Category Archives: Chicago

Acting Studio Chicago Review: On Camera II

I have in no way be compensated or solicited for this review. This is solely my opinion. 

I cannot believe that it’s been 8 weeks since I started my On Camera II class with Chris Agos at Acting Studio Chicago. The time has absolutely flown. Pretty frightening if I think too hard about it. I’ve got a lot I want to accomplish on my arbitrary timeline.

Now, for the review. I am going to preface this by saying that, if you can, you should absolutely take this class. You can stop reading now, or continue for a more detailed examination.

I am not a person who responds well to a bullying teaching method. This class is absolutely NOT that. I write this because some people do need someone to push and prod and make them feel bad about themselves to make progress. If that’s you, that’s fine, but this isn’t the class for you. This isn’t to say that Chris won’t get you were you need to be. In fact, you’ll sometimes do take upon take until the objective is achieved. But it’s never from a place of destructive criticism, it’s just the opposite.

Which leads me into: take upon take upon take. You are on camera every. single. class. Then, the whole class watches your first take and your last take and you and Chris discuss the changes that were made, whether they were good, etc. Before coming to Chicago I had one on camera role. Since March, I’ve completed three and one I’m currently in wraps up, weather permitting, next week. I’ve also been auditioning for on camera things pretty regularly. This was a bit overwhelming at first given my utter lack of experience (theatrekid4eva). However, I was at an audition yesterday and I felt at ease. I went in, felt the floor, and did my thing. I came out happy with how I did and, as you know, that’s the most that you can ask of yourself in this business. It was invaluable, confidence and technique wise, for me to literally be on camera every week working with, most often, unfamiliar copy. (We were given copy in advance only twice. The rest of the time was devoted to semi-cold reading.) Also, a word about that copy: we used real scripts from things that were, mostly, shot in the area. Being able to work off of the kind of copy that we are most likely to encounter here was (can you sense a theme?) indispensable. (JK. I used my thesaurus for invaluable).

Finally, the last part of class was always devoted to the business of the Chicago acting market. As I’ve written before, Chicago is different from the coasts. We talked about everything from agents to headshots/resumes to the confusing world of the unions specific to Chicago. This might have been worth the cost of the class alone.

Take it. That’s the verdict. Their contact information follows.

Website: Acting Studio Chicago
Phone: 312.527.4566

Sirens in Chicago

Here’s some extremely good news for the Chicago acting community: The Sun Times reports that the USA show Sirens is shooting its second season in Chicago. All rejoice, more work more work.

I’m a little tuckered out so that’s it for tonight. But, considering the magnitude of the news, I don’t feel so bad. 😉

Chicago Talent Agents: Expert Curators of Marketable Talent (<--I'm coining that)

Chicago is a secondary market. It’s not New York or LA, though, as I reported in a previous post, it is making some major headway in film and television production. I had not made this connection until class last week, but being a secondary market means that things are run a little differently here. Makes sense right?

*Note that from here on out I will be writing about things that are generally true. The business relationship between a specific agent and actor may be different from what I describe. 

Chicago is a “scale” town. In other words, most working actors in the Second City do not command paychecks beyond those mandated by the unions. This in turn, means that the role of a Chicago agent is oftentimes a little different from that of a coastal agent. Due to the realities of his/her respective market, an agent in New York or L.A. is going to be more heavily involved in the shaping of an actor’s career, as well as, negotiating an increase in pay (or as the adage goes, negotiating you out of a job). Here, for the most part, an agent acts as the first line between the actor and the job. They are, if you will, expert curators of marketable talent. More than likely, before you get called in to read for Chicago Fire you need to have been picked up by an agent. His/her relationships with the casting directors in town are invaluable. If you want to move up the ladder of work in this city an agent’s partnership is necessary.

HOWEVER, this is absolutely NOT to say that the lack of an agent keeps you from submitting directly to casting directors. Absolutely do that. Even after you get an agent don’t stop doing that. Even the greatest agent in the world is not responsible for the shape of your career. You are.

Acting Studio Chicago (where I’m currently enrolled) has a list of agents and casting directors. They also have a ton of other useful information on their website. Check them out.

Comments? Concerns? Corrections? Let me know.

And, because I mentioned Chicago Fire, I give you Severide. You’re welcome.

Taylor Kinney as Kelly Severide -- (Matt Dinerstein/NBC)
Taylor Kinney as Kelly Severide — (Matt Dinerstein/NBC)

Why Chicago: An Interview with Justin Kimball

This is the first of (hopefully) many interviews that I will be doing with artists that have chosen Chicago as the place to build their career. When deciding where I wanted to base my acting career I had a lot of questions. I googled things like “best city to live in as an actor” and “where should I live to work as an actor” etc. Obviously, there were loads of articles and opinions about acting in Los Angeles and New York. I hope that this series of interviews will make the case for acting in Chicago, or at least provide enough information so that you can make an informed choice when deciding where you’re going to work. I also wanted to know how people support their acting habit so I’ll try to find out what their actor survival jobs are as well.

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I’ve known Justin Kimball since approximately the fifth grade. We didn’t live in the same town, but, much like Chicago, the arts community where we’re from is pretty small. There’s a lot going on if you are willing to drive 45 minutes to get there. I knew when I thought of this series he would be the perfect person to kick this off. So, without further ado, Justin Kimball.

Where are you from?
Benton IL. Southern Illinois. ACTUAL southern Illinois… not like.. by Springfield.

Tell me a little bit about what you do. 
I am mostly an actor/improviser. I do love to write but mostly for sketch and am currently directing/writing/acting for  a few web series. [Right now] I am in Theater Unspeakable’s touring production of “Superman 2050” as Superman. We recently had a run at the Lincoln Center in New York and the Kennedy Center in Washington and are in the Chicago’s Children Theater festival til the end of May. I am also currently working on the sketch comedy web series “Some Guys I Know” and dancing for the DLD dance company.

Why did you choose Chicago as the place to build your career?
I have always heard that Chicago is the place to go if you are a little unsure of where exactly you want your career to go. It’s a great mix of theater, film and different types of comedy. I wanted to be able to explore what I wanted to do and not just be put into a “film” or  “straight theater” box. A good friend of mine told me when I first moved here “Chicago is the place people go to make art, LA is where you go to make money” and that really stuck with me.  PLUS its wayyyyy cheaper here than in LA or NY. I would probably be three different types of homeless if I lived there.

Do you have an actor survival job?
I have MANY. I teach hip hop/ break dancing at two studios. I also work for a party entertainment company called the “Ice Cream Team.” Mostly I dress up like Spiderman or do stand up comedy for little kids. I also do some video editing (film/dance reels) on the side for some extra money. A “normal” job with “normal” hours just wasn’t working for all the auditions/rehearsals/classes I had when I moved to Chicago.

What is your best career experience in Chicago?
The Second City Conservatory was probably my favorite part thus far. The people that I met and the experience I gained regarding how to live as an actor/improviser in Chicago really made me feel like I had a chance. I highly recommend that training program for both how much fun it is and the name recognition on your resume. The worst experience…. I have done a few “we will feed you, but won’t pay you at all” plays that were very frustrating. A LOT of time put into something that I don’t even put on my resume. It was also kind of a good experience though because it taught me that I really need to think about the companies I want to work for and to make sure that they are legit. Places like the “Gorilla Tango Theater” are great for new artists but ANYONE can do shows there and sometimes you can get cast in a horrible Halloween play, asked to [go] topless for no reason, and kill someone by force feeding them poison pudding. Ya know, that old story.

Dream job?
I would LOVE to be a Neo-futurist OR have my own sketch comedy show that I can be in, write, and direct.

Any advice for those considering making their home in Chicago?
Learn the CTA (Chicago transit). It can be your best friend or your worst enemy. 
Chicago seems like a big place but the arts community is surprisingly small. Go out of your way to meet people. I have gotten most of my jobs by just knowing the right people. A professor of mine gave me this advise about Chicago, “It’s not about how you were on stage that night, it’s about how well you drink at the bar after.” 

And now, a game of Chicago favorites:
Theatre Company: The Neo-futurists! If you haven’t looked up/already seen “Too much light makes the baby go blind“.. what have you been doing?
Neighborhood: I love me some Lincoln Park. So much comedy.
Restaurant: Sushi Thai 3! Its kinda up north but seriously.. best Thai food. Period. No…Exclamation point.
Bar: Beer on Clark. They give out free parties almost every time you go.
Place: The planetarium. Just go there. It’s the knees of bees.
Only in Chicago:
I was in an R Kelly music video where we had to ride around on the L for 13 hours while R Kelly serenaded us. I got to hang and swing on the bars! It was like a dream come true. Since then all of my train rides feel empty…
Parting words:
Come to Chicago. Come be funny/dramatic/weird/poor/musical-y with us.

You can email Justin at justinkimball88@gmail.com

Good and Not so Good News for Chicago Television Production

Let’s start with the bad news.

If you still watch Supernatural (absolutely obsessed with it in college), you probably saw the episode that took place in Chicago. It was actually shot here which is fantastic. The episode was to serve as a backdoor pilot to the Supernatural spin-off Bloodlines (formerly Tribes). I watched it, and what I remember thinking is: “Why are Sam and Dean not in this more?” I really, really don’t think they should have treated the pilot this way. If you’re going to start a new series, commit. It wasn’t fair to the idea or the cast/crew to smoosh it in a series that viewers tune in to for two specific characters. But, nobody consulted me, and the series is dying an early death. I don’t know if it was going to be shot in Chicago, or if they were going to replace the city with Canada, but I must admit I was totally dreaming hard core. I loved Supernatural. It would have been awesome to know that its underdog cousin was filming here. 

The good news: The Lee Daniels written and directed Empire is filming its pilot in the city. The empire of the title is of the hip-hop variety. The cast is impressive: Terrence Howard, Gabourey Sidibe and Taraji P. Henson. However, it’s set in New York City. I hope this doesn’t mean that there will be a location change if it’s picked up.

A Very Chicago Weekend

I drove the best friend to the airport this morning before the crack of dawn. If you’re flying in/out of Chicago, go Midway if you can. The drive at that hour wasn’t too bad, and I was just ahead of the morning rush.

Wrigley Field: 1914-2014

What we did this weekend, and thoughts.

1. Field Museum. I like the Field a lot. I’ve heard that it’s not as cool as the Museum of Science and Industry (I haven’t been there yet so I can’t compare), but I really enjoyed the time we spent there. Right now, there’s a neat Bio-mechanics exhibit going as well as artifacts from the Chicago Word’s Fair. My favorite part was the collection of taxidermy animals. The work on them is astounding. It feels like they could leap through the glass at any moment.

2.  Art Institute of Chicago. This was by far my favorite activity of the weekend. Their Impressionist (my favorite) collection is great. They also have a special exhibit on Renoir’s (favorite) colors going on right now. We wandered there for quite awhile. The best friend was also excited because they had a lot more Monet’s (her favorite) than she had expected.

3. The Bean. I think it’s actually named Cloudgate or something like that, but I’ve only ever heard it called the Bean.

4. City Gallery at the Water Tower. Quite honestly, I can’t remember the exhibit that was being displayed. We popped in right after leaving the Art Institute and were rather exhausted. I think it was mixed media. Best part. FREE!

5. Navy Pier. We wandered around the pier for a little. It’s currently undergoing some major renovations so that’s not ideal.

6. Cubs game at Wrigley Field. Happy 100th Wrigley. We went. It was cold. They won, which someone told me they don’t do very often.  

I think we did pretty well for three days. What are your favorite places to take out of town visitors?

Backstage Reports a Boom of TV Filming in Chicago

Via Indiewire

In a previous post I mentioned that Chicago was the number one place to live and work as a filmmaker. According to Backstage, it’s also gearing up to be a great place to find television work. Previously, Chicago actors were mostly relegated to Cop #1, Punk with Blue Hair type roles while the bigger Recurring, Guest Star, etc. spots were auditioned and cast out of town. Now, Chicago based actors are getting more opportunities to nab those kinds of roles. And, what’s even more promising, Mickie Paskal (a prominent casting director in the City) stated that there are “rumblings that a bunch of pilots are looking to shoot here.”

Exciting times.

You can read the rest of the article HERE.

Errands, Chilvary, and a Goodman Deal

Today was errand day. I had a lot I needed to do and, surprise, surprise, I didn’t get everything I wanted accomplished.

First off, I had to go and purchase my Chicago city sticker. I have absolutely no idea how I knew about this requirement. In fact, I’m rather certain I stumbled upon it while checking out parking options. If you park a vehicle in the city of Chicago for more than 30 days, you have to have a sticker. This sticker has to be bought within the first 30 days of moving here or purchasing a car. If you fail to do so, it’s a $60 fine when you finally figure out you have to register. I’ve also heard that they’re going to ramp up ticketing for those without stickers. I wish there was some sort of packet that you got when you arrived in the city. Maybe I’ll make one. I bought mine at a currency exchange. Make sure you bring in your lease and the VIN number.

Second, I needed to head to J&S Photo Service to pick up my headshots. I did a lot of research online to see who did a quality job and their name kept popping up. I am very pleased with the prints. The colors are vibrant and the thickness of the photo paper is great.

On my way to J&S I had to catch my second bus. I get on and my Ventra card, which I loaded up today and had just used to get to the currency exchange, didn’t work. I stood there, baffled, and held it up to the scanner repeatedly. The messages Sorry didn’t work scan again, insufficient funds, played on a loop. The very nice bus driver told me not to worry about it. Thank heavens. And people say Northerners don’t do chivalry.

Third, LIBRARY CARD! I’m super excited about this, mostly because when I got there I immediately found three books that are currently on my amazon wish list. Their YA section is great. When you go to sign up you need your ID and two pieces of mail, a bill and another letter will work.

Finally, I want to see Venus in Fur. However, the tickets for seats I would want to sit in are expensive. But, they have this great program where, on the day of the show, you can enter in the promo code MEZZTIX, and some of the seats remaining in the Mezzanine will be half off! That. Is. Awesome. I ended up not going today because I’m saving this well reviewed show for when a friend comes to town.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater and $20 Tickets

This is going to be short and sweet. Cool thing to do in Chicago: $20 Chicago Shakespeare tickets for those under 35.

Making live theatre more accessible to people is a fantastic initiative. There’s a stigma about theatre being snobbish and elitist. I will admit that, especially in today’s economy, ticket prices for good theatre are often prohibitively expensive. This offer, which targets students and young professionals, puts world class theatre ticket prices in the same ballpark as movie tickets. Score.

You can get them HERE.

My First Week in Chicago

What a whirlwind of a week it’s been. Moved, auditioned, unpacked sporadically, had a callback, went out with friends, saw a show, and said goodbye to my mom one week later.

Saturday 3/1

The move turned out to be a lot less stressful than I was anticipating. (This is, in large part, thanks to New City Moving, who I researched and read about on Yelp! More about them later.) I might have mentioned it before, but I’m a worrier. I constantly envision things that could go wrong in a scenario. I’m talking events ranging from things that could happen to horrible freak accidents. (I blame the latter on seeing Final Destination as a child.)

Anyway, the plan was to meet the movers at a giant block store about 18 miles away from my apartment. Me being me, was stressed that security guards were going to swarm my vehicle and tell me that a dirty loiterer like me couldn’t be there, get out, etc. Luckily, that didn’t happen. What did happen was a blown out tire on the trailer that my dad was driving.

We were pretty close to the meet up spot, around 5 hours into our drive and about an hour out, when I noticed that little black chunks were flying at my car. (I was driving behind Dad). Damn trucks, I think. It’s super lucky those black rocks they are throwing up aren’t busting my windshield. Then, the chunks get bigger. I realize what’s happening and frantically try to get my blue tooth going to call Dad, since ya know, handheld cell phone usage is now illegal in Illinois. Siri doesn’t cooperate, instead asking whether I wanted her to look up an article on something. NO! Siri, obviously not! By the time I get her dialing Dad the tire has blown out. Luckily, it just kind of rolled off the wheel frame rather than exploding and sending the truck careening into anything. Also luckily, we have a spare and Dad has important life skills, like knowing how to change a tire.

Once we’re back on the road I get a call from the movers. They’re about an hour out from the location. How convenient I tell them, I am also about an hour out.

Nothing else of note happens, thank heavens, and we arrive whereupon the movers unpack a trailer that took Mom and I about 6 hours to pack (at least) in about 20 minutes. Color me impressed.
I say a tearful goodbye to Dad, who is driving back the same day to try to beat the impending ice storm scheduled to hit our area, get in my car, and hit Chicago traffic.

The truck beats me. I try to find parking. I attempt to parallel park. Let’s hope I get better at that real fast.
By the time I make it to may apartment the movers have already unloaded a bunch of boxes. Things progress pretty smoothly until they try to get my seven foot couch through the door and around an exceedingly tight corner. Initially they’re like, it won’t go. And I’m like, No! I cannot tell my dad that he was right about the couch.

Them: We’ll take off the legs.
Me: Great.
Them: Well, that didn’t work because you see this back leg, it’s like glued to the frame, not just screwed in.
Me/Mom: Give us a hammer, we’ll rip it off.
Them: Let us try it again at a different angle.
Me/Mom: Thank you.
Them: (Grunts, groans)
Me: Yay!!!

They got it through with some impressive twisting. If not for the couch they would have probably been finished a good half hour earlier. As it were, they came in over $300 dollars UNDER the estimate that they sent me. Moreover, with all the stuff that I had the only thing that broke was a single piece of stemware. Granted I’m not thrilled about that, but in the grand scheme of things I was extremely happy with what they did for me. Everyone was incredibly polite and efficient. Thus, if you’re considering moving to Chicago, I recommend New City Moving to get you settled into your new place. I have no regrets in hiring them. (Note! Nobody paid me to say that. My blog’s not that big…yet.)

The rest of Saturday was spent putting my bed together and crashing.

Sunday

Sunday Funday was largely spent unpacking. My apartment is rather small (studio) so it was a bit of an issue trying to place things when Mom (who graciously agreed to stay for the week to get me settled in) and I were crawling over boxes, the dog, the cat, and each other. Slow going to say the least.

Sunday afternoon I had my first audition since moving to the area. I was a tad bit frazzled. I left my apartment with what I thought was plenty of time to spare. I was wrong. I was about five minutes late. In fact, the auditionors were walking out of the theatre when I was signing in. They filed back in when the proctor told them there was one more. Despite my tardiness, I felt good about the audition. The director worked with me a bit on my monologue and we chatted about my recent move. I was asked if I was available for Wednesday night if I happened to be called back. Yes.

Monday

More unpacking. Still can’t really see the floor. It’s like playing hot lava all the time. Get a lovely surprise that makes my day.
No word about the audition.

Tuesday

Unpack. How do I have this much stuff! I cut down!! Get an email inviting me to the callbacks.

Wednesday

Unpack. 3M Command Hooks are possibly the greatest home organization invention ever. Other than, like, nails, which I can’t use…a nail that is.
Callback! For which I am incredibly early since this time I overestimated the commute.

Thursday

Unpack. I get my Comcast box. I set it up. I get internet and cable and proceed to watch 3 episodes of House with Mom. Then I spend an infuriating two hours putting together a breakfast table. Pretty sure that I pull my bicep trying to force the castors into their designated slots.
No word about casting.

Friday

Unpack. Then, joy of joys, we leave my apartment and go see Gypsy at Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier.
It was awesome. I’d never seen the show before. I loved the music, I loved the costumes, I loved Herbie, Louise, and the real live lamb! Performances were beyond solid from ensemble to Mama Rose. It was a very enjoyable show and both Mom and I liked it.

Take a cab back. Pull onto my street and see the flashing lights of a fire truck. Proceed suspiciously. They’re at my building. Someone’s trapped in the elevator. This happens a lot according to a neighbor Mom and I meet in the stairwell. Hell. I suppose if I’m being honest my quads can use the strength training climbing stairs provides.
No word about casting.

Saturday

More unpacking, I feel like the end is kind of in sight?
Later in the night I go see Tim Ipsen, the boyfriend of one of my best friends, play bass at a cafe. It was a really nice evening. Great music, good food, and wonderful company.
No word about casting.

Sunday

Sleep in a little late. Walk to a restaurant to get lunch with Mom before she leaves. Another tearful goodbye. This growing up stuff isn’t always so fun.
Still no word about casting.

Monday 3/10

Friend in town. Pretend I know more about Chicago than I do.
As of this post, no word about casting.