I’m getting a bunch of contacts from folks on my myspace page who’ve seen BTM. It’s neat to know that someone saw the movie and liked it enough to seek out people involved in the film. The dvd went on sale last Tuesday and since then I’ve recieved at least three (legit) friend requsts each day. No cult classic I know, but the response has been very enthusiastic and it’s real nice to see that the work has affected people in such a galvanizing way. I’ve even been written by people who declare it the best horror movie ever. It isn’t by far, but that title isn’t one that any horror fan bestows lightly. This is a fun time. I’m hoping, hoping, hoping that my 93 cent video store starts carrying the film. Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, Netflix and all those are nice but I’ll know we’ve tapped into the pulse of the populace when my local shop in East Fullerton is slinging copies.

The trick is (as any semi-professional actor will tell you) finding a job that pays you what you need to cover the bills but offers the flexibility of taking off early or coming in late because of auditions. If you’re blessed you can find an employer who’ll even let you go for a few days or weeks when you book some kind of acting work and then will take you back when the gig is over. That kind of benevolence is really hard to come by.

Added to my equation are the three other mouths to feed. A part-time job that pays enough for a family of four is flat out impossible. Thankfully my work in Invasion provided me with the maximum amount of payout that unemployment insurance allows ($450/week) but making $1800 stretch for a whole month is tough and will soon be exhausted. Unlike many actors, I have no shame collecting unemployment. We wouldn’t have been able to make it this long without it. With two children depending on me there’s little I wouldn’t do to make sure they’re being provided for. Hell, we did foodstamps a few years ago just before I booked Invasion and it was looking like things couldn’t get any worse for us. Government cheese is pretty tasty when it’s the only cheese you’ve got.

Problem is I WANT to work. I’m not the kind of person who can thrive with free time. I need structure and an outlet for my energy. It feels good coming home tired at the end of the day. I love driving and I really love being PAID to drive. The two best jobs I’ve had (outside of my acting work) were driving jobs. My last was delivering medicines to doctor’s offices and patients. It was amazing. I was paid to drive and listen to NPR and my ipod and occasionally scale a flight of stairs. I was let go two weeks ago. Back to square one.

I called a flower store that had posted a Craigslist ad for a delivery job at $9/hour. The employer sounded really nice and like they’d be somewhat understanding if I had a bit of acting work come up. Then I started to do the math. If I’m working an 8 hour day 5 days a week I’d be clearing $360. That’s $90 less than what I’m getting on unemployment. So what would I need to get by? $15 an hour. Here’s the Craigslist add I’ll be posting today:

Always wanted to pay a lot of money to an employee who’s attendence is frequent at best?
A hardworking actor is seeking a $15/hour wage. My skills are limited but I learn fast and take pride in my work.
Willing to do deliveries-spotless record.