a c t o r, .d i r e c t o r, .p r o d u c e r. . .

VIDEO CLIP OF MY BENZ COMMERCIAL To view my Mercedes-Benz ad click on this link http://www.mercedes-benz.com.cn/content/china/mpc/mpc_china_website/enng/home_mpc/passengercars/home/new_cars/models/s-class/w221.flash.html#chapter=2 then click on >Interactive Experience [bottom left-hand side] ... but please be patient because it takes a while to download. [See 2nd article below for full story.]

Actor

1) My first Chinese TV Commercial ...
(photos by Iris Bi)

On 22 December 2007, I joined the Shanghai Real People Modelling Agency run by Iris Bi. It’s something I’d always thought about doing but didn’t feel confident with until I met the East West Theatre actors when we were performing our play, Our Country’s Good, in November, 2007. Many of them were with a modelling agency and getting lots of work for photo shoots, TV commercials and even acting roles for TV and films.

Iris in bowler hat

As one of the actors told me, “I’m an actress, but I can’t get any work in New York because there’s just too much competition. But here in Shanghai they’re short of westerners so I’m getting acting and modelling work all the time!”

Anyway, after rejecting a few offers for roles as a movie extra (because they clashed with my normal English-teaching working hours) I finally auditioned for a local TV commercial … and got the job!

They were looking for someone who looked like an artist. Someone who would be dressed in a tuxedo and play an imaginary piano. Someone with a Beethoven look about him. And I guess that my long, grey hair was something they just couldn’t refuse!

Of course, immediately I began to imagine that once the commercial was released on TV I’d become instantly recognisable in the streets of Shanghai and be hounded for autographs from that moment on. It was so nice to fantasise. But at the very worst it was going to be one more thing I could add to my list of achievements. And what’s more, who would've thought I'd become a model at 53? It was such a buzz!

The 30-second TV Commercial (for a flooring board company) was shot on March 28. It was a full day's production, shot in a huge movie warehouse, with about 100 people involved.

There were 2 characters in the commercial: me, as an artist playing an imaginary piano; and a leading Chinese male model, playing an ordinary guy who's mesmerised by my music.

According to my agent, the commercial is still being edited and isn't expected to be released until October, 2008, when it will be screened on TVs throughout China.

Apart from taking about 100 photos of me during the day of filming my agent also said she'd give me a copy of the commercial once it was released. She also confided in me that the director had mentioned that the commercial would make me famous in China because my character was so unique.

So maybe my fantasy wasn’t so fanciful after all!

 

2) Benz Internet Commercial ...
(photos by Landy)

Midnight: half-way into my conducting role.

My second Chinese commercial came about when I was discovered by a talent agent on Facebook! On June 18, Landy sent me a text message at 11am asking me if I could go for an audition at 1pm that day. Luckily I'd just finished teaching my morning classes and wasn't due to teach again until 2.35pm. "Dress up in a suit", she suggested. I'd be auditioning for the role of an orchestra conductor.

Landy with red flowers

So I went home first (just a 10-minute walk from school), showered, changed into my cool black suit and black shirt, and made my way to the address she'd texted me. It was just one stop from my home by metro, then a short taxi ride to the studio. Actually, I could've walked there in 10 minutes, but at that time I wasn't too sure of the exact location.

Landy was already there when I arrived: always a good sign of a professional and reliable talent agent. Amazingly, so was Ben, the Hong Kong Director from my first TV commercial!

As soon as he saw me he started immitating me playing the air piano, just as I'd done 3 months earlier for his TV commercial. I didn't recognise him, of course, because on the day of the shoot he was wearing a mask all day to keep the dust out of his lungs. Could he be directing this commercial too? Not so, was the short answer.

Soon I was in front of a photographer having photos taken according the the shots that matched the commercial's story board. The movie camera came out shortly afterwards and I was asked to give a short self-introduction so the (absent) director could know something more about me. This is exactly what I'd done for the first TV commercial audition too, so I was a little more prepared this time.

11.30am: waiting in the dressing room, "au natural".

I knew that my appeal to them was primarily the visual image I presented, namely my long, grey hair. It was the same feature that got me my first TV commercial. I mean, how many mature Western actors can you find in Shanghai that have that seasoned artist look ... or rather, the Beethoven look?

But I knew that wouldn't be enough to guarantee me the job. They'd have to know that I was truly an entertainer with a feel for music ... a critical requirement for both my commercials.

So this was my quick and simple introduction:

The Casting Director told Landy that he believed I had the perfect image the Director was looking for, so with that positive comment in mind, I returned to school still wearing my black suit ... which was quite amusing, really, because I was teaching at a kindergarten!

10.10pm: nearly 11 hours later, I'm excited to finally get on stage!

The next day, June 19, at about 1pm, I got another message from Landy asking if I could go for a second audition. She wouldn't be able to make it this time, but the Casting Director would be there and she was sure I'd be well looked after by him.

I changed into my black shirt and suit again, but when I got there I was told I shouldn't have gone to the trouble of doing that because they wanted to photograph me in the outfit they proposed for the commercial. Moments later, I could hardly believe it when they handed me a tuxedo, shirt and vest almost exactly the same as what I'd worn in my first commercial! Could it be possible to be so obviously typecast after just one role?

After the second audition it was just a matter of waiting for a final confirmation that I'd got the job. That confirmation came on Wednesday, 25 June. Landy texted me and asked for my measurements. It was urgent, she said, because I'd have to go for a fitting on Friday. The commercial would then be shot on Sunday!

Well, I'd never measured myself before, so I went to a streetside sewer and got her to measure me. It wan't something she normally offered, but I tipped her 10rmb for her help anyway.

10.30pm: making adjustments for my first shot.

So here are the measurements I sent her:

(I guess professional actors and models know their measurements off by heart.)

On Friday, 27 June, it was a very wet day, yet I still managed to make it to the fitting by 4.25pm (school hours finished at 4pm). The streets were flooded and even though I had an umbrella, I arrived at the studio soaked from the knees down. They'd hired a genuine orchestra conductor to teach me how to hold the baton and make convincing conductor motions. In fact, later they filmed him using 8 different conducting techniques and gave me a copy of the CD to study at home.

Soon after that, I got my hair styled and changed into my tuxedo. The shoes proved to be a challenge, probably due to my thick socks being soaked (I was wearing Nikes which were not waterproof!). However, my dresser (yeah, we have a dresser!) just suggested I take my socks off. That worked fine and because my pants hung over my shoes, no-one could tell I was wearing shoes without socks.

The suit and shirt fitted perfectly. The only adjustment required would be for the vest, which needed to be taken in a bit at the back.

10.45pm: getting into the music mood

Landy handed me a contract to sign. It was in Chinese so she gave me a quick verbal translation which I was happy with. There was no mention of money. As with my first TV commercial, the finer details would be negotiated afterwards. (Yes, I know ... but it all worked out well in the end.)

Up until then, I still didn't know exactly what I'd be advertising. "It's a car", Landy had said. It wasn't until that day that I was told I'd be acting in an advertisement for Benz, promoting their S-class Mercedes. Wow! How cool, I thought. Then Landy added, "By the way, it's not a TV commercial, it's an internet commercial that'll go on their web site." The ad, she said, would go online in September. So I'd get to see it before I saw my first commercial job. The other benefit was that once I got the link to their web site, I could send it to all my family and friends! (I can't help it ... I'm still excited.)

No-one could give me a concrete time for turning up for the shoot on Sunday. "Probably about 8am", Landy had said. But then on Saturday she said, "Meet me at LianHua Rd subway station at 11am".

So at 10.10am I set off from home, knowing I'd get at our meeting place about 15 minutes early. At about 11am I was met at the station and driven to the film studio, arriving at 11.30am. The ballet dancers had arrived at 6am and were still being filmed. The opera singer and orchestra players (violin/flute, trumpet and double-base) had arrived at 8am and were still waiting to be filmed. And I wasn't due to be filmed until after all of them had finished.

1.30am: 14 hours later, taking the final shot.

Well, to cut a long story short, after spending all day reading a magazine in the dressing room and stuffing myself on their take-away Chinese meals (neatly packed in plastic trays and cardboard boxes that looked like bricks) I waited until 10.10pm to start my shoot ... and finished at 1.30am ... TOTAL: 14-hour day! ... and I was being paid by the hour!

Needless to say, a few more jobs like that would be a lovely way earn a living in Shanghai!

 

3) Konica "Black Diamond" Cell Phone Infommercial ...
(photos by Landy)

No, it's not my real hair!

At last I got an assignment where I didn't have to wear a tuxedo!

Ughh! Orange pants!

But as you can see from the photos, maybe a tuxedo would've been a nice alternative!

Camera zooms in for a close-up of the cell phone.

I got this job through Landy (Benz ad).

Studying the Black Diamond cell phone.

 

Playwright / Stage Actor

The Glory Of Athens
(stage production)

Performing my play in a London theatre

While I was in Shanghai in June, 2003, I wrote a play, The Glory of Athens: an 80-minute, funny and inspirational one-man show (true to form!), where I had to memorise 10,000 words of monologue for the 7 roles I was performing. It's one of the highlights of my life, and my career, and I performed it in 10 countries while I was on a 400-day public-speaking tour through 13 countries on 5 continents. The highlights of that tour were my theatre performances in London and Hollywood (The Lee Strasberg Theater). Anyway, the play is really all about my life motto:

... Everything is possible if you truly believe!

Mth/Day ... City/Country ... Venue/Type

2 0 0 3
Jul 17 ... Athens, GREECE Out-door Reading
Jul 24 ... Helsinki, FINLAND Lounge-room Reading
Jul 28 ... Stockholm, SWEDEN Lounge-room Reading
Jul 30 ... Gothenburg, SWEDEN Lounge-room Reading
Aug 26 ... Sisteron, FRANCE Lounge-room Show
Sep 12 ... Bressuire, FRANCE Hall Show
Sep 30 ... Amsterdam, HOLLAND Theatre Show
Nov 9 ... Kingsbridge, ENGLAND Hall Show
Nov 21 ... Bridgend, WALES Lounge-room Show
Nov 24-25 ... London, ENGLAND Theatre Show
Dec 14 ... Utrecht, HOLLAND Lounge-room Show

2 0 0 4
Jan 9 ... Welland, CANADA School Show
Jan 10 ... Welland, CANADA Lounge-room Show
Jan 22 ... Kitchener, CANADA Library Show
Jan 30 ... Welland, CANADA Church Show
Feb 2 ... Kitchener, CANADA Office Show
Mar 5-6 ... Montreal, CANADA Lounge-room Show
Mar 7 ... Granby, CANADA School Show
Apr 11-12 ... Kitchener, CANADA Lounge-room Show
Apr 15 ... Ottawa, CANADA Hall Show
Apr 30 ... Kitchener, CANADA Lounge-room Show
May1-2 ... Kitchener, CANADA Lounge-room Show
May 17 ... San Francisco, USA Lounge-room Show
May 22 ... Los Angeles, USA Theatre Show
Jun 12 ... Brisbane, AUSTRALIA Lounge-room Reading

 

Director

8 Quickies

The 3-Quickies Team at our first Cast Get-Together Party (26 May, 2008)

.
Directing Paul and Jenn for Lend Me A Mentor.

Currently I'm directing 3 short (10-minute) plays for the 8 Quickies stage production by Missed Opportunities.

They are:

This is my first attempt at directing, but I'm already enjoying the experience and look forward to seeing the plays on stage at the end of 2008.

 

Producer

The Glory Of Athens
(film production)

My stage play, The Glory Of Athens, attracted lots of interest when I performed it around the world in 2003-2004. But, even though it always had positive audience responses, I always felt its potential was restricted because, as a one-man show, I couldn't do the characters enough justice because there was no time between scenes to change costumes, let alone facial appearances.

So now I'm in the process of writing a screenplay for, The Glory Of Athens: The Movie, which will give me all the freedom I need to bring my Ancient Greek characters to life. As an excercise - just to prove how much potential this idea had - I photographed myself (in a 3-hour period), in each of the different images I imagined for my characters (see above). Even now, I still get excited when I see how different each of them looks.

Although the stage performance of my play was filmed in Hollywood, I believe that a film version would be a more professional and entertaining way to show my story to a screen audience. I've had expert training and experience in TV Production, Film Making and Editing, so (as, by now, you can imagine) I plan to produce the film as a one-man operation … although filming myself may prove to be a considerable challenge (though not impossible). I like to work on projects at all times of the day, or week, so having only myself to rely on makes it much easier to progress with little or no waste of time.