I'm Never Asking For My Own Show Again

Ah yes. Another great couple of weeks working for Dakota Pictures. I always enjoy getting the call to “come and play” up in North Hollywood. The folks in and around Dakota are not only great people to work for, but are great friends as well and both add up to an ideal work environment. Hell, I don’t even mind the forty-five minute to an hour commute along the great 405 (a.k.a. The Plague) and the 101 freeways to get there. And I never have anything positive to say about the valley; who actually enjoys going to the valley anyway?

This time around we did a pilot with a Korean comedian Bobby Lee. His most famous work is from Fox’s Mad TV, but can be seen every Saturday night headlining at the Comedy Store on Sunset. Bobby is a really nice guy; it’s like working with a teenager who is given free reign at a production company (which is pretty much what it was). Although he had writer Mike Hitchcock to try to keep him grounded. I don’t want to give too much away, but just know it’s a really funny show. Very edgy, very racist, very low brow, but very smart as well. Nothing like the bullshit Mencia keeps churning out of his lame pie-hole.

One of the highlights was getting a chance to work with our old friend Fitz again. Fitz was the first Key PA I worked for back on my first season of Viva la Bam. Since he’s worked on many big budget films such as Mission Impossible 3, Stranger Than Fiction, and most recently The Dark Knight. It even wasn’t that bad with his constant barrage of insults that came across the walkie. Fucking tool.

The week was long; we easily did a six-day shoot in four days. The shortest day I worked I think was sixteen hours. Now, I’m not complaining b/c it was a lot of fun. And it was a nice change from reality TV. (The Bobby Lee Show is scripted.) I haven’t worked on scripted television since my first paying job, Hack, back when I first moved to Philly.

Now that the show is done and in post-production, I am enjoying two fully relaxing, and beach filled, weeks off. The next big thing is Rad Girls season two, which I will touch on more as it gets closer. I must say I am really excited to work on it; most of the show is on the road in Santa Cruz and West Palm Beach, Florida. I don’t even want to predict what may happen. I’ll make sure to fill you in as the trip unfolds.

Bobby Lee pretty much enveloped my life over the last three weeks, which is why I took so long to post. Even my office days finished with my two hour work out, so my schedule was mainly: wake up, work, go to the gym, go running, go to bed, maybe have time to eat here and there. Again, not complaining.

Once the show was done, I did have a little reprieve: I finally had some time to go surfing. Last Saturday, Johnny’s friend Alejo came down to Venice with his parents, and Johnny and I met him for a little sunset surf session. Now, the waves were way bigger than we expected. As the day unfolded and I made numerous trips to Bridget “Hood Rat Hooker” Blitsch’s beach party, the waves ranged from lame to non-existent. So it was surprising when ten-foot walls of wash and surf were exploding not two hours after I left Hooker watching over the cooler.

Once the three of us paddled out to sea, we sat up, and waited for the next set. As we were sitting there, the lifeguard boat all of a sudden pulled up next to us and told us to paddle back to shore. We turned around and realized we were a good two hundred yards from the sand. Apparently we missed the sign warning of the ridiculously strong undertow. We made our way back to float at least along side of the jetty. Five minutes later, I went for my first wave. It was going to be my own wave because for some odd reason no one else was going for it. In a few moments I would discover why. It was at least a ten footer. I go to stand up on the board when all of a sudden, instead of the waves curling and crashing like normal, it just burps and washes out, knocking the board out from underneath me, and I plunge to the bottom of the ocean. Usually when I wipe out, I let the wave pass, and pull myself to the surface using my leash. After the waves, I did just that, except this time, when I got the end of the leash, there was no board. The strength of the massive wake ripped the board clean off the tether. At this point I began to panic a little. As most of your know, I’m a really strong swimmer. And a hundred yard swim should only take me a minute or two to make the shore, but with the strong undertow, and waves bombarding me from behind, it was at least ten minutes before I planted my foot on solid ground. I pretty much kissed my board goodbye; I just hoped some kid in Japan would enjoy the surfboard as much as I had, but the water gods smiled on me that day, and my nine-footer was waiting for me on the shore as I arrived. Nothing too harrowing, but shook me up for a hot second. And I would be damned if I was gonna let me ass get saved.

Nothing else too exciting, my weekend was the usual (if you don’t know what I do by now, shame on you).

Finally, I began cutting the footage of the Master Cleanse Roger, Johnny, and I did at the end of 2006. I have a twenty-five minute “director’s cut” done, and now Roger is going to clean it up and shorten it for internet posting, and your viewing. I’ll be sure to let you all know when it’s complete so you can see the comedy unfold as we put ourselves through hell.

Check out Funeral For A Friend’s album “Tales Don’t Tell Themselves.” It’s a concept album where the album's main theme is water and the ocean and every song actually has a great flow and gives you the feeling of being out on the ocean. I love skateboarding to that album, and pumps me up before I hit the waves with my longboard.

I leave with the quote of the week from The Bobby Lee Show:

Bobby Lee: I’m never asking for my own show again.
PA: What happens if the show gets picked up?
Bobby Lee: I’m out!

Glad to see he’s got full confidence in his own project. Ahoy hoy. Welcome to summer!

Everybody's Working For The Weekend

Last week was pretty uneventful. 

Who am I kidding? I say that now, but I’m sure I’ll find plenty to talk about. 

Sunday Funday was pretty good. J-Mar and Clementine met me at the Whaler for a couple drinks.  Sadly, Devon was in North Carolina visiting her boyfriend Tony’s family.  Well sad for me, but good for her.  We then cruised over to Hinano’s for their world famous burgers.  So delicious. I could totally use a week out of town.  I’m actually missing the family vacation to the Outer Banks next week b/c that month off killed my income.  But what can you do?  The time off was pretty nice.  Got to regroup mentally and just sit back and breathe for a bit. 

I spent the majority of the week scouting in Koreatown for the pilot I am working on with Dakota Films.  I always enjoy working with them; it’s always such a friendly atmosphere.  Great people too.  It became a long week mainly b/c I spent most of it in my car.  I love driving, and I love listening to my iPod, but it was so hot a couple of those days, it was a race to snap photos and get back into the air conditioning of my car.  It was tough too b/c a bunch of the locations I brought back to Troy and Tally (the EP and producer respectively) they weren’t too keen on.  So, I kept going out and bring back whatever I could find.  The rest of my time I researched stock footage of the LA Riots.  I found some pretty crazy stuff.  People looting like mad, and I mean not only robbing electronic stores, but also people walking into supermarkets and stealing food.  All in plain site, mid-afternoon.  No shame. 

A little intemission before I tell you about the highlight of my week.  Go to this site and check out the second video down with Kendra from Girls Next Door.  Keep an eye out for the man with the 900 camera on his shoulder. HA!

Okay, here’s the big moment.  I never really wanted to use this as a platform into my personal life, but this is something I’m really excited about.  I went on a date Wednesday night.  Her name is Andrea and she is a musician.  In fact, for about 10 year, she was the lead singer/founder of a massive band from Canada known as The Weekend.  Not to dwell on that too much, you can do the interweb search yourself (or click on that little link back there for a start) and find out about her musical history.  Without giving too much away, the night went great. We had dinner at a little café downtown called Pete’s.  Great food, okay service, nice bottle of wine; we sat out on the patio all making for a nice little romantic scene.  Afterwards we went to La Cita (surprise surprise) the bar where we first met.  She’s completely different from the usual women I date, but it’s a good thing.  Can’t wait for the follow up and hopefully she’ll become a reoccurring character in here.

The weekend was a little crazy.  Tim Glomb was in town filming a volleyball tournament for Crocs.  Roger gave him a hand.  Tim works, and I think helped found, an advertising company in Denver known as Red Robot, and Crocs is one of their clients.  When they weren’t working, we of course had a couple drinks here and there and caught up.

Saturday I met DarrOn and Colby at the Whaler for a few drinks to catch up on all things Mobile Home Disaster since I was so unfairly (but thankfully) fired from that show.   Bruno was working and eventually joined us for a nice pitcher of Heffie.  That night was a fake wrap party for the show which I was invited to “crash.”  It was at Allan the Project Manager’s house.  I wasn’t going to go, then at the last minute got a hair up my ass, and James was looking to go out, so we drove to Allan’s up in Van Nuys and partied the night away.  I’m glad James decided to go, b/c I was highly incapable of driving home.  Oops.  He got him, the Blue Flash, and myself home all in one piece, and avoided all of the DUI checkpoints. 

Sunday was a long one too, but it was own fault.  I went to get a haircut up in Santa Monica.  Being a nice day, I rode my bike.  I then decided to go try to find Tim and Roger down in Hermosa Beach at the volleyball tourney.  Yeh, Hermosa is kinda far, but I don’t really think about it.  Never found the guys, but when all was said and done, I had been on my bike for like four hours and probably covered like thirty or so miles.  As Tim put it, “You rode down to Hermosa? That’s pretty hardcore.”  I have a nice little tramp stamp on my back too.  I guess my shirt scooted up a bit  and I have a 2^nd degree sunburn on the southern most part of my back.  It kills. 

To complete my wonderful week and weekend, we pulled the couch and Poang up to about five feet from the TV and watched the Celtics put away game number two against the Lakers.  We thought it was in the bag; up by 24 points with seven minutes left, but the Lakers had a last minute surge, and btw Roger’s farts and my farts, we sat on the edge of our seats hoping the best possible outcome.  But the Celts pulled it out.  Nothing better than seeing sad Lakers fans roaming around town.  Makes my heart flutter. 

Headed back to work today.  Tech scout Wednesday and getting the final shit ready to roll to begin filming Monday.  Should be a little crazier a week than last, but we’ll all get thru it.  And maybe, I’ll have another midweek highlight to help these next seven days along.

A friend in needs a friend indeed. A friend with weed is better.