At my callback today, New Actor from our first audition was also there! Hello, I said to him. Hello, he said back. Hey, he continued, Can I borrow some change for the meter?
So here is your Actor Car Checklist!
1) Small notebook to log your miles, gas, car maintenence, parking meters, meals, and gifts for every audition you go on. Go to an audition 10 miles away and bought a caramel frapp for $3.50? Keep track! It's tax deductable!
2) Pens. You'd be surprised how your car is actually your office.
3) Change. For Meters. Lots of change.
4) Extra headshots/resumes. Cause you never know. Stick a few business cards in there. A dvd of your reel and some headshots on there too. YOU NEVER KNOW.
5) Thomas Guide. Unless you have a Navigator, or a Smartphone.
6) Ladies - some Lady items. You know what I'm saying.
7) Dance music to groove to when you rock out an awesome audition.
8) Food. Be it crackers, frosted mini-wheats, or pop-tarts, because sometimes you get hungry.
9) Water. Staying hydrated is awesome!
10) Window shades. Cause it's November and it's 80 degrees. Keep em in there year round.
11) Mascara, eyeliner, lipstick, lip gloss, tissues. Because sometimes you'll have a gig for a union show and they WON'T TELL YOU TO COME CAMERA READY. Happened to me, so now I always carry it with me.
12) napkins/tissues/wetnaps. Cause fingers get messy
13) anti bacterial stuff.
And that's about it. I think. Am I missing anything?
Wow. I think that covers it all. The no pen and quarter thing always frustrated me. Oh wait- I always kept a few changes of clothing options in the car. Because one day you're going to have to look glamourous and sexy last minute and realize you're wearing a t shirt and jeans!
ReplyDeleteOh, right. Change of clothes! And I always keep a jacket in my car too. Going from the valley to Santa Monica in the summer can be a difference of 30 degrees!
ReplyDeleteStapler and scissors...casting directors HATE it if an actor's headshot or resume is not stapled and fitted to size. You might think this is a moot point...I see actors ALL THE TIME come in and ask casting peeps for a stapler or scissors.
ReplyDeleteLame, and unprofessional.
Also, don't keep all that change in a baggy, keep it loose in the center consul of your car. Otherwise, you know, when you car gets broken into, you just handed a thief a baggy full of change. And while that's the least of your problems, it tends to add insult to injury.
Stoopid fraking car thieves.
Phoenix: I actually have an entire "Acting Bag" that comes with me to every audition with a pen, pencil, highlighter, and several different headshots with stapled resumes. Being anal is fun!
ReplyDeleteYou are going to be one of those mothers with Mary Poppins purse. You know what I mean. :) Awesome list.
ReplyDeleteI just came upon this blog recently, and I LOVE it.
ReplyDeleteI just have a question about the caramel frapp being tax-deductible-- wouldn't you have had to have a business meeting to deduct food? How is food/drink eaten on your own, on the way to an audition, tax-deductible?
(It's my first year paying taxes as an actor, so I'd love to learn!)
If you buy food on the way to a job interview/audition, a portion of it is tax deductible. Keep ALL your receipts and get a tax preparer who handles actors all the time. :)
ReplyDeleteHm, that sounds like a solid list for both your acting job and driving in general. A car isn't just a means of transportation, after all. Well, keep those things in a nice, organized kit, and keep them out of view when you're not in the car, and you'll be safe and set!
ReplyDelete