mostly david ephgrave

I’m starting to wonder if being pencilled for a commercial actually means anything. When you're pencilled, the production company want you to keep the shooting dates free in your diary; in other words, you’re down to the last few. It’s a step up from the alternative, which is not hearing anything, and assuming – but not knowing for sure – that you’re out of the running. I’ve been fortunate enough to get to this point a fair few times in the last couple of years, but have been unlucky enough to not get any further. In some senses, it’s a boost in confidence: I must be doing something right. Then again, maybe I’m not getting it quite right enough. I'm aware that's a stupid thing to say, knowing how fickle the world of commercial casting is. A lot of it is down to how you look – but it’s frustrating to get close so many times, without getting the money in the bank. The worst thing is you often don’t hear anything else after being pencilled. The filming dates ge...

I had my first casting in a while today, and I have to say, I quite enjoyed it. Auditions have been thin on the ground for the past few months. This wasn’t a bad thing when I was preparing for my Brighton show, as I had a lot to think about, but now that’s done, I could do with some more coming in. I could do with the money that would come with a job - and the great thing about getting an advert is it’s not a big commitment. It was nice to do a bit of acting today, even if it was only for the brief moment that I was in the casting suite. The script involved very little dialogue, plus the chance to play with some off-the-cuff comedy reactions, which was right up my street. I probably won’t get the job – it’s got to the point where I cease to believe I ever will – but I got a few laughs while I was there, and some positive feedback. I’ve been very unlucky with adverts of late. I’ve been penciled for so many jobs that I’ve lost count, and not got a single one of them. It’...

Today has been a day of bits and pieces. It started with me popping to a friend’s flat to feed her cats: something I’m doing for the next week, in my occasional guise as a cat-sitter. I then power-walked to the office with a mic-stand in tow (which has been sitting in my flat since last Saturday’s aborted preview), before sprinting for a bus to the station to catch the train into London for a casting; my life's always this thrilling. The audition was my first one for the best part of a month: for some reason, they've just not been coming in. In some senses this is good, as it’s given me time to think about my show, but I’m always uneasy when there’s no immediate prospect of paid work (a reasonable thing to be uneasy about). I think the casting went well. I enjoyed it. I generally do; it’s an environment I feel comfortable in. It was as random as ever; in many ways, it was more random than most: I had to perform in just a towel and a baseball cap. It’s a times lik...

If anyone witnessed me buying flip-flops and a baseball cap in Poundland this morning: THEY WERE FOR A CASTING. It may surprise you to learn I have neither item in my wardrobe. Then again, it may not. I’m not a flip-flop-and-baseball-cap kind of person. It isn’t a look I can pull off, without resembling a cross between a William Hague-style photo opportunity and a cry for help: little difference there then. I wasn’t sure where to buy them from, as they're not really in my remit. I didn’t want to pay a lot when I’d only wear them once. The only time I’d pull out this tasteless head-and-footwear combo again would be if I got a recall, which wasn’t definite. My initial attempts to find them weren’t fruitful: a quick Google of ‘cheap flip flops Hitchin’ brought up a pair in Shoe Zone for £14.99, which was more than I was willing to spend – and ‘flops’ kept being unhelpfully corrected to ‘floss’ by the search bar on Wilko's website. While internet shopping is invalua...

If I had a pencil for every time I have been penciled for a job and not got it, I’d now have an awful lot of pencils. At the very least, I’d have break into a new pencil case. Admittedly, I just used the word pencil far too many times (there I go again). Perhaps this will help illustrate my point; the pencil-ratio of this blog and the pencil-ratio after castings pretty much match up 1:1. (For those who don’t know, being penciled for a job means you’re down to the last few – and they'd like you to remain available for the shoot dates, just in case.) The most recent occasion was particularly frustrating. The company had got as far as asking my availability for a wardrobe fitting and checking that my passport was up-to-date for the shoot, then called again the following day to say I hadn’t got it. To be fair, I was surprised I’d been in the running for the job; I didn’t think I did very well at the original casting (which I've ...

Some days you’re just not in the mood for a commercial casting, and today is one of those days. BEFORE: As I write I’m sat in a coffee shop just a few yards around the corner from the casting suite where I’m due to be seen in half an hour. Part of the reason for my reticence is the fact that I haven’t had a casting for a fortnight or so; it’s very easy to get out of practice. Also, the random nature of commercial castings – never quite knowing what’s going to be thrown at you – means you often have to psyche yourself up for it. Ultimately, I’m pleased to be being seen for something; it ups the chance of work and money. It’s hard to keep positive, though, when the last few months have been so full of ‘pencils’ and near-misses. In a moment I’ll finish up my Mint Humbug tea (sophisticated), close up my laptop (high-tech) and wander over to the casting suite (legs), to fill in the usual massive pile of forms (admin) and cast my eye over...