couple links of my own into the text...

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods - merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor. This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes there is!

It's time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in
a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?

Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates
from your local American hair salon or barber?

Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.

Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plonking down the Benjamines on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift
certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about
a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this
isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your home town
Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or
motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave
your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet atyour hometown theatre.

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of lights, about fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that
China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn't imagine.

THIS is the new American Christmas tradition.

Forward this to everyone on your mailing list -- post it to discussion
groups -- throw up a post on Craigslist in the Rants and Raves section in
your city -- send it to the editor of your local paper and radio stations,
and TV news departments. This is a revolution of caring about each other, and isn't that what Christmas is about?

Ok, so I don't know that this is a "NEW" American tradition... in point of fact, Trish and I have always tried to buy American (and buy LOCAL) when it comes time to give a gift. It's not easy - go into any Target, Wal-Mart, or other "Big-Box" store and you'll spend an hour searching the shelves to find an American-Made product... and make no mistake, when you do find one it'll probably be a little more expensive. That extra money you spend buying a Cuisinart instead of a Sunbeam, however, is going to factory workers in this country - not factory workers in places like China or Taiwan.

I was glad to see that the emailer suggested supporting your local arts groups when thinking about giving LOCAL gifts. When he forwarded this message, Dad made sure to mention that giving the gift of locally-produced films is another good idea - and you know, I couldn't agree more. There are over twenty Oregon-Produced films in my Oregon Film and TV Market Amazon store, and several more locally-produced films available through other retail outlets. Giving your friends and family members a DVD this Christmas puts money in the pockets of people working in Oregon's film and TV industry, and allows them to produce that next feature and hire even more of your friends and neighbors for it.

One last note - You can still buy American when you shop online. www.MadeInUSAForever.com has over 29,000 American-made products (many produced by small businesses around the country) that are ready to ship out anywhere in the country.

Look, guys, it's the "season of giving." We want to make the holiday season bright for our friends and family, but we also feel a little more prone to help those who haven't been as successful or fortunate this year. In some cases that means bringing cans of food to the food bank or dropping a couple coins in the Bell Ringer's kettle... but this year, you have the chance to keep someone employed - and maybe even create a few more jobs once the receipts are tallied. It's certainly worth taking a couple extra minutes to think about where the product you're purchasing was made, and checking to see if there's a domestically - or locally - produced alternative.

Hope you're all doing well...

-Harold

Cross Delancey Street With Me Next Tuesday

2011-11-30T13:01:00.001-08:00

Great Image, huh? Don't thank me,
thank Birmingham's Theater LJCC!

Hey everyone

Long time, huh? I know, I know... I should really spend more time keeping up with the blogging, but most of my writing time has been consumed by OregonFilmandTVDollars.com... now that the year is winding to a close, however, I may get a few more chances to post some of my overly-long yadda-yadda about life, the world, etc... at least that's the goal.

That's not the topic of today's post, however... even though the year's winding to a close, I seem to be getting busier and busier. Before I run off to the next appointment, I wanted to let you know that I'm going to be appearing in the Portland Civic Theater Guild's "First Tuesday" reading of Susan Sandler's Crossing Delancey.

You may remember the 1988 film version of Crossing Delancey with Amy Irving. The film is based on the play we'll be reading at 10:00 AM next Tuesday December 6 at Portland's Old Church (1422 SW 11^th - click here for a map) If you're not familiar with the story, it follows
Izzy, a single New Yorker who runs her own bookshop and day-dreams of a life with one of her customers, a celebrated author. Her Grandmother Bubbie, however, has other plans for Izzy's future - she conspires with Hannah, a flamboyant matchmaker, to set Izzy up with the man they feel is the perfect match for her: Sam, the pickle maker. It's a beautiful, sweet romantic comedy - a perfect way to kick off the holiday season.

I'm lucky enough to work with Karen Wennstrom, Mary Mcdonald-Lewis, Chrisse Roccaro, and Rick Sanders on the reading... oh, and the show's director is kind of fun to work with too!

I hope you get a chance to come down next Tuesday morning and share this light little comedy with us. Take an early lunch - we'll provide the sweet!

Hope you're all doing well...

- Harold

It Can't Happen Here... Right?

2011-10-24T11:13:00.000-07:00

Hey there everyone. Long time no talk, huh? Yeah, I know, I know... apologies, Mea Culpa, etc (you can always tell how busy I am by how often I update this blog and OregonFilmandTVDollars.com... which hasn't been too often of late, so you can draw your own conclusions.)

Even with everything that's been going on, though, I wanted to take a minute today to let you know about a very cool project I'm going to be part of tonight, Monday, October 24 at 7:30 PM. Portland's Fuse Theater Ensemble is joining theaters around the country to perform a staged reading of It Can't Happen Here - an adaptation of Sinclair Lewis' 1935 novel that was performed in 22 theaters (in 18 US Cities) as part of the Federal Theater Project in 1936. The nationwide readings commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of those Federal Theater Project readings.

So, why should you care about a play written in 1936? What possible relevance could it have to the world we're living in right now? Well... the book (and the play) were written during a time when no one could find a job... when the median income in the united states had hit rock bottom and didn't look like it would ever rise... when people were taking to the streets to demand a change. In a situation like this, it's easy to see how people could fall in line behind a charismatic leader who promised to make things better (no, I'm not going to put a current-events link on THAT one... I'll let you draw your own contemporary conclusions...) even though s/he could turn out to be a dictator.

That's what this play is about, after all... it envisions a fictional America where a powerful president becomes a dictator - abolishing labor unions, free speech, and the free press. His sinister allies, known only as "the Corpos," recruit unemployed and dissatisfied young people and intimidate anyone who opposes their agenda. "No one agreed on the play," Hallie Flanagan told an audience some months later, "but everyone had to see it. It was called good, bad, savage, mild, American, un-American, Fascist, communist, too far left, too far right, a work of genius, a work of the devil."

I hope you'll join me tonight at Theater! Theatre! (check HaroldPhillips.net for the address and a map link) for this celebration - and cautionary tale. Admission is free, though donations for Fuse Theater Ensemble and Occupy Portland will be accepted.

Company of Thieves Premieres August 21

2011-08-10T13:01:00.002-07:00

Hi guys

You long-term readers may remember back to October of 2009, when I mentioned that Trish and I were both going to be working on a new short film by Portland director Shilpa Sunthankar.

The film, Company of Thieves, is finally out of post-production and is going to be playing at Portland's Hollywood Theater on Sunday, August 21 (you can find all the details at haroldphillips.net.) Trish does some voiceover work in the film about a man and his relationship with right and wrong, God and the Devil. As for me... well, I'm guessing you can tell what part I play from the photo.

I hope you'll all come out to the premiere screening - admission is free, and it's a short film (about 17 minutes or so.) I plan on being there after finishing the Portland Century ride with my dad... so don't be surprised if I'm just a little sweaty!

Oh, what's that? You say you want to know a little more about the film than what I've written above? Well...

The Company of Thieves Clip: Sc 1 & 2 from PushStart Productions on Vimeo.

History's Mysteries (or "Geeking Out On Stuff You Don't Care About...")

2011-08-07T16:05:00.000-07:00

I've written from time-to-time about how much I enjoy playing my "Online Video Game..." about how it gives me a connection to history I didn't know I had, about how researching the lives of long-gone family members reveals stories that the best authors and screenwriters couldn't have made up, about how delving into my family's stories helps to make connections with people I already had connections with - but didn't necessarily know about.

When I talk about how much time I spend messing around on Ancestry.com and how much I enjoy it, a lot of people roll their eyes... but it really is kind of like a video game. I don't mean a first-person-shooter like Halo, or a "brawler" like Dynasty Warriors though... I mean the RPG-type story-driven investigative video games we loved to play in the 80's and 90's - games like Suspended or Police Quest or Gabriel Knight. Games where the purpose wasn't to gain points or treasure by defeating aliens and monsters, but to unlock a mystery so a story could be told by the time the player finished the game. That's the fun of messing around on Ancestry.com - solving mysteries and reading stories.

Case in point - I was contacted through the web site by a distant, distant, relative (we're related by a connection about five generations back - I'm sure we share a little DNA, but no more than I share with Louis CK, Prince Charles, or... well, maybe you!) She had a couple of photos in her possession. The first was a photo of three Phillips men from, say... 1900 or so. She knew who they were, and how they were related to my "3rd great grandfather" (after a while, you stop saying "great-great-great..." because, hey, it'd just get ridiculous.) She had a second photo of three more Phillips men, though, that she couldn't identify... so she asked if I could help.

Here's where the "video game" starts getting interesting. When I'm doodling around on Ancestry.com, I generally work back along my "line" linearly - my dad to my grandfather to his grandfather etc... sure, there are lots of other relatives that "branch off" from that line, but for the most part I don't pay much attention to them - not because their lives aren't interesting, but there's only so much time I can spend on a hobby like this and hey, I have to make a living, too :)

This investigation required me to take a look at some of those branches on my family tree. The first photo gave me a start - my 3rd great grandfather's three boys Alma, John Dee and Joseph.

Now, I don't know anything about these guys... their brother Edward Charles was my 2nd great grandfather, so he's the one I've always focused on. Ancestry.com makes looking into people easy, though - all I had to do was add all of my 3rd great grandfather's kids to my family tree (a fairly automatic process where you import information from other people's family trees into yours... you have to pay a monthly fee to do this, but it's not much - and at times like this it's worth it!) Once I did this, their lives started to take shape - I could find out where they lived from census data, where they were born and where they died, and even some personal details like their professions, newspaper articles about them, and that sort of thing.

I even found a couple of children that no one else had in their family trees... see, Ancestry.com has digital copies of census pages dating back to the 1800's in their system. If you want, you can go beyond the catalogued data, and see the actual census page the data comes from. Looking at one page, I discovered John Dee's wife and two children living in Utah in 1910, more than 20 years after John Dee died... so I added them to their records to the system for other people to find. Look at me - such a trailblazer :)

Anyway... back to the task at hand: the mystery Phillips men that my relative was wondering about.

As you can see from the border, the photo was taken in Idaho... and most of the Phillips' of that generation were based in Utah. Looking into the details of the three guys in the first photo, however, I discovered Joseph Samuel was born in Utah, but died in Ucon, Idaho... and he had three sons - Edward Christensen, John D and Joseph M. Two out of the three were born in Idaho, and one of them died in the same town Joseph Samuel died in... so it's not too far a reach to assume that these three are Joseph Samuel's sons.

Figuring all this out took me an afternoon. That's it. But the feeling that went along with making these discoveries, putting the pieces together, and figuring out the mystery - well, I'll put that up against any video game on the market. Or detective novel. Or police procedural on TV... because just like the audience for all those mediums, I'm doing the detective work as I watch/ read/ play the story. I'm trying to figure out the mystery. And that's a whole heck of a lot of entertainment to get out of an afternoon in my back yard on the laptop.

Now for the sequel... what's the story behind those two children that weren't in the system before...

Training Up (Part II)

2011-07-30T12:13:00.001-07:00

Hey there everyone... been a while, huh?

I've really been neglecting my "personal" blog a bit lately (is it just me, or am I always saying that these days?) Of course, I've been writing plenty over at http://www.OregonFilmandTVDollars.com and if you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you know that I've been "sharing" plenty online... but I haven't really had the time to sit down and do much personal writing of late.

One reason for this (alongside the general "actor hustle" of going to auditions and networking events, and making time for family, and taking care of the house and family, and... and..) is the time I've been spending on my bike. You might remember my post at the end of June where I talked about getting ready for the annual Portland Century bike ride. Since that post, Dad and I have decided to go on the 70 mile ride instead of the 40 (because of construction, the 40 has been lowered to a 33 mile route, and I'm already riding 30 miles at a stretch, so there's not much challenge in that any more...)

So, I've been hitting the trails a couple times a week, adding more and more miles to the routine as I try and get up to 70. I've also been tracking my mileage, fitness, and diet on http://www.mapmyride.com (you can find me at "HaroldPDX" on that system if you want to see what I've been doing) - it's been a big help in training up.

The trick, of course, is finding the time to push the mileage up past my last ride... I only ride about 12 or 13 miles per hour, so the farther I go, the longer the ride takes... and that's less time I spend in the office, or chasing down connections that might bring work. On the other hand, if I'm on the bike I'm not sitting in the office obsessing about the bookkeeping or the connections that might bring more work :) In fact, I have to be honest here... if I didn't have the Century to train for, I probably wouldn't be spending so much time on my bike; it'd be one of those things I'd think I "should do" but never got around to doing... because I'm in training, I'm outside enjoying the air and the view and... well, getting more fit. So, when I think about it, I'm probably doing myself more good than harm by getting out of my little cave and pedaling.

Anyway, if you care to track my progress and see the routes I've been riding, set up a free http://www.mapmyride.com account and become my "friend" on the system... or just watch the Twitter or Facebook feed; my rides should start posting on those services soon.

And if you don't care, that's ok too... I'm sure many of you are tired of hearing me jibber-jabber all the time :)

Hope you're all doing well...

Harold

Winthrop (Not Gary Indiana)

2011-07-01T10:45:00.024-07:00

So, a couple weeks back Trish shot an independent film with Sage Bannick called The Evil Within up in Winthrop, WA. This is kind of a funny coincidence, because the first play I ever worked on was the Music Man, and one of the main characters is named Winthrop, and... well, ok, maybe it's just funny to me.

(Well, ok, maybe it's just funny to me...)

ANYWAY... the production flew Trish to Winthrop, and on the weekend I drove up to the Wolfridge Resort join her for the evening, and then drive her back the next day (after doing a short stint in the film myself as an airline representative... don't blink or you'll miss me when the film is actually released :) ) It made for long few days in the car... I had an industrial shoot down in Eugene the Friday before I left and the Monday after we returned... but it was worth it to spend some exclusive time with Trish on the way back down.

Most of the time up in Winthrop was spent working... but I did manage to snap a couple of vacation photos while we were up there...

My companions on the drive up... lots of coffee, water, and a Jack Reacher audiobook

Can't you tell how much Trish LOVES having her photo taken?

Well, ok, maybe these photos weren't really worth sharing... if we'd been in that "mode," we probably would have pulled off to the side of the road and taken some shots of the waterfalls and mountains we passed on the way back to Portland from Winthrop... but by that time we were just interested in getting home so I could get some rest before heading down to Eugene. Still, it was a great opportunity to get something of a break in between our various projects...

Training Up...

2011-06-28T13:25:00.025-07:00

Yeah... so I'm a little sore today. See, I'm "in training."

Somehow my dad (who's become quite the avid bicyclist in the past few years... in fact, he's ridden the Seattle to Portland Classic twice thus far, and he'll be doing it again this year) talked me into riding the Portland Century bike ride this coming August... and I haven't been on my bicycle for at least a year.

Now, I'm not planning on riding the full 100 mile trek on August 21st... that'd be madness given how little I've been on my bike. I did agree to join him on the 40 mile route, though... which means I've got to get some miles in on the bike between now and then. That might be a little challenging, given my wacky schedule, Portland's unpredictable weather, and the other "X-Factors" that can come up in Trish and my lives... but it's something to shoot for - and let's face it, I could use the exercise.

So, yesterday, I took a ten mile trip from my house to the nearest post office (had to mail some invoices...) and back. It didn't destroy my legs nearly as bad as I thought it would... we'll see what happens as I start to expand out to 20 and 30 mile trips.

So, if you Portlanders see me wheezing on the side of the road, you'll know what's going on...

So, If I Haven't Blogged In Six Months Am I Still A "Blogger?"

2011-06-18T10:43:00.000-07:00

The title of this post is a bit misleading... I have been blogging plenty over the past six months - in fact, I've been posting one or two posts to the internet most days in the past year... I just haven't been doing it here.

Instead, most of my online writing has been happening at www.OregonFilmandTVDollars.com, where I've been working to let Oregonians know about the film and TV (and new media, and commercial, and animation, and... and... and...) industry in their state - not just in an effort to renew our state's film incentive programs, but to remind them that this industry brings millions of dollars and hundreds of jobs into the state.

That said, I've missed the more personal writing I do here... the meditations on ideas or situations I've encountered, the sharing of good news and bad. Sure, I share a lot of this information on Twitter and Facebook, but there's not a lot of space on either of those platforms to really dig into the topics that interest me (even if they don't interest you!)

Of course, there's only so much time in a given day, and between work, family stuff, work, the other site, work, and trying to find some down-time to recharge... it can be hard to get an hour or so to sit down and really put together a nice article for the ol' blog here.

It's that recharging and rejuvenation that's been missing, though... I was talking to the director of an industrial I'm working on yesterday about the benefits of confession to Catholics (you get into some interesting conversations while the next shot is being set up...) Now, I'm not Catholic, I don't have any firsthand knowledge of this, but there's a reason they say "confession is good for the soul -" and it has nothing to do with theology. Confession, or psychotherapy, or just sitting down with some friends for a beer gives you the chance to think out loud; it lets you open up the cobwebbed attic you call your head, pull out a few artifacts from times gone by (or stuck up there in recent days,) take a look at them, and by explaining them to whomever's listening get a better understanding of what they're doing up there to begin with. Confession, or just thinking-out-loud, allows you to understand yourself better - your beliefs, your reactions to things, and the reason you view the world the way you do.

That's the real purpose of "journaling" or, in my case, "blogging." It's a form of confession... and it's good for the soul.

So, recognizing that there's been a lack of this confession in my life over the past few months, I'm going to dust off the blog and get back into things... don't expect a post every day. Heck, don't be surprised if I go weeks or months in between posts again (it wouldn't be the first time, obviously...) If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook you'll see when I post a new entry - or you can still put your email address in the box to the right of this post and have an email delivered to your inbox when something new goes up here. If you care. If not, pop on by whenever... I'll be confessing off and on.

Hope you're all doing well...

-Harold

Uh... wow. It's 2011

2011-01-13T18:59:00.003-08:00

Wow. You know, I suck.

Well, ok... if you're a semi-regular reader of this blog, you probably already know I suck... but I'm starting to think that my good friend Kert was right a few years back when he called me the "worst blogger on the internet." I mean, my last post was 2 1/2 months ago... about my brother-in-law dying. You probably thought I died or something.

Except, if you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you know better... and if you've subscribed to www.OregonFilmandTVDollars.com, you probably know where most of my bloggin' energy has been going of late.

That being said... yeah. I've been dropping the ball at keeping THIS blog updated. Stick with me, guys... new posts will be coming forthwith (if forthwith means whenever I get a chance to breath :) )

In the mean time... happy new year! I've been having a busy, SLAMMIN' 2011 thus far. Hope yours is going well too!

More... soon?

-Harold

A Man Of Means By No Means

2010-11-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

A sad note to pass on for any of you who knew my brother-in-law Bob Smith... Bob passed away peacefully at Salem Hospital yesterday morning.

As you might expect, Trish and I are doing our best to help her sister Mary Lou during this difficult time. Don't be surprised if we're unable to get back to you as quickly as usual in the next few days.

We'll miss you, Bob - you were truly one of a kind.

The Morning After The Morning After

2010-11-04T10:18:00.003-07:00

Well then.

If you're a regular reader of my blog, then you probably have an inkling of which direction my politics run towards... and you can probably guess at the feelings of disappointment I was suffering yesterday as the full impact of Tuesday's election began to settle in. Now, I know plenty of people who aren't as disappointed as I am... and that's ok. I don't agree with them, but they're entitled to enjoy the GOP's victory... I myself see a rough two years ahead, full of partisanship and gridlock.

Welcome to 1996, ladies and gentlemen. The new Republican-led House of Representatives hasn't even been sworn in yet, and already two Republican Rep's are planning to open "Whitewater-style" investigations of the Obama administration.

Even before the election, Republican leaders were saying that their top priority was not to put people back to work, not to fix the US economy... but to stop Obama from being elected to a second term.

If my friends who helped put the new Republican majority in office are expecting to see movement in Congress... if you're expecting to see things "get done..." well, I think you should settle in for a couple years worth of disappointment. The kind of disappointment those of us who didn't vote for the GOP are feeling today. Like I said, Tuesday's election was just a return to 1996-style politics, and just like 1996's "Republican Revolution," this new Republican wave isn't going to "fix" anything. They've got one overwhelming goal - "Get the President!"

Before we fall into a post-election funk, however, I'd like to pass on some advice to my fellow liberals (yes, I happily wear that label. If it was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me!) While organizations like MoveOn were moping yesterday morning and licking their wounds, CREDO Action took a pro-active stance. They sent out the word that, even in the face of disappointment, there are things we can and should do:

Click here to read the introductory paragraphs
...But now we need to brush off the dust, suck it up, and plunge back into substantive fights. Politics is not fair — indeed, U.S. elections are rigged in profound ways! But walking away is not an option at CREDO Action, and we hope you will join us in some of the actions below we think are strategic in the new political landscape:

1. Commit to Taking Down FOX News. So long as FOX News has any credibility within the Beltway, it will be a pipeline for malicious material that will poison our political culture. Join our friends at Color of Change: turnofffox.org/landing?credo.

2.Tell the Senate to pass the DISCLOSE Act during the lame duck session. We were able to defeat the Texas Oil Initiative, Prop 23 in California, in part because we knew who the enemy was — having disclosure of corporate contributions brings the enemy out in the open for us to take on and fight. The DISCLOSE Act passed the House and came within a single vote of passing the Senate. One vote. You can join this fight by taking action with Public Citizen at citizen.org/disclose-act-action.

3. Keep fighting to end the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. This issue will get resolved during the lame duck session. Take action at act.credoaction.com/campaign/bushtaxcuts.

4. Sign up for the fight for a constitutional amendment to reverse the Citizens United decision by declaring that corporations do not have the legal rights of humans. This may take years, if not decades, but we should start now. Please join Free Speech for People: freespeechforpeople.org/.

5. Tell the FCC to use its existing authority to establish and defend net neutrality. Our friends at Free Press are leading this charge: act2.freepress.net/sign/put_up/.

6. Demand that the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service investigate the political organizations set up by Karl Rove to launder millions of dollars in secret cash to change the outcome of elections. Act now at act.credoaction.com/campaign/investigate_crossroads.

7. Defend the EPA from castration by pro-coal interests in Congress. The EPA accomplished almost nothing during the Clinton years because the Gingrich-led Congress used the budget process to prohibit the agency from doing its work. This battle has already started. The Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign is a great way to join this fight: sierraclub.org/coal.

8. Convince the Obama administration to stop appealing progressive court rulings on matters like the Defense of Marriage Act, Don't Ask Don't Tell, and the state secrets defense against torture and wiretapping. Urge the Department of Justice to change its approach at act.credoaction.com/campaign/stop_appealing.

9. Urge Democratic senators to do away with lifetime tenure for committee chairs and open up all chair positions to majority vote elections. This will go a long way towards more progressive legislation. Take action with us at act.credoaction.com/campaign/end_seniority_system.

10. Demand that the Department of Justice enforce the provisions of the national voter registration law that require state governments to offer to register all voters at departments of public welfare and motor vehicles. Many state governments simply ignore these requirements and this is a cheaper and more inclusive way of registering voters than the campaigns of the now dead ACORN. Urge Attorney General Eric Holder to expand voter registration: credoaction.com/campaign/enforce_motor_voter.

I suspect you are angry and exhausted at this point. I know I am. But let us not forget that the values and ideals we fight for are greater than any one election. They still endure, and so must our fight. We have a lot of work to do.

Michael Kieschnick, CEO
CREDO Action from Working Assets

I know. I know it's disappointing to see so many Americans turn off their critical thinking and allow themselves to be taken in by GOP and Tea Party marketing ("Obama bailed out Wall Street?" Really?) I know it's frustrating to see the Democrats cave (again) and talk about bi-partisanship (again) when they've received NO bipartisan effort from the Republicans for the past two years. I know it's tempting to hide in bed and pull the covers up over our heads... but we can't do that. If we care about the issues and we want to keep moving the country forward and not back to 1996, we have to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and get back on the horse. We have to keep pushing forward, keep making noise, keep bringing the facts to the attention of those countrymen and women who are more easily swayed by emotion.

It's what we do. We're Americans. We believe in a better tomorrow, and providing for the next generation. We believe that this country was, indeed, established to promote the general welfare of its people. We believe in the ideas that this country was founded on - but no one gave us the nation based on those ideas that we have today, while we sat back and waited for it to arrive. Our forefathers (and mothers) had to fight for it. They had to make it happen - and they had to stand up and pull the country back on course when they saw it sliding away from those founding principals. They had to push to move forward... to progress into the future. That's where the term "progressive" comes from, after all.

It's our turn. It may linger for a few more days, but the hangover's done. Now it's time to roll up our sleeves and get back to work. It's the American thing to do. (And to my Republican friends - you know who you are... push on back. That's what you're supposed to do, too. That push-and-pull is one of the things that makes our country strong!)

JibbaJabbaJibbaHappy Halloween!!

2010-10-31T11:13:00.002-07:00

Hey there kids!

I haven't talked about it much here, but I was recently cast in a new web series going into production later on this month called Born Hero. The Born Hero team put a little something together for you to getchya-in-the-mood for tonight's All Hallows Eve:

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Kinda gives you an idea of how much fun I'm going to be having on the set while we're shooting Born Hero, huh? A Rappin' Drac... I don't think I've ever been one of those before...

Happy Halloween

Animus Cross Series II Ends With Episode 7

2010-10-29T13:43:00.004-07:00

Hey folks

Been a while since I dusted off the ol' Blog here... most of my focus of late has been in building readership for my other project at http://www.oregonfilmandtvdollars.com/... as the election draws near, the OMPA and I have been working to remind the candidates for state-wide office of the contribution Oregon's film and TV industry makes to the state's economy... it'll be very interesting to see who we'll be working with next year!

That's not what I'm writing about today, though. I wanted to let you know that - just in time for Halloween - Animus Cross Series II is drawing to an end with the release of the seventh and final episode of the series at http://www.animuscross.com/ (if you have a hard time watching the episode on the official site, remember that it'll be released on creator A.L. Steen's YouTube channel next Wednesday.)

A lot of people have asked where the series is going from here - whether we'll be rolling on a series III in the new year. The jury's still out on that one... a lot has happened in Amanda and Jerry's life since we wrapped Series II (not the least being the arrival of their son Trone.) Series I and Series II were entirely self-financed, and I think their money may need to be... uh... directed in a different direction now.

That's not to say that production on Series III is completely off the table - not by a long shot! We just need to explore some sponsorship and distribution options to get the third series funded. Keep your eye on the official site and on the Animus Cross blog for word on future developments...

Happy Halloween, ladies (if only we could have gotten Clancy Brown to do this on camera while he was in town working on Leverage...)

-Harold

Don't Lose Your Chance To Vote In This Year's Election!

2010-10-06T10:34:00.004-07:00

Hey everyone

If you work in Oregon's Film and TV industry, you probably already saw this post a couple of days ago on http://www.oregonfilmandtvdollars.com/.

While many states' voter registration deadline was yesterday, here in Oregon we've still got until next Tuesday, October 12 to register. It's so so so SO important that you vote this year, folks! Please:

Check to see if you're already registered on the State of Oregon's Elections web site.
If you need to change your address, fill out this Online Form and get it in. Your ballot will be sent to your new address.
Not registered yet? No problem – you can register online here. You’ll need your Oregon driver’s license number for this process… if you’d rather register in person, print off this form and take it to your County Election Office.

Look, folks, we're picking a new Governor this year, as well as electing the entire State House Of Representatives and half the State Senate. Nationally, we're picking our entire Oregon delegation to the federal House of Representatives and one of our Senators.

On the state side, the people we send to Salem this year are going to be in charge of guiding Oregon through the economic mess we're currently in. Whether you're a Kitzhaber or Dudley supporter, though, don't kid yourself - the governor doesn't have much power in this process. It's our legislators who will be writing laws and passing the budget for the next two years - so be sure you're sending people you agree with (I would say "trust," but you know... we are talking Politics here... :) ) to Salem in November. Learn about your district's Representative and Senator, and then find out who's running against your sitting Representative and your sitting Senator. Visit the candidates web sites. Go to a meet-and-greet with the candidates like I did last weekend. Be sure that the person who's going to represent YOU in Salem thinks the way you do!

On the federal side, this election has been called the most important election of our time - and there's some truth to that. Look, just like the state-side, President Obama has no power to write laws that affect the budget of the United States. Sure, he proposes the budget to Congress... but it's the people we're sending to Washington this November who will actually create the budget bill and pass it up to the President for signature.

There's another reason that you need to participate in this year's national election. There's a singular question being asked in just about every house and senate race across the country: are we, as a nation, going to move forward? Or are we going to move backward?

I think the fight over healthcare reform this past year and the fact that Republicans in the Senate have used the Filibuster maneuver more in this past Congress than at any other time in history go to prove that our government is at an impasse until we, the voters, decide which direction we want this country to go in. On one side we've got a party whose only desire seems to be to stop anything and everything the president wants to do, and to go back to running the country the way they did in 1994. On the other side, we've got a party that seems divided in its loyalties and unable to work together, let alone with the opposition and the president (and that's not even mentioning their collective lack-of-spine when it comes to standing up to Republican obstructionism)

You get to decide which option is better this year: return to the "Contract With America" days of the 1990s, or move forward with President Obama by giving him more support in Congress to get new ideas and new solutions past the opposition.

I'm not here to tell you how to vote - if you've been reading my personal blog for any length of time, you've pretty much figured out my politics... but I am here to ask you - to beg you - to show up and do your duty as a citizen on November 2. The United States of America doesn't ask a lot of its citizens, but this is one duty that every American over 18 is expected to do. Vote. Be a part of the government. Help decide which direction our state and our Country heads in for the next two years.

Or, you know... don't - but if you don't, I don't want to hear you complaining about the direction things are going in. You had your chance to make your voice heard...

One Foot In The Gutter

2010-10-05T10:16:00.002-07:00

Hey folks... remember me?

I know, I know... I'm in the habit of saying "sorry it's been so long since I posted," but seems like the past few months have been even more "spotty" than usual - maybe because I've been posting nearly every day, but not on THIS blog. As the general election gets closer, I've been contributing a lot more on http://www.oregonfilmandtvdollars.com/ and encouraging workers in Oregon's film and TV industry to get to know their candidates for state-wide office.

BUT! With all that being said, I DO have a little something to share with you today... but only a little something :)

Around this time last year I shot a scene in Justin Koleszar's new film One Foot In The Gutter. Justin's fairly new to Portland, having (as of last year) just moved up from Arizona... but the script is amazing, and I was really happy to be part of his new feature. The film has been going through post for quite a while, and Justin just released this teaser yesterday:

So, keep an eye on http://www.onefootinthegutter.com/ for details on how the film is progressing, and when we can plan to see it released.

Hope you're all doing well...

-Harold

Why I Joined The OMPA

2010-09-24T10:46:00.005-07:00

So... last Friday, I attended an event thrown by the Oregon Media Production Association at Portland's Indent Studios. The event, dubbed "Oregon's Got Talent," was a celebration of the great actors we have here in our state - and it marked a new period in the OMPA's operation.

Before last Friday, the OMPA was known around Oregon as a producers' and crew members' organization... as Oregon's industry has grown, though, the OMPA board came to realize that talent working in front of the camera was a major factor in our industry's success. The OMPA's mission is to serve and represent everyone in Oregon's film, TV and new media industry, so on Friday they announced that they're offering a new "add on" membership for represented actors, and they've set up a new "Talent" category in SourceOregon, our state's official film and TV personnel directory.

And me? I was there to sign up!

(Want your own coffee cup like the one I showed off in the video? Get it here!)

So, Oregon actors, won't you join me in joining the OMPA? Show Oregon - and the world - just how big our industry is. Make your presence in our field known - get listed in SourceOregon.com and get seen by producers and casting directors all over the world... and get involved in your Chamber of Commerce! Let them know how you think our film and TV industry in Oregon should grow, and how you want to be represented.

It's not a lot of money, really... and the more we speak with a united voice, the stronger we are. Join the OMPA. Get listed. and help us grow our industry into the next decade.

Portland Actors - What Are You Doing Tonight?

2010-09-17T10:51:00.002-07:00

Want to come to a party?

By now, I'd hope that you've heard about the Oregon Media Production Association's Oregon's Got Talent event being held tonight at Indent Studios.

Tonight's event is more than a big celebration of the top-tier, quality actors that Oregon has to offer to out-of-state and in-state producers though - it's also the official roll-out of a new Talent section in Source Oregon - our state's premier directory of crew, pre-and-post production services, and now talent!

So, hey, make it a point to come down to Indent Studios tonight to hear what it's all about! Doors open at 7 (and the drinks are FREE!) and we'll be partying until the late hours! You can find all the details here - there's still time to RSVP and join in the fun!

I'll look forward to seeing you there...

-Harold

Oh Boy... What Have I Gotten Myself Into now...

2010-09-14T14:26:00.002-07:00

Yeah...

So, a couple of weeks ago, Portland actors Duane Hanson and Brian Young approached me with an... interesting proposition.

You see... well... Uh...

Boy. I'll let the video below explain:

I have no idea what to expect on October 9th - whatever happens, it's sure to be a good time (even if it IS at my expense!) I hope you'll all join us there! For more information, and to reserve your seat, do what the robot-lady in the video suggested and visit

http://www.tonightsmanofthesour.com/

You only hurt the ones you love... at least, that's my hope! Hope I see you all there...

-Harold

I'm Not A #UnionMember (Yet) But...

2010-09-06T12:27:00.002-07:00

... that doesn't mean I don't understand what the Labor Movement has done for all workers... whether they're members of a union or not. To wit:

Happy Labor Day, everyone... remember, it's about more than Barbeques and half-off-shopping... it's about all of us who work for a living!

-Harold

Animus Cross II, Episode 5 Is Live!

2010-09-04T14:30:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone- I'm a little late in getting the word out to you about this. I've been traveling for the past couple of weeks and haven't really had a lot of time to sit down and blog... but now that I'm back in town for a little bit, I want to encourage you all to check out the fifth episode of Animus Cross - Series II

We've received some great comments on the innovative design of the Animus Cross web site - but some people have issues watching the videos at the official site. So everyone can enjoy the show, creator A.L. Steen has posted all five episodes of Series II on her YouTube channel.

If you haven't caught up with Series II yet, head on over to YouTube and enjoy! You'll want to see all the episodes before Episode 6, set to launch on September 29!

Hope you're all doing well...

-Harold

Where The Hell Have I Been? Where The Hell Am I Going?

2010-08-22T17:35:00.003-07:00

Hey there everyone. Remember me?

After a long run of regular postings, it seems I’ve “fallen off” when it comes to updating the ol’ blog… the reason is pretty self-evident: I’ve been busy. Like, super-mega-2009-level busy (not to mention the fact that I’m splitting my attention between this and the other blog…)

As I’ve mentioned in the past, I really enjoy blogging – but it’s something that takes time. I’m not just jotting quick notes to update you on the minutiae of my life and career here (that’s what Facebook and Twitter are for , after all!) The blog is a space for introspection, and drawn out examinations of subjects I happen to be interested in at a particular moment. Doing those subjects justice takes time… and I haven’t had much time in recent weeks to sit down with a cup of tea and update you all… and indulge my own rambling nature :)

I’ve got a spare hour today, though… so lets do a quick run-down on what’s been happening over the past little while...

>>First off, I’m back “on drugs” for the NIH There’s a reason I have a spare hour today… I’m sitting at Denver International Airport waiting for my connecting flight to Albuquerque (insert Bugs-Bunny-Shoulda-Taken-That-Left-Turn-Joke here:___________). As frequent readers know, I work with the National Institutes of Health’s Clinical Trials Network from time-to-time. NIDA runs various clinical trials at drug treatment centers around the country, and they fly my friend Lindsae Klein and I around to portray substance users going through the intake processes for these trials. It helps give the researchers practice in dealing with the population who are going to be going through the trial… and it can sometimes help to identify problem-spots in the intake process that need to be fixed.

This time around I’ve got three trips lined up – I’ve already worked at atreatment center in Cape Girardeau, MO, and I’m headed to Albuquerque today. Then, next week, it’s off to Cincinnati OH.

I really enjoy these sessions – yes, the pay is good… but more than that, I feel like I’m making a difference with the work I do (as my buddy Duane Hanson is fond of saying, I’m “using my powers for good.”) If I can help make things easier for the researchers and play a part in finding solutions to help people hooked on drugs… well, heck, I figure I’m putting a little in the kharmic bank.

The down-side, of course, is the amount of time I spend out of town; I had to turn down an audition yesterday because I was going to be out of town on the day the callbacks were scheduled... As I often say in my Back To Business articles, time is a resource that actors have to manage. No matter how you manage your time, though, you never seem to have enough to do everything you want to do!

>>That’s not to say all my time’s been spent flying around the country… oh no. I’ve had my share of projects in the hopper over the past little while… for one thing, I shot an internet ad for Dotster.com (with my good friend Eric Newsome) at the end of last month... no news about where and when it’ll be playing as yet… you know I’ll update you as soon as I know anything, though... eventually :)

I also just wrapped an independent film by Portland-area musician and director Jon Garcia called The Falls. I was especially honored to be a part of that project – I think it might raise some eyebrows when it starts making the festival rounds (again, I’ll be sure to update you on the where and when once I know something...)

>>Hey, speaking of Festivals… we just got word (like, LAST NIGHT) that The Bicyclists won best feature at the Columbia Gorge Film Festival (formerly the Washougal International Film Festival.) From a field of over 300 films, the judges picked our little film! I’ve always felt privileged to be included in the film’s cast… but now I feel especially honored (and I don’t even play all that big a role!)

>>While we’re talking about previously released projects, I haven’t let you know about a couple of projects I’m part of that have been released in the past month or so… first off, if you haven’t caught up with Animus Cross, be sure to check out episodes 3 & 4 before episode 5 goes “Live” this Wednesday.

Also, have you visited my YouTube channel lately? If not, you probably haven’t seen this cool little “spec” commercial I shot at the end of last year with Calfornia-based RBG Films:

(I say “spec” commercial because Toyota didn’t contract with RGB Films to make the spot – rather, RGB Films conceived and produced the commercial on their own, and are showing it to Toyota as an example of what they can do. Will it go someplace beyond the internet? Who’s to say? )

AND… you may remember me talking about shooting a pilot for a new web series called Vicky Vixen early last year… well, it took some time to get the pilot “just right” (and build the supporting web site around it) but Vicky is finally ready to be introduced to the world at www.vickyvixen.com! Head on over and watch the pilot – and while you’re there, be sure to register as a “Fan” to see additional content and to be entered into a drawing for a free I-Pad (no, really… the producers are giving away a free I-Pad to Vicky Vixen fans. No scam! No hot air… I wouldn’t lie to ya!)

>>So… about that other blog I’ve been spending time with... If you’re a frequent reader, you probably remember this post wherein I announced the launch of www.OregonFilmandTVDollars.com That site’s been cooking for about two months now, and the response has been tremendous! Not only have people been visiting and forwarding the articles… but it’s started a lot of very interesting conversations with people in the Oregon Film Office, the Oregon Media Producers Association, and independent actors, producers and directors who are all hungry to take Oregon’s film and TV industry to “the next level…” whatever that next level may be.

That’s actually sort of the question-of-the moment that keeps coming up in these conversations… where does Oregon want to go as its film and TV industry grows? Do we want to be “Hollywood North?” Do we want to focus on locally produced projects? Do we want to work hard to bring more out-of-state production into Oregon? All of the above? Maybe none of the above?

I can’t talk much about it at this point, but I’ve been working behind-the-scenes with the OMPA to broaden the discussion a little bit… That’s something else I’ll be updating you on coming weeks. For now, keep visiting the Oregon Film and TV Dollars site – and be sure to spread the word about it to everyone (especially the non-film-people you know who might not even be aware Oregon has a film and TV industry!)

Well, that’s pretty much what’s going on at the moment… I could probably go on for a while longer (as if I haven’t rambled on enough!!), but it’s time to board the last leg of my flight to Albuquerque… so I better wrap this up!

Hope you’re all doing well… and keep an eye out – I might just be updating a bit more in coming days ;)

-Harold

Back To Business: What Does It Mean To Be "Paid?"

2010-07-26T13:43:00.008-07:00

The Back-To-Business Series: Index

Hey everyone. Me again! Before I get started on today's topic, I want to apologize for my spotty posting schedule of late. Simply put... things are getting busy here in Portland, and it's leaving me less time for sitting in the office and writing. In coming weeks I'll still strive to post a new Back-To-Business entry every Monday... but if I don't make it, you can bet I'm probably on set or prepping for my next project (there are OODLES coming up - I'm going to have a very busy August!) Be sure to put your email address in the box on the right-hand-side of this page, so changedetection.com emails you when a new post is added - or follow me on Twitter or Facebook. That's the best way to assure you're in-the-know when a new post pops up here.

So... as I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm going to be spending the next several entries talking about the resources we actors - and all businesses - need to manage so we can be successful and stay in business. Before we get into the specific areas represented in the "golden triangle," though, I want to speak to something that's important to all of us: getting paid.

Chances are if you're reading this, you consider yourself a professional. Professionals don't work for nothing; they expect compensation for what they do... that's one of the things that makes them "a professional."

Compensation, though, isn't "all about the money." Remember, as I've said so many times before, money is just a resource... and you've got other resources to manage in your acting career. A professional actor is no different than any other professional - s/he should never work for nothing... but that doesn't mean money is an actor's only concern when looking at the compensation offered for his or her work.

Now, I can already feel some of you starting to steam... bear with me. I'm not saying that actors shouldn't be paid money - hell, I like money! I like money a lot! I'm just saying that there are considerations beyond the money. Look, read all the way to the end before you pass judgement on what I'm saying - and then let me know what you think via email or twitter. I can take it (and besides, we have to put SOMETHING up on Wednesday :) )

Take another look at the "golden triangle" above... go ahead, scroll up. I'll wait.

No, really... I'll wait.

Still waiting...

Ok, you're back. The triangle represents the resources we actors use to conduct business, and as I said in my last post we need to find a way to balance those resources. There's more to "the business" than that, though - the real trick of any business is finding a way to build these resources while finding a way to balance them.

You probably understand this concept when it comes to your money... we all want to increase our money without spending too much in the process. That's called profit, right?

Well, the other resources in our triangle work the same way... we all need more time, right? Never enough hours in the day to get everything done... but we don't want to spend so much time trying to "get organized" that we end up late for that next appointment! We also don't want to gain the reputation that we don't have the time to devote to a project, or an important contact who might bring us money. We have to find a way to build more time into our lives, while still being open to those who want to pay us that money we're so worried about!

And speaking of "worrying about the money..." we also don't want to get the reputation that we're always after money... that the paycheck takes precedence over everything else! We want to spend our time working on things that mean something to us, right? That means being comfortable enough with our money that we can negotiate - but not come across as greedy or desperate about our rent!

So, what's all this got to do with the topic of today's article... gettin' paid? Like I said above, actors need a pool of all three resources in the "golden triangle" to do business... and they need to add to that pool with every project - the more you have of one resource, the easier it is to balance the others! How do you get more of these resources, though, to add to the pool?

You get them from being compensated for your work, of course. An actor should never work for nothing... but s/he should keep all three resources in mind when considering how he or she will be paid for that work.

Yes, money is important... will that project you're considering add to your reputation? Will you meet important contacts who will help you gain money down the line? Will and those industry contacts see you work in the finished product, and tell their contacts about you... thus saving you time down the road when you skip the audition and go straight to the producers?

How much time will the project take? Will it save you the time it takes to build solid material for a demo reel that can increase your reputation with those people I just mentioned who are looking to hire you? Is the money you'll be paid worth the time you're putting into the project? If you don't think your reputation will be increased by the project (because it's for a small audience, for instance... or because you're not allowed to use it on your reel) - is the money you're being offered worth it?

Above all else, caveat emptor folks... no one's going to look out for your business. No one's out to be sure you have all your resources covered. When considering what you're going to be paid for a project, remember that YOU'RE the one who runs your business... you're the one who's in charge of building it up to the next level. You're the one in charge of building - and balancing - those resources.

Let's get to work...

-Harold

Back-To-Business: A Question of Balance

2010-07-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

The Back-To-Business Series: Index

I introduced you to the "Golden Triangle" in our last "Back-To-Business" article (I would say "last week's article," but as you know... we had a small problem there...) We're going stay focused on managing the resources you - and any business - use to generate profit over the next few weeks, and you'll notice that I'm going to keep coming back to this Golden Triangle as we do so. You see, the Triangle is a tool to remind us of the resources we need to keep track of - and it's a symbol we can use when we think about the way we run our acting business.

There are a couple reasons why the Triangle is... well, a triangle. The most obvious is that there are three basic resources you need to manage in your acting career. A lot of actors get stuck on the money - and it's understandable, since you're trying to make money as an actor without spending too much money in the process (that's how you measure the profit of your business, after all... the amount you've brought in versus the amount you've spent.) Money's just one of the resources you need to to actively manage, though, to have a successful career. Time is just as important, as is your reputation amongst those in "the business" - and amongst your audience.

There's another, more subtle reason for the triangle in the symbol above. I use that shape as a reminder to keep all my resources in balance. As actors, we strive for balance in our daily lives... balance between work and play, between feeding our souls and feeding our bellies, between pursuing work and actually working... it's a long list. Balancing our business resources, however, is just as important as balancing our personal life.

What do I mean? Well, lets think about our personal lives... if we spend too much time working, and not enough time with our families, our personal relationships suffer. If we spend too much money at the bar and and we don't have enough to cover our rent, our finances suffer. Spend too much time at our "survival job" and not enough time acting? Then our hearts suffer. I'm sure you've enountered at least one of these scenarios in your own life... we have to balance the things we need (work, family, friends, fun) to live a happy and fulfilled life. I'm not saying that's an easy thing, mind you... but its something every human strives for.

Businesses strive for the same balance in their "lives" - but they seek to balance the resources they need in order to be successful. HP, for example, needs certain resources to make their products, and to generate a profit. They need raw materials like silicon and plastic and glass... they need workers to assemble their products, sell them, and manage daily operations... they need an image or "brand" to trade on... and of course, they need the money for all these things. If they spend too much on one of these resources (such as personnel), they won't have enough money for another (such as advertising). Similarly, if they run into a shortage of one resources (like raw materials), they'll have to spend more on it... and they won't have enough money to put into other resources. They have to balance the resources they use in order to make their products - and thereby make a profit.

Guess what - your acting business follows the same pattern as your personal life... and HP's business "life" (even if you don't use the same resources they do.) You have to keep your resources balanced to make your product (your performance) and generate a profit. If you devote too much attention to one area (say, money) then another area is going to suffer (the time you could be spending working on your lines - or your reputation in "the business.") And because of the nature of our business, if those areas suffer our personal lives are also going to suffer. Balancing your businesses resources will help you balance your personal life - and will help you stay happy at work and at home!

There's a third reason I use a triangle to help track the resources in our acting business - it's because those resources are interrelated.

As I said above, a lot of actors get stuck on money... but consider - you have to have the time to work in order to get that money. You have to invest your money in building your reputation (headshots and reels aren't free, you know... nor are the drinks at networking events!) If you build a good reputation in your market, directors and producers may start approaching you directly to read for roles (or just hire you outright), thus saving you the time of tracking all over town looking for auditions... but building that reputation takes an investment of time and - in some cases - money!

You see, these resources don't live in a bubble. None of them can be the be-all-and-end-all of your life, or of your business (as I said a couple weeks ago, "business isn't about money!") They all relate to one another, and when you put too much emphasis on one, the others naturally suffer. Keep this idea of balance in mind as we move into a more in-depth look at each resource over the coming weeks.

And for now...

Let's get to work!

-Harold

Back-To-Busin-waaaaaaah?

2010-07-07T16:22:00.004-07:00

The Back-to-Business Series: Index

Hey everyone... So, apparently, I wasn't the only one who took a day off on Monday to celebrate Independence day. So did Blogger's "scheduled posts" system... I'd been wondering why I hadn't received any response from the article I had set to post on Monday. Then DJ from Tucson, AZ wrote to ask me why I hadn't posted a Back-To-Business post... and it all became clear.

Sorry about that, guys... in the past when I've found out my scheduled posts hadn't "fired" at the time I'd expected them to, I'd just post them when the discovery was made... but given the fact that a lot of people have taken this week off, I figured I'd let things ride until next Monday.

So... check back next Monday for the next Back-to-Business post about balancing your resources using the "Golden Triangle"

And for now...

Let's get to work!

-Harold

Putting The History In Perspective

2010-07-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

Yup... you're right. It's Sunday again, and you know what that means. Even if it is the Fourth of July, I'm sitting down to play my Online Video Game for a little bit.

You'd think that sitting inside uploading photos and tracking my family history is a lousy way to spend the Independence Day weekend... but actually, it's a natural fit. See, the point of today isn't to enjoy a day in the sun (hopefully) and gorge on hot dogs while you wait for the sun to go down and the fireworks to start. The reason we take today off is to allow ourselves time to reflect on our country's history. To look back at where we started, and to reflect on where we've ended up around 235 years later.

Now, I don't know about you, but I was exposed to a lot of American history growing up. Sure, American history was a mandatory class in school (and we still learned about Thomas Jefferson, so I'm better off than kids in Texas), but I was also raised by a history buff who would rattle off information from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War to the Cattle Wars. So, like I say, I was exposed to a lot of American history... but that doesn't mean I necessarily learned a lot of American history.

The big problem with history, in a lot of Americans minds, is context. We don't see how what's come before affects our lives today. Now, of course, we've all heard "those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it..." but lets be honest - a lot of people don't take that old saying to heart. We're Americans, after all... we're all about the future, about progess... about moving forward! The past has passed... right?

That attitude changes when you you have a personal connection with history... and that's just what happens when you look back through your family's history - History with a capital H becomes your history, because part of you was involved with it.

Look, let me give you an example... we've all heard about the Salem Witch Trials, right? Horrible time in American history... mass hysteria, hundreds of people put to death. It's just a story from the past, though... right? Nope. Not really... not if you have an ancestor who was accused of being a witch. Suddenly, that period of history means something to you, because it's not about a date and a place. It's about a person - a person you have a connection to.

Another example from my own history... I always thought, growing up, that my maternal grandfather was a second-or third-generation immigrant. My mother had always talked about his father (my great-grandfather) as an "old-world European..." so I just assumed he'd come over from Germany before my grandfather was born. After doing a little research on Ancestry.com, however, it turns out that's not the case... my great grandfather might have had "old world European" ideals and values, but the Goodykoontz family has actually been in the united states since 1750, when Hans Georg Gutekunst arrived in Pennsylvania.

1750. Twenty years before the Declaration of Independence was signed, 234 years ago today. That means my ancestors lived in the 13 Colonies before the revolution. That could mean that my ancestors fought for independence. Suddenly, the story of our country's tumultuous birth takes on a new meaning for me... suddenly, I'm involved - indirectly - with our country coming into being.

Fast-forward 54 years. I know Jacob's son, Daniel, lived in Grayson county Virginia in 1830. Virginia. A slave state. Then, he's dead 13 years later... in Indiana. Indiana - which by that time has abolished slavery, and had become a "buffer state" between pro and anti slave states. Did Indiana's anti-slavery stance have something to do with Daniel moving there? Did the Goodykoontzes play a part in the Civil War?

It's a pretty amazing thing to realize, out of the blue, that you've had ancestors who've played a part in major historical events... that, by extension, you've had a hand in shaping that history. People ask me some times why I spend so much time messing around with this family history stuff... that's part of the answer. My family's history is ALL of our history. It helps me understand what's come before, and how common people played a role in making the events we think of as "history" today.

So, as you're enjoying the fireworks tonight, give it some thought. Think back... what part did your ancestors play in making tonight happen? I think you'll find it's an interesting journey to take...

-Harold

Oregon Film & TV Workers: Get To Know Your Friends In The State Legislature!

2010-07-02T15:15:00.002-07:00

Hey everyone... it's me, rabble-rousing again, and urging my friends in Oregon's film and TV industry to get involved now in the upcoming state election. Remember, the governor's race isn't the only political contest happening this year (and besides, Dudley and Kitzhaber have both - finally - told us where they stand on supporting the film and TV industry.) There are also campaigns happening state-wide for seats in the Oregon House and Senate.

The other day, I got a fundraising letter in the mail from my state representative, Mike Schaufler. Mike was a BIG supporter in the push to get SB621 passed in the waning days of last year's Legislative session - he shuttled back and forth from the lobby to the House Floor in between every vote working us to make the bill work, and get the votes from his colleagues in the Oregon House.

I was happy to drop a small check in the mail to Mike's reelection campaign, because we need friends like him in the legislature. Here's a copy of the email I sent him last week:

Dear Mike

I got your fundraising letter in the mail yesterday, and of
course I'll be sending you a check - it's the least I can do after all the hard
work you did to help the Oregon film and TV industry get SB621 passed last year.
I'm also more than happy to put a sign up in my yard, and if you want an
endorsement, just ask (I signed that spot on the flap of the donation envelope.)

You might also consider visiting a new web site -
http://www.oregonfilmandtvdollars.com/ - and clicking the "Share Your Story"
link. We'd love to feature your support for the industry on that site; jot down
a few notes about what the industry brings to your district, the part you played
in increasing the OPIF cap with SB 621 and the "Local OPIF" (SB 863), and
forward a photo to me at this address - I'll be sure to highlight your work on
the site.

Thanks so much for everything you do for the district, and for
all of us here in Oregon. I'm VERY happy to support your re-election campaign!

Harold
http://www.haroldphillips.net/

I'd encourage everyone in Oregon's film and TV industry to contact your state Senators and Legislators (http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/) - and the candidates running to replace them! If you're reading this outside Oregon, then hey, do the same in your state!

Drop supporters of the industry a few bucks if you can afford it (believe me, I can't afford to send Mike a lot of money... but $25 makes more of an impression than $0...), and if you're not sure - ask them where they stand on supporting our industry!

Encourage them to use http://www.oregonfilmandtvdollars.com/ as a platform to share their support for the industry - it can be a good way for them to get the word out about their campaigns AND to help raise the visibility of our industry... so we all win!

But don't wait... now is the time to get involved, and get the candidates (and incumbents) thinking about everything our industry does for Oregon. Remember, the OPIF "sunsets" in 2012; we need as many friends in the legislature as we can get so the program is renewed. Now's the time to make sure those friends get elected.

Besides... it's Independence day weekend. Can you think of anything more patriotic than getting involved in the process?

Have a great weekend...

-Harold

I Love My Job...

2010-07-02T07:00:00.001-07:00

So... I have to tell you about an experience I had Tuesday night.

If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you probably already know that Trish and I attended a special advance screening of the new Twilight movie, Eclipse on Tuesday (oh, you DIDN'T know that? Well, you should really look at these photos of Trish on the Q&A Panel with Ayanna Berkshire, Solomon Trimble, Cathrine Grimme and Lana Veenker before the show!)

This is one of the many benefits Trish has gotten from appearing in the original Twilight - every time a new Twilight movie opens, she's invited to come to a screening and talk about what it was like to work on the original film. It's great - the fans really love seeing her.

Anyway... that's not the experience I'm writing about here. The experience happened IN the theater, WHILE we were watching the new movie. Now, as you might expect, the house was packed... and it was packed with fans. Real really super-REAL fans. People (not just pre-teen girls, thank you very much...) who knew the Twilight books inside out, who knew exactly what was going to happen... even if they didn't know how it was going to happen in the screen adaptation.

There was a moment, towards the end of the film... a moment after the climactic battle, when the elders of the Vampire and Werewolf clans interacted. I'm not going to be more specific than that because, hey... you may be headed to the movie this weekend. Suffice it to say, when you see it you'll know what I'm talking about.

People in the audience applauded at this moment.

Now, keep in mind, these aren't live actors on stage, performing for the audience... this is a movie. No one associated with the film is in the house to hear the applause (especially since Eclipse was shot in Canada, not Oregon...) but it didn't matter. The audience applauded for their own sake, not the production's sake... the applauded because the felt the magic of that moment.

And I felt that moment... as a worker in the medium. As a person who's been a part making these little moments of magic, whether on stage or on screen... I felt the audience feeling the moment, and I felt their need to applaud. And all I could think was... I feel privileged. I feel privileged to work in this medium, and to bring these little bits of magic to the world.

Go out and see a good movie this weekend, folks. The magic is waiting for you.

-Harold

Back-To-Business: Managing Your Resources - Mailbox

2010-06-30T16:41:00.000-07:00

The Back-to-Business Series: Index

I got a lot of response to Monday's article on managing resources in your acting business - and not all of it was grammatical (thanks again, Bostin!) I'm going to handle a couple of the "light" ones first, and then I'm going to get a little philosophical. Fair warning!

Oh come on... no one dreams of acting on screen with Kristin Stewart - she's awful! JC (Philadelphia, PA)

247 million trillion kagillion Twilight fans would disagree with you, JC... I didn't say YOUR dream was to act with her. The important thing is to know what your dream is - whatever it is!

I can't believe you campare actors and lawyers! Lawyers are the lowest bottom-feeding form of life. Are you saying we should all be like them? GA (Portland, OR)

No, GA, I'm not saying that all actors should be like lawyers (though, to be fair, some lawyers could probably benefit from acting lessons). I AM, however, saying that the business model lawyers employ isn't that different from an actor's business model.

Think about it for a few minutes... what does a lawyer do, when s/he isn't in court? S/he prepares for court (research, writing, practicing arguments... come on, you've seen Boston Legal) , s/he cultivates new business while keeping in touch with the current client-base (Denny Crane Denny Crane), and s/he does the work of running his or her business (bookkeeping, making the sure the license is paid up, training, getting the invoices out..)

Actually, Boston Legal is a terrible example (Denny Crane Denny Crane). That show - like most shows on TV - focuses on a big, expensive law firm. Think about the sole practitioner who DOESN'T have Candice Bergin around to run the store... how does s/he do all the things I mentioned above? S/he may have an office, or s/he may not. Clients still have to be met with, and new clients have to be wooed. The bills still have to be sent out, and the money has to be dealt with. Time has to be spent writing briefs, practicing opening statements, and researching... and s/he has to do it all him or herself.

And how is this different than what WE have to do as actors? We may have an office or we may not - but we still have to audition for new clients, and keep in touch with the contacts we already have. We have to do spend the time needed to run our businesses - depositing the checks... getting invoices out... We have to rehearse and research OUR work, too. And, unless we have a "team" to help us, we have to do all this ourselves.

When you think about it, the way we conduct business isn't all that different. Don't let the practice of law blind you to this, GA!

OK, here's the big one. I got a LOT of comments along the lines of this one:
How the HELL can you say that business isn't about making money? If you're not trying to make money, you shouldn't be in business - what's the point? PD (Lafayette, LA)

So... I warned you that I was going to get a little philosophical today. So here it is...

Like I said in Monday's article, money has to be part of business. If you're not selling a product, an idea, a service, your expertise... whatever for some sort of reward, then you're not in business. You're running a charity, or you're engaged in a hobby... but if you're not making some money at it, then you're not in business.

That being said, the notion is business is about making leads us down the rabbit hole to the blackest part of human nature; it says that all we're about is getting as much for ourselves as we can, whatever the cost. Sorry, I just don't buy into that. Yes, I want to make money - I'm not anti-capitalist by any means... but I do recognize that the motive to just "make money" leads to avarice, greed, and (it's been argued by economic minds much smarter than I) the economic sink-hole we find ourselves in today.

Look, it's a question of perspective. Why do you do what you do? What is it that made you want to be in the business you're in? If you were to ask other business owners (in other fields), they'd have a variety of answers... but I don't think you'll find "getting rich" to be among them. They went into business to provide something for someone - either something that didn't exist yet, or a better quality "something" than was available... yes, they wanted to get paid for their efforts and yes, they hoped that their businesses would support not only them, but their families. It wasn't about money, though... it was about what they were providing.

When a business is all about money, it begins to fail. It's as simple as that... the consumers start to hate it, and don't mind looking to the competition for a better value. Look at the airline industry today - almost every carrier is charging their customers a per-bag fee. The airlines that don't, however, have seen their business surge - because the customer thinks of those that do charge per-bag fees as greedy... and no one wants to give their money to a greedy company.

By contrast, the couple that own the UPS Store I get my mail at go above and beyond the call of duty for me regularly. If I call them to see if a package I've been waiting on has been delivered, they go and check... they don't tell me I have to come in and look for myself. Heck, once, they told me the package I was waiting for wasn't in, then took the initiative to call me BACK 10 minutes later to tell me they'd found it. Strangely enough, I have no desire to give my business to their competitors... even though they're located across town from me. They realize that their business isn't about the money they can get from me - it's about the SERVICE they provide TO me, that brings my money to them.

Businesses aren't about money. They're about products, or services. Businesses are ways to get money, yes... but if you make them all about money, you're headed down the rabbit hole. And it's a long way back up.

We're going to talk some more about money next week... and about the other resources in the "Golden Triangle" that you, as a business owner, need to manage in order to be successful. Feel free to keep in contact via Email or Twitter... and between now and then...

Let's get to work!

-Harold

Back-To-Business: Managing Your Resources

2010-06-28T13:37:00.009-07:00

The Back-To-Business Series: Index

*Note: I didn't have much time to proof-read this before posting; I dashed it off and then had to run off to my (cough cough grandson's cough cough) base ball game. Thanks go to Bostin Christopher for giving it once-over for me and catching some errors. It's greatly appreciated!

When I sit down with actors for their first Personal Career Coaching session, they're sometimes resistant to the idea of thinking of their careers as a business. I often hear them say, "I don't want my career to be all about the money." They want to create, they want to do the work... they don't want to focus so much on the money aspect of "the business" that they lose sight of what got them into "the business" to begin with.

Guess what - most small business owners feel the same way, whether they're actors or not. Let me tell you a little secret™: business isn't about making money.

Oh sure - money's a big part of business. You have to make a profit if you want to stay in business... and if there's no money exchanging hands, you can hardly call the goods you're producing or the service you're providing a business - if no money is exchanged (or you're spending the money but getting none in return) then you're engaged in a hobby, not a business.

Even with all that, though... business isn't about making money. There's lots of ways to make money out there - why would you go to all the trouble of running your own business JUST to make money?

Business is about making a product, or providing a service. That's where business starts - with the idea, with the skills, with the dream. Now, your dream might be to stand on the stage with Patrick Stewart... or your dream might be act on the screen with Kristin Stewart... or your dream might be to come up with the perfect product for Martha Stewart. It doesn't matter - at its core, business is about the product, or the service. The money comes after that.

Not much after, though. Once you've had the dream and you've decided to pursue it, you have to invest resources to make that dream a reality. As I mentioned at the end of last weeks "Aside," money is just ONE resource a business uses to make its product, its service... and a profit! There are lots of other resources that have to be cultivated, accumulated, and used to make any business run - and your acting business is no different.

Think about Toyota Motor Company for a second... they have to manage a lot of resources to make their products - and make a profit. They have to have the steel, glass, and rubber - the raw materials - make their products. They have to have human resources - people for the assembly line, managers, accountants, PR people (especially lately)... They have to have land for factories. They have to have the MONEY to pay for it all. You get the idea... the folks running this multi-national company have to manage a lot of resources to turn out a product they can sell, and then to turn a profit.

Actors aren't making a product, though, like Toyota. We provide a service - we sell our skills and our time to directors and producers (and by extension, to audiences.) the Toyota comparison doesn't quite work for us, does it?

Lets take a look at a service-based business, then. In fact, to make the comparison as close as we can, lets take a look at a one-person service-based business... lets look at a lawyer.

Ok, ok... get the lawyer jokes out of the way... I'll wait.

I know, they're not the most popular business out there... but their businesses are a lot closer to ours than you might think. They apply their skills to work for a client, who pays them. They have to appear before an audience (if you want to call a judge and jury "an audience.") They have to look for clients, maintain the clients they have, and invest money in their businesses in order to grow it. They can hire staff, but they can also do everything themselves.

So... what resources does a lawyer need to manage? Well, s/he has to manage money, obviously; until the client pays, our lawyer friend doesn't have much money to spend. S/he has to manage time - lawyers work under deadlines. Briefs and pleadings and such have to be filed by a certain time, or the case is lost. S/he has to manage his or her reputation - if s/he gets a bad rep, what's the chance that new clients are going to come his or her way? What's the chance that s/he'll get any help from his or her friends when it's needed?

Any of this sound familiar? We actors have to manage the same resources in order to be successful in our business... I call it the "Golden Triangle." These are the most important resources in our business - we have to keep them balanced, and we have to use one in order to gain more of another.

We're going to look a little more "in-depth" at the way these resources work next week, how they interact with each other and - most importantly, how managing them helps us turn a profit.

Not that that's all our business is about, of course... 'Til then,

Let's Get To Work!

-Harold

Yesterday Didn't Go Quite As Planned...

2010-06-25T13:34:00.004-07:00

... it went MUCH better!

If you're a regular reader, you know that my life is kind of a mercurial thing... I had the day all planned out, see. My first full day back in town after Trish and my trip to the coast to celebrate our anniversary was booked up, with a meeting in the morning, a day-job appointment in the afternoon, and a meeting with a director in the late-afternoon. And, of course, the usual errand running squeezed in-between... jaunts to the bank, the post office box, etc...

Well, like I said - my life's pretty mercurial. Things change in an instant. My morning meeting got called off. My client cancelled our appointment in the afternoon. Suddenly, my day was open until my director's meeting at around 4:30. In some ways, that wasn't a bad thing... Trish and I both picked up chest colds before we left for the coast - sadly, we hacked and coughed throughout our anniversary - and I'm still a little green-around-the-gills. I could have just stayed in bed... but nature abhors a vacuum. That open time got quickly filled!

First, there was the email I received from Jacqueline Gault, writer-director of the upcoming feature film Meet Jane Doe. I'd auditioned for a role in the film earlier this year and didn't get cast... but I've kept in touch with Jacqueline and other people working on the production. When it came time to cast the role of young Jane's father in the film... she thought of me! So, she sent the script over to me for a read and - wow. How could I refuse? I've been hearing people rave about this script for months... and now that I've read it, I can see why! Of course, I signed on. Filming begins in late Summer here in Portland.

Then it was time to prep for my meeting with Jon Garcia about his new film, The Falls. I'd auditioned last year for a part Jon's film Tandem Hearts; things didn't work out for us on that project, but he obviously remembered my audition - he sent me the script last week, before I headed out of town, and asked me to look at the role of the main character's father (yeah. You're right... ANOTHER father. Hey, look at those new headshots, folks... see that grey in the side-burns? I'm getting planted firmly in the "father type" these days... no reason to fight it - I might as well embrace it!)

I was pretty moved by Jon's script when I brought it with me to the coast. It's very personal, and deals with a subject that hasn't been examined too closely in popular films. Rather than try to explain it here, I'll leave it to the video on the film's Kickstarter Page. It pretty much says it all.

Needless to say, I was very interested to talk with Jon and see where he sees this story going... we had a great meeting at Portland's Doug Fir Lounge, and by the end I managed to talk him into letting me have the role :)

So, my day didn't go as planned. But I'm not complaining... the time filled up juuuust right! Looks like July and August are lining up to be VERY busy months!

Back-To-Business: Mailbox (Or Not...)

2010-06-23T10:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry everyone... no B-to-B Mailbox post today. Trish and I are driving back from the Oregon coast after a lovely little break... enjoy your Wednesday, and check back on Monday for the next entry in the Back-To-Business series!

-Harold

18 Years Later...

2010-06-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

You know, Summer Stock romances aren't supposed to last.

18 years ago today, I went on a date with a woman I met while doing summer stock at Western Washington University. I could have sworn I'd met her somewhere before... but when we compared notes, we realized that we'd spent our lives barely missing each other; She was stationed in Germany just after I left... the one ACTF that she didn't attend in college was the one in Anchorage... there were lots of moments like that in our history.

17 years ago today (or there-abouts... I don't actually remember the exact date...) she convinced me it was silly to keep commuting down to Portland from Bellingham each weekend... that the money spent on gas would be better spent on rent - living with together (gulp!) Of course, that put the kibosh on my grandiose plan to finish my degree at Western and start working in the Seattle theater scene... but I'd come to find out that she was good at putting the kibosh on my grandiose plans - and she was pretty much always right when she did so.

14 years ago today (I definitely remember THIS exact date) we tied the knot. Made it official in front of family and friends... and since we were making a spectacle of ourselves, we encouraged everyone else to do the same. A wedding to remember - at an amusement park, where the guests were encouraged to come in costume. And they did... oh how they did.

Since then, we've had our share of adventures. We've worked together, bought and sold property... celebrated the good times and held each other during the bad times. I wouldn't trade these past 18 years for anything; not for fame and fortune; not for the world.

I love you Trish... happy anniversary. I'm looking forward to spending so many more with you!

-Harold

Back-To-Business Aside: Acting Is Believing

2010-06-21T10:45:00.000-07:00

The Back-To-Business Series: Index

Hey everyone. You ever read this book? Maybe it was handed to you as a textbook for Theater 101 back in College... maybe you ran across it in a used book store.

Ok, wait - I know... I KNOW! At the end of last week's post, I said that this week I was going to talk about the resources - other than money - that we as actors need to manage. Before I get into that, though, I want to take and Aside.

Now, fair warning - I'm gonna to do this periodically throughout the Back-to-Business series... my series, my rules :) I've got my little "modules" I'm going to take you through - but every once in a while I'm going to "off topic" and discuss some things in more general terms.

See, as I was going through responses to last week's post, I kept hearing the same thing over and over...

"There's no guarantee that you're going to make money in this business."
"How do I know I'm going to get a return on the money I invest?"
"Isn't it dumb to throw money at a business that has such a history of LOSING money?"

etc etc etc... Which brought to mind the title of this book, from the musty bygone days of my Acting 101 class - way way far away at the University of Alaska, Anchorage.

Acting is Believing. It's a pretty simple concept for we actors to get, isn't it? If we don't believe the moment, on stage or in front of the camera... if we don't believe that our character is actually addressing Parliament... or in prison... or taking arms against a sea of troubles (and by opposing end them!)... if we don't believe that moment then the audience won't, either. We will have failed in our tasks as actors. Simple as that.

Guess what... business is believing, too. You can do all the risk-assessment you want to... you can prepare, you can save, you can train and you can and you can track... but at when all is said and done, if you don't believe that you can be a success... if you don't believe that you can make more money than you can spend, then you won't. Simple as that.

Look folks, all business is speculative. It doesn't matter whether you're acting, or your selling pencils on the street corner... there's no guarantee. It's always a risk. You ever watch Dragon's Den, or the US equivalent Shark Tank? On every episode, people go up before the shows tribunal of venture capitalists (and the TV audience) and they ask them to believe in their idea. If the presenter him or herself doesn't believe in their product/ service/ business idea - it shows. And the presentation gets shot down. If the tribunal doesn't believe in the idea, it gets shot down.

On those rare occasions where the presenter believes and the tribunal believes (and the presenter has done his or her homework... and the business model is sound, and there's a market for the product, and... and...) and the product or business is funded - what's the guarantee that the business will succeed? How are those investors assured that they'll get their investment back?

They aren't. No matter how good the presentation, or how solid the numbers... there's no guarantee - for the investor or the business owner. They have to take the risk, though, to see that investment repaid. They have to believe that they will succeed. We actors are familiar with that term, aren't we? We're told that we have to take risks in our acting, or else our performance won't be interesting, right? Well, we have to take risks in our businesses. If we don't... honestly, why bother? Why decide you're going to fail, and then keep walking down that road to failure (since you've certainly directed your steps in that direction.)

Acting is believing. The acting business is believing. You have to believe that you're going to succeed... or all the tips and tricks and advice from people like me in the world will never help you succeed. Simple as that.

Ok, next week I'll get into resources (other than money) that we need to manage in our businesses... for now -

Let's get to work!

-Harold

A Sense Of History...

2010-06-20T11:47:00.002-07:00

Howdy folks

So, here we are again. Sunday. As I've mentioned several times before, Sunday is my day to kick back in the office and play my online video game. You know, I've wondered a bit to myself about why I have so much fun looking into the past... why cataloguing and chronicling the family history is of enough interest to me that I'd dedicate a day a week (ok, a little more some weeks, a little less other weeks) to uploading photos and poking through family stories.

Turns out it takes my Junior-High-School Girlfriend, the lovely Joanne, to tell me why. Jo and was my very first real-and-for-true girlfriend, back when I lived in White Bear Lake Minnesota (Go Bears) Over the years, we lost touch... you know how it is, boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy moves to Alaska... it's the classic story.

Recently, we re-connected... and I could not be happier to see where life has taken her! She actually runs a state park in Minnesota now, and she and her husband live on a firm out on the prairie. I've been following her blog 14 Acres ever since we "met" again online (she's got great tips on a lot of subjects... canning, separating lard, how best to buy meat from a farmer... seriously, check it out!)

I know, I know... I'm getting off the point. Jo added this post to her blog on the advent of her 39th birthday... and, in a funny kind of way, she explained why I spend my Sundays this way. It's all about history - our place in it is due to those who have come before, and what we do to make history now will inform the actions of those who come after us. A pretty simple concept, really... but comforting in a way too - the knowledge that we're part of something. A cog in a machine, a character in a story, a link in a chain... use whatever metaphor you want to.

And, besides, what the heck... it's cool to un-earth the dirt on people, anyway. Did I ever tell you about my ancestor who got shot in a land dispute...

-Harold

And Now, Something NEW: OregonFilmAndTVDollars.com!

2010-06-19T10:54:00.005-07:00

So you remember this post from a couple weeks ago? It's actually gotten quite a bit of attention... it was even re-posted in The Oregonian's online "The Stump" section, and garnered a couple of comments (one of which was fairly critical of the Oregon Production Incentive Fund... I hope I didn't make an enemy at the Oregon Center for Public Policy with my response :) ).

As I mentioned in the article, a lot of states are scaling back or cutting their film incentive programs. Given the woeful state of Oregon's economy, our next governor (and legislature) might be tempted to do the same thing - it's a politically expedient thing to do, after all... many people see the OPIF as a "give-away to rich Hollywood filmmakers," without looking at the milions of dollars and thousands of jobs the program brings in to the state.

If we don't want to see that happen, we in the Film, TV and New Media industry need to raise our visibility... we need to keep reminding everyday Oregonians that this industry provides jobs to lots of people - not just actors and crew members, but drivers, carpenters, electricians, and so many more... we need to remind them that the money these productions pay filters throughout the entire state, not just the urban areas... we need to remind them that our industry is vital, growing, and providing opportunities to everyone state-wide.

So... I've started a new web site: http://www.oregonfilmandtvdollars.com/. As I say in the "About" section, there are lots of sites that talk about Oregon Film… this site is something different. It's focused on highlighting the economic benefit our industry brings to the state - we'll be re-posting news stories, writing editorials, and most importantly sharing the stories of people in Oregon who have benefitted from the money our Film, TV and New Media Industry brings to the state.

So... here's where I ask for your help, Oregonians. I'd really appreciate it if you could:

>> Spread the word - tell everyone you know about http://www.oregonfilmandtvdollars.com/.

>> Subscribe To The Site - In the upper-right of every page is a button to "subscribe" - clicking this button and registering will send you an email every time a new post is published. I promise I won't overdo it... hey, you see how often I post on this blog!

>> Send me your stories - Have you gotten money - even $1.00 - from the Film and TV Industry here in Oregon? We want to hear from you - visit the "Share Your Story" page and let us know about it! If you have a photo you'd like to attach to your story, feel free to email it to me. While you're there, scroll down and place a pin on the Oregon Film And TV Dollars Google Map - show everyone how Film and TV dollars filter through the entire state.

>> Show The State (and the World) You Support The Industry - Yeah, this one's gonna cost you a few bucks... but only a few! You'll notice a box in the upper-right corner of each page leading you to my Zazzle Store, where there's a variety of T-shirts, Caps, bumper stickers and bags (more products will be coming in the next week or so) telling everyone how you use Oregon Film and TV Dollars. Spend a few bucks and let everyone know that it's not just "rich Hollywood filmmakers" that benefit from Oregon Film and TV Dollars - YOU use them too!

There ya go, folks... start spreading the word, and start sending me material for the site. With your help, we can keep the film and TV industry here in Oregon first-and-foremost in people's mind when they're looking at ways to heal Oregon's ailing economy. You and I know that the film industry, one of the few industries growing in Oregon, has a lot to offer the state's economy... now it's time to let everyone else know about it!

Hope you're all doing well...

-Harold

Back-To-Business: The Right Time To Invest In Your Business - Mailbox

2010-06-16T17:13:00.000-07:00

The Back-to-Business Series: Index

Howdy folks

Well, I got a lot of email and more than a few Twitter comments about Monday's post about investing in your acting business... let's dive right in!

... What you said about investing in my career sounds good, but I need that money I make from my theater jobs to pay my rent. I'm not GM or Apple - I can't afford to be spending my hard-earned dollars on fancy software programs. GA (Baton Rouge, LA)

I get what you're saying, GA - believe me, I do! If you're pursuing acting as a profession, rather than a hobby, then you're using the money you get to pay your bills, eat, put gas in your tank... etc. No one's arguing that those needs have to come first.

That being said, to get ahead we have to do more than just subsist on what we earn - we have to use our money wisely, and put some aside for when things are slow... or for those unexpected "emergency" costs... or for investments in our business. This is why I encourage my career coaching clients to set up a separate bank account for their acting businesses - and to hold back whatever they can afford in that account to pay their business-related expenses.

Trust me, I'm not saying holding funds back is an easy thing - like you say, we've all got expenses that need taken care of. With a little forethought, planning and frugality (cutting back on our purchases of things we want instead of things we need, for instance... or making your own coffee instead of buying it, fewer trips to the bar after the show... that kind of thing) actors can save up a little cash to reinvest in their business. It's not necessarily easy - but it's possible.

PerformerTrack calls this little savings fund the Performer Trust account (once again, remember you can save 20% off a 1-year subscription with coupon code PORTLAND9). After a few months of holding 5%, 10%, or 20% of your pay checks back you might be surprised at how much cash you can accumulate to invest in your business!

... Sorry, but it is a job - actors should always be paid as employees, and congress agrees: http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/feds_poised_to_pursue_misclassification_of_workers_as_a_crime/ so you'd better be wondering where that next "job" is coming from. SD (Seattle, WA)

I'm not saying actors should or shouldn't be paid as employees, SD. As I've said in the past, until every actor gets paid for every project as a W-2 employee, it's important for us to know how to operate as both 1099 "independent contractors" and W-2 employees. If you don't want to work as an independent contractor, that's fine - but plenty of other actors are accepting 1099-based contracts.

Whether you're working as an employee or a contractor, though, I'd suggest always treating your career a business. It's a question of focus and perspective - a lot of actors I've known approach their careers with the perspective that they're "working a job," so they put all their focus on doing that job (nothing wrong with that, right?) When that job ends, though (as all acting jobs eventually do), their focus is fully on finding a new boss to give them their next "job."

Businesses don't work this way - they have a range of clients or customers, and they work on cultivating more of them even as they're doing work for their existing clients and customers. Their perspective is that they're selling a product or providing a service to a group of people, and their focus isn't solely on the work they do for one client, but all the work they do for all of them (including those they haven't met yet.) Consequently, when work for one client ends, they don't panic and run around looking for work - they simply shift into work for their next client.

W2 or 1099 aside, mentally it's to an actor's advantage to emulate the way that business.. well, does business. Following that model is what allows us to build a sustainable career... as opposed to waiting for one job to end before we frantically look for the next one.

I don't disagree with what you are advocating, however, there is one major aspect of an acting career that differs from big business. ROI. Return On Investment....The annual income statistics that the unions put out continue to be pitiful. And let's remember that's averaging in all those gazillion dollar salaries of the major stars. It's simply a fact that the ROI of most actors will be a negative number. BC (Studio City, CA)

ROI is important, BC. I don't agree that "the ROI of most actors will be zero" (my emphasis, not his), but it's important to keep ROI in mind when considering investments in your business.

Before we go much further, lets get one thing out of the way - the term "ROI" is more of that "Nightly Business Report" language that a lot of actors' eyes glaze over at. It's a simple enough concept: You spend money (investment.) You want to make at least as much money as you've spent (the return) as a result of that investment. How much money you make (or don't) beyond what you've spent is the return on investment. Of course, most of you readers have probably already figured that out... but I figured it was a good idea to define the term for my "special" cousin Eustace (Auntie-Norma-Jean got him one a' them there computer machines fer his birthday, ya know...)

(Great, now I'm going to get hate mail from all you readers named Norma Jean and Eustace. Sigh... moving on...)

Like I said above, ROI is important. If we're going to lay out money on something, we want to see a positive result from what we spend. If we pay to get new headshots taken and printed, for instance, we want to see more auditions and booked projects (and therefore more income) as a result of that cash outlay. The question is... how do you know whether you've got a positive or negative ROI on what you spent?

This is one of the many reasons why I use PerformerTrack. Unless you're tracking what you've spent and what you've brought in, there's no way to know what the ROI on those headshots was. By entering my income and expenses into PerformerTrack, I can print out an Income Report and an Expense Report, and I can see if I'm making a profit this year or not (if I'm making a profit, I'm getting a positive ROI - everything I've invested in has cost me less than I've brought in, after all...)

If I'm not making a profit, then I have to look at what I've invested in and see what's working or what's not. I might need to spend more money to balance things out (those headshots I paid for? Not working? Ok... I guess I need different ones), or I might need to reduce the amount I spend on memberships... or subscriptions to breakdown services... or...

The point is, we should never assume that we're going to have a negative ROI. We should invest expecting a positive ROI - and then we should pay attention to be sure that our expectations are met. If they're not, then it's time to make a correction of some type or another. Our income level doesn't necessarily factor into this - if we know how much we're making, then we know how much we can spend.

Expecting not to get a positive ROI, though, just becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy. Why invest in something that could make us more successful if it's never going to pay off, right? Like I said to SD, it's about perspective and focus - focusing on the "fact" that actors "will" have a negative ROI just allows that to happen... focusing on making wise investments to be sure you have a positive ROI, on the other hand, just prompts you to keep track of things. And keeping track of your business is what allows you to grow your business.

That's it for now... more on managing your resources in Monday's post. For now...

Let's get to work!

-Harold

Livre de Visage

2010-06-15T15:28:00.001-07:00

Hey, are you my "friend" on Facebook? Or, do you "like" me? Or both?

If it's one and not the other, you're missing out on around half the information (ok, maybe 1/3) that I post on Ye Olde Facebook... then, on the other hand, that might be ok depending on what you're looking for.

See, I set up my "Like page" (back then it was called a "Fan" page) when I first set up my Facebook account. I quickly realized that the Fan page wasn't quite what I was looking for. So, I set up my personal Facebook page (the "Friend" one most of you Facebook buddies are hooked into), and went on my merry way.

The "Fan" page languished for a bit, while my "friends list" has grown and grown. Here's the thing, though - I've come to realize that a lot of my "Friends" are more interested in news on my acting career (the status of projects I'm working on, trailers and press, behind-the-scenes photos... that sort of thing) than the more personal and behind-the-scenes-business information I post on my personal page.

So, I've started adding more project-related content to "Fan" page, and I've stopped putting it on my personal page. Do you "like" that kind of information? Then be sure to pop over to my "Fan" page and "Like" me (you Like me! You really like me!!)

Unless, you know... you don't. Like me. It's ok... I won't take it personally... sniff... sniff...

Tony's Schmony's

2010-06-15T00:02:00.001-07:00

Forget Broadway... tonight was the 31st annual Drammy Awards!

Ok, ok... so maybe those of you who don't live in Portland are more interested in the year's best on the "Great White Way..." If you live in Portland and attend live theater in our fair city (and weren't following me on Twitter as I "live tweeted" - until the service went down, that is...) you might want to know who won the awards tonight! Here's a run-down of the event:

The Crystal Ballroom was packed, as it is every year on Drammy night. Steve Smith kicked things off by welcoming everyone to the ceremony, and then handed things over to the Master of Ceremonies for the evening, Michael O'Connell. O'Connell's opening was reminiscent of Stephen Colbert's "The Word" segment on his nightly show; as Michael went through some of the high points of the past season (such as Portland Playhouse's explosion onto the theater scene) and the low points (like the closing of IFCC; Adrienne Flagg got a special round of applause from the room for her running of the facility) the screen behind him displayed commentary on what he was saying - to hilarious effect. Finally, closing with "Tonight we celebrate our hard work, and we celebrate each other," Michael handed things over to the awards presenters, and we were off!

(In case you're unaware of the way the Drammies work, the committee presents up to four awards per category. The number of awards varies from year to year, as do the number and types of categories. The Drammy Committee doesn't present “best of” awards, but rather awards for “outstanding” achievement; they believe identifying “outstanding” theatre – rather than simply the best of what was offered – better promotes excellence while preserving the integrity, value and meaningfulness of the award. You can find out more about the principles behind the awards by clicking here)

Margaret Chapman started things off by presenting the Portland Civic Theatre Guild's Youth Scholarships - awards of $750 to two young actors to help them continue their theatre education. The awards were given to Rafe Larson & Madeline Rogers.

Outstanding Performance by a Young Performer: Lea Zawada for Pinnocchio (NW Childrens Theater)

Outstanding Achievement in Lighting Design: Diane Ferry Williams for Snow Falling on Cedars (Portland Center Stage)

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design: Richard E. Moore for 4.48 Psychosis (defunkt theater)

Outstanding Supporting Actor (4 winners):

David Margulies for The Chosen (Portland Center Stage)
Kevin Jones for Radio Golf (Portland Playhouse / BaseRoots)

Spencer Conway for Fool For Love (CoHo)
Victor Mack for Radio Golf (Portland Playhouse / BaseRoots)

Kimberly Howard couldn't make the prsentation by the Oregon Cultural Trust, so Tim DuRoche stepped up instead to remind us that anyone - with any means - can make a donation to a cultural organization and a matching gift to the Cultural Trust - which results in a tax CREDIT for the amount of the matching gift. A great way to support Oregon arts and culture, and help yourself at tax-time!

Outstanding Original Music: Ashia Grzesik for The Gray Sisters (Third Rail Rep)

Outstanding Original Score: McKinley For Gracie and the Atom (Artists Rep)

Outstanding Original Script (2 winners):

Joseph Sousa for Teeth of the Sons (Re-Theater Instument)

Hunt Holman for Willow Jade (Portland Playhouse)

Outstanding Supporting Actress (2 winners):

Laura Faye Smith for The Trip To Bountiful (Profile Theater)
Amy Newman for God's Ear (Theatre Vertigo)

Andrew Edwards then presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Lakewood Theater's very own Kay Vega. I can't begin to ecapsulate all that was said here... but she deserved all the praise she received!

Outstanding Supporting Performer in a Musical (3 winners):

Danny Rothman for Ragtime
(Portland Center Stage)

Debbie Hunter for A Little Night Music (Mock's Crest) *

Amy Beth Frankel for Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Broadway Rose)

*A little side-note here: in her acceptance speech, Debbie mentioned that Roger Doyle, the man behind Mock's Crest Productions, has been diagnosed with ALS, and A Little Night Music will likely be his final show as conductor for the production company.

Outstanding Costume Design (4 winners):
Darrin Puffar for A Little Night Music (Mock's Crest)
Mary Rochon for Pinnocchio (NW Children's Theater)
Rachelle Waldie for East of the Sun , West of the Moon (Shaking The Tree)
Sarah Gahagan for both El Quijote (Miracle Theater)

and Trojan Woman (Classic Greek Theater)

At this point, Matt Haynes and Bruce Hostetler presented the PATA Spotlight Awards for outstanding achievement by the people who work behind the scenes.

Stage Manager: Carol Ann Wohlmut

Crew: Kenichi Hillis

Production Management: Annalise Albright

Matt also took a moment to acknowlege the hard work of Jen Raynak, PATA's former President, in bringing professional standards to the organization.

Outstanding Choreography: Jessica Wallenfels for Gracie and the Atom (Artists Rep)

Outstanding Musical Actor: Gavin Gregory for Ragtime (Portland Center Stage)

Outstanding Musical Director (2 winners):

Rick Lewis for Ragtime (Portland Center Stage)

Kurt Crowley for Forbidden Broadway (Broadway Rose)

Outstanding Scenic Design (2 winners):

Mark Haacke for El Quijote (Miracle Theater)

Tim Stapleton for This Lime Tree Bower (CoHo / Our Shoes Are Red)

Outstanding Ensemble: the cast of 4.48 Pyschosis (defunkt theater)

Outstanding Producer (the first time this award has been handed out): Greg Tamblyn for Disney's Beauty and the Beast (Pixie-dust Productions)

Outstanding Director (2 winners):

Grace Carter for 4.48 Psychosis (defunkt theater)

Chris Coleman for Ragtime (Portland Center Stage)

At this point Sue-Ellen Christianson presented the Portland Civic Theater Guild's awards to theaters for infrastructure - two grants of $1500 went to Live On Stage for the purchase of new sound equipment, and to Miracle Theater for the purchase of sound and communications equipment. Sue-Ellen also presented the Guild's Leslie O. Fulton award - two grants of $5000 went to Sarah Lean Foster to pay for her to study and teach for six months, and to Tim Krause for a trip to a theater conference in Chile.

Outstanding Actress (4 winners):

Malanya Helene for Hopeless (Brooklyn Bay)

Maureen Porter for The Gray Sisters (Third Rail Rep)

Valerie Stevens for The Gray Sisters (Third Rail Rep)

Heidi Hunter for Kindertransport (Jewish Theater Collaborative)

Outstanding Actor (3 winners):

Joseph Sousa for Teeth of the Son (Re-Theater Instrument)

Dennis Kelly for This Lime Tree Bower (CoHo / Our Shoes Are Red)

Michael O'Connell for The Lying Kind (Third Rail Rep)

Outstanding Production (2 winners):

4.48 Psychosis (defunkt theater)

Ragtime (Portland Center Stage)

So... there ya go! A good time was had by all - especially the winners :) No, really, we all had a good time.

Now that Followspot is gone, I'll expect you all to be snarky amongst yourselves...

-Harold

Back To Business: The Right Time To Invest In Your Business

2010-06-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

**Note: And we're back! Thanks for hanging with me, folks... I'm re-starting my regular Monday series today; feel free to email or Twitter me questions and/or comments; I'll respond to those messages each Wednesday!

The Back-To-Business Series: Index

If you can remember back that far, you may recall that I didn't follow my last Back-to-Business post about using PerformerTrack (remember - you can save 20% off a one-year subscription to PerformerTrack by using the coupon-code PORTLAND9 at check-out) with my usual Wednesday "Mailbox" post. That's because, for the most part, all the responses I got went something like this:

It sounds like a good system. Maybe once I start making money I'll buy-into-it. (Ft. Washington, MD)
Once I get more auditions to track, I'll think about using something to track them. (Miami, FL)
Maybe once my career really takes off, I'll set PT up. (Richmond, VA)

I responded to each of these folks individually (and the 20 or 30 others who said essentially the same thing) with the following note:

Hi ______! Thanks very much for your response. I certainly understand your need to watch your spending - we're all poor actors, trying to save whatever money we can! I might suggest, though, that you're looking at things the wrong way. Is the right time to invest in your business after you've become successful? I don't think many businesses can make that equation work - they have to invest in their business to become successful! We'll talk more about this in next week's post.

Of course, "next week's post" was a bit misleading :) My little vacation aside, though, think about the logic of what these people were saying... Did General Motors say they'd hire people to make cars once they'd sold some cars? Did Coke say they'd buy a case of bottles after they'd sold a few bottles of soda? Of course not... those businesses had to invest some money to start up, and once they'd sold a few products they had to invest the money they'd brought in to make more and better products.

That doesn't mean these businesses had to drop a million dollars at the beginning, of course - they were small businesses run by individuals, just like we actors are. They had to keep their costs down to maximize their profit and build the funds they needed for re-investment.

Ok, hold on there... I actually felt your eyes glaze over as I wrote that - that "Nightly Business Report" language tends to make actors - and, indeed, most Americans- blood pressure go up, I know... take a breath. All I'm saying up there is that these businesses - and we, in our acting businesses - need to keep costs down, so they - and we - make more money when we get paid. (ok, you probably got that part...) The toughie, though, is that once you - and they - get paid, some of the money brought in needs to be re-invested to make your business grow.

Here, let's take a look at the proto-typical American "garage business" - Apple computers. A group of friends literally started building computers in Steve Jobs' garage (That's a picture of "The Woz" working away in the upper-left of this post!) Once they'd sold a few computers, though - they didn't stay in the garage! They re-invested their earnings in the business they were building and moved out to larger facilities... and started making Apple into the giant it is today.

Sadly, a lot of business owners - and a lot of actors - never mentally move out of the garage. Their businesses might grow beyond their garage, but their mind-set doesn't. Let me tell you a little secret™: most Americans are afraid of money. It's a hard truth - but a truth nonetheless. We're trained to worry about money from an early age. When we don't have it, we're desperate to get it; when we do get it, we don't want to part with it - OR, on the other side of the spectrum, we spend it on things we want (as opposed to the things we need) as quickly as possible - thinking we'll never get any again!

Actors are even more fearful when it comes to their money than most Americans - because our income comes in sporadically. We're never sure when the next job is coming, so we hold on to our shekels with a tight fist... and then, when we get cash in our hands, we're even more extreme about holding onto it... or we enjoy it a little too much.

We've had this attitude towards money drilled into us because Americans have come depend on "the steady paycheck." It's part of what we were brought up with - this 1950's ideal that we're going to work for a single company our entire life - a company that will keep us employed, pay our benefits, and take care of us into retirement. It's a nice ideal, and certainly one I'd like to see the country to strive to rebuild - but lets be honest, we don't see many jobs like that in this day and age and haven't for a good long while.

The acting profession doesn't work that way. Sure, maybe it used to for the lucky few who were put under contract in the "Studio Era" of Hollywood... but those days are long gone. We actors get paid on a per-project basis; we're hired on to a project, do the work, and then we move on to the next project to start the cycle over. The only way to make a sustainable living from this model is think ahead - to manage our resources (and believe me, money is just one of those resources) so we can line up a number of projects to fill out our yearly income. In essence, we need to have a certain number of "sales" (the contracts we sign with various production companies) in a given year to make a living.

And here's the thing... if you think about it, there's not much difference between that and the way GM, Coke, and Apple make their livings. These companies don't have a "steady paycheck," either. Like we actors, they don't a number of guaranteed sales each year; they have to produce their product, market it, make the sale, and then manage the money that comes in so that some goes to profit and some goes back into the business to help it grow. Just like we want to grow our careers. It's that simple.

This is what I was talking about in my video post last week - we can run around chasing our tails looking for a "job" to do until the work runs out - and then run around looking for the next "job - " or we can run our careers like GM, Coke and Apple do. We can manage our resources - money included - to grow our businesses, and increase the number of projects we work.

I've talked a lot in the past few Back-To-Business posts about the expenses related to an acting career. There are things you have to spend your money on - such as head shots and training - and there are things you can spend your money on - like a car, a web site, or the commission you pay to an agent. You can get by without spending money on those "can" things I just mentioned... but what are you giving up by doing so? How many opportunities to book that next project - and fill out your income for the year - are you giving up by NOT having a car, web site, or agent? When thinking about places to invest your acting money, that's the question you need to answer. Not "what will I get for my money," but "what will I lose out on by NOT spending the money.

Like I said above, money's just one resource that we as actors - and any business person - needs to manage. I'll get into some of those other resources in next week's post. As always, feel free to email or Twitter your comments and questions. For now...

Let's get to work!

-Harold

What Can The Oregon Film Industry Expect From A New Governor?

2010-06-09T16:30:00.001-07:00

Well, someone out there gets it! Take a look at what showed up in my change yesterday when I bought a Viso at my corner mini-mart!

While the legality of writing on US currency is a bit questionable, the message is clear - the Film and TV industry in Oregon is bringing money into the economy! Film and TV dollars aren't just going to rent equipment and cater the craft services tables on the set of Leverage... they're going into the pockets of people who spend those dollars at the corner store, keeping local merchants in business.

This is a message that needs to be repeated often, especially in light of the upcoming governors' race here in Oregon. Whether John Kitzhaber or Chris Dudley moves into the Governor's Mansion this November, they're going to have a lot of hard work to do. Oregon's economy is still in trouble, and our current budget shortfall has brought proposals for a 9% across-the-board cut in state agencies - bringing drastic cuts to Oregon schools, health services, and other programs. Add to this an 11% unemployment rate, and whomever the new Governor is... he's going to face some challenges.

The problem here is revenue; most industries in the state have seen their income drop - and the taxes they pay on that income have dropped as well - which has reduced the amount the state has to spend on services it provides. This is a pretty simple formula, right? When Oregon industry does well, the state gets lots of money in tax revenue... when Oregon industry does poorly, the state doesn't have as much money to spend.

In an environment like this, it would seem logical to shore up the industries bringing jobs and revenue into the state - yet, to date, both Dudley and Kitzhaber have been silent when it comes to their support of one of the few industries actually growing here in Oregon - the film and TV industry.

According to Susan Haley at the Governor's Office of Film and Television, this industry brought $62,000,000.00 into the state in "direct spending" last year (Portland AFTRA president and SAG National Board member Mary McDonald-Lewis points out that "indirect spending" has a conservative multiplier of 2 - by industry standards - which makes the actual total brought in more like $124,000,000.00).

As of February of this year, TNT's hit show Leverage - just ONE project in this industry - had hired over 900 Oregonians to appear on camera - and many more to work behind-the-scenes as carpenters, grips, drivers... you name it (sadly, I don't have any figures on crew positions at this point.)

Now, there's been a lot of negative buzz lately about the "worth" of film incentive programs throughout the country... as this recent article in Parade Magazine points out, several states are suspending or reducing their incentive funds in the quest to balance their own budgets. Looking at the numbers above, it's patently obvious that Oregon would be mistaken to follow this trend. When Ms. Haley at the GOFTV gave me last year's revenue figures, she also gave me another figure - the amount the state spent as an incentive to bring outside projects in to shoot (the Oregon Production Incentive Fund gives producers a rebate - up to 20% - on what they spend here in Oregon when they shoot... unlike many other film incentive programs, though, producers have to spend their dollars in the state before they see any return). That figure? $7.8 million.

So, lets do a little math here... the Oregon film and television industry spent $7.8 million to bring production into Oregon... and that production brought at least $62 million into the state (or, if you factor in "indirect spending" - the hotel rooms and restaurants cast and crew eat at, the rental cars, the cell phones... etc, perhaps as much as $124 million.)

And at least one of those dollars ended up at my corner store. We can only wonder how many more have filtered into the rest of the Oregon economy at-large. So the question to the candidates for Oregon's governor is clear - what are you going to do continue this industry's growth, and continue bringing the jobs and revenue our state so desperately needs?

We're still waiting for their answer...

-Harold

Back-To-Business is Back Next Week (Video)

2010-06-07T17:28:00.003-07:00

The Back-To-Business Series: Index

Hey folks

You might remember my last entry in the Back-to-Business series wasn't so much an entry, as a video of me taking a break.

Well, break's over... and it seemed like the appropriate way to start up again would be...

(Ok, so maybe I didn't yammer on TOO much... but I still think Mercedes Rose's videos are better!)

So, check back next Monday for the next entry in the Back-To-Business series... and for now...

Lets get to work!

-Harold

Pilgramage Part II: The Return!

2010-06-01T09:41:00.004-07:00

And we're back!

Of course, you know that we've been back for a couple weeks now. It's Memorial day, though - a time to remember those who've come before... and it's the weekend, when I generally spend time in the office playing my online video game. It seemed like a good time to update you all on my r ecent trip to Arizona with my family.

Besides... I have to do something while the software is loading on my new computer... oi! Ya spend six years getting the box juuuust right... and then you have to get a new one set up just like it in a day? I tell ya...

Anyway, what follows is a mixture of travelogue, photo show, and a bit of insight into the things I learned on my little pilgrimage back to the land of my ancestors. You might be interested in some of the photos, a video or two... or you might not care a whit about what I learned on the trip. Really, this post is more for me, my friends, and family who want to see what I saw on my journey to explore my familial past. Don't worry, I'll get back to letting you know about my current and upcoming projects soon enough (as if I hadn't already :) ). For now, though... lets head back a couple of weeks to the land of sun and - snow?

Day 1 (Click here for a slid e-show) We landed in Phoenix in the early evening and got the rental car situation taken care of (we drove a Chevy HHR all over the state, and were very impressed with the car! Great gas mileage, a solid ride... maybe Detroit is starting to "get it" finally!). It was late enough that we didn't want to head too far - so we grabbed dinner at an Old Spaghetti Factory in Phoenix and then found a Holiday Inn for the night. Not too much to tell!

Day 2 (Click here for a slide-show) We set out for Flagstaff, which was to be our "home base" for the next couple of days. On the way we stopped in Black Rock Springs - a spot my Dad lived in while my Grandfather was working on the Black Rock Highway (Grandpa was a road engineer for most of his life... he worked on most of the major roads going through the state of Arizona at one time or another...). We got to Flagstaff in the early afternoon, found lodging at the Canyon Inn, and then visited the Lowell Observatory when the sun went down. Fun fact about Flagstaff: It's the world's first Dark Sky City - and that makes the sky AMAZING at night (not that my camera really did it justice...)

Day 3 (Click here for a slide-show) We headed to the Grand Canyon... in the SNOW! Now, Flagstaff has a higher elevation than Phoenix, so we were expecting the temperature to be lower than "shorts and t-shirt weather..." but none of us expected THIS! I could write more about the drive, but this video tells the story just fine... and the photos in the slide show give you a good idea of what we saw when we finally made it to the canyon!

On Day 4 (Click here for a slide-show) we headed East to see Dad's cousins in St. Johns. On the way we passed through Holbrook - the town my grandmother was born in. This isn't in-and-of-itself a major distinction; she didn't spend a lot of time in Holbrook, to the best of my knowledge. We had a pleasant surprise waiting for us when we stopped, though... at an honest-to-god "Wigwam Hotel," we found a Studebaker pickup truck like my grandfather's. Mom and I spent quite a few minutes by the truck, while she told stories of being picked up from the bus stop in one like this, playing in it, and generally re-living old memories. Then it was back on the road. Once we hit St. Johns we spent some time with Dad's cousins John Dale and Bobby Lee, and then it was back down the road. We were planning on making it down to Phoenix that night... but it'd been a pretty full day, so we ended up holing up for the night in Show Low (there's a funny story behind the name of that town... click here!)

Day 5 (Click here for a slide-show) We headed for Phoenix by the way of Pine (where my parents got married) and Payson (where my Dad, Grandparents - and I! - lived for a while). After taking a look at the church my parents were married in, my great-grandmother Alice's house, and a couple other spots along the way, we finally made it to Scottsdale and the Sheraton Desert Oasis, which was to be our home base for the rest of the trip. It was a welcome stop (especially for Trish!)

On Day 6 (Click here for a slide-show) we headed to Miami (the old-timers call it "Mi-ammah") and Globe - sort of the ancestral home of the Phillips side of the family. My great grandfather Joseph Alva Phillips worked for the copper mining company there, and my Grandfather's whole generation was raised there. We met up with some of Dad's relations at his cousin Frank's house, sat about and had a good time, and then headed out for Mexican food in Globe (apparently, a Phillips family get-together tradition... who knew?) Outside the Mexican restaurant was a reminder of Arizona's... tough-on-crime attitude.

Day 7 was a "down day" for Trish and I... Dad and mom went to visit some friends from High School while Trish and I hung in the condo for a bit... and then, that evening, we went over to Dad's cousin Bob's house for dinner. While we were there I got to see something of a family heirloom... Dad's cousin Linda showed me her copy of the autobiography of Christopher Layton (now out of print) - Layton was probably one of our more famous relatives (at least in the Mormon Church... but hey, we've got Davy Crockett on our side, too! :) )

On Day 8 (Click here for a Slide-show) Mom, Dad and I set out to visit Kingman, where they first met. Along the way we passed through Wikeup (where Mom's family lived for a time) and the Big Sandy Valley. We couldn't get down to the farms my Mom lived in in Wikeup - but one of them had a collection of farm equipment spread out over the property - many of which were similar to the equipment my grandfather used. My grandfather Harold owned a farm somewhere in the Big Sandy valley, but we weren't able to find the site no matter how hard we looked (and believe me, we looked!) Kingman - when we finally got there - was interesting... all the remains of the high school my Mom and Dad went to is the band room (where they spent most of their time), and after much looking, we were able to find the house my Mom lived in (she was amazed it was still standing). On the way out of town we stopped by a restaurant that my dad worked at when he was about 16 years old (it was called "The Platter" back then... now it's under a new name and closed).

On Day 9 (Click here for a Slide-show) we stayed in the Phoenix area and met up with some relatives. The morning started with a visit to Dad's cousin Patsy, then we had lunch with my aunt Bonnie and uncle Charlie (and his awesome wife Marcia, who we just fell in love with). That evening, we had dinner with Dad's half-sister Melva and her daughter Jan, who had a TON of family records for us - and were nice enough to go to Kinko's with us to copy them.

Day 10 (Click here for a Slide-show) was largely spent at with my Aunt Bonnie and her husband Steve at their house in Chandler. Mom and Bonnie don't get the chance to see each other that often, and it was great to see them hang out and share stories about growing up. After a very nice lunch, we visited the house Mom lived in while she was was in Tempe. When we went around the back, we got a nice surprise - my grandmother planted a pecan tree in the back yard the year she, Mom, and her sisters moved in... but the tree never yielded any nuts while Mom lived there. She got to eat a nut from the tree for the first time. A nice moment!

Day 11 (Click here for a Slide-show) was our last day in Arizona - and it turned out to be a real adventure! The goal was to meet our cousin Sharon Hinton in Geronimo - she was to show us the private cemetery where my great grandfather is buried. Seems like it should have been simple enough, right? That was before Dad said, "Aw, what the hell... lets take the Apache Trail!" Now, the Apache Trail is scenic - with lots of saguaro cacti, some water along the way, a fair amount of wildlife... and 22 miles of unpaved road! What could have been a couple hours' drive ended up taking about 5 as we crept up and down hill. It was gorgeous country, to be sure... but I'm glad I didn't tell Enterprise about the trip before I turned the car in :) We finally got off the unpaved road at Roosevelt dam - a dam my grandfather helped to build the roads in and out of. We finally met up with Sharon in the bustling town of Geronimo late in the day, and she took us up to the cemetery. While we were there she passed on a wealth of information about my great grandfather's side of the family - in fact, she's written several books about it! On the way back, we stopped in Globe again to check the county offices for some records... and then it was back to Scottsdale to pack for our trip home. Not too much sleep later... and we were back on our way back to the Northwest!

So... what did I learn on this little Odyssey of mine? Well, I learned a few things...

- I learned about the fluid nature of memory... everyone at these family gatherings had memories of the past... but that didn't mean they had the same memories about the people, places, and things that they shared with others in the room. My aunt Bonnie remembers my grandfather in an entirely different way than my mother does... my Dad's grandfather had a lot of secrets he wasn't privy to until this trip. This is one of the reasons I'm so driven to document my family's history; somewhere down the line someone is going to what know what happened to bring them to the place they are in time... and the more we record this stuff, the easier it'll be for my nephew, or his kids, or whomever to figure that out.

- I learned that about the power of objects... I never knew my Mother's father; he died before I was born. I can't tell you what it meant to me to see things like the ones he used in his life... a tractor... a pickup truck; I will never have known him, but imagining working the land, hauling a rake behind his tractor... that makes me feel closer to him than I can describe.

- I learned that the places people have lived help put their lives in perspective... if you've been lucky enough to meet my parents, you know that they're quirky people. They make an impression on anyone who meets them... it's just who they are, and how they make their way in the world. It's something I love them for - but like any offspring, I've had my moments of embarasment at some of those parental quirks. It's just one of those parents-and-kids kinda things. Seeing where they lived growing up... how they lived... gives me a deeper understanding of what shaped them into the people they are today; and it helps me understand how they shaped me into who I am today!

- And I learned that everyone's got a story... but then, I already knew that! Still... it's a variation on the theme above. The people who shaped my parents were shaped by the people before them - and those before them. And each one of those people have tales to be told about them - stories as big as a Shakespearean history, and as small as Willie Loman in Death of a Salesman. When you sit down and listen to people talk about their parents, or their parents' parents, you begin to see the big picture - the drama of each individual life that, when put together with the other lives in your family, make up the saga you yourself are part of.

It was a long time to be out of town... it maybe wasn't the most restful vacation I might have taken... but for those things, for the people I met, and the quiet conversations with my parents, I'll always be glad I took this trip with my family. It's definitely made my life richer.

I might suggest, if your parents are still with you, that you consider doing the same. You might be surprised what you find out - and you'll always look back on the time you spent with them with relish!

New Photos With the NebCat

2010-05-28T13:58:00.005-07:00

So, I got together with local actor and photographer Deneb Catalan yesterday at Portland's Washington Park to shoot some new headshots. I think they turned out pretty well... Take a look and let me know what you think at my Facebook "Fan Page" (yes I have one of those... that's where I post the more "business-related" and less "personal" stuff). Of course, if you're not the Facebook type, you can always just email me your thoughts... or send them to me on Twitter!

See, I love the headshots that Owen Carey took for me back in 2006... but we shot them in 2006. That's four years ago... and lets be honest - our faces change from year to year!

Rule of thumb when it comes to headshots in the acting biz - they need to look like you. Not the "You" you want to look like - all air-brushed and given the "Glamour Shots" treatment - but the "you" that's going to walk through the casting office/ theater/ agency door when you audition or interview. The person who set that interview or audition based his or her decision - at least in part - on what you look like. S/he knows what you look like from your headshot - and if you walk in the door looking different, s/he isn't going to be too happy. It can be quite the uphill climb, getting past the bad feelings a situation like that can cause.

That's why I went to Colleen Cahill late last year when I grew back my Animus Cross Series II mustache; I grow facial hair from time-to-time, and I'm still looking for work while I've got it on my face. If I get submitted for an audition (or if I submit myself) I need to show the person casting that project what I look like right then - they don't care what I looked like, or what I will look like... they want to see me now, and they want to see what I look like now.

Which brings us back to the new photos... a lot's changed since those shots in 2006. The hair's gotten a little greyer... the lines around my eyes have gotten deeper... I got my teeth worked on and they look different. I just don't look quite like this guy any more... so I've got to find the right shots that show how I look today. Right now.

Well, not right now... I haven't showered yet today... but you get the idea.

So, tell me what you think. Give me your favorites - which shot looks the most like me (and make the most out of how I look right now)? I'd love to hear what you think.

Have a great weekend!

-Harold

I Hear America Barking - And So Can You!

2010-05-27T16:18:00.002-07:00

Hey Everyone!

If you're going to be in the Portland area on Sunday, June 13 be sure to come down to the Someday Lounge at 2:00 pm -I'm going to appear in the staged reading of I Hear America Barking, a very funny new play by award-winning playwright Paul Calandrino.

All the details are on the home page at www.haroldphillips.net!

The reading is part of the Portland Playwright's Project, sponsored by Bump In The Road Theater. Bump In The Road has certainly grown from its early, "turn of the century" founding... they now have an East Coast division AND a West Coast division. I'm really glad to be working with the company again... and to be part of this hilarious play, directed by Lorraine Bahr. Mark your calendar - you're in for some laughs!

Oh, I almost forgot: Giggity Giggity Giggity... Awright! :)

Leverage Season 2 Is Out On DVD!

2010-05-26T13:02:00.005-07:00

Ha! Fooled ya! I know, I know... you figured "It's the last Wednesday of the month, Harold will probably have a post on his blog about the latest episode of Animus Cross Series II..." Well, I figured that I'd already warned you that Episode 2 of "Hell For The Company" was going to launch today in my last post - no sense in overdoing it, right?

No, today I wanted to let you know that if you missed my appearance on the season finale of TNT's hit show Leverage back in February, you can now see my episode ("The Maltese Falcon Job") and the rest of Season Two on DVD. TNT just released the show's second season on DVD yesterday - pop on by the Store section of http://www.haroldphillips.net/ and pick up a copy.

I also put a link up to Amazon's stream of "The Maltese Falcon Job," in case you just want to watch the episode I'm in... but it's part 2 of the season finale, and wouldn't you like to see both parts to get the proper context? Of course you would... and I'm not just saying that because your DVD purchase will go towards any residuals I get for my work on the show. Nope. No way! Not at all...

Hope you're all doing well...

-Harold

Animus Cross Series II, Episode 2 is Coming!

2010-05-24T15:17:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

Been a while since I've posted anything here on the ol' blog... I've been collecting my thoughts (and about 200 photos) from my recent trip to Arizona - expect a long-ish, meditative post on that later on this evening... or maybe tomorrow morning!

For now, though I wanted to encourage you all to visit http://www.animuscross.com/ on Wednesday (after 12:00 PM Pacific Time) for the release of Episode 2 of "Hell For The Company," the second series of the celebrated frontier web series Animus Cross.

What can you expect to see in Episode 2? Well... here's a little taste:

Hm... That Henry guy. Ya can't trust him, I tell ya!

Be sure to spread the word to all your friends - Episode 2 goes live on Wednesday at http://www.animuscross.com/, and it launches on YouTube the following Wednesday (June 2nd). If you haven't seen Episode 1 already, head over and take a look... And be sure to let us know what you think on the series' Facebook Page - we'd LOVE to hear from you!

Be careful getting home... There's blood in the air!

Animus Cross Series II Is Live!!

2010-04-28T13:57:00.003-07:00

Hey everone

You didn't think that just because I'm out of town I'd let today go by without comment... Series II of Animus Cross, "Hell For the Company," has officially launched at http://www.animuscross.com/! Pop on by and take a look - and let us know what you thought of the first episode on the Animus Cross Blog, Facebook Page or on the official Animus Cross Forum.

I can't tell you how privileged Trish and I feel to be part of this series... when we shot the first series back in 2008, we knew that Amanda and Jerry had planted the seeds of something special... and now that we get the chance to share Series II with you, you're going to start to see those seeds bloom in completely unexpected ways! It's truly a gift to play a part in taking the audience into unknown territory this way!

Be sure to check back at http://www.animuscross.com/ on the last Monday of every month through October to watch the continuing saga unfold! I'll be watching with you...

-Harold

Pilgrimage

2010-04-27T11:55:00.003-07:00

So, you remember the post I published Sunday about family stories, and how important they are? That little meditative ramble was actually a prologue for the next couple of weeks.

As I write this, Trish and I are packing up for a family trip to Arizona with my parents.

Yes, I know, Arizona isn't all that popular at the moment... the state's been in the news a lot lately, and not for the right reasons (in my opinion).

But, land-of-the-crazies or not, Arizona is the soil my family's roots are planted in, and a lot of my extended family are still there. As I said in that previous post, my ancestors' names, birth and death dates are easy enough to find on Ancestry.com or any of a number of online resources... what I can't get from those databases, though, are the stories behind those names and dates. We don't know anything about the people who came before us unless those stories are recorded and shared.

I've always been somewhat interested in my family history; getting it all recorded, however, took on a greater significance when my brother's son Christopher was born. I'd kind of like to know this stuff for my own edification and entertainment... but HE might want to know the story of our family, and tell it to his children, and their children, and... yeah. You get the picture.

Besides, it's a good excuse to spend some time with my mom and dad. We only live six hours away from each other, but if you're a regular reader you know how busy Trish and my life can get. We sometimes go months in between seeing each other - the chance to spend a couple of weeks with them isn't something I want to pass up.

So, if you follow me on Twitter, Facebook or Foursquare, don't be surprised if you see me "check in" at some new and different places over the coming days. We'll be covering a lot of the state over the next couple of weeks; as with other trips Trish and I have taken, I'll probably post some photos on our PhotoBucket page - and heck, I'm taking the Flip with me... I might even stick a couple of videos up on my YouTube channel.

Treat Portland well while I'm gone... I'll see you all in a bit!

Back-To-Business Will Be Back...

2010-04-26T22:32:00.001-07:00

The Back-To-Business Series: Index

... eventually! I'm taking a little break from the Back-to-Business series. It's all explained in the video below!

I Love A Good Story...

2010-04-25T11:12:00.004-07:00

... but, that really shouldn't come as a surprise, given my chosen profession. There are a lot of things to love about acting - the "smell of the greasepaint and roar of the crowd," the chance to put on costumes and do things you might not otherwise do, the chance to work with interesting and creative people... the biggest joy I get out of doing what I do, though, is getting the chance to help tell stories. Storytelling is a vital part of what makes us human; the stories we read, watch, or hear help to put our daily toil into perspective; they help us think about the issues we face in new ways. They inspire us, the scare us, and they help us understand our own lives, and the world we find ourselves in.

I learned early on that history isn't about names, places, and dates; history is about stories, and about the people who made those stories happen. Sure, from an academic perspective it's good to know that Caesar crossed the Rubicon with his legions to take control of Rome in 49 BC (yawn...). Those events shaped western civilization, and got us to the place we are today. Ok, whatever.

The STORY about how Caesar was having an affair with Pompey's wife to gain information about when the Roman leader would be out of the city, the risks he took in taking control, his eventual betrayal by the people who put him power... that's the the story in the history. It makes those events live in our hearts and minds, paints a picture of the people behind the historical figures and, most importantly, it makes us think about what we might do if we were in the same situation.

That's what makes historical drama's like HBO's short-lived series ROME so fun to watch... or The Tudors...Deadwood... Once Upon A Time In America... the list goes on and on. The characters and dates those productions chronicle are known facts. The the people involved - the characters who make the story - well, they're what make the story inside the history live for us.

We're all historical figures... and we're all descended from historical figures. Each of us and our ancestors played a part in making the world the way it is today (for good or for ill). We can easily find out that our grandparents were descended from their parents and their parents before them, when they were born and when they died, etc. etc. etc... finding out who those people were, though, is the interesting part. Learning their stories and seeing how their stories intersect and help to shape our own story is what makes the process fun (yeah, really! Fun!)

That's why I've had such a good time watching Who Do You Think You Are on NBC... yes, it seems like yet another "celebrity reality series" that follows famous people around as they traipse about the globe. The true joy of the show, however, is that it captures the wonder, excitement (and, often heartache) that these people experience when they find out the stories behind the people they descended from. Each show tells a few stories about a few people... and all those stories come together to make the person tracing his or her family history.

If you've been following me on Twitter or Facebook, you know that I've been tracing my own family history for a while now (I frequently call it my "online video game," because just like World of Warcraft or City of Heroes, I pay a small subscription fee and have a whole lot of fun!) See, I finally clicked on one of those ubiquitous Ancestry.com ads you see everywhere on the Internet and started plugging things into their system. It's free to set up an account and add what information you have - you can add people, upload photos, and do all sorts of stuff for nothing - and for a small subscription fee (about $19.95 a month) they give you access to hundreds of records: census forms, shipping manifests, photos and information from other people's family trees... through using the system, some of the people who made up my family's history started to take shape. The more I found out, however, the more questions kept developing. Why did my grandfather leave his family in Indiana and strike out on his own? How did my grandmother - then a nurse in Los Angeles - fall in love with him while he was at her hospital and decide to chuck her career and become a farm wife? Why did my other grandfather, who'd been a construction foreman and engineer, suddenly decide to become a county sheriff?

Those are the stories behind the histories, and piecing them together is, honestly, a blast. Sure, there's a little detective work, but if detective work weren't fun there would be nearly as many mysteries and police procedurals on TV! Finding out who these people were and why they did what they did is inspiring... informative... and tells tales just as exciting as Deadwood or Rome - because you get to know the people behind the history.

So, think about spending a Sunday afternoon some time and looking into the people who came before you. You might just be surprised at how interesting and exciting their stories are - and how their stories helped lead to creating the story you're living today.

Journeying Towards A New World...

2010-04-23T12:18:00.005-07:00

Giggity Giggity Giggity... awright!

Hey Everyone

So, if you're a fan of Phil Vaira's or have been following the development of his new film The Fall of the New World, this is going to be old news... but in case you haven't heard:

About a week ago, Phil contacted me about playing a role in the upcoming film. He sent along the script, I read through it... and I was just plain "wowed." So, of course, I signed on!

The script is kind of hard to describe in genre terms... The film's tag-line gives you some clues - "A young heir fearfully hides his origin from a corrupted American empire." It's set in America... but it's not the America we live in today. It's set in a dark future... but it's not exactly "post apocalyptic," and it's not exactly "Sci Fi" (in the way some people would define "Sci Fi"). The main character in the film is a young actor I've been very happy to work with in the past, Bryce Walters... but it's not exactly a "kids movie."

You can see why I was intrigued by the script... and as time has gone on and I've been meeting with Phil to discuss the project, I've been even more impressed with the depth this movie has to offer. Don't get me wrong - there's action, there's drama, and there are thrills - this isn't a talky "art film" - but there's a lot going on under the surface that you might notice at first blush.

Obviously, I'm not the only one who's been impressed by this script... Phil's assembled quite a powerhouse cast, including Todd Robinson, Audrey Walker, Mercedes Rose, Jon San Nicolas and Jacqueline Gault (to name just a few). This is going to be quite an adventure!

Shooting starts in late summer... I'll keep you apprised of things as they develop!

Hope you're all doing well...

-Harold

Animus Cross Series II Launches April 28!

2010-04-21T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

Mark your calendars! Steen House Entertainment has just announced the official launch date for Animus Cross Series II: "Hell For The Company."

(See the trailer in HD on YouTube or Vimeo)

Episode 1 of the new series will launch at www.animuscross.com on Wednesday, April 28 - and new episodes will be released on the last Wednesday of the month through November.

Trish and I are really excited to share this new series with you all - we knew when we were shooting Series I back in 2008 that we were part of something special... and Series II proves the point by "upping the ante -" more action, higher production values... and we finally get to show you the creatures who have been menacing us in the dark!

Be sure to spread the word: encourage your friends to get caught up on Series I: "Hell Runs The Way" at www.animuscross.com, and to become fans at the series' Facebook Page. Sign up for the Animus Cross Forum at the official site, and post your questions or comments for the series creators. Then, get ready to return with us to Frontier Idaho next Wednesday... the trip will be dark and dangerous, but I can promise you it'll be quite a ride!

-Harold

Actors and WebSeries Producers: A Special Portland Event!

2010-04-18T11:33:00.005-07:00

Hey everyone

As you all know, the web has become a fertile breeding ground for new content - local producers can get their visions out to a large, worldwide audience, and local actors have even more opportunities to work and be seen by those audiences. Heck, after Animus Cross, Lady Wasteland, and The Outbreak I've received attention from people all around the world, and those projects have helped take my career in entirely new directions!

Unfortunately, many union actors get cut out of the potentional to work on the web, because web series producers don't know the ins-and-outs of SAG New Media Contracts. SAG is trying to fix this by putting on a special presentation for actors AND producers to give them more information on these contracts. I hope you'll join me at the Living Room Theaters on Tuesday the 20th to find out more about SAG's new media contracts - they're not as complicated (or expensive) as you think, and they give actors, directors and producers many more opportunities to work together.

See you there!

-Harold

You are Invited to a Portland Viewing Event of
Screen Actors Guild and SAG Foundation LifeRaft Live Stream’s
“SAG Contracts Corner: New Media 101”

Actors have a unique opportunity to take control of their careers by producing their own content for the internet. Applying your creativity in the new media space has never been easier. Join the Screen Actors Guild New Media Department and prominent digital entertainment leaders as they share essential tips on producing respectable, signatory online content.

What: LifeRaft Live Stream* presents “The SAG Contracts Corner: New Media 101”
Date: Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Time:
5:30 p.m.-Meet and Greet
6 p.m.-LifeRaft Panel SAG Contracts Corner: New Media 101
7 p.m.-Live Hollywood Q and A
8 p.m.-No-host Social Hour

Where: Living Room Theater
341 SW 10th Avenue
Portland, OR 97205 (corner of SW 10th & Stark)

Space is limited.

Please RSVP to Dena Beatty at: dena.beatty@sag.org or call (206) 224-5696 or (800) 724-0767 ext. 7.

Due to facility restrictions, this event is restricted to attendees age 21 and over. (Portland's National SAG Board Representative Mary McDonald-Lewis says that they're going to work on finding all-ages venues for future LifeRaft presentations)

* LifeRaft Live Stream seminars focus on the business of acting, offering opportunities for Screen Actors Guild members to learn from seasoned industry professionals who are ready to offer useful guidance and assistance with audience questions. With the live stream seminars, members all over the country can ask questions live - directly to the panelists or instructors.

For further information about LifeRaft and more programs of the Screen Actors Guild Foundation go to www.sagfoundation.org/liferaft/livestream.

"Bicycling" To Colorado Springs

2010-04-13T15:41:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

If you live near Colorado Springs, you've got a chance to see Trish and I in The Bicyclists, a film we shot back in 2008.

The producers of the hit web series The Bicyclist created this big-screen feature as a "re-imagining" of the events chronicled in the webisodes. From the official web site:

"We’ve kept much of what you’ve loved about the episodes but reinvented the story. We still have the same main four characters (Conrad, Steve, Zack and Lissa), but each character changes in both small and big ways. We still have some of the same quirky comedy, but the drama goes much deeper and the story takes us to unexpected places. "

The film is part of the Indie Spirit Film Festival at Kimballs Peak Theater Three in Colorado Springs (115 E. Pikes Peak Ave., Colorado Springs CO 80903 - click here for a map!). You've got two chances to see The Bicyclists: at 4:45 pm on Saturday, April 24 in Theater #3, or at 12:00 pm in Theater #2.

We really hope those of you in the Colorado Springs area can come out to see the film... of course, if you can't make the screenings (or you don't live in the area), remember that you can order the film on DVD from the "Store" section of http://www.haroldphillips.net/.

Hope you're all doing well...

-Harold (and Trish!)

Friends With Odds and Ends

2010-04-10T09:18:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks

Well, today's going to be a busy day - I've got two auditions AND a rehearsal for the staged reading of Phedre' I mentioned earlier this week, plus I've got to try to get out to see Trish and my grandson's baseball game, and lift a glass to my friend Mike Prosser on his birthday after that. Like I say... a busy day!

Before I disconnect and head out to the first audition, though, I wanted to let you know about a couple of things some friends of mine have going on:

First off, for my readers "across the pond," Phil Bransom's very successful family film Trainmaster is now available in the United Kingdom under the name The Railway Grandchildren. If you're reading this in the UK, take a look at the link and bring the film home to your family - it's a great, heartwarming film - and it features some great Oregon locations and actors (like my pals Jon Ashley Hall, Mercedes Rose, Bryce Walters, Elijah Nelson, Kevin Dahlgren... and even stunt-man extraordinaire Jerry Buxbaum!)

Phil is in the process of putting the finishing touches on Trainmaster II: Jermiah's Treasure as I write this... He tells me that he's planning a cast and crew premier later this month, a Portland premier in mid-summer, and a wide release in late-summer to early-fall. Be watching for it!

If you're in the Minneapolis area, be sure to visit the 20% Theater Company at the Minneapolis Theater Gargage towards the end of the month! My friend Francesca Sanders' play CELESTE and STARLA SAVE TODD AND WIN BACK THE DAY will be playing from April 30 - May 15. If you're a theater artist in the area, drop Francesca a line through her web site (scroll down to the bottom of the page) - she'll be in town for a few days around the opening, and she'd love to meet some new people in the Twin Cities!

Finally, if you're in the Bellingham area, be sure to go see my pappa Sandy Brewer in the the Bellingham Theater Guild's production of Lawrence and Lee's Inherit The Wind. The show opened last night to a very receptive crowd, and it's already gotten a smashing review - but it only runs until April 25 and the house is sure to fill. Be sure to get out to see this before it closes!

Ok, that's all I have time for this morning... hope you're all doing well!

-Harold

Animus Cross News

2010-04-08T12:01:00.005-07:00

Hey folks

A lot of you have been contacting me through various mediums asking me what's happening with the western fantasy Animus Cross.

Things have been pretty quiet in 1860's Idaho since we launched the official Series II teaser on http://www.animuscross.com/ in November of last year; yes, I asked you to submit the series to the 2010 streamy awards back in December, but otherwise there hasn't been a lot of talk about where Series II is in the "pipeline."

Since the birth of Amanda and Jerry's son Trone, we've been hearing rumbles from some people on the internet; they're suggesting that the launch of Series II would be delayed due to the new addition to the family. Well, Amanda put everyone's fears to rest in a recent post on the Oregon Film Office's new Confluence blog - you can see that post by clicking here .

So, it's official - launch of "Hell For The Company" is on schedule for later this month. I'll be sure to let you know when an exact date is announced - keep an eye on the ol' blog here, or even better - get the news straight from the source by becoming a fan of the series on Animus Cross' Facebook Page.

You know me... once I know something, I'll definitely spread the word! Hope you're all doing well...

-Harold

Back In Greece (And Back On Stage!)

2010-04-06T09:10:00.003-07:00

Howdy everybody...

One of the reasons my day got out-of-hand yesterday was the news that an actor dropped out of a staged reading Trish is appearing in for Classic Greek Theater of Oregon... and that the Artistic Director asked if I'd step in to fill the role.

So, of course, I had to read the script, look over my schedule, talk details with the director... yadda yadda yadda. That's all over and done with, though - and I'm happy to let you know that I'll be appearing as Theseus in a brand new translation of Jean Racine's classic play Phaedra.

Now, don't worry - this isn't some old moldy costume drama with people standing around in togas sawing the air and (as my old theater teacher Michael Hood used to say) laughing at jokes no one gets. For one thing, we'll be sitting, not standing... and this fresh translation by Louis Fantasia brings the issues and drama of Racine's play to modern audiences (Really! No sleeping-pill replacement here!)

I really hope you'll make the time to join us at the Shoebox Theater (2110 SE 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97214 - Map It) at 7:00 on Tuesday April 13 to check it out. I have to say, I'm really excited to be getting back on stage. I hope you'll join me!

Oh, yeah... and Giggity Giggity Giggity - awright!

-Harold

Back-to-Business Got Broke...

2010-04-05T21:35:00.002-07:00

The Back-To-Business Series: Index

Hey folks

Sorry there was no Back-To-Business post today. As so often happens in my life, events shifted suddenly. I had a nice, leisurely morning set aside today in which to write today's post - but with a couple of morning phone calls, that leisurely morning evaporated.

So sorry... watch for the return of the Back-to-Business series next Monday... I promise!

Y-ME Is Just Around The Corner!

2010-03-30T09:56:00.004-07:00

Hey folks!

You may remember that back in February I told you about a new "motion comic" I've added my voice to: Y-ME: Young Mutants Everywhere. The project is the newest creation of Polar Studios, an independent production company already making a big splash in web-based entertainment with their current comic The Cricket.

Well, after talking about the project for months, I can happily report that the first issue of Y-ME is set to launch this week - on April 1! Check out the brand-spankin' new trailer for the project below:

No foolin' - be sure to visit http://yme.polarcomics.com/ on April 1st to hear my voice (and that of my pal and frequent collaborator Mercedes Rose) in the first issue of this exciting new project... and let me know what you thought!

-Harold

Back-To-Business: A Taxing Situation V: Using PerformerTrack

2010-03-29T13:05:00.001-07:00

The Back-to-Business Series: Index

As I mentioned in the last post in the Back-To-Business series, I've been using Holdon Log's PerformerTrack system for three years now, and it's really made tax time a breeze.

Now, PerformerTrack is an all-around acting career manager - it tracks a lot more than your income and expenses. When I meet with actors for Private Business Coaching sessions, I often use the structure PerformerTrack instills to help them get their businesses organized. You'll probably notice references to the system popping up more as the Back-To-Business series continues. Today we're going to focus on the Income and Expenses section.

Expense Tracking Made Easy from PerformerTrack on Vimeo.

As the video above shows, the Income and Expenses section of the system tracks every deductible expense listed on Actors Tax Prep's expense sheet - and it categorizes your expenses by project, to allow for better reporting at the end of the year (remember, W-2 expenses are deducted as "non-reimbursed job-related expenses" - so having expenses broken out by project really helps when filling out those 1040's.)

Using this section of the system is pretty basic - we've already talked about how you should be saving your receipts, and noting the purpose of your expense on those receipts (remember, you have to justify those expenses!) Before you take your receipt and drop it into your handy accordion file, though, take a second to log into Performertrack at http://www.performertrack.com/, and click the "Income/ Expenses" tab.

You'll note that four tabs appear on the top of the "Expenses" screen. If the receipt you're entering into PerformerTrack is related to a specific project (like, for instance, parking at an audition or dry cleaning a costume for a show), then you'll want to click the "Project Expenses" tab and choose the appropriate project from the yellow menu at the upper-right of the screen (that drop-down menu says "Additional Expenses" now, because that's the screen we're in!).

Fill out all the fields in the expense screen (whether "Project Expense" or "Additional Expense - the fields are the same). It's important to note that the "Expense Details" section changes, depending on the type of expense you're logging. So, for instance, if you're logging expenses for your Home Office - again, be sure you check with a tax professional about whether or not you qualify for the home office deduction - the "Expense Details" drop-down changes to list specific types of expenses associated with your home office (homeowners insurance, rent, alarm fees, etc.) The small red, white and blue icon next to that drop-down links you to PerformerTrack's online expense guide - a handy source of information on deductible expenses actors can track in the system.

See the little "blue cross" icons next to the "Purpose of Expense" and "Payment Method" drop-downs? Those icons indicate that you can create your own items on that list. This allows you to break down your expenses even further - you can track how much money you spent parking for auditions vs performances, for instance... or how much you spent on your credit card vs. your bank account.

Finally, be sure to note all the details about your expense in the "Description" box. This is a more expansive version of writing on your receipt - you can note the purpose of your expense, who you met with, what you discussed, or anything else that you think would help justify the expense should the IRS... uh... "ask" about it :).

Click "Save," and your expense is logged into the system. Seem like a lot of work? It's really not, once you get into the habit of entering your expenses ... and the payoff every April is well worth the time you spend. What pay-off am I talking about? Well, look at the far-right of the screen... do you see that white button labeled "Expense Report?" A little work every day/ week/ month entering your expenses into the system will pay off when tax time rolls around and all you have to do is click that button - producing a report of all your expenses for the year.

The income section works in much the same way - you enter the income you've made for each project into its own screen (you'll notice that there's also a section for "additional income"... I've never used this section, as all my income is related to some project I've worked on - but it's there).

There's a couple of things to note about PerformerTrack's income screen - See the spaces for "Gross Amount" and "Net Amount?" Recording these figures help you double-check to see how much withholding you've already paid on your W-2 income - and many agents base the commission you owe on your GROSS pay for a job, rather than the NET.

A large portion of union dues are based on a percentage of the union earnings an actor brings in every year. That's why PerformerTrack added the Union Affiliation drop-down. Many union performers have to scramble every year - again, the same way they do at tax time - to pull together pay stubs and memos, so they can figure out how much they owe their union in dues. When you enter your income into PerformerTrack, you can specify whether the income was SAG, AFTRA, Equity, etc... or whether it was non-union. If you've tracked this information in the Income screen, dues-time becomes a snap - all union performers have to do is run an income report, and their union earnings are displayed on one page. This saves a lot of time and effort!

Finally, take a look the PT and CT icons on the right side of the income screen. Remember my recommendation that you set up a bank account for your acting business? One of the many advantages to keeping a business account is the ability to hold a percentage of your income back to pay for your acting expenses. Like headshots - you know you need them. Saving a portion of your acting income in your business account will help you pay for them in a matter of months!

PerformerTrack calls this your "Performer Trust" account. This area of the expense screen prompts you to hold back a certain percentage of your acting income for these business expenses. Just choose "Yes" in this area, and the system will calculate an amount to hold back - from 2.5% to 20% of your pay check. You don't have to hold money back in your "Performer Trust" account... but if you ever want to get ahead and pay for some of those expenses, the cash has to come from somewhere! You'll note that there's a Performer Trust Report button on the right side of the screen... you can pull up a report at any time to see how much you've saved towards that new reel or pair of shoes.

The second icon, "CT" is a Child Trust tracker. Parents managing their children's performing careers are familiar with the Coogan Law - I'm not as familiar with it because, well... I don't have kids who are actors. My understanding, though, is that parents are required to withhold 15% of all their child actors earnings in a trust account. This area in the PerformerTrack income screen lets you track the amount deposited into that trust account. I'm obviously weak in this area... for more information take a look at this section of the official PerformerTrack site.

Again, all the details PerformerTrack's income system asks you to record may seem a little daunting... but when Tax-time comes around, being able to print a report detailing all your income can't be beat! No more sorting through W-2's and 1099's, adding up gross vs. net figures... once it's in the system, you can just run a report and transcribe it onto the appropriate tax form - or drop it off with your tax preparer. He/she'll be very grateful to you for making the job so much easier!

I'm sure that after all this, you can see the advantage of tracking your income and expenses in PerformerTrack - and now is the time to start! We're not too far into the year, so adding the income you've made and the expenses you've put out this year wouldn't be as long a process as it would be in, say, September! As I mentioned in the last post, HoldonLog has offered my readers a special discount: if you want to check the system out for yourself (and I'd highly recommend that you do), you can save 20% off a one-year subscription by entering the coupon code PORTLAND9 in the check-out screen. Now's the time to get started... before those receipts and pay stubs start to pile up again!

Next week we're going to take a step back from just tracking your income and expenses for taxes... we're going to talk about using your money to help build your business, rather than letting the money control your decisions. Until then...

Let's get to work!

-Harold

Help Make The Paranormalists A Big-Screen Feature!

2010-03-26T16:41:00.005-07:00

Hey folks

Remember Nicholas J. Hagen? He directed that film I mentioned a few posts back, Dark Horizon.

Well, Nick's always got something going on... last year, he shot the pilot for a new "Mocumentary-style" TV comedy called The Paranormalists. He pulled together some of the best actors in Portland for the cast, including my friend and frequent collaborator Mercedes Rose, Todd Robinson, Jennifer Skyler, Richard Topping, and Darius Pierce.

When the pilot and the follow-up episode "Vampire" hit the web, people went crazy! They loved the odd characters and even odder situations, and they were begging for more. Now, seven months later, Nick has plans to bring The Paranormalists back - as a big-screen feature!

You can be a big-time movie producer and lend a hand! Click here to visit Nick's Kickstarter Page for the project, watch his video presentation - and support your local filmmaker by passing him a few bucks to help finance the production!

I know I'm going to do my part to get this flick made... after those first couple of episodes, I can see the comedic potential! I hope you'll join me!

-Harold

Scenes From The Recording Booth

2010-03-25T10:08:00.003-07:00

Hey guys...

So if you read yesterday's Back-To-Business Mailbox post, you know I had a recording session at OPB yesterday; we were doing "pick up" recordings on the narration for Across The Sciences, an educational series I'm doing with them.

Now, this series is meant to be a continuing education program for high school-level science teachers, so the language can get pretty technical... check out the short video clips on my web site's Voice page for a taste of just how complex the verbiage can be.

You know what I learned yesterday? It's really really really REALLY hard to say "and in Antarctica."

Go ahead, try it... now say it again... and again... say it five times. Be sure not to drop the first "C" in Antarctica.

Whew... it ain't diggin' ditches, but some times my job can be tough...

-Harold

Back-To-Business: A Taxing Situation IV - Mailbox

2010-03-24T19:00:00.004-07:00

The Back-To-Business Series: Index

Hi there folks... did you think I'd forgotten you? Sorry about the late post today; I had to suspend this morning's answering of your questions to run to Oregon Public Broadcasting for a voice session. I'm back now, though... lets dig into the inbox and see what some people had to say about Monday's post on Tracking Tools.

... but I'm confused about mileage tracking. I thought that actors couldn't dedcut mileage for going to rehearsals and shows. JD (Athens, GA)

Ok - say it with me - I'm not a licensed tax preparer, so don't take my word for this. If you've got questions about what you can deduct and what you can't, please please please spend a couple of bucks to see a tax professional and get those questions answered. If the IRS calls your deductions into question, you want an expert by your side to defend the deductions you've taken... and I can't do that for you!

With that being said, here's my understanding of the situation: The IRS doesn't allow people to take "commuting miles" as deductible; that is, you can't write off the miles you drive from your home to your job. You can, however, write-off mileage from one job site to another. So, for example, you can't write-off the mileage you drive from home to the coffee shop you work at. If you go from that coffee shop to the bank so you can deposit the night's take, however, you can deduct that mileage (you just can't deduct the mileage from the bank back home.)

Now, as actors our job sites are casting offices, theaters, film sets, and the like. We have to follow the same rules as everyone else - we can't deduct the mileage we drive from home to those job sites. As sole proprietors of our own businesses (remember, that's what filing a Schedule C makes you), though, We can deduct the mileage we drive from our offices (one job site) to these other sites. The key to justifying this mileage is to be sure that you've got a qualified home office set up.

Now, again, I'm not a licensed tax professional - you should definitely consult with a licensed expert to be sure your home office qualifies for the home office deduction. If it does, then all mileage from your home office to your job sites is deductible - when you're doing a Schedule C job. When you're doing a W-2 job, you've been hired as an employee by the production company, so all mileage from home to the job site is considered "commuting miles," and is therefore not deductible.

One more time... consult a licensed tax professional if you've got questions about the specifics of the mileage you drove this past year...

... I don't get how my calendar is going to help me "justify" my expenses. It's just got my appointments in it, doesn't it? BR (St. Louis, MO)

... What do you mean about meetings? I'm not Sandra Bullock, "taking meetings" with big-time producers to pitch my latest movie. I'm just another Portland actor out looking for work. AF (Portland, OR)

These two questions actually relate to each other. A lot of the "business" of show business doesn't take place on stage or in front of the camera. It doesn't take place in the rehearsal room, or at your agent's office. A lot of the "business" of show business takes place at parties, bars, coffee shops, and restaurants.

It's been said that show business is a "personality" business - that how you come across to producers/ directors/ casting agents in informal situations (such as Portland's weekly Leverage viewing parties, or at film premieres) goes a long way toward your getting work on that next project - or on a project a year down the line. While people outside "the business" look at film screenings and industry parties as glamorous events where pretty people rub shoulders, those in "the business" look at them for what they are - business events. Opportunities to get to know the people who have the power or influence to get you hired on that next job. Opportunities to be seen, and to promote yourself. Like any other activity geared towards building your business, what you spend on these events is a legitimate deduction.

See, you never know who's going to help you get that next job. It could be that director you met at that party that actor threw... or it could be the young actress you go out to coffee with after rehearsal. Or, it could be the grip you introduced to a the aforementioned director over lunch - he hears about an opening on another project, and he could very easily put in a good word for you. Just about all our activities with industry contacts can lead to future work... which makes all of our lunch/ coffee/ bar dates business meetings - if you talk business with those contacts.

Which brings us back to our calendar... noting every meeting you have with industry contacts helps you to justify the miles you drive to get there, the meal and/ or drinks you buy (only half of that amount is deductible, though...), your parking, etc... an actor friend calls you up on the spur of the moment and says, "Hey, lets grab lunch?" Go - but be sure to note the meeting in your calendar! Not only will it help you justify the expense - it'll remind you about the meeting when you're hunting for deductions at tax time!

And, finally, here's one I get asked a lot!

You're always out there pimpin PerformerTrack - do you work for them or something? SD (Antioch, TN)

No, I don't work for HoldonLog, the company that makes PerformerTrack. I'm just a very satisfied user of the web-based system - it's been an invaluable tool for me over the past three years. Since I started using PerformerTrack (and its predecessor ActorTrack), I've started thinking of my acting career as a business - in fact, a lot of the information I share with actors in my Personal Business Coaching sessions and here on the blog are derived from the lessons I've learned by using those systems.

We'll talk more about PerformerTrack in next Monday's post... and don't be surprised if you hear more about it in coming weeks as well. It really is a great way to take charge of your career!

Until then...

Let's get to work!

-Harold