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Easy is out the Window

2011/06/20

From June 14 to 16, I was on location at Libohovice Chateau for a commercial project I had been cast for about two weeks earlier. The commercial was for Campari, an alcoholic apéritif produced in Italy. The project was directed by none other than Hollywood director, Joel Schumacher. It was both a very creative and frustrating experience at the same time, but certainly a memorable one. I always learn a few new things after being involved in a commercial shoot, and this project was no exception.

Libochovice Chateau is something out of a fairy tale. Its early Baroque condition dates back to the 17th century and has been preserved to this day. The architectural styles of the interior range from Baroque to 19th century, decorated with a collection of tapestries, paintings, glass, and china. The impressive Saturn’s Hall, with its high ceiling, large fireplace, and artistic sculptures (of Saturn and his children is my assumption) is where most of the shooting took place. The twelve signs of the zodiac are sculpted into the perimeter of the ceiling (much to my surprise and delight). The exterior of the chateau is breathtaking. The gardens boast a number of species of trees, flower beds, two fountains, and a large man-made pond. A peacock and peafowl call the area home, and their raucous calls could be heard throughout the shoot.

On the third day of shooting, I was gifted with a sight. I had been hearing the high-pitched calls of raptors for two days while on set; sounds that I learned to recognize while training at B & S Hawk. The general hustle and bustle that surrounded me for those few days made it difficult for me to find the origins of the sounds. On the morning of the third day, I was speaking with Štěpán Sedlák, casting director of J.A.M. Casting when I suddenly heard a flock of pigeons take emergency flight from the rooftop they were all resting on. I looked up to locate the reason for their agitation, and sure enough, I saw two longwings gracefully glide into the sheltered rooftop window where they nested. I couldn’t identify them at the time, but my guess at the moment is that they’re a pair of Common Kestrels. I related to Štěpán about how I can handle trained falcons and hawks, and he gave me a surprised look before saying, “Micheal, you have to say that in your introduction at the next casting!” He was right, of course.

By day 3, Štěpán calling me Micheal was a bit of a joke. I had been going to castings at J.A.M. for over 5 years, and up until last week, Štěpán knew me as “Micheal”, even though I always introduced myself as “Kendrick” during the audition introduction. I finally corrected him during the shoot, and he explained to me that some years ago – before I arrived in Prague – there was an Asian gentleman named Micheal that attended castings on a regular basis. Due to the cultural association, Štěpán kept calling me Micheal for 5 years even though he knew it wasn’t my name. It was fun to get to know Štěpán, whom I believe is the most personable casting director in Prague. Often times, when explaining the action for the casting, he’s much better than the actors that show up!

This is the part of the blog entry where I write about the creative side of the project (or what I liked about it). Working with Joel Schumacher was a blast. He always arrived on set smiling, and greeted everyone that he passed. He knew me by name from the first day of shooting, which – to be honest – wasn’t difficult because I was the only Asian on set (a typical occurrence in this part of the world). The best part of working on this project was the opportunity to wear a fabulous costume. Joel Schumacher began his filmmaking career as a costume designer in LA, so there was a real emphasis on the look of each of the actors (I swear costume, makeup, and hair design must have taken at least 3 hours a day to complete). I was dressed in a 17th century Baroque outfit in cream and gold, with hard leather boots that reached my knees. The frock coat was by far the most extravagant piece I was wearing during the shoot. My hair was mostly tied back with a hair extension and ribbon added to simulate a Baroque-style ponytail. The hair designers straightened lengths of my hair on the left side and hit it with hairspray to produce an asymmetrical style akin to an anime character. I do confidently admit that I looked super dashing in that outfit. It was probably the best costume I’ve worn to date for a production. Upon arriving to set every morning, I looked forward to getting dressed up. All I needed was a rapier and a falcon or hawk on my glove to complete the look. If you look good, you feel good, so you do good. I felt great! Unfortunately, I don’t own a digital camera or a smart phone, so I was unable to take any photographs of my outfit. Some people did take photos though, so I’m certain they’ll turn up on Facebook some time in the near future.

I couldn’t complain about the amount of eye candy, either. The women outnumbered the men, and with all the actors in Baroque-style costumes, it was a veritable feast for the eyes. Some actors from Milan (the clients were from Italy) were hired for the shoot. I write actors, but they were really models. There was this one Italian model where I thought, “Oh my goddess” when I saw her. She was an absolute stunner. Whomever her parents are, they must be very proud their genetics did an excellent job. It didn’t look like she was used to washing dishes, or cooking, or wielding a sword, but if anyone could fit the archetype of “princess”, it was her. It wasn’t ironic, then, that her costume was a pink, flowing dress.

So I’ve written about the good, and there was clearly nothing ugly about the project; now for the bad. It’s typical on a film and commercial production to segregate the actors (or “talent”): extras, featured extras, principals, mains; kind of like a menu in a restaurant. For this project, it was just extras, featured extras, and one main actor. I was cast for a featured extra role, which was fine. The problem arose when the segregation became more like Prague actors, then everyone else. The actors hired from Italy were doing the same things we were (meaning they were just featured extras), except they were put up in the nice hotel and they were permitted to take food and beverages from craft services. I suspected their paycheques were significantly higher than ours as well. The actors hired in Prague were stuffed into a tent and given canister coffee, bread, and water. Lunch was whatever they wanted to serve us, and it was often not hot (just lukewarm). If you were vegetarian, you were out of luck. At one point, Štěpán asked me if the food was always this bad on commercial shoots (he hadn’t been on a commercial shoot for the past 3 years).

I mentioned I was the only Asian on the set. By day 3, I began to suspect the clients weren’t keen on using me in any of the shots. Apparently Joel Schumacher was; he put me into a fantastic costume for the contrast it provided. Still, it was always in the back of my mind that I was a Chinese guy on a commercial to be broadcast in Italy; my position on the hierarchical grease-pole of this project was very low indeed. On the final day of shooting, I was called to set 3 times, and all 3 times I was never used. I was on standby for 3 hours at one point, after which I was told I was in the next shot. I walked onto set and waited for my instructions, only to be told that I wouldn’t be in the shot but to stick around just in case. I was never used on set for the rest of the day. Okay, so they hired an Asian actor and stuck him in a 17th century, Baroque costume. They gave him a slick Japanimation hair style. He stuck out like a sore thumb, but he looked absolutely fabulous. Then they don’t use him in any of the shots. What was the point of that? Was I not hired to provide some wacky contrast to the commercial? Now that was bad. I learned later that there were nine clients, and they all had different views on the creative aspect of the commercial. I also learned that by day 3, Joel Schumacher was just about ready to blow a gasket. He was used to getting a shot in 2 or 3 takes, but the clients all wanted something different.

All-in-all, it was a great experience for me. I got to meet and work with Joel Schumacher, wear a fancy costume, walk around an early Baroque chateau, meet new people (a shout out to Mattias, Štěpán, and Charlotte of Ω² ohm square), and see wild raptors. This is on top of getting paid for being hired for the project. They’re opportunities that I don’t come around everyday for me, so I am truly grateful for them all.

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Kendrick’s Mind Safe Post

2011/06/13

This entry began as a fairly belligerent post. In fact, it was originally titled “Kendrick’s Kind-of Geeky, Kind-of Belligerent, Kind-of Astrological, Really Explicit Post”. I couldn’t tell if I was angry or frustrated when I started writing it. Needless to write, calmer perspectives have prevailed. Besides, my parents read this blog regularly (hi Mom and Dad), so it’s not like I can go completely off-the-cuff and not expect a phone call where I would have to explain my propensity for sarcasm, dark humour, and cynicism to a very concerned mother and father. Still, there will likely be elements of everything mentioned in the aforementioned former title, except possibly the belligerence.

Right, let’s get this out of the way first: one of my interests is astrology. According to Dictionary.com, astrology is defined as the study that assumes and attempts to interpret the influence of the heavenly bodies on human affairs. This is not to be mistaken with astronomy, which may be defined as the science that deals with the material universe beyond the earth’s atmosphere. While I don’t feel I have any need to defend my perspectives on the subject, I will point out that just because something cannot be seen, it doesn’t mean that it does not exist. In 1847, Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis postulated that medical students were carrying “cadaverous particles” on their hands from the autopsy rooms and were transmitting them to the patients they examined. His theory of infection was ridiculed and opposed by the medical community, and never accepted during his lifetime. It turned out Dr. Semmelweis was right, and he is now considered an early pioneer in antiseptic procedures.

I read an interesting article recently written by Peter Stockinger entitled “E.coli Outbreak and Total Lunar Eclipse on June 15th 2011“. I never once thought that a lunar eclipse in Sagittarius could bring about plagues and great evils. If anything, my research indicated that the lunar eclipse would bring out the spontaneity in people. Being a Sagittarian, I’ve been greatly interested in knowing how the eclipse could affect me. I write ‘could’, because astrology isn’t about presenting preset conditions. It’s about presenting choices and opportunities. A person could decide not to eat the Oreo cookie and instead go for Häagen-Dazs Chocolate Cookie Dough ice cream. A lot of people also don’t realize that Sun Sign astrology is just the beginning. There are 10 planets (the Sun and the Moon are considered planets in astrology) and 12 zodiac signs. Then there’s the Ascendant (or Rising Sign), which is how other people tend to see a specific person. For example, my Sun is in Sagittarius, my Moon is in Gemini, and my Ascendant is Gemini. Yeah, I could write a significant amount about my Sagittarian and Gemini ways (but I won’t). In short, Sagittarius and Gemini are opposite each other on the zodiac. It’s a very spectacular relationship: the possibility of the greatest attraction coupled with the possibility of the greatest repulsion. Having Gemini in two significant areas of my astrological chart also means I have two evil twins, and two not-so-evil twins.

According to my research, those born around December 16 (I was born on December 17)will face issues of a personal nature where a decision has to be made. There’s also the opportunity to shift attitudes that don’t work anymore. It’s easier to change oneself than it is to change another person. Of course, there’s the usual advice to have faith in one’s hopes and dreams as life is dictated by what we believe we can and can not accomplish. I also found a very specific note from one astrologer’s interpretation indicated that someone at work has a crush on me. Due to the freelance nature of my occupation as an actor, I sincerely doubt this one has any credibility; unless it’s one of the women in the wardrobe and makeup departments, Valentino (the hairdresser), or Joel Schumacher (who is directing the commercial project I am involved in over the next 3 days).

I will be out of Prague for three days and two nights. I wasn’t informed how many days I would be on set until this afternoon; turns out I’ll be shooting for all three days (which, of course, means I will receive more money). The commercial is for Campari, and it will indeed be directed by Joel Schumacher. Yeah, I was wondering what he was doing shooting a commercial, but it seems he delves in other forms of media other than blockbuster movies (he directed the music video for Smashing Pumpkins’ The End is the Beginning is the End, for example). I had a chance to speak with him during the costume fitting. He’s very personable; knows a lot of historical trivia. This really helped out the creative process involved in choosing costumes, as the theme for the commercial is neo-Baroque. My costume is a French-style, period outfit from the 17th century. It reminded me of the time I rented a pirate costume (frock coat and all!) from Angels in London, UK. I definitely rock the frock! It was the most relaxed and fun costume fitting I’ve ever attended.

In between thinking about finishing this entry and actually finishing it, I’m filing my nails. I received a funny call from the casting studio that held the auditions for the aforementioned commercial project. They asked me if I could go out and get a manicure. Yeah, my reaction was to pause for a brief moment before asking, “What?” Apparently the makeup department doesn’t have the time to clean all the actors’ nails, and the director and clients want our hands to be well-groomed. I was given the option of going out and paying for a manicure or cleaning my nails myself. I told the girl on the other line that I have beautiful nails (thanks Mom and Dad), and I could clean them myself (I have a nail file in my makeup kit – I’m an actor AND an ex-LARPer; get over it!). One of the women I dated in Canada in the late 90s once commented on how my hands looked like they never saw hard labour. I took that as an insult, and proceeded to rough up my hands and knuckles by striking sandbags and canvas punching bags (without hand wraps) during my martial arts training (which was Wing Chun at the time). Well, I do have callouses now from training with kettlebells, but I still have fingers made for playing piano (again, thanks Mom and Dad).

After following HBO’s new series, Game of Thrones, I found myself compelled to revisit two things from my past: 1) Reread G.R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire trilogy (which the series is based on), and 2) Start using “bashy” swords again. I trained in stage combat for some years while living in London, and was one of four people (I think it was four; anyway, the number was low) to be awarded a BADC Advanced Certification, Gold with Recommendation that year. Long swords and broad swords were part of our training. I classify “bashy” swords as any sword of medieval Europe (approximately 500 AD to 1500 AD). The combination of a lean build and natural dexterity made me excellently suited to use a rapier (and any of its accompanying weapons: 2nd rapier, dagger, cloak, beer stein). I could safely “muscle” the sword a bit without fear of damaging it (as would occur if I did the same thing with a small sword, aka a court sword). One of my dream roles is to play one of the Musketeers in The Three Musketeers, modern remake or not (which is going to take a very imaginative or progressive director). The sword of choice in the Game of Thrones television series is the hand-and-a-half sword; pure “bashiness”. I’ve put on a fair amount of muscle over the years since I left London, and I think it’s time I threw heavier swords back into my skillset.

Oh yeah, some people find it strange that I learned how to use European melee weapons instead of Asian ones seeing as my ancestry is Chinese. My retort is this: have you watch the movie Highlander? It’s about an immortal Scottish swordsman named Connor MacLeod. He used a Japanese katana. In 1992, a television series also called Highlander followed the story of Duncan MacLeod, Connor’s clansman. He also used a Japanese katana. Somewhere along the way, it became culturally acceptable for every Scottish Highlander and his third cousin, twice-removed, to use a katana. “Fuck it,” I thought. “I’m going to learn how to use European swords.”

And that’s what I did. I’ll be back in a few days.

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Causation

2011/06/04

It’s June 2011. At the beginning of this year, I was foretold that if I wasn’t careful, I could find myself welcoming 2012 the next time I opened my eyes one morning. For me, this year is zipping by at breakneck speed. It’s both a refreshing and frightening prospect: progress could be swift, but there’s a chance I could miss my exit while overtaking other cars on the highway of life. In truth, I have very little to complain about, despite sometimes believing the “grass is greener on the other side”. There are issues that I need to devote my time and attention to in the coming weeks; things that I’ve neglected due to operating on a haphazard schedule.

I went to the grocery store yesterday morning; on my iPod was Metallica‘s “All Nightmare Long”. Then I switched over to Industrial Strength Radio (podcast), and was introduced to German electro-industrial band yelworC (and yes, it’s a reference to Aleister Crowley). If I could coin a term for the situation, I’d call it an “aggressive milk run”. Eating properly has become a secondary objective these past three weeks, but I managed to keep my refrigerator stocked with milk. Yes, I realize there are health warnings and disagreements with consuming cow milk; it’s made for calves, not humans, etc. etc. A large percentage of my daily protein intake comes from milk, and until a better alternative is invented, cow milk is perfectly healthy for me. Besides, I don’t eat tuna anymore due to my belief that tuna stocks are suffering from rampant overfishing.

A website that I’ve frequented recently is oneword. The idea is to write about the word of the day in sixty seconds. The word is only revealed when the user clicks ‘go’, facilitating a fast-paced writing session. I’ve found the endeavour both creative and therapeutic. I’m guilty of bottling up my thoughts and emotions, which as an actor is detrimental. Using the exercise presented on this website has been a good way to remove creative blocks, as well as give me a fairly clear idea of the important thoughts that are crying for my attention. I once wrote a beautiful, poetic piece using the word ‘torch’, and it was clearly evident that I was writing about my hidden affections for a particular girl.

Tonight is our last performance of Alchemysta at the Prague Fringe Festival. In fact, we go on in one hour and fifteen minutes. Luckily, the theatre is close to my flat, so I can finish up this entry before departing. We spent 17 days rehearsing the play, following by another nine nights of performances. We’ve pretty much been ‘on’ for 26 days. I’m looking forward to getting a bit of distance from the play. Without getting into too much detail, it’s been very demanding for me personally. There’s also the sense that we’ve been playing with fire a little bit with the content. We’ve received mixed reviews from audience members. The two critic reviews we received may be found in the Prague Post and Prague.tv.

I’d like to thank Mel, Jeff, Bethany, Kyle, Christopher, Polina, Marc, Kearstin, Emilia (for one night only!), Ian, and Tomáš for a memorable trip down the rabbit hole.

The show must go on.

3 Comments

Friday the 13th Sarcasm Alert

2011/05/13

Every day, my blog gets hits from users coming from Peachy Forum, a site that showcases free teen sex and nude photos. My blog is linked on one of their threads, because in 2008 I appeared in a commercial for Sharp Aquos with a Czech nude model named Iveta B.

Being somewhat tired of receiving hits from unrelated referrals, I have gone geek and implemented a redirect command that will enable all the fine and horny users from Peachy Forum to see their Iveta B. in action, instead of in still photographs or in their imaginations. Her first appearance is 11 seconds into the commercial. The commercial has been on my YouTube channel for years now, but users still arrive at my site to look for their beloved Iveta.

And guys – because invariably they are guys – your IP addresses and location information are safe with me.

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May Daze

2011/05/12

Truth be told, this post has been sitting in draft box for a week. I intended to write and finish it on the same day: May 1, 2011; the day after UFC 129 took place in my hometown of Toronto, Canada. There are two sports I like watching: hockey and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). I never had the physique to play hockey when I was younger, so I took up martial arts instead. As UFC fighter Sam Stout once said about sports in Canada: “if you can’t play hockey, ya gotta learn how to fight.“

This leads me to UFC 129, an event which broke attendance and live gate sales for the company and North American MMA. The event drew 55,724 fans for a live gate of $12.075 million. Of course, the main event between French Canadian Georges St. Pierre (GSP) and American Jake Shields was not without fan criticism after the bout was finished. Like his last three fights, Georges dominated his opponent to another unanimous decision. He received more flack for his apparent inability to finish fights (via KO or submission). I believe his greatest critics need to view his last 5 fights, starting with Jon Fitch and skipping B.J. Penn (whom St. Pierre did finish). GSP fought five fighters that are difficult to KO and hard to submit. In the bouts against Thiago Alves and Jakes Shields, he was fighting with a significant injury (torn groin muscle and hyphema, respectively). In all of previous six fights, his opponents had no idea how to effectively counter Georges game plan. After round 1 and 2 of his latest bout, Jake Shields actually looked bewildered between rounds. None of GSP’s last six opponents put him in any danger. MMA fans need to take into consideration not only the champ’s performance, but also his opponents’. There’s also in-ring technique to be considered. Fans may take it for granted, but effectively timing all those superman punches, spinning back kicks, and counters is high level stuff. Now try doing all that with one eye closed. Personally, I believe GSP’s fights are exciting, but my perspective comes from understanding the sport beyond the limitations of a mere spectator.

Okay, on to something artsy.

I’m involved with Akanda for their upcoming production of Alchymista at the Prague Fringe Festival. More details about the show will appear somewhere at sometime, I’m sure. It will mark the first time I’ve work with the theatre company. So far, rehearsals have been fun, and fun is the reason why I decided to get involved in the production in the first place. No, it will not make me infinitely wealthier, or grant me universal praise and/or understanding. In this town, it will likely draw more criticism than anything else. In cases like those, I like to draw upon Genghis Khan’s response to his mother when she told him it was morally wrong to go to war: “I don’t care.” Okay, I don’t think he ever said that to his mother, but my response is still the same. Being bold and creative is the order of the month, and I aim to fulfill both criteria, regardless of who and/or what gets in my way. Belligerent, you say? Well, that entirely depends on whom decides to get in my way.

I decided to start a music project. I won’t write about it much for now, since it’s still in the conception stage. I also have Venus in Scorpio, which tends to make me conceal my artistic endeavours when I first begin them. Yes, I realize this astrological alignment is notorious for sex obsession (and LOT of it), but I believe it’s safe to write that most people – including myself – know that I am a far cry from being a nymphomaniac. It’s a good thing I exercise a lot. Anyhow, back to the music project: it’s dark; that’s all I’ll write about it for now.

This is a good place to give shout out to two websites that I’ve come across in the past month: Magneto Guitars and Inn at the Crossroads.

My style of guitar playing is heavy metal, specifically thrash. I love high output, flay-the-skin-off-your-face shredding. After listening to some reviews of the guitars from Magneto, I now have a soft spot in my heart for articulate blues. I definitely want a guitar for blues and rock, and I always thought I was limited to Fender Stratocasters; not any more. I have my eye on the Sonnet Custom Studio, Tiger Brown version. Magneto Guitars founder and designer, Christian Hatstatt, is an incredibly nice guy to boot.

Inn at the Crossroads is a cooking site run by two fans of George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series. They create and test recipes of foods described in the novels. I am also a fan of George R.R. Martin’s work, as well as being a fantastic cook. I enjoy trying different recipes when I make myself dinner, and this website has been a godsend for new ideas. Coming from Canada, I particularly like the recipes from “The North”.

Stay tuned for more creativity and belligerence in the coming days!! 8)