Ginjer Wulff: Determination and Resilience

It's not everyday you get to sit down with a personality as vibrant as Ginjer Wulff. From her humble beginnings in school and church productions to starring in high-profile commercials, her journey into the world of acting is nothing short of inspiring. Join us as we delve into her captivating stories of beating the odds when she auditioned for and booked a Super Bowl commercial.  

The road to success in the acting industry is not without its challenges, but it's conquering these challenges that makes the journey worthwhile. Ginjer shares deeply personal insights about the importance of not succumbing to the culture of comparison. The guys share their audition techniques that have helped them put their best foot forward. From enhancing focus and memorization to submitting audition tapes early, they have some indispensable tips for aspiring actors.

And it doesn't stop there. Ginjer opens up about the emotional roller-coaster ride that acting often is, and how a strong network of creatives can act as a safety net during tough times. The guys and Ginjer talk dream roles and how art possesses the power to help people experience profound emotions safely.  Join us for this heartwarming conversation with Ginjer Wulff and let her tale of determination and perseverance inspire you to chase your dreams.  This episode contains explicit content.

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Did I ever tell you the story about that, hello?

Speaker 3: 0:14

Welcome to the Nola film scene with TJ Play-Doh. I'm TJ and, as always, I'm Play-Doh. Welcome back to another episode of Nola Film Scene. We're here with our good friend Ginger Wolfe. Hello.

Speaker 2: 0:25

Ginger, thanks so much for joining us.

Speaker 1: 0:26

Thanks for having me.

Speaker 2: 0:27

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're interested to hear about your acting journey. We know a little bit about your background. You and I met in a class at Jim Gleason's. I don't know if you've had some classes with Brian.

Speaker 3: 0:40

We have. We did the famous circle together. That's all that we seem to talk about.

Speaker 2: 0:43

And I believe that's where we met. Was that the circle exercise right?

Speaker 3: 0:47

That's correct. It all comes back around to the circle.

Speaker 1: 0:49

In a big circle.

Speaker 3: 0:51

That's sad.

Speaker 1: 0:52

So I started acting when I was younger. I always really liked stage acting. I always really liked chorus and all those local things that creative people tend to do as children I was very interested in. I did it quite for some time in local church, local school and then after high school I kind of faded out into it. I was in Florida before and I was in St Augustine, so the real big local acting scene was Orlando and I was just not in a position at that point in my journey to be able to drive two and a half hours for a job. So when we moved here to Louisiana I realized that New Orleans was a film hub that was getting bigger every day and somebody at the gym randomly saw me and my son playing like pickleball or something racket ball and said you know, started talking to me and told me about the site, my casting file and I started getting into background acting and was able to book a couple of commercials as a primary, been in a couple of movies as background. So it's been fun and really interesting.

Speaker 2: 1:57

Yeah, you did a real big commercial last year, didn't you?

Speaker 1: 1:59

Yeah, I was one of the primaries for the he Gets Us campaign. That was on the Super Bowl. That was actually the first job I ever auditioned for, oh wow.

Speaker 3: 2:07

Nice.

Speaker 1: 2:08

Did I ever tell you the story about that?

Speaker 3: 2:11

No, no, but this is a perfect time for you to do that, so it's a long story short.

Speaker 1: 2:18

There was like over 2000 people that auditioned, you know, for this commercial and some of us were slated for primary and then some of us were slated for background and then some didn't have the opportunity to participate in the end.

Speaker 1: 2:31

But they put you in with a partner and we walk in and I'm kind of like was in this weird transitional phase where the year before we had been through the process of renovating our home, I was living in an RV, I took on custody of my brother's two kids, so I wasn't like at my peak for fitness or like just self care. So I walk into this audition and there's a very handsome gentleman next to me as my partner, very charismatic, very, you know, intelligent, and he knows everybody already there. I'm just going, you're going me, hey. So they broke it down into three different parts. The first part it was basically us. As soon as we had seven minutes, I think from start to finish, the time we walked to the George was the time we walked out.

Speaker 1: 3:14

The first, like two minutes, was a set of scenario where we were driving in traffic. I cut off my partner. He rear ended me. We get out, we're both very angry that we're in a car accident. So you know the anger escalates. We're interacting with each other. Just you know, ad lib essentially, and taking direction or not from the casting director and the people in the room. I felt like I did really well with that. It was really nice back and forth, very cohesive.

Speaker 1: 3:44

The second part was my partner would berate me on some type of social topic like transgender people using you know whatever restroom or political stance, or you know things that tend to get heated, abortion, any of those topics. So my partner verrated me and I verrated him. The last part was 90 seconds of what was supposed to be a rant, from a scale of like one to 11. You know, during this process, you know they're giving us guidance. So they were like, hey, you know, ginger, you're let me see, you're a Trump supporter. You're a very right wing indignant on a mission type person. So I kind of ran with that throughout the segment. So we get to this camera and I'm supposed to speak directly to the camera and I start out as, like Trump was the best. He parted in little way. And, mind you, I know nothing about politics, I'm not, I don't care.

Speaker 1: 4:39

I've been in this for a long time anyway, so for the longest time I felt like it was kind of out of my depth to, and I kind of used it as an excuse to not stay up to date on political stuff. So I didn't have. I wasn't a Trump supporter, I wasn't a Biden supporter. I think they both suck. So it was really interesting because I just popped out with what I felt like the scenario of the person that they had in their mind what they wanted. So I was like Trump's the best. He parted in little way.

Speaker 1: 5:08

The American household was $6,000 higher the year before. Trump grabbed a pussy and that's the American dream. And then, once it was out there, I couldn't take it back. So I had to be committed. I have never been so horrified in my life.

Speaker 1: 5:24

Listen, I was like, internally, I felt like I had Tourette's. You know what I mean Like this is not, this is not what I was going for and I don't know where it came from. But the casting director smacked the desk and hit the floor as soon as it happened. So I was like he couldn't stop laughing and I'm thinking I was supposed to be like I rate, but in my mind, rants don't typically make sense. They start in one direction and then they tend to go somewhere else without like a clear, concise train of thought. So that's kind of what I was trying to emulate and I was so embarrassed I cried after that audition and, like I changed my hair, I went and got my clothes.

Speaker 1: 6:05

I did not want to be recognized as the Tourette's girl who screamed out Trump, grab Nani. In the middle of her first audition for like three weeks I was I can't believe. I said that I can't. Why did I do that? I can't believe I did that. And then I got an email saying they booked me for the job and it was like the first person out of the group of people that was within my agent that was notified, that was actually chosen. So I thought it was really interesting because that's how it's been for both of my jobs actually that have been audition jobs is I thought I bombed it and I got booked, and all the ones where I'm like, yeah, this is it Nothing.

Speaker 3: 6:37

Right, right. You never know what's going to grab their attention. You know and you can have the best audition. You just might not have the right. Look You're going to have the worst audition and they love your look. It's all a crap, that's right. All you can do is do your best every time. That's right you clarify a little bit. That's the he got us.

Speaker 1: 6:51

He gets us.

Speaker 3: 6:52

Yeah, nonverbal. It was shown during the Super Bowl and it showed angry people and it wanted. The intent was to get people together off of all these divisions that we had.

Speaker 1: 7:00

Correct, correct, and I think that's why they wanted to see it anger. Yes, yeah the title of the commercials confrontation. You could find it on YouTube.

Speaker 3: 7:09

Right, right. The other thing we've been asking people is what was your inspiration to go from background to striving for speaking part? Yeah, what brought you into the classes? What inspired you?

Speaker 1: 7:19

So I never really saw myself as background. I had a lot of drama and theater training as a child. I really enjoyed it. I really like being able to bring a character to life and give them quirks and make them memorable and make them my own, and I just kind of always saw myself doing that. But I felt like I didn't know how to get in the industry. I mean, I've heard get an agent, get on a site, okay, but how you know? So basically, I use the information that I got from Eric Lemuel. You might know who he is, brian. I think he's on your Facebook.

Speaker 1: 7:50

But he was actually the person that told me about my casting file and was how I joined, and it was really a great segue for me to go from, you know, being focused on my home life and not really caring very well for myself to focusing and regrouping on, like, my child's getting a little older, because he's about to be four now this is a year ago so getting him into some type of consistent daycare, getting like some normalcy, and then being able to take back my creative freedom and to see if it would be a good fit because, dude, there's some projects, like I worked on the airport movie and they wanted me for every day of the week for six like five to six days out of the week for six weeks, for 15 hour days.

Speaker 1: 8:35

I did that for a week and I couldn't do that again Just because I was getting up, because I live in Slidell, so I'm an hour away from where they were filming. I was getting up at four in the morning and it wasn't coming home to like 930 at night. It was just too much with the three year old.

Speaker 1: 8:50

So it was really nice to be able to figure out how committed am I Like? Am I willing to be here all day to possibly have my elbow in a shot, you know? Am I willing to drive an hour and a half to be a part of a really cool show or a really cool project, even if I'm not recognized on the set? Does that make sense?

Speaker 3: 9:15

Oh, it also too is a great for me.

Speaker 1: 9:17

It was really good to see like a lot of people believe that I had so many people on my Facebook. Oh, you're a commercial, you must be making so much money. No, no, so it was a nice.

Speaker 1: 9:33

I think it was a really great way to say am I, is this what I really want? Am I willing to do what everybody else is already doing? And then some because I felt like I was behind the curve Because, while a lot of my fellow actors had been doing this for years, I was just getting started at 36 as far as professionally.

Speaker 3: 9:55

Right, I can totally understand. I just started four years ago, so I was 49 or almost 49. I thought you were my age. I'm 53.

Speaker 1: 10:03

I thought you were a lot younger than that, bro. I'm just so pretty.

Speaker 2: 10:09

I started late too.

Speaker 1: 10:10

It puts the ocean on its skin. Thank you for calling me Buffalo Bill, I think anyway, I was actually referring to myself, because I need a lotion to not look 50 when I'm 36.

Speaker 3: 10:25

I got you. I need to start a facial regimen, I think it's called. But I've always had a young face. I think it runs in my family Smaller nose, smaller teeth. But also because I work graveyard shift, I'm not out in the sun. You know I'm not bad, Not that I don't drink. But working seven days a week, it's kind of hard to go out at night till eight, nine, 10 o'clock and get up for four, five, six in the morning, sometimes three in the morning, and function and then have to clean up after the party, especially if you've just been in and going. Why did I make this mess?

Speaker 3: 10:51

Like I just cleaned up after a Saints football game at one of the bars today and I love the Saints but I hate cleaning up after the fans, you know don't love the after party.

Speaker 3: 11:00

Yeah, it pays the bills so I can act right. Right, ginger, what was your first acting? We've heard from a couple of people our last two guests, they see because whenever you know we've taken our classes together, I take selfies. I promote whether it's I really don't do Jim's class, take pictures every week, but everybody knows I'm taking class and then, oh, you work so hard Because, like you, I felt like I was behind the curve. I'm tired of being a janitor and I want some meaty roles. Background's great. I love doing background. That was so much fun. You can't pay the bills, at least not in Louisiana.

Speaker 3: 11:27

In LA or New York, you have a chance to become a SAG and do it and you might be able to, you know, work out a career with it, especially now with the strike coming. Maybe that will help. Yada, yada, yada. So but then I gave that up because I wanted the lines you know, and it took me a while.

Speaker 3: 11:40

In Jim's, in Jim Gleason's class, the application, which is where you study the scenes and you do it's basically like an audition. You learn your craft. It's premier, intermediate and advanced and I was looking up and made it up to intermediate and then I kind of stalled for a while and it's like, oh God, I'm not an actor, oh crap, I'm not doing anything. Then finally, you know, did an indie film here, took some other classes. I took and and Mahoney's self tape class and Charlie Adler's voice acting class, each of them twice. They're on zoom like six months apart, and because I had to stop I went on vacation so I didn't feel like I finished the class and then Charlie just want to be a voice actor and Charlie Adler's is the best. So but each of those teachers saw on the second class, my first day, they were like you have improved so much and it felt so good and actually being in an independent film with lines.

Speaker 3: 12:24

I finally felt that I wasn't a student, I was now an actor. Need the job, yet I want it, but I'm an actor. I can call myself an actor. I don't feel bad about saying that anymore, and now I really. So those were the changes for me. Do you remember your first acting class? Was it with Jim?

Speaker 1: 12:37

My first acting class was actually upstairs with Debbie Debbie Goddett and then I went to Jim and I signed up for, I think, something that Hunter did that went over at Love Acting. So I've done a few things.

Speaker 1: 12:50

I would like to be. Yes, the intensive workshop, yes, I would like to be more involved. It's a little more difficult for me right now with where I'm at, you know, physically, with having small children in the home and being an hour over the bridge. A lot of the classes are at night, so it makes it hard for me to get. I'm an early morning person. I'm up five o'clock, five thirty, six o'clock every day and I start to lose steam about four thirty. So if I'm not already out in the area at four or five o'clock, I'm not coming out. You know, and that's something else too. That's again, it's a mindset thing, it's not only because if I really wanted to change my schedule.

Speaker 1: 13:28

Could I? Absolutely Would. It be very stressful for me and my family, Absolutely. But again, it's. Where are you.

Speaker 1: 13:36

I have goals, like little goals to be able to have more freedom in the evening, some things that I just have to work through. Also, seasonally, things change for me. I tend to be more open, schedule wise January through like July, and then I do a big Halloween party. It's my nephew's birthday, my son's birthday, my favorite holiday so I've got like ten thousand dollars with the Halloween crap that I throw out in this big yard I have and just invite anybody who wants to come. So if you guys have nothing going on, in.

Speaker 1: 14:04

October. Let me know.

Speaker 3: 14:05

I saw your pumpkin post. I saw your pumpkin post when you started working.

Speaker 2: 14:08

Yeah, I've been following your post on the stuff that you're making. My favorite one was the black light one with the skeleton.

Speaker 1: 14:15

Yeah, I'm actually going to have two of those.

Speaker 1: 14:17

I have one out now and I bought a bunch of the twelve foot things from Home Depot. I like five of them out there, bunch of stuff in the house, bunch of stuff I made. So it's cool too because, like so we've been on strike right so I was working a lot and then the strike started and it was like there was no work. But it kind of worked well for me because it had coincided with I happened to travel a lot during the summer, so I was in the point where I just kind of needed to break in a reset. So I was grateful for the lapse. But it's like I'm able to get caught up on things and able to have this creative outlet, because otherwise I feel like I'd just be kicking around dust, you know, spinning circles around myself, because I'm just sick busy to feel productive Even if I'm just doing circles.

Speaker 3: 15:03

And and the lag started. Jobs started drying up, basically January, if not a little bit before, because people knew the strikes we're probably gonna happen, or the chance of them we're gonna have, and so they didn't want to be in the middle of production and have to stop.

Speaker 1: 15:15

You know, yeah, so yeah, I went from working like at least twice a week I'll basically every week in January to like March came around and they were saying, hey, we had you booked for this job but we have to shelf it. And then I booked a job a small job, I think in DC. That was like a recrime reenactment. And then I had the other job in May, which was the Blue Cross, blue Shield commercial, where I got to be like the boxer and that was it.

Speaker 1: 15:42

Nice have it. I actually just got a request for an audition Friday for a movie that's supposed to film in Mississippi. My son got a request last night too, so that's nice to see stuff starting to come through again.

Speaker 3: 15:55

Yeah, I always remember I might even been our second circle exercise and, like Jim says, we don't get in depth about it. But it is living a life and there are emotions involved and you touched on some of your emotions. So when you were talking to the class about it, you turn to me, goes yeah, that's why I wish you had stood up so I can unload on you.

Speaker 3: 16:13

And it was the second person that day, that was one person did unload them and then you like I can take Brian. I'm like, what did I do?

Speaker 1: 16:18

I'm just trying to, and that was our introduction, basically yeah, I think that was like our second or third class together, but I had seen you in classes and I'd been watching you on social media.

Speaker 2: 16:29

So I was actually able.

Speaker 1: 16:31

I felt like you would be able to Take and respond and we would be able to have a cohesive scene, no matter where you were at, with what you were portraying, you know or?

Speaker 3: 16:43

yeah, the scenario was well, I've always seen you as kind of a force of nature. I said about Charlie Adler to but ginger's there and it's wonderful, but it's, it's a whoa. Hang on, here we go and it's a lot of fun. I'm like TJ, that guy yeah.

Speaker 2: 16:56

I'm boring, I'm dull. I thought you had some really strong emotions, some really powerful scenes in the ex the circle exercise that I was at with you.

Speaker 1: 17:05

Thank, you See, I feel like you guys are all over the scene. I feel like every time I turn my social media on that.

Speaker 2: 17:11

You guys are on another project.

Speaker 1: 17:13

So it I have to kind of keep the mindset to of I'm a baby and I'm fortunate to be invited to even audition, right, because otherwise I'll get in the mindset of whole thing what are they doing? Well, that's really cool, I didn't get to do that. It's like well, did you audition, did you try out? No, so, but that conscious if that makes sense.

Speaker 1: 17:36

I think that's what eats people up in the beginning and I believe that is what makes it so hard for a lot of people in the Industry, because a lot of people are struggling financially right now with their jobs, no matter what they're doing right. So that's right.

Speaker 1: 17:48

If you can argue, deal with the struggle of the money aspect and knowing that you might not, you're not gonna be big ballin for a Little minute. You know most. You know it's a general blanket statement for most people if you are able to endure the Nose and the silence and you're able to allow People to say you, as a human being, are perfectly fine as you are you. For this role, you would need to data, data, data, data, data. Does that make sense?

Speaker 1: 18:16

I feel like that is what kills people in the industry in the beginning, as they they come in very bright-eyed and bushy, tailed with aspirations and dreams which are amazing. But sometimes it's like you have to realize that. You know, rome wasn't built in a day type deal when it's like to compare yourself to others, which is something that I fall into. Allow myself to go that route sometimes, but I tend to snap out of it quickly. Thank God I've learned to recognize it, because I think it could be super detrimental to Somebody who who needs validation, like from their selves or from at least their peers or their co-workers, to say that they're doing a good job, which you might not even get, that on a scene that you're booked on, you know you might not know that you did a good job until you see it and it airs and everybody else.

Speaker 1: 19:02

You know what I'm saying, so I think that's something that is really interesting about this industry, is it? It allows you to see, like, where you're really at with your emotional Intuitiveness and your thick skinnedness, as far as what are you willing to do to be able to move forward with your journey, and do you need to tailor your journey to what you aren't Willing to do? You know what I mean right, right, right.

Speaker 2: 19:29

It's difficult to not compare yourself to other people, but you have to really focus and concentrate on only comparing yourself to yourself. My coach, my, my acting teacher, is James DeMonte and he says I've never been rejected for a role, I just wasn't selected. And he teaches from position of the audition is the win, that's the job. The audition is the job. If you get the audition, crafting that audition and shooting that self-tape, that's the job. That that's you're a working actor. When you get that audition, because of the amount of work that goes into Preparing that.

Speaker 2: 20:03

And another actor I said this in a previous podcast and another friend told me one time Once you submit it, submit and forget, don't even think about whether or not you're gonna get the call back or you're gonna book the role once it goes. Once it goes out, it's out of your hands, there's nothing you can do, there's no point in worrying about it. And a casting director in fact it was during the same intensive that you mentioned earlier with Hunter McHugh. I saw y'all at that, I was in the waiter session. He said sometimes it's just out of their hands.

Speaker 2: 20:33

Casting will like somebody and they'll send people forward that they recommend, but production may already have somebody else in mind and there's nothing you can do about it. They may have a role that they promise to somebody else and it's out of your hands. You know. You might be perfect for the role, but they want somebody else, so you never can really tell. It may not have anything to do with the performance that you did. You know Brian mentioned earlier, you may be the wrong height. You may be taller than the lead, you may be shorter, you may, you know it just may not mesh well with the scene. So I it's difficult, but I try not to get into my own head about that stuff, you know.

Speaker 3: 21:04

Yeah, and we say that I'm not getting my own head and then you getting in your own head, you can't help it. I have two that are. The callback is today. So if I don't hear from today, that's pretty much it. And I shared one with you, tj, for the commercial, and the other one I had just posted part of my singing class and I felt very good about that. And then the next day I saw an audition that involved a musician, but you could sing. I was like what the hell, I'm gonna try. And I thought that was a pretty good one. And so, yeah, look, the universe sees me and it sees I can sing. It's, it's all about that time you kind of you get excited.

Speaker 3: 21:33

And then the, the commercial audition. I actually got feedback and in the casting director said, oh man, that was great. I was like, oh, thank you. I think there was no word, it was all non-verb on. You had to go through the emotions, you know, and I said I was afraid I wasn't doing enough when I wasn't acting big and I was afraid I was acting too big when I was supposed to be Active big, because, no, no, it was strong. Oh yeah means I got it right? Well, I haven't heard anything on either one. So you know you can. You can have your best day and that's what you have to celebrate. You know what I mean. It's still heartbreaking, but at the same time, I'm waiting for that and I got two more self tape Requests today. Same thing. I put in for two different role. Take every victory. You can. That's right.

Speaker 1: 22:07

I think both of us gave some sage advice. Yeah, thank you, would like to, you know, piggyback on that question. What do you do for yourselves If you have a role that maybe you're nervous about, or you know You're? You're really contemplating because you've got the whole script. How much time do you dedicate to something like that and what do? What type of headspace? So for me, like, my headspace is everything. I have a lot of distractions of ADHD as it is. So I have a lot of other things going on. I cannot put my best effort into an audition and I've had so many people tell me, hey, get something down because you could come back to it, because I've missed deadlines, because I will wait for the right time. So I guess, like, my direct question is what do you do to a prevent, prevent missing deadlines, and even though you know it's coming up, it's not like you forget about it, it's like the, the procrastination. How do you knit that in the bud?

Speaker 1: 23:07

What has been the most effective tool for you, or ritual, or whatever you want to call it to say, hey, they're either gonna love it or they're just gonna find somebody else? Let's not think too much in the gray. What could, what could be, what should, what shouldn't be. Let's get something out and submit it, and then, if they want more, I could always get more and then be. If you're Deciding between two sides and you can only submit one, what, what it? What do you go off of other than like just pure intuition, to decide which one is? Is your, your favor, or which is the side that you're gonna lean to to submit? Does it make sense?

Speaker 2: 23:45

Yeah, it does. So what I do, unless it specifically says only submit one, take, I always submit two and I make sure the second one is different. I do the first one for the casting director and the second one for me. So the second one more outrageous, bigger, bolder, you know, a bolder choice, a different choice, a different I line from what I used in the first one and I start right away. It depends on how long I have if there's two or three days or whatever to submit it.

Speaker 2: 24:12

My coach says submit as soon as you can, don't wait until the last minute and I've heard acting our casting directors say that as well. Don't wait till the last minute to get it in. The sooner you get it in a well well Crafted self tape, the sooner they see it, because they have so many they're looking at, they start looking at them right away and if you can catch their attention early while they're still excited to be looking at self tapes and Excited to see what you're putting out, you get in their mind quicker. I start breaking it down right away and I try to get that character into my bones and I'll walk around and I'll look at the side for me to memorize it.

Speaker 2: 24:46

Everybody has different techniques. I read it a bunch of times and I get real comfortable, real familiar with it and I'll read backwards out and I'll start with the last word of my line out, the very last line. I look at that. Okay, that's, and James taught me this. This is Basically what the scene is about, and I'll start at the back and read the last word and then the previous word and work Backwards with each sentence.

Speaker 2: 25:09

For me it helps just get that completely into my brain and I try to find just a quiet space.

Speaker 2: 25:15

You know, life goes on, things are happening around you. I just try to focus on that and if it's a really long one, I'll even write it out. I'll write it out a couple times too, because that forces me to slow down and read each word instead of Sometimes you just scan passwords when you're reading. So that's two techniques I use to get it into my bones and I just get to where I can say the whole thing without Referring to the side. And as I'm learning it, I'm not reading my scene partners lines. I might read the last couple of words of their line, just so I know when the queue is, because I feel like if I'm learning their lines too. Then I start anticipating what they're gonna say versus actually paying attention what they're saying, and then reacting to that and I try to start on it as soon as I can and try to get it out as soon as I can actually mine have been kind of on the last day.

Speaker 3: 26:09

I look at my schedule. I'd love to get it done, but at the same time, looking at my schedule, okay, I have to study for this class. After study for this class, I have an improv show, an improv class. I have to get to, plus work. But minute I get, I start reading and then I might just read it a few times and then Think about it and then studying straight up memorization.

Speaker 3: 26:28

I use the cold read app, which I can program. You record yourself and then you record the first line Is that mine or is that my reader? And you click the button and you you record it all and you can listen to it, the whole thing. I love doing that while I'm cleaning, while I'm working, if I'm not listening to a podcast, or I usually don't listen to music, and I just let it sink in and I think about it.

Speaker 3: 26:45

Oh, why is this person reacting that way? Why, what is my motivation here? Why, why did I say that? And I don't try to study the other person's lines, but looking for what in their line inspired me to say that next line. And so, once I feel good with that, you hit a button on this app and it it's called on cue, so it will read the reader's line and then wait for me and, using voice recognition, I have to say my line and get all the words right, especially the last one, and and then it won't move on until it hears that. So it it's the best thing next to having an actual person with you is the app called on.

Speaker 3: 27:17

No, no, cold read. There's also a line learner. I think I like cold.

Speaker 1: 27:21

I've never heard of it. I did not know such a thing existed it. What I was doing was I was just using my camera and I would just record it and like try to play it in the car like after a while. It's not you know, it was basically only safe when I was stopping, because once it wouldn't loop like a tic-tac video Unless I posted it and that's something you're gonna post to your social. So I couldn't figure out how to loop it like a song on repeat. So I'm definitely gonna check that out. That sounds really interesting.

Speaker 3: 27:48

You could also use the memo app on your phone. If you're excuse me, I'd use it on my apple one and you just record as a paragraph. There's no control of it, that one will loop.

Speaker 1: 27:57

Okay, I didn't know that either so I'm looking up right now.

Speaker 2: 28:01

An actor friend of mine told me about one. I don't remember if it was cold read or if it was similar to cold read, but you can actually have it when you record it. You can have it change the voice of your scene partner. It does cold read. Is that it's cold read, the one that does that cold?

Speaker 3: 28:15

read doesn't line learner might.

Speaker 2: 28:17

It might have been that. Yep, it's line learner. Yeah, my friend told me about an actor that I worked with named Blake. Blake Nolan told me about this. You can have it change the voice of your scene partner, so when you're reading it back it sounds different and it works similar to cold read, where it'll pause and wait for you to Deliver your line.

Speaker 2: 28:36

Yeah, and I've heard cast and directors say that it doesn't matter to them, it doesn't bother them if you're reading your own lines. Right, I know people that'll do that. They'll use some type of mobile device and have the lines. I actually did that for the last job I booked. Normally my wife reads with me and she was traveling and couldn't, so I had her record her lines real quick and just spaced it out as though I was giving my lines, and then I played it back for my tablet and used that for my self tape and it worked out pretty well. Fortunately it wasn't a really long scene to where timing could have become an issue, but with that particular scene it worked out and I ended up getting a call back and booking that.

Speaker 3: 29:17

You do have to be careful with that. How do I put this? I would do it so much, but only concentrate on the words, so that when I stepped into the audition room, into Jim's class, I was doing it, just wrote. There was no emotion, there was no feeling. So you have to concentrate on that still while you're practicing. First you kind of just got to get in your head and then it's like, okay, why am I saying this and all those good stuffs? And you know you can't make it really yell at you unless you yell in the app, that kind of thing. So just it. That's the advanced stuff we learned, of course, in all the classes.

Speaker 3: 29:44

And the other thing, for if I needed someone to read with me, I set up my camera, my iPhone and my in my little space out there and then use a person on, and then I have a. Let me try that again in England. I have a person on mobile and I have a little speaker and so that they're louder, I put the speaker near the iPhone so you can hear my reader. The only problem is because I'm in my little DIY voice booth here using this camera. Right outside is my self tape area. They couldn't see me. I didn't move the camera to the correct space the wire wouldn't reach, so I kind of had to guess a little bit.

Speaker 3: 30:13

You know so, but but putting it on a speaker lets the people hear your reader, which you don't want your reader to outshine, you, but you want them to be able to hear that you're reacting to something, right, right, oh, and so back to your question. It's for me, scheduling when can I tape it? Do I need a reader when they can do it? The practice in between, and then for me, a lot of the exhaustion because I do so much, like I taped one two Saturdays ago and I was going to come home and upload it. I had a whole nother day to do it and when I got home I was just like I'm going to do it tomorrow. You know, it's finding that balance on all the different.

Speaker 1: 30:45

I struggle with the same things that Brian said.

Speaker 3: 30:49

If you can't do it early, at least get it done, you know, by the day For sure. You know if you can't reach out to the casting director because they will take it sometimes I don't have any experience or any knowledge about that yet Not going to, but you know all you can do is do your best.

Speaker 2: 31:00

Occasionally you'll see a casting director will say they will take a wait submission on a case by case basis. My personal opinion is get it in as soon as possible so you can get on their radar as soon as possible. But I mean, I'm not saying that I always get it in right away. Sometimes I have waited until the deadline day to submit something, especially if I have more than one that's due. I can't focus on two different ones or three different ones, so I try to do them in the order of when they're due and get to them as quick as possible. And if I have one for class, then that ends up getting saved till last.

Speaker 2: 31:35

The actual auditions come first. Practice, practice, practice. That's important. And when you can in between, if you don't have an audition and if you're not in class, my classes, most of them, are on Zoom, so we submit self tape every week, get critique and then make adjustments and submit it again the next week. And it can be one that was from an audition or it can be one that he sends out. And it really helps to stay in that rhythm and practice and do at least one a week and you can find sides online to practice with set your camera up and just rehearse by you know. Do a practice self tape by yourself. That way when it comes time to do one, it's second nature, you can crank it out. It gets easier, and I've found, the more that I'm working especially having one to three a week for class remembering lines gets easier. The more I do it, it sticks a little bit better, says I.

Speaker 3: 32:29

When you say it with that beard, it's like coming from Moses Right.

Speaker 2: 32:33

Ten commandments of auditioning. I have spoken.

Speaker 1: 32:41

I love coming to have these little moments with people and to hear about, like, their journey and their struggles and what has helped them, because I feel like the network of creatives is so important for me when it comes to feeling a part of something greater than yourself, and also for I don't know how to say this without it sounding kind of weird, but almost for, like, the emotional security of hey, I might not look any jobs the next couple of months, but I have lots of stuff that other people in the community and I can talk about, and I have these experiences from not being booked in the beginning to be able to let it roll off later.

Speaker 1: 33:24

And then, when I get booked, it's like I'm so much more grateful to be upset because it's like, oh wow, I did you know three or four or however many, and I got one where they felt like they could use me. So that's amazing. But I feel like the best thing about being part of the ability to learn from other people and the ability to be like I never would have thought of doing it the way Brian did, or I never would have thought of coming in completely dressed and engulfed in the character in the way that TJ did. You know what I mean. So it's really interesting, and I think that's what makes it really exciting for me is the ability to have these interpersonal relationships and experiences even out of failure, if that that makes sense, Cause I personally don't believe there's real failure in this industry other than stopping when you don't want to quit.

Speaker 1: 34:16

Quit, because I don't feel like I can do this. Somebody told me I'm too fat, too tall, too skinny, too loud, too quiet, whatever I don't know. I think that there comes. For me, I should say there's been a big journey of like self realization. You know every step of the way and, like I said, I'm just I'm just getting my little baby toddler acting feet out there. So I'm hoping that in a year I'll have a little more experience and we can revisit this conversation and I could say I implemented the tools that you guys taught me. So now, what else have you guys got? Because you guys are more experienced in this than I am.

Speaker 1: 34:54

So it's really awesome to feel like I have people that have more experience and more knowledge in this industry than I do just wanting to hear about my experiences in the industry and my thoughts on it, so I really appreciate that and deeply grateful for the opportunity to be on this.

Speaker 2: 35:13

Yeah, of course, and that's that's one of the reasons we started this particular type of podcast is to get to know other other performers, other creatives, see what their process is, hear their stories. Everybody has a different story, a different way they got started and I think it's really good to hear what other people are going through and to know that we're all in this together. We're all going through the same stuff and it's really cool.

Speaker 3: 35:35

Yeah, I think perseverance is the key, like you said, and quitting is the only failure, but sometimes you have to pause and you have to take a break and you know, catch your breath, or life comes in the way where you have to pay bills and you can't even think about doing classes or getting on set.

Speaker 3: 35:48

Whatever that journey is, we can all still help each other and you're saying we're we're not that much further ahead of you and we're inspiring you. Fantastic, I love that. But I've heard your story on a different podcast and you've gone through some amazing things and persevered in life and you know, just meeting you, I thought you were forced to nature and then hearing about once you went through and it's like mind blowing. Oh my God, I can see why she just barrels through it off, that's how I know you struggled you know, don't forget.

Speaker 3: 36:14

You're inspiring others while you're being inspired.

Speaker 2: 36:16

That's right. That's right.

Speaker 3: 36:17

Even if you don't see it, if you don't think it. Oh, I'm just new to this, yeah, but you know, it's not like we're all in kindergarten just started. We, we are bringing it like I. I was a musician in high school and there's one of Harry Potter Harry Potter, Harry Connick Jr's first trombone players. I think I saw him on side of that live. I was like, did I used to compete against this guy? So I always thought, oh my God, what if I had practiced more? I would have been the guy on stage. I might have drugged out and been gone by now.

Speaker 2: 36:42

I might have succeeded, doesn't matter.

Speaker 3: 36:44

All that life experience. Now is the time for me, probably not to be a trombonist We'll see but to be an actor, to be an entertainer maybe a singer. You know what I mean, but the same thing. You are where you were meant to be.

Speaker 2: 36:55

You know what I mean.

Speaker 3: 36:56

There's something of a calling to this and you have to have that armor, that tough skin and Jim put it that and others have said it when we get to the truths and we share that deeply emotional scene, like I always think of Meryl Streep. You know Sophie's Choice.

Speaker 3: 37:10

And that touches an audience and they ball their eyes out. That's a safe way for someone to deal with those emotions. Maybe they won't have to make that kind of choice, but you let those emotions out. It's like being on a roller coaster. It's scary. A horror movie it's scary, but it's safe. So we let people experience those emotions that they needed. At that point they get touched and they help. You know, whether you think it's the universe, you think it's God, whatever your thought is on it, there's a higher-ness to this. That's amazing. You are where you were meant to be. Good things are going to happen, Bad things are going to happen too, but you're going to persevere. And I'm not going to say it's all going to be fine, but it's all going to be something Right, it's going to be interesting.

Speaker 1: 37:43

It's going to be interesting. It's gonna be okay because it's gonna be okay.

Speaker 2: 37:46

That's right. Yeah, that's right, yeah. Gender I know you're gonna succeed. You have that that. Go get a latitude and you're gonna, you're gonna do well, I can. Just, I know it.

Speaker 3: 37:54

Just don't forget us little people when you get it.

Speaker 1: 37:58

I feel like you could definitely be a singer, like you could definitely have a be a Vegas act, so I did want to ask you guys real quick.

Speaker 3: 38:09

So what's your, what's your question, alan?

Speaker 1: 38:11

if you have like a dream role, do you, do you guys have anything in mind for like what you would want to do? I could see you guys both on like the sons of anarchy. I could see you guys both in, like you said, biblical type stuff, leading the nation you first DJ.

Speaker 2: 38:27

Yeah, I have some dream roles. Obviously, with my look I'm kind of limited on what I can do. I know I knew coming into this that I wasn't leading man type of guy, but something, the big bad guy, you know, the leader of a criminal gang, I don't know. I've got some, some ideas. I'm still trying to figure that out.

Speaker 1: 38:46

Cool, I would love to see. Tj is like somebody, like a Rico's Rico scheme or like a biker cult or something of that nature.

Speaker 3: 38:53

Evil preacher. I'm trying to think how to formulate this because I've been asked different questions. When you're on the outside of the camera Saying that we're on the inside, we see people winning Oscars oh, wow, that's cool. I'm not really worried about that. If, if I can develop my skill enough to wear that's, that's, that's gravy. Oh, those stars, a millionaires. I just want to support my family any more than that great Whoo, but just to make a living at my secret and I say it all the time, so it's not a secret deepest, darkest hope is I want to be in something where it makes me an action figure, whether it's voiceover, because I've been studying that, I'd love to be a cartoon. There are certain sci-fi shows, fan she's, so shows, and I don't mean like, going to like, I think it's has. Bro, you can send in your picture. They'll make you a gijo, that's nice, no, no no, no.

Speaker 3: 39:34

I want it like when I was a kid and walked into saw the Star Wars figures on the shelf, company made that. They put it in the blister packs. There's dozens of them. They're sold all over the world. I didn't have to pay a thing for it, except mine. You know that's my goal and have to be those shows. I guess it could be a Funko Pop. I'm not. I'm not picky and it would. Let me do Comic-Cons on panels and I like taking photos with people more than Six autographs. But yeah, I want to be the guy people want to take the picture with, instead of me going to take the picture with them.

Speaker 2: 40:00

Right, I could see that. I could see that cool Ginger, what about you? You, you have a dream role.

Speaker 1: 40:06

I really like roles where I get, because I tend to be really caring and empathetic person. So I think I like roles that are opposite. I kind of like the villain or like a superhero hero villains. I've got boxing and MMA background. I think those would be super fun. I also think I'd make a great the fun guys girl, kind of like in the two broke girls or you know, I don't know.

Speaker 1: 40:32

I feel like there's a lot of different ways I could go, but I think I would enjoy being a villain, like probably the most kind of villain you love to hate.

Speaker 3: 40:40

Yeah, I can see that you got a bit of height on you so you could be imposing to a lot of people.

Speaker 1: 40:45

Yeah, so I am like TJ said. You know I knew coming into this that I, at 5 foot 10 and 190 pounds, like I, am not your Female lead. Most men in film are like 5, 7, 5, 8, right. So I'm typically not going to be paired with somebody like that, unless it's a comedy and the guy's like here.

Speaker 1: 41:08

So Check out my Amazon babe right, right so, but I would love to do this again after we all have had a more experience and I've had the opportunity to do some of these roles, because I definitely see it for you guys for sure.

Speaker 2: 41:24

Yeah, thank you, and we'll absolutely have you back.

Speaker 3: 41:26

We've got to give a few other people a chance to be on though, so for sure I want to hear from people that hey.

Speaker 1: 41:38

I like you, they are. You just haven't asked them yet and it's rude to just come in when you're not invited, right? But they're standing outside the door, they're waiting to get in.

Speaker 3: 41:47

We've reached out to some, some people higher on the food chain in our level the food chain, maybe a side food chain, so things will be happening, yeah we've got.

Speaker 2: 41:55

We've got some people.

Speaker 1: 41:56

I'm really excited to see where this goes for you guys. Oh, thank you?

Speaker 3: 41:59

Yeah, thank you Watching you. Do you want to promote any social social media?

Speaker 1: 42:02

You guys follow me on tiktok or Instagram or whatever. On Instagram it's a little red wolf LIL underscore red, our ed underscore wolf WUL ff. And then I'm at GG wolf on tiktok and GG wolf on Facebook.

Speaker 2: 42:20

All right, thanks for joining us.