dishnetwork with blockbuster commercial!

And here it is, in all its glory. Apparently, the :30 is airing all over the place, though I've only caught the end of it when I was in Atlanta. But texts, calls, and messages have been raining in from all over the country, so I suppose maybe you've seen it, too. If not, here is the full two-minute version.

As mentioned previously, there is a bit of dancing. With a remote. And some of the outtakes also were apparently good enough to make the final cut - my scene was all improv, and I'm quite happy with it. Enjoy.

one big holiday poster!

i booked a commercial!

After being on avail for a Pepsi/Saturday Night Live spot two weeks ago that I did not book, I came back strong and booked an ad for DishNetwork! The audition was on a Wednesday, fitting Thursday, and shoot on Friday. Bangbangbang. It all happened so fast I didn't have time to tell my mom (hi Mom! I'm still a working actor!). I dunno when it'll run, but there will be innerwebular components as well. I won't give away any secrets, but there's a chance I had to dance during the shoot. If it's not too embarrassing, I'll post it here when it airs.

Also of note, out of 130 actors that were called in for the audition, only two males were chosen; both had beards, and both were from Kentucky. Thank you beard, and thank you Kentucky.

one big holiday screenings in austria and germany!

I had the great fortune to return to Europe yet again this summer to produce an international relations conference for high school students from 42 countries. As one of the directors of the two-week program, my duty was ultimately to ensure the health and safety of all the students and staff, and logistically move 340 of us through five countries. Easy? Nope. Rewarding and memorable? Yep.

There are many highlights of aiding international teenagers in creating life-long memories and promoting global communication within the Jugendkultur, some of which are indescribable within this silly blog. Many students were traveling abroad for the first time and were awakened by the sheer beauty of Gothic architecture, the spices of Hungarian foods, and the magic of a city untouched by war.

A trip like this, especially when it's the first time away from family and friends, juxtaposes the sense of home with a spirit of adventure. This emotion can be found at the heart of my documentary One Big Holiday, and whilst its journey is a world away from workshops on conflict resolution and cross-cultural communication, it shares the inherent sense of what 'home' means to all of us. At no time do we appreciate where we come from more than when we're away from it.

I had the opportunity to screen the film in both Vienna and Munich, and could not have been prouder to see my hometown of Louisville on the screen in front of colleagues and strangers from around the world. Let's hope this is just the beginning.

the doc has arrived!

It's been an exciting week with the lead-up to the release of One Big Holiday with My Morning Jacket's deluxe box set, and it's been arriving worldwide! It's so incredible to physically see our documentary DVD with all the other packaging of MMJ's sixth, and arguably finest, album Circuital.

The film has been getting a lot of great press, including this fantastic article from Consequence of Sound: http://consequenceofsound.net/2011/05/insight-my-morning-jackets-one-big-holiday/

I am so proud to be part of this release, both as a representative of my hard-working crew and as part of the My Morning Jacket family. The film has been a labor of love and I could not be happier with the final result.

'one big holiday' release!

It's official! The documentary I produced last fall on Louisville and My Morning Jacket is being released Tuesday 31 May with the band's deluxe box set of its new album, Circuital. Titled One Big Holiday, it documents the preparations of a homecoming concert at the newly-opened downtown arena, including interviews with the members of the band, former Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, ear x-tacy owner John Timmons, members of opening band Wax Fang, and the conductor of the Louisville Youth Orchestra (LYO).

Directed by Michael Feld, the documentary thematically speaks to what it means to follow your dreams and the strength of having a sense of home, no matter where that may be. Beautifully shot in HD, the film combines footage of Louisville, rehearsals with My Morning Jacket and the LYO, interviews, and the concert itself. While I believe fans of the band and the city will love the film, I'm most excited about its universal appeal and showing the world the symbiotic relationship between two of my favorite things: My Morning Jacket and the city of Louisville, Kentucky.

louisville/my morning jacket documentary!

I cannot say too much at this time, but the rumors are true about a film crew being in Louisville, Kentucky for a week in late October. I am proud to say that I am the Executive Producer of a documentary that takes a look at the 16th largest city in America and one of its greatest musical exports. I was part of an extremely talented and handpicked crew from Los Angeles that spent a glorious week amidst the colored foliage and cool temperatures of the River City. It all culminated with the My Morning Jacket concert within the newly-opened downtown arena, and I am terribly excited about the experience. Stay tuned.

3 new bookings!

I haven't updated much recently regarding my career, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy (drinking coffee by the pool); on the contrary, I've been quite active (hiking) and making more baby steps (in the orchard with the dog). Yes, I've been learning a lot (this new juicer is awesome!) and have been trying to put in hard work and patience (why won't Mila Kunis return my calls?!), so that karma will soon return all this good energy back to me.

Of note, this is the latest good news, all of which should hopefully receive their own posts soon enough:

- I booked the lead in a feature film that shoots for three weeks this summer in five states, including Alaska!

- I booked an innovative and hip short film with commercial director Paul Santana! Check 'im out: www.paulsantana.com

- I am now the lead in the web series, Green Manor! (I was previously a recurring guest star....)


As these projects begin to take more shape, I will give more details about each of them. This could turn out to be an interesting summer....

at the 83rd academy awards!

How in the hell did I get that close? How in the hell did I see every major celebrity walk by? How in the?

Through some lovely friends of friends, I had security clearance right in the middle of the red carpet for the Oscars. We were perched on the second floor of the El Capitan building (next to Jimmy Kimmel Live and across from the Kodak Theatre), where we watched the arrivals and interviews all day long as everyone streamed into the theatre.

While I've had the good fortune of seeing celebrities around town and even hanging out with some, this was quite surreal to see all the big ones on parade: Robert Downey, Jr and Christian Bale chatting it up, Gwyneth Paltrow gliding by, Mila Kunis melting my heart, Natalie Portman having a baby, Annette Benning and Warren Beatty doing whatever they do, Sandra Bullock radiating smiles, Matthew McConaughey with his shirt on, Halle Berry making the world stop, Amy Adams singing to squirrels, Mark Wahlberg also with his shirt on, Jesse Eisenberg being awkwardly genuine, and Kevin Spacey being Kevin Spacey. I can also report that Celine Dion is not a robot and Donald Trump's hair is as bad in person as it is on the television.

It was quite the experience and a good introduction for when I actually get to walk the red carpet sometime in the next 5-10 years. Oh yes, she will be mine.

updated actor reel!

Welcome, Oh Eleven! I have good feelings about this year, and have been quite proactive to start out the new year strong, including having new head shots taken with my beard (with my beard!) and updating my acting reel. You can see the reel above and one of the many photos below. Special thanks to award-winning editor Greg Fitzsimmons and photographer Margot Landen for their artistic talents in making me look as fantastic as possible.