September 3, 1998
Now this was a commercial audition that actually went very well. Sort of. It was three businessmen riding on a train going into work discussing one of their competitors largest clients and such. My character was the slick, cocky guy, a role that I can do if my natural tendencies are allowed to come out.
So did they? I think so. There was a period of improving dialogue before launching into the commercial copy and during the first take, the camera was on just two of us, one of them being me. The dialogue was interesting and a little funny and I think I carried off the slick, cocky guy well. At one point in the improv, the director pointed toward the copy and I stopped the banter and said the first line of the scene, launching us into it. The scene also went quite well.
Then it fell apart a little bit. One of the other guys and I switched places for the second take, so this time through he would be on camera and they would be shooting the back of my head. I foolishly assumed, however, that we were also switching roles. There had been some discussion prior entering the room that they might switch the characters around. I thought they had. So there we sat doing our goofy banter, and bantering and bantering, and the director instructs us, "The copy, guys," but do I start the scene? No, because I don't think I have the first line any more. The other two guys know that they don't so there isn't much they can do. Eventually the director makes another request that we actually start the scene and it hits me that the only one screwing up here is me. Does that mean they won't give me the job? Not really. Sometimes it's weird stuff like that that makes you get noticed. you never know.