My First Audition

Well, not my first... just the first I've done in LA since March.

First, I had an appointment with my acting coach, Dennis. It was really cool to see him again. We talked for a while; he updated me on some stuff he's up to. He also had a copy of the script for The Dark Knight on the side, which was really cool to thumb through. You can really see where Heath Ledger improvised some of his lines around what was written on the page.

After we caught up, he helped me out with an audition I had later in the day. I'm sure I can tell you the title of this, but I won't reveal anything else. The film is called Tokyo Jones and the Legend of the Dancing Ninja. Yes, I realize the title is ridiculous (and after reading the script, this suspicion is confirmed). Even so, it looks like a really fun project. It's a sequel of sorts to Beverly Hills Ninja, starring Chris Farley. I auditioned for the lead. They said I did a good job with it, but I bet they say that to all the girls.



This was the view I had while I was waiting to be called in for my audition. Whenever I go to an audition in person and I end up having to wait, I always get nervous (as I expect anybody does). I usually find one thing that I can't stop staring at. This image, as a result, gets burned into my head. In this case, I couldn't stop staring at the poster for that film, The Eye (I'm sure that the same casting director working on this film worked on that one. That would explain the poster). Just look at it... that hand crawling out of the bottom eyelid... ugh.






This is the only other picture I took. It's in the same waiting room. The chair is in the way, but you'll notice some stacks of paper on those shelves. Those are all headshots of various actors and actresses whom are being considered for the parts in this film. The biggest stack is off to the left, which is for the lead role (the role I'm auditioning for). Even though it has 50-60 possible choices, I have my fingers crossed.

I hope it's alright that I took these pictures...


That's all I did today. Tomorrow I'll be sitting in on my acting coach's acting class. I'm really excited to meet some other people who are trying to make it like I am.

Getting around in LA is pretty easy, with all things considered. Remember I mentioned that I would be driving around a huge truck? Well, now my manager's brother is driving it, and I'm using his car. I'm definitely relieved, although I feel bad he has to drive that monster around. I'll try and get a picture of the thing and upload it.

That ends this post. More updates as they come.

My First Day in California

Well, it's not exactly my first day. I did this for two weeks back in March... but this marks a bigger milestone. I'm going to be here a month, so I'd better make it count every second I'm here.

I'd like to start this post off by saying that my manager and her immediate family are among the most generous people I've ever known. My manager took time out of her undoubtedly busy schedule to pick me up at the airport and drive me to meet one of her brothers, who is letting me borrow a car while I'm here. Then I follow her to her other brother's house, where I'll be staying for four weeks without paying any kind of rent. I thanked them all more times than I can count, because really: they're helping me out immensely. I stayed with her brother the last time I was here, as well as a producer friend of mine, Edwin, who also gladly opened his house to me. I always knew that these people had faith in me and what I'm capable of as an actor, but when I stand back and look at exactly how much time and money they're investing... it hits home.

One thing that I'm nervous about is the truck that I'm driving around in. My manager's brother who loaned me the truck... let's call him Steve. Steve works for the Teamsters, which as I understand it, is a union in the entertainment industry that specializes in transporting film equipment from one set to another. I think they also take care of transporting the performers to the set, but I could be wrong. Anyway, Steve has around four trucks that he uses. I'm using one of these trucks, which from what I can tell, is a little old and was probably about to be sold anyway. Don't get me wrong, it will get me from A to B. But the one thing about this truck... it's gigantic. It's a friggin' Panzer. I'm used to driving small economy cars. The biggest car I've ever driven is my Jeep back at home, and even that is small for its model. This thing is like a bus. I've driven around in it a little to get the hang of it, and I'm scared to death that I'm going to hit something. As long as I'm driving this truck, I'm avoiding the highways in LA. This means I'll be taking back roads to my destinations, so I plan on leaving at least two hours early for any appointment I may have.

So what do I have lined up while I'm out here? So far, on Wednesday, I'm going for a callback on an audition I did a week ago. Before I go, I have an appointment with my acting coach, Dennis. My manager said that I could attend some of his acting workshops, which I'm really excited about. I haven't had a chance to really work on my acting skills apart from the occasional audition, so this will do me a lot of good.

Also, for those of you interested, my acting coach is in a series of Youtube videos. These "webisodes" are based on a book that he is co-writing with a friend of his called "The Modern Married Man's Guide to Survival." Since Dennis has helped me out so much, I agreed to post his videos on my Youtube channel every once in a while. He's still getting a grip on the whole Youtube thing. Here's one of his videos:



Dennis is the man in the hat and the Hawaiin shirt.

Besides that, I'm waiting for my manager to schedule some meetings and such for later in the week. In the meantime, I'm just sort of kicking back in her brother's apartment watching the first season of The Wire. It really is amazing show, and I feel embarrassed for not watching it since I've lived a few miles or so from Baltimore my whole life.

That's pretty much it. I think I'll probably make a video tonight announcing my plan to upload my Jimmy Kimmel Reenactments.

More to come.

Off to LA Again

This blog thing seems to be working out. I expected more traffic to come over from Youtube, but in a way, it's not about traffic. I've always wanted to keep a journal of what I do, and now that I'm in the habit, I'll keep it that way. This stuff is bound to be interesting eventually.

Tomorrow morning, I'm boarding a flight to LA and I plan to stay there for four weeks. I'm staying with my manager's brother, who lives north of LA. My manager has some things scheduled for me, so I hear. I hope I get something out of these four weeks... just one really great audition would be enough. If not, I'll still meet people, make connections, and get a feel for what it's like in Hollywood. It's all about experience.

I put my "90-Second Video" up today. I knew people wouldn't like it as much as the other two, but I like it anyway. The real mellow tune behind it just appealed to me when I was making it.

I'm thinking I might upload all of my Jimmy Kimmel Reenactments to my Youtube page. A while back, when I made those, someone had been posting every episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live on their Youtube channel, including those five reenactments. They were up for a while, but were taken down by Youtube for copyright violation. I realize now that I never uploaded them, and I figured since I'll have a dry spot of videos during this LA trip, I could just space those videos out and upload one a week or something. That's not to say I won't have time to make a video in LA... I just don't know how busy I'll be. Always good to have a plan B.

At some point, I'd like to go see Ben ("Boh3m3" on Youtube). I saw him once back in March, but there was kind of a strange situation going on, and we didn't get to hang out too much. Also, this will be a great opportunity to go over the script that we've been talking about. Maybe we could make a video? He hasn't put one up for Youtube in a while. I miss the guy.

That's pretty much it for now. I'll update as I go. I'm not sure how much I'll be able to write about, considering that some auditions I do will probably be for films that are tightly kept under wraps.

Q & A

As promised, I took everyone's questions from the comment section of my "My Blog" video, and answered them. I'll be going in order from oldest comments to most recent. If I skip somebody's question, it's because I've already answered it for someone else.

benneb02: Do you clean your teeth like you do in the extreme toothbrushing video every morning? :)

I don't scream as much.

Mizelei1991: why are you so awesome?

I don't know.

stankmcnasty: What is your middle name ? For stalking reasons strictly ; )

My middle name is Allan. Altogether, my name is Brandon Allan Hardesty. My initials are BAH, and I always thought that was kind of cool.

SolidKennedy: did you have a drama school or anything like that?

I never went to a drama school. I did take a class or two in high school that involved acting, and also one in my freshman year of college.


SolidKennedy: since when is it your dream to be an actor?

I'd wanted to be an actor after getting some nice feedback in my high school play. I didn't take it seriously until I got on Youtube for a while.

elementmatt: I dont think you ever said who your all time favorite actor was , also i would like to know your favorite kevin spacey film

I always loved Jim Carrey, and I've grown to really respect the man for his serious work too. I mean, I loved his comedies. But when I first saw Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, I was blown away. My other favorite actors include Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Ricky Gervais, and Robin Williams. I'm sure there are other ones, but those are the few that stand out in my mind.

As for my favorite Kevin Spacey movie... I'm afraid I haven't seen a lot of his films. I've seen American Beauty, K-Pax, The Usual Suspects, and Se7en. Out of those, I'd say I loved him in American Beauty, but he's a great actor in anything, really.

sk8amped246: r u going to be in any famous hollywood vids?

It depends on what you mean by "famous." All the projects I'm involved in, with the exception of one, are independently made, and will probably only have a limited release in theaters.

xTornHeartx: What do your family/friends say when they see your videos? xP

My family is 100% supportive, and love it whenever I upload a video. Although, some of my extended family doesn't enjoy some of the language I use in some of the reenactment videos I do. With my friends, it's become kind of a casual thing. I don't expect them to be checking my Youtube channel every day, so it's never really brought up when I hang out with them. However, if I'm especially excited about a video (like my Extreme Toothbrushing video), I'll want some feedback from them. They're good critics in many ways.

greenadore: what is your ideal job/position in life in 5 years?

My goal is to simply have a steady career as an actor in LA and be able to support myself. Also, if things keep going the way they are with my girlfriend, I'd like to be married by then.

marviblas: did u get paid for that commercial u were in?

Yes, and I used the money to pay off my old car. Got a new one, though... so more car payments.

bluespartaninc: Would you rather live in California, or where you live now?

Even though I'd miss home, my ideal goal is to live in California. That's where everything is happening. 99% of the auditions I do are held in Los Angeles.

warlowl: HOW THE FUCK DO I EVOLVE MANKEY

Mankey evolves to Primeape at level 28. Noob.

OoAwwRange: how's that movie coming along that you were in?

If you're referring to Bart Got A Room, the last time I talked to the director, Brian Hecker, he told me that they're still bargaining for a good deal on a distributor for the film. Any updates that come in, I'll let everyone know. In the meantime, the film can't be seen anywhere, as it hasn't been in theaters yet and isn't on DVD.

Devinfishalot: How come you don't talk about you're hollywood movie experience in detail, and what was your favourite part of making the movies.

If I'm not using a lot of details when I'm talking about something in the entertainment industry, it's because there are legal issues and I can't go telling the world certain things. In short, I tell as much as I can without getting myself in trouble. As for my favorite part of making a movie, I don't know. I kind of like the whole package. The anticipation, the moment, the aftermath... it's all a big rush to me. Even though I've only done one movie, I can say for certain that I love the career I've chosen.

Hellbom: why don't you make a separate channel for your blog videos?

I've tried it, and failed miserably. Plus, I feel like I can really get my point across better when I write. I hate talking, out loud, about myself. I become self-conscious and uncomfortable. This was definitely the way to go, and I don't know why I didn't do it sooner.

birdboy93: Can you please do another Strange Faces and Noises?

I doubt if I'll ever do another one. If I do, it'll be the last, just because I feel like people won't take me seriously with my other videos when those things are floating around on the internet. I don't want to be the "guy that makes the faces."

6464babbster: why dont u do another re-enactment from a recent movie?

I have a few in mind, but it's hard to find five or six hours of my day to set aside. I'm not done with reenactments quite yet. I'll do one whenever I get the chance.

goku6330: how come you released a video of were you had a conversation with some scientology person and deleted it liek 10 minuites later?

Good question. I uploaded a video a few weeks ago that documented an encounter that a friend and I had with a Scientology Security guard. The purpose of the video was to show how quickly a security guard's response time was to something suspicious. Within a minute and a half of us parading my Canon GL-2 digital camera around a Scientology Center, up came some guy named Sean on a bike. Anyway... the reason I took it down was because I edited it wrong. Always proofread/proofwatch your work, kids. I'll put it back up eventually.

Andreafab47: Do you have a girlfriend/wife/fiance?

Yes. Her name is Shayna, and we met in our first year of college. We were friends for a while, but then started dating. We've been going out for about a year and four months.

tobuscus: What part of LA are you in?

I don't live in LA yet. I'm still on the east coast.

jamiany: Why are you so sexy!?

I don't know.

KingThorin: how old are you?

21. I'll be 22 next April.

tnvincesanity: what would you be doing if you weren't acting?

I'd probably still be majoring in film at my local college.

culwin: Do you wear a toupee?

No.

AndrewCostaOmgzzz: Are Alia Shawkat's freckles as adorable in person?

Extremely.

babywest8905: Do you like asian people?

I like them just fine.

babywest8905: When are you going to Mexico? or England?

Whenever I get enough money, I suppose.

What are you favorite movies?

http://www.dvdspot.com/member=BardyHardy

That wraps it up. If there are any more, I'll add them to this post. Thank you for your questions.

Stay tuned.

What I'll Be Working On This Fall

Hollywood has been in a bit of a dry spell until recently. As a producer friend of mine once told me, "you picked a bad time to get into the entertainment industry." As I was acting in Bart Got a Room, the indie film I did last November, the Writers Guild of America strike had just begun. That lasted until early this year. Then, there were rumors of a Screen Actors Guild strike. I'm unsure of whether this ever happened, as I never saw any official news about it. Even though it never occurred, I've been told that a lot of films weren't going forward with production because they were just being cautious.

This may have affected the next few movies I'm doing this fall, the first being Kid Cannabis, which I announced not too long ago. It was originally scheduled for shooting in July. Then it was pushed back until September. Now I've heard that they don't know when the shoot will begin, keeping it vague and saying "Late 2008."

This has all been a bit frustrating for me. I was hoping I'd be able to get this film out of the way and move on to the other two, but now it's up in the air. As I've come to learn, this happens a lot, and not just in this way. Everything I hear, every offer I get, it's all up in the air. I have no idea where I will be in the next two months. I could be in Canada working on Kid Cannabis, I could be in LA, or I could be at home making more reenactments in my parents' basement. It's all quite chaotic.

The second film I'm involved in, I can't talk much about. It's called Paper or Plastic, and as listed on IMDb, is written by Ben Going (also known as "Boh3m3" on Youtube) and Edwin Marshall (who was my former manager. He handed me over to my current manager last year, and we've since remained "producing partners.") I also helped in the writing of the script, but not as much as Ben and Edwin. The real writing credits go to them. If I get the chance and the opportunity, I can tell you all more about this project at a later date. This film has been slated to shoot for October, but may be subject to change from what I hear. My constant worry is that Paper or Plastic will, in some way, conflict with Kid Cannabis. If it comes to that, I have to choose one over the other. Hopefully that won't happen, and it will all work out.

The third film I'm doing is scheduled to shoot for late October or early November. It is an independent film called The Bill Collector. My part isn't huge, but it'll be a fun and easy job to do (probably four days of work at the most). The best thing about this project is that it's being shot at Virginia Beach, which is in driving distance from my area.

Those are the three projects that I'm involved in. As a result of all these scheduling issues that I've mentioned, my summer has been uneventful. I've been auditioning nonstop and working at my part-time job to pay the bills. In the meantime, I've made the occasional Youtube video. I've tried doing reenactments, but I'm finding it harder to build up any sort of motivation to do so. I've been leaning more towards original material, which people seem to be responding to. Even so, I still get requests for reenactments. I'll make another one eventually... I just have to think of a good one.

I have a lot of ideas for videos or short films that I'd like to put into motion, but I don't have the resources for most of them. I've tried writing scripts to expand on these ideas, only to find it to be a lot harder than it looks. I have, however, almost finished one of these scripts that I'm excited about. If I ever get to film it, it would be my first real attempt at serious material.

That's it for this post. More to come.

My Part-Time Job

A lot of you ask me if I'm doing this acting (and auditioning) thing full-time. The answer is: no. I still have bills to pay, so I do so by working at a part-time job in a grocery store.

You guys may have seen videos like this on Youtube:



This video and four others uploaded by the same Youtube user, Nightstarr, are all taped while I'm at work. The Youtube user is a friend of mine who used to work there. She comes into the store every once in a while and we record a little something to pass the time.

Here are a few more:

Me trying to breakdance.


Me playing with compressed air.


Me pressing my face up against a see-through plastic thing.


Me playing with a rubber band ball I made.



Anyway... this job is just temporary until I get a steady career as an actor. Hopefully, this will happen. I say hopefully, because I hate being blindly optimistic. I always leave a little window for any doubt. In any case, if the acting thing doesn't work out, I could always (begrudgingly) go back to college.

I don't tell a lot of customers what I do, because it sounds ridiculous when I say it. What do you do, they would say. "Oh, I'm an actor."

Uh-huh. Sure you are. That's why you're bagging my groceries.

Not to mention, older people don't respect kids who aren't in college. Rather than get into an argument or try and defend myself, I just tell people I major in film at a local college. That's what I did before I got into all this, so it's a half-lie, really.

I'm feeling pretty confident, though. I don't care that I still work here at this shit job. It'll only make the payoff that much more satisfying when it comes.

Auditions

Ever since I flew to LA for the first time in March, I've been getting scripts sent to me on a regular basis with parts to audition for. Here's how it works: directors send out the scripts to agencies and management companies, then those individual companies send scripts to all their clients who are right for certain parts. In this case, I'm getting scripts from Endeavor (my agency) and Anonymous Content (my management company). Sometimes I am sent a whole script, and sometimes the production of a film is so secretive that I am only sent what I need to do the audition. I've had the opportunity to read a lot of great scripts. Honestly, I can't wait for these movies to come out.

Some people ask me what the difference is between an agent and a manager. I currently have three agents working for me, and one manager. Basically, agents are working 100% to get me work. My manager, on the other hand, on top of getting me work, also mentors me and holds my hand, in a way. Granted, there's a lot of stuff about the entertainment industry that I'm still a bit unclear about. So, my manager helps me in that sense.

Anyway, back to the scripts.

The scripts are sent to me through e-mail. I then put myself on tape with my mom reading for me. If I think the tape is good enough, then I send it off and hope for the best.

I have a well-respected acting coach that helps me out with a lot of my auditions. I've learned a lot doing my Youtube videos and taking some classes, but I still have a long way to go. Having an acting coach is like a secret weapon. He helps me immensely when trying to find out what the motivation is for a certain character. He helps me find really little things that I would have never picked up had I read through the script myself. It helps to have a second pair of eyes, in that sense.

After doing many, many auditions for the past five to six months, I've gotten two parts out of probably 20 - 30 films that I've auditioned for. This is a good example of how hard it is to break into the business, even if you have the right people behind you. There's a lot of competition out there, and not everyone fits the bill.

Speaking of competition, I'd like to mention that the only "rival" I've come across (and when I say "rival," I'm talking about someone who again and again has been auditioning for the same parts I've auditioned for) is:

Jonah. Effing. Hill.























He's not exactly EVERYWHERE I go, but I can honestly say that I've butted heads with this man for at least four or five parts. I'm not bitter or anything, don't get me wrong. He's a funny guy, and seems pretty cool in real life. I just keep hearing, "Oh, Jonah Hill is also going for that part." He was offered a role in Transformers 2, which I auditioned for. Although, I believe he turned that one down in the end. He and I auditioned for the same part in Night at the Museum 2; he got it. At one point, I even auditioned for a script known only as Untitled Judd Apatow Project. I'm not quite sure why I auditioned. I mean, the strategy, in my position, is to read for anything I possibly can. So, in that case, I read for the part that (inevitably) went to Jonah Hill.

Again, just to clarify: not bashing the guy. Just... dammit.

In the meantime, I'm still auditioning, still being optimistic.

More posts to come.

Why I'm Making a Blog

I hate blogs.

Hate them.

It doesn't matter who it is, or what they're talking about, 99% of blogs I've had the misfortune of reading... they're horrible. They're the absolute bane of the internet, next to furry porn and 4chan (although the latter two tend to mix together sometimes).

So why am I doing this? I'll tell you why: I'd rather have a whole separate world for "updating" my Youtube community on what I'm doing. I'd rather save my Youtube account just for my entertaining videos rather than videos of me droning on and on about how I went to California and how awesome and cool it was and how there are palm trees as far as the eye can see.

In short: People can read, and should read more in some cases.

So, if you're at all remotely interested in what I'm doing when I'm not on the internet, this is the blog for you. If not, then I'll come across as just another head-up-his-own-ass blogger who thinks the world cares about what goes on in my life.

That sounds kind of negative... I don't mean it to come off like that. Words come across differently when read straight like this.

Anyway... there you have it. I've explained myself.

Booyah.