red HANDS production DIARY

Last night I went to the casting I'd set up for the 18+ actors I'm interested in getting to play the BOY in episode 5 of RED HANDS. None of them showed. I was actually relieved, since I was dead tired from working all day and it meant I could get back to my wife and quality time with her. I also wasn't that surprised, to tell you the truth, since 1) with craigslist postings you really have to bulk program; as in to meet with five potential actors you have get about forty RSVPS, and I'd only found like four actors to come out, and 2) I couldn't meet with these guys at the usual tavern since they were all underage and since I wasn't about to support Starbucks I told the kids we'd do the audition at a somewhat sketchy Indian cafeteria in Atwater. Yes, I admit, if I was a young male actor this probably would have sounded, uh, sleazy, and I might have been inclined not to follow through.

But, as usual with this progressive production, everything has appeared to work out great. Tonight we had an audition for PAROLE OFFICERS for episode 6, along with OLD MEN for episode 1, and GUY, at the usual place. Kim, our amazing producer, found an actor who I think will work perfectly for the character of BOY. He's a lot older than what's in the script, but it doesn't matter because he gets the essence of the character. BOY is all about nervy weird intensity mixed with innocence -- and he's got all of that. I think we also found a great PAROLE OFFICER, and an OLD MAN. None of the GUY potentials showed up, so I'll now have to hit craigslist again as well some other contacts because we desperately need an old fat white dude who can act, ASAP. If you know anyone who fits this description and lives in LA please let me know.

After the auditions we had a mini-production meeting where we touched base with Myles Cranford (WINTERMOUTH) who was gracious enough to fight traffic and meet Kim and Ed. Bob, our editor who's down from Seattle making the scene also made an appearance and it was great to get his input on some technical angles.

The winner for the evening though had to be Kim. We decided at the tavern that job #1 is nailing down this location -- we have to get it secure before we can do anything else and man, we're running out of time. I suggested driving out there tonight and trying to tract down the lady who owns the establishment we're interested in. Ed and Kim were game so we drove out into the Inland Empire. The lady wasn't there, but Kim was able to score some serious contact intel with the place's chief manager, which should nail this location by Sunday night. Kim really stepped up with the manager and impressed the shit out of me. Had this not happened I think we very well could have been out a location which means we could have been screwed, big time. The whole transaction went down in a karaoke lounge with drunk bikers screaming Chicago ballads behind us. Kim was totally pro and locked on, and even set up a meeting with a senior bartender who's going to give us the scoop on all the details we'll need to get this production done right. Kim and I are going to meet with him tomorrow afternoon and I'm very excited to see where the adventure takes us from there.

Tonight was the first night that I felt this production was really turning into something physical, real. Up until now we've been meeting and I've been raising money. Tonight we were in the field, getting shit done, establishing boundaries and testing each other. I give everyone involved an A.

Dig it.