Looks like a couple of weeks since I’ve updated. To start with just after my last post, on Saturday night the 19^th I got to be the Emcee at a "Slippery Kittens Burlesque" show in downtown SLC. It was supposed to be me and another guy to see who got to be the regular emcee for the group. We were to be there by 7:30 pm and get to know our way around and so on. Well the other guy never showed up – lucky for me! Well the group actually liked how I handled myself and I had a lot of fun too. They have since asked me to be their official emcee. Their next two shows are the 30^th of June, and the 28^th of July.

Earlier in the day on the 19^th, I was involved in the re-shoot of a zombie short film called “Test Subject Zero” I am one of three security guards who cover a 24 hour period. Each guard is featured interacting with the captured Zombie. That interaction is where the story lies. Paul Johnson, a friend of mine is the Zombie.

Paul wrote and directed a short film I was in called “Blue Moon”. Paul just graduated from the U and this coming Thursday he is leaving for New York to live out his dream. He had a screening Wednesday evening where he showed several of the films he has been involved with as an actor, or writer, or director, or even had been a producer of sorts on. It was nice to see a compilation of his work. He showed “Blue Moon” too, I hope to get a copy of it before he leaves town.

It was also kind of sad as he is leaving and I knew it might be the last time we get to see one another for quite a while. You shall be missed. Good for you Paul, and good luck!

Friday night I got to see “Side Effects” over at Lonny Danler’s place. This was the one that is one shot, one take, no editing, best take… it was just over 6 minutes long. The story is about a father and daughter having a conversation about her taking her medication’s and the father avoiding being her dad by keeping her quite and under control by medication… it turned out very nice and Lonnie and his crew did a great job making it appear as though it were a real and believable conversation.

Also showing was a film called “Pole Dance” it was a delightful short film that was genuine and real, and fun to watch. It was honest and entertaining at the same time. It’s about a group of ladies who belong to a book reading club, a coffee clutch if you will, an intellectual group of individuals who explore different parts of their being, discovering and awakening and embracing who they truly are, and having fun in the process.

I had a rehearsal on Tuesday night for the 35 mm film project called “10 Letters”, and have another one this Tuesday. We will be filming my part on Sunday night the 3^rd.

I am taking a class on the 2^nd and the 3^rd of June. And I’m supposed to be in Vegas for a mortgage seminar event on the 6^th 7^th and 8^th, I don’t see that happening. And my part for “Manifesto” is scheduled to film on the 8^th and 9^th, and the 16^th and 17^th of June.

Manifesto is having a few “location” issues, so I don’t know if things are pushed back or what. I do know that the writer, director, star, producer… need to have it filmed and edited and completed by, I think, September in order to get into “Sundance” for 2008.

Had a very lazy Memorial Day weekend, ate out a few times, BBQ’d did a little yard work, repaired the sprinklers – ALL of them actually work and are on the timer, and the timer is even set correctly.

Robbie took his new puppy and his sister Anna & his brother Sean camping, so Sue and I had the house and the weekend to ourselves. We ate like pigs, stayed up late and got up late too. Not a bad way to spend the weekend.

Hi All,

Here is an email I just got from Miss. Amy Bronson. She is a student film maker up at the U. She made a short film called "Backstroke" last year and I got to be a part of it. Niki Nielsen and Aimee Walden are the stars. I am the angry dad... Linda Eyring is the shrink (Doctor). I can't spell psychiatrist.

Well Amy has been submitting it all over. Here a few messages Amy has sent me over the last few weeks. The last one was today.

"Backstroke will premiere at "NewFest 2007" - New York City's LGBT film fest. The fest runs from May 31 to June 10. NewFest is pretty established (it's in its 19th year)..."


"Backstroke was just selected to screen at the Pride Film
Festival (aka the "'Damn These Heels' GLBT film festival") in Salt
Lake, from May 31 to June 3rd at the tower theater." Backstroke shows on June 1st.


Today Amy Bronson wrote:

ladies and gents,

i am oh-so-happy to inform you all that "Backstroke" has made it into
the utah arts festival as part of the international fear no film
festival in salt lake city. we will screen twice during the festival -
the categories are yet to be announced, but we may be eligible for the
utah short film of the year competition! here's the info i have so
far:

--------------------------------

Congratulations,

Your short film BACKSTROKE has been selected as part of the 2007 Fear
No Film Festival program. CONGRATULATIONS!

Fear No Film is the short film component of the much larger Utah Arts
Festival. Over 80,000 people will attend the festival, with works in
all mediums celebrated from Thursday, June 21st through Sunday, June
24th. The UAF closes down one of the most beautiful sections of Salt
Lake City which includes the City and County Building and Library
Square, SLC's new, multiple-award winning architectural jewel.




Fear No Film screenings take place in the City Library's main
auditorium. Because the theater is located INSIDE the library, all
Fear No Film screenings are free and open to the public, regardless of
entry into the remainder of the UAF. (SEND ALL YOUR FAMILY AND
FRIENDS! YOU JUST MADE THE UTAH ARTS FESTIVAL!)

Your movie will screen twice as part of one of the following screenings:

I WILL NOT FEAR FILMS THAT MAKE ME FEEL:

DIVIDED
EMPTY
HAPPY (rated PG)
HAPPY (rated R)
REORIENTED
SPECTATED
SUBCULTURED
UNSETTLED
UTAH SHORT FILM of the YEAR COMPETITION

Filmmakers in attendance will be invited to participate in a brief Q&A
after their screening.

More information will follow in the coming week, including screening
category and screening times, and where you can receive 2 VIP passes
to the entire Utah Arts Festival. Please feel free to email me with
any questions.

Congratulations once again,

Topher at Fear No Film

------------------------

That's three festivals in just a few weeks!

See Ya,
Bill

I went to the table read for “Manifesto” yesterday. I had taken Sean over to his girlfriend’s grandmother’s house. Well, I found out that she lived across town and nowhere near where I was headed. I know you’re going to find this hard to believe, but I was late.

I called Will and let him know and he said that the “Official” read wasn’t going to actually take place until 1:00 pm and that the first hour was going to be chatting about the script and getting everyone’s feedback, just to get there as soon as I could. I ended up getting there about 20 minutes late, but still in time to get in on the discussion. The read went great and hearing it aloud was a treat.

This is a full length feature film and I am excited to be a part of it. The story was written by and is to be directed by Will. He is also the main character actually the main two characters. They will be filming on the weekends and my weekends are tentatively set for June 9^th & 10^th and the 16^th & 17^th. The film is an ultra low budget SAG film, so there is pay, but not a ton. I just hope I can do a good job and get some good exposure.

When I left the table read, I got a call about an audition I did on Monday afternoon. I read for the part of a “touchy feely”, but not in a good way, preacher. Well I got the part. This one is being done by three grad students up at the U. I’ve worked with all three before, and I can’t wait to see what a collaboration of their talents will produce. I don’t think it’s too much to ask for, but I am expecting excellence! This one is a 35 mm film.

OK, so here is the real reason I am updating this so soon. SO, I go and pick up Sean. We do a bit of mothers day shopping and we head home.

Robbie and I are in the family room and Sean goes to get a glass of milk in the kitchen. I can’t see what he is doing from where I am sitting, but I hear a glass break, then another. I am immediately thinking, what the hell is he doing? Robbie looks over, and then all of a sudden crash, bang, almost like thunder, banging, breaking… from where I was the sound was intense, from where Sean was, it must have been deafening. Then I hear Robbie shouting what the f---, them we hear poor Sean yelling help! “Can someone come and help me…” This all happened so fast that Robbie and I are almost tripping over each other to get to Sean and see what the hell is going on.

We get in there to find Sean holding up the cabinet up as it is hanging off of the wall. It is the cabinet that we have ALL of our glass. The wine glasses, daily glasses, good dishes, daily dishes, glass cooking dishes and bowl’s… everything is glass or stoneware.

Thank goodness we all had shoes on. So Robbie and I grabbed the cabinet and held it and had Sean check to see if he is OK. There was broken glass everywhere, coffee cups, plates, bowl’s, wine glasses, family collectables… everything. Sean was a bit shaken, but we still needed to get the rest of the stuff out of the cabinets. Robbie and I held the cabinet up, and were handing Sean the contents. Eventually we got everything out and we lifted the thing off the wall, crunching through the glass praying we didn’t slip on it. As we got to the end of the long counter, the cabinet broke apart into two cabinets. We set them down and started the cleanup. WOW!

Amazingly nobody was hurt, and nobody got even a single cut.

We bought this house new 10 and a half years ago and to state the obvious, we must have had way too much weight in the cabinet. But looking at it too, there were only 8 screws holding the whole thing up! That seems pretty lame to me, but I am not a cabinet installer, so I don’t know if that’s normal or not.

Lot’s of the contents were salvageable, and some stuff is going to DI. So, now we have a chance to go through stuff and get rid of some of the useless crap we have been collecting over the years. Everyone has incomplete sets of dishes and glasses and that process usually happens over time. One breaks here and there and before you know it, its time to get a new set. Well we did ours all in one shot. We now have several incomplete sets of everything.

I need to find someone who does cabinet installation. I think the cabinets are salvageable, but again, I’m not a cabinet guy.

Happy Mothers Day!

See Ya,

Bill

Here is an update of things going on with me:

Monday the 21st, and Tuesday the 22nd, the “48 Hour Project” is showing all the entries again, at both the “Tower” theater and over at “Brewvies” – The one that I am in is called "The Stone Talice" and it will be shown at “Brewvies” on Tuesday at the 7:00 show. Check the 48 Hour website for the theater addresses, the show times, and any other info: http://www.48hourfilm.com/saltlakecity

Last Wednesday afternoon May 2nd, we filmed my part for a TV Pilot called “Perfect”. I am the boss, or lead detective who pairs up the rookie with the more experienced cop. And “it’s NOT an option it’s more like an order…”


This past Friday the 4th, I played the part of Dr. Bill Pepper in a feature film called “Turn Around” that they are planning to have complete and ready for distribution sometime later this year, maybe as soon as August or September. I was the ER doctor who gets to defibrillate one of the main actors. This one is geared toward the LDS & Christian markets.


This next one is not really geared towards the LDS & Christian markets. Sunday I auditioned to be the “Emcee” for a “Burlesque” type of show that performs once or twice a month in downtown SLC. Think “Moulin Rouge” or “Cabaret” Salt Lake City style. Sundyn, a lovely young lady from my acting class is one of the “Slippery Kittens”, and the one who told me about the auditions.

They called me on Wednesday and told me that it was between me and another guy. Now since neither he nor I had ever actually been to the show, they want us to come on the 19th and split the show, he does half and I do the other half or something like that.

Then they, along with audience feedback, I guess, will determine who gets the gig. It should be lots of fun, and if you would like to come support me just shoot me an email and I’ll send you the details, or you can go to: http://www.myspace.com/slipperykittens

We filmed the Wedding scene on Sunday afternoon for David Christensen’s film called “True Love”. Anna was in it too as the disinterested daughter watching her sister get married.

Next, I got a call last Thursday from Tony Henrichsen telling me that he had reworked (edited) his “On The Lot” film submission called “The Gilded Scarab” and wanted to send me the new copy. I can’t wait to see it, he is mailing it.

Topher Mehlhoff, who wrote and filmed the short film “NightBat” sent me an email letting me know he was done with it and he too was going to send me a copy of the finished product.

Daniel Letz, who I worked with over a year ago on a film called “Graveyard Shift”, where I play the boss of the main character, is also complete. I should get my copy in the next week or so.

Lastly, Josh Samson, who I’ve done quite a few projects with is burning me a copy of those films too.

I think that it’s pretty cool that stuff I did a while back, and even more recently, I’ll soon have a copy of to view and share.

And speaking of Josh, he was the camera operator for an audition I did on Monday up at the U. I still haven’t herd back on that one and I don’t know how soon they were going to actually cast the film.

Saturday, tomorrow is the table read for “Manifesto” a Will Cohen full length feature film. It stars Will, and Niki Nielsen - take a look at her blog. The film she was part of for the "48 Hour Project" called "Boggled" won an award or two. You can also see it on Monday or Tuesday too, see above, this girl is going places. Niki and I have been in several films together, one, an Amy Bronson film called "Backstroke", and will be screened at the "Damn These Heels" festival in SLC at Brewvies on June 1st.

Manifesto also stars Melody Sain, she is a star who is also on her way up, I just don't have links to her stuff, along with Mr. Randall Malin a great actor whom I am often up against in auditions, Michael Risk from Craze, he too is a very talented and busy guy, plus so many other excellent local talent. I have worked with a lot of the crew, and they are as good as it gets too.

I have a pretty decent size part in this one. I am the main characters boss. My name is “Richard” and I am one of only a few who don’t get killed.

So there you go, that’s my update! I have been busy and I will have a busy next few months. I love it! More of these are paying too, not a ton, but enough to pay for my classes and gas anyway.

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