What's Up - Physical Fitness Order of Magnitude

Last year, my agent asked me if I was ‘ripped’. I had to admit that, ‘no, that probably wouldn’t be what I’d call myself, I’m more athletic’. On the above order of magnitude chart that would likely be 49.

The goal this year is possibly to get myself to Ripped, which is 56.

But also I have my own problems with this chart. It spends way too much space on the out of shape range. More than half. Maybe this is more a reflection on the author’s own negative perception of being overweight, maybe not.

Currently, after considerable effort, I’m proud to say that I’m probably somewhere between 50 and 51.

I’d like to eventually get to a category not really listed here, which I’ve always liked, which is ‘rocked’, or ‘jacked’. That’s somewhere beyond ripped maybe, who knows. We’ll see what my body can tolerate.

Also, who says ‘yolked’? I know ‘yoked’ like you’re oxen-esque, but maybe I’ve been hearing this wrong. I don’t know how egg yolks accurately describe an appearance. Diet yes, appearance, no. Plenty wrong with this chart, basically.

What's Up - Still Dunking

I had felt my knees get steadily weaker over the years, and I had barely pulled off a dunk many years ago. After it I thought, “Well I better stop now, so I can say the last time I checked I can dunk.”

A friend, who is over 6 feet tall like me and was an ultra marathon runner, suggested I check out an Instagram fitness dude - @kneesovertoesguy - to rehabilitate what was becoming a tricky knee.

He provides lengthening workouts to strengthen the joints, and offers insights that have recently been ignored by a lot of weight trainers. After some research, I decided to give a few of his workouts a try. I very soon realized my joints felt more stable.

Cut to a now, a month and a half later, me shooting around at the park. Layups feeling alright, getting some air to slap the backboard easily. No pain in the knees. I’m like, ‘maybe I can do this’.

I get up there, one hand with the ball, but lose the ball with my hand. Still, I take note of how high I am up, and it’s substantial altitude. As high as I ever remember. Okay, now with two hands I launch, and throw it down easily, efficiently, with no pain. (Two hands is harder than one hand for me usually)

I am just one of a chorus of people who are singing this guy’s praises. What he’s proposing isn’t entirely new. Many athletes and trainers have implemented these workouts. He does innovate a lot of new stretches and gradations so that you can ease your way into having bulletproof joints.

Mine are by no means bulletproof. But I’ll take this latest flight test as positive encouragement.

And, if you ever need a mid-life white dude to dunk in your project, bring me in. I’ve got at least one or two takes in me. By the time you read this, probably more.

What's Up - Werk

So much of an actor’s work is transitory, and I celebrate that. I love that. We work, share that work, and then it exists only in memory or on screen. You can’t hold it. You can only experience it.

Many other jobs end in a finished product - something that you can see and touch and use. I’ve done some of those said jobs and there’s a satisfaction to being able to hold your work.

For those whose work is creating an experience, it may feel like your work dissolves into thin air. So it can be useful to remind yourself of the work you have done, if only to say hey, I actually did do something with my time.

Here’s my work station with a folder of scripts from auditions, classwork, and jobs that I’ve kept from this year so far.

I’m grateful for the work entrusted to me by my amazing teacher Amy Lyndon, my new team at UGA and AMG, and for future work that comes my way.

If only to fill up this cardboard box, move my eye line markers around, and keep fresh the muscle that expands my understanding of the human condition. Especially if that human condition includes a drawing of superman that looks like he’s smuggling something massive in his underpants.

What's Up - MQBD is back!

Our podcast is back to dropping weekly episodes every Friday!

Glad to finally share these, just click on the logo above for the first episode in a long time.

What's Up - New Rep: Agent and Manager

I’m excited to get on board with a new manager and remuster the forces of my agency.

Together we form a team of kinda strangers/now coworkers dedicated to finding the markets for my strange art and achieving artistic and financial bliss by helping people transcend their lives into new understanding of themselves, their world, and life itself.

An exciting mission, no doubt.

What's Up - 10 Videos of Creature Comforts Resort!!!

I’m proud to say I’ve still got some of these animations in the works, and that I’ve put out 10 episodes now!

The excessive talent in my guests here is the real highlight, and this whole thing has lent me a reason to be back in touch with people that I’ve missed since we’ve been socially distancing.

I’m looking forward to doing more, and learning more from the program I’m using. It’s only getting easier to navigate, so let’s hope that shows!

Check out the series on Youtube HERE

Or on Instagram @creature_comforts_resort

What's Up - High Sierra Spot

Did a lil spot for High Sierra Music Festival. Quick turnaround! Looks like an amazing lineup!

What's Up - Paneling at Studio SIXTY 25

This is me experiencing a little bit of impostor syndrome, which, I imagine is an experience many first time panelists have gone through.

These are my questions to myself:

• What do I have to offer to the world of content creation?

• How am I sitting at the same table as a prolific, hilarious comedian?

• And a professional YouTube cook?

• And a professional musician who has built this amazing studio?

• And that representative from a quality mic company?

To ignore these self doubts I focused on the questions posed and tried to add in any new insight if my fellow panelists had covered my sentiments thoroughly. My wife has done a panel before and said this is just how it goes - you hope that someone hasn’t already said what you’re going to say.

That happened plenty, yet I still managed to say something slightly different here and there, and that might be of value to someone looking to make things. To be clear, I have nowhere near the metrics of my fellow panelists.

But one question that I thought was interesting was essentially - how has your content creation changed?

How have I adapted? I honestly don’t think I have very well yet. My answer was that I am thinking of shorter form content. Which is why you’ve seen a couple of animations on my page recently. I’m looking to make more of those. They’re fairly easy to make happen, and I can make them all on my own.

So look forward to that! If you have any ideas for me for animations, I’m game.

Upcoming Shows - Butcher Holler

‘A descent into the male psyche-in-crisis. A linguistic immersive experience entirely lit by headlamps.’

Come join me in the darkness as me and four other dudes sling out Appalachian slang as we spiral into madness.

I’m jumping into the fun for three of the seven performances - 6/14, 6/15, and 6/18

Get yet tix here - https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/5921

See you in the cold dark ground.

What's Up - Vocal Isolation Booth Build

The many stages of vocal booth creation.

As a novice builder, I found this gentleman's tutorial videos extremely helpful.

Last year I ran into a consistently annoying problem. How do I record a VO audition/audiobook/podcast if I have to stop recording and wait for the sound of a passing plane, large truck, motorcycle, church bell, school bell, water pipes, computer fan, or friendly cricket?

Solution - build a small room where no sound can enter or leave. Having never really built anything, I decided to do some research and planning to make sure that if I'm spending a good amount of money, I do it right. I scoured the internet for pictures, videos, and forum threads that dealt with the various stages of building this giant recording box.

If you're at all thinking of this I recommend these forums to get a sense of the work ahead of you/plethora of problems that will arise:

www.gearslutz.com

www.soundonsound.com

www.homerecording.com

There are a few senior forum members that everyone listens to. Rod Gervais is one of those members who not only offers advice frequently, but also has a book about this very thing. If only I had bought it at the beginning of my planning and design, it would have saved me time. Many people echo this sentiment on the forums.

The planning took me the better part of January and February. The building took me most of my free time in March and part of April.

Home Depot and Baller Hardware sold me most of the building materials, the other stuff (like fans, window glass) I got online.

Now, for the most part, it's done. There are still a few tweaks that need to be made, but when a helicopter passes overhead or a leaf-blower passes next door, I don't hear it, so I can focus on my performance.

It wasn't possible without Rod Gervais' book and the help of many friends - Matthew Watterson for his viking strength and know how (and drill), Brian Nichols for his carpentry expertise, David Graziano for his sage advice and the loan of woodworking tools, and my fiance for many hearty home cooked meals.

What you're looking at is this - A ventilated room with a double pane tempered/laminated 1/2'' glass window. The walls are built with staggered studs for decoupling, a 1/2'' ply outer sheath, 3'' Roxul Safe N Sound Insulation, with two layers of 5/8'' drywall on the inner wall that are separated by a layer of Green Glue. The floor is plywood on a concrete slab, with Flor carpet tiles on top (I plan to add a rubber underlay later when budget allows). The ceiling is built much like the walls, except that I used chicken wire to secure the insulation.

For room treatments I built a panel resonator into the corner, and attached acoustic foam to most of the corners and wall. I'll probably continue to tweak this as I find what sounds best for recording.

I built a small shelf on the panel resonator to attach my scissor arm mic stand, and a fold out table for the podcast mic. The booth comfortably seats two people, and stays cool even with temperatures of 80-90 degrees outside.

The Escape Pod is now open for business.

The finished product (for now). Behold y'all - The Escape Pod.

What's Up - PPF at South Coast Rep

I went to this - Pacific Playwrights Festival at South Coast Rep.

All of this is made possible to me through the hard work and good graces of my wonderful girlfriend Bekah, who has a play being read at the festival.

It's about heaven and is called 'Going to A Place Where You Already Are'. The audience laughed heartily and softly cried about dying and the afterlife, which - for such a touchy subject - doesn't seem like an easy thing to do. It asks a big question, all while wrapped in a big blanket of optimism, and is peppered with sneak attacks of humor.

Another favorite was 'Vietgone', by Qui Nyugen. This is a hilarious love story told with a modern voice about refugees in the US after the Vietnam war. It turns Americans into stock stereotypes, has a Mortal Kombat slow motion fight, and uses hip hop verses for cathartic moments.

Plays can be so good, and they're where I started out, so all this has made me want to jump back in.

On that note - coming up soon I'll be performing in an FPLA staged reading on May 19th.

What's Up - Beardshots

Headshots are usually an actor's first introduction to possible work.

I've taken quite a few over the years and have looked analytically at just as many.

I just took new ones to commemorate the successful conquest of my face by a majestic beard.

Here are the looks (and accompanying inner monologue) I went with this year -

I have a secret

I have to fart

My secret is I have to fart

Now it's not a secret anymore

That's funny, so I'll laugh, because laughing makes you have a natural smile

I'm overthinking this, and now judging myself (aka eyes half open, sneering mouth, very unsightly)

Let's get back on track - I am worth millions of dollars

You are my competition and I will crush you

That was so arrogant I'm sorry

Who are you talking to? They can't hear your thoughts

Unless I write them on my blog. Should I write them on my blog?

What's happening? Oh right, headshots

That was funny, right? That I got off track? I'll laugh again, quite naturally this time

Who am I?

You're supposed to know that before coming in here!

Ooh, that's good - existential crisis

No...maybe I'll turn my face slightly to the left

Nailed it

No really that felt really good

Congrats everyone that's a wrap

I'm trying to really lean into my inner monologues. Like a well crafted story, you can see that my thoughts come full circle (spiral?). On this journey the signposts are fake/real laughing and the destination is Natural Looksville. Population : Everyone else but me.

I took them with the gentlemanliest of gentlemen - Morgan Demeter.

Here's his website - http://morgandemeter.com/

For now enjoy this picture by makeup artist Bridget Clarke.

This conceptual beard is pretty close to the real thing. Imagine this, but bigger. And without the dirt on my face (this was for a post-apocalyptic web series that all actors are required to create).

What's Up - iO West Sketch Team

                                    Come see a show!

I have sworn fealty to the comedy kingdom of iO West.

I'm very excited to be performing on a sketch team once a month at the Del Close Theater.

Our shows are every second Sunday at 7:30 pm.

I am resisting the urge to say something terribly funny here because I'm saving it for the shows.

What's Up - Rogers Orion Talent Agency

I'm now repped by the Rogers Orion Agency.

We talked over email about making some noise, and here's a gif he sent me.

So...have your people talk to my people?