A Typical Scene for Alex on the Hawaii Five 0 Set?

By Pam

Al is standing next to a cookie on the set.

 "Okay Al," says the director. "Time to get out of the woodshed." 

"Okay, okay," Al says, obligingly. "I'm off-book now. Anybody got any gum? You know me and my mouth noise."

Al goes to his mark. He fidgets a bit and takes a deep breath. The director yells action. Al begins speaking and has a false start. "Fuck," he says under his breath. "Sorry guys, not much turnaround. I'm a bit tired."

The director repositions his cans. "SPEED,” he yells. “Rolling.....aaand.......ACTION." 

Al begins delivering his lines without a hitch this time. After 4 takes and a few minutes, the director orders a pick-up shot. He needs Al to be smaller, and asks for a larger apple box for Scott. 

The assistant director orders Al back-to-one. Heand positions his gum between his cheek and teeth. 

"Okay,” says the director, “let's do this. I need circle takes. And give me more balls, Al." 

~~

Alright, what the heck just went on here? You kind of get the gist, but here are the meanings of the terms of the trade.

 

Cookie. A flat board, like a flag, but full of irregular holes used for creating a pattern of shadows when put in front of a light.

Woodshed. To rehearse or practice reading copy out loud. This term is said to come from old theater days when actors would have to rehearse out in the woodshed before going into the theater to perform.

Off-book. When an actor knows his or her lines and no longer needs to carry the script.

Mouth Noise. Also known as "clicks and pops." A dry mouth produces much more mouth noise than a damp one. Cigarette smoking also contributes to a dry mouth. The less mouth noise you have, the less editing has to be done later.

Actor's Mark

 Hitting Your Mark. The ability to physically stop on a preset mark or put down the product in an exact spot.

False Start. Term used to describe a take in which the talent makes an error within the first couple of lines. The take is usually stopped, and a new take is slated.

Turnaround. Cast and crew rest time, from wrap until next day’s call time.

Cans. Slang term meaning headphones.

Speed. Exclamation that indicates the film and the audiotape are running simultaneously at the correct speed.

Pick-up Shot. Small parts of a scene that are re-shot, usually because all angles were not captured satisfactorily during the first shooting.

Small. A very subtle performance by an actor.

Apple Box

Apple Boxes. Wooden crates that elevate an actor, a cameo or furniture on a set.

Back-to-One. Direction given by the Assistant Director after a take. It means to go back to the position which you were in at the beginning of the scene.

Circle Takes. A director’s favorite or most usable filming of a particular scene. Used to expedite the editing process.

Balls. A deep and resonant vocal tone.

Source: http://www.actorschecklist.com/resources/glossary.html

Alex has Found a Happy Medium

By Pam

 Is Alex a great actor? Well, let’s see. According to Rae Lewis (Yahoo! Contributor Network, May 24, 2007), The Top Eight Qualities of a Great Actor are (Of course, these are givens. There are other individual factors that come into play):

Number Eight: An actor must be flexible.

Particularly difficult (at NIDA) was the constant feeling of being under a microscope and judged as a performer, and he, like every actor, was frequently rejected for roles. 

"You're told, 'You shouldn't take it personally' but what you're being told as an actor when you audition and you don't get the role is specifically: 'not you, this role'."

 Number Seven: An actor must be dedicated.

"I certainly aspire to art. That is why I am involved in this craft." "I love doing what I'm doing and I'm so grateful to be working."

 Number Six: An actor must be passionate.

“I was taught by very passionate people and I am a passionate person. I was taught that passion is either constructive or deconstructive. I keep trying to build on that and be constructive. If you don’t approach a character passionately, if you’re not trying to elevate the material then you’re probably in the wrong job. I want to be better each day. “

 Number Five: An actor must be confident.

“There’s a saying: ‘Hollywood eats the weak.’  And I’m still here, baby.”

 Number Four: An actor must be talented.

ALEX O'Lachlan is touted as one of Australia's most talented up-and-coming actors…

(June 16, 2005, Role a Real Pearler, By Jonathon Moran; Source: news.com.au)

Number Three: An actor must be loud.

At NIDA’s Parade Theatre, Alex was expected to perform Shakespeare in an auditorium which held 707 and included 2 galleries.

Number Two: An actor must be enthusiastic.

“I'm very tenacious, and I'm a go-getter. When I believe in something, I go after it."

 Number One: An actor must be personable.

“My mom, my dad and my grandparents have always taught me the importance of giving. It’s a real principle in our family.”

~

From Alex’s own quotes and factual information, he has the qualifications to become a great actor. So, why doesn't he think so?  Could it be he is so fearful of fame that he holds himself back?

Dec. 2007 - "I do not think I'm a great talent. I think I'm a medium talent, but I think I understand the business and enjoy the business.”

Sept. 2009 - “I’m not a great talent. I’m a medium talent, but I have a good work ethic. I’ll work because of that. But I knew I had to chase it.”

Nov. 2011 - “Look, I don’t think I’m massively talented but I have a clear understanding of how it all works. And I work really hard. I work my arse off.”

Well, if that’s the way he feels about himself, that’s fine with me. Alex may never want to be a great actor. What he seems to consider himself is a Journeyman.  A Journeyman, by definition, is any experienced, competent but routine worker or performer. A worker who is reliable but not outstanding.  He shows up for work, plays Steve McGarrett for several hours a day, and goes home. It’s routine and he’s competent at it.

Some people are just happier being average. In Alex’s case, he is successful and happy in this moment. It’s this journey he’s taking that will eventually get him to his desired destination.

 “Hopefully I’ve got the chops once this [Hawaii Five 0] finishes to do something that’s good enough to make people see me in a different light again.”

 Wherever Alex wants to go, he’ll get there. Even if he prefers staying in the shadows, he’ll shine through.

“And they called it puppy love…”

by carol

He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion. - Unknown

Gratuitous photo of my cat!

As a pet owner myself, I am well aware of the emotional rewards of having a companion animal. When I learned that my favorite actor Alex O’Loughlin went and got himself a dog, I was quite pleased for him.

“I’m a homeowner here (in Hawaii). I have a dog. I think that’s even more significant than a wife or a child. Once you get a dog, where I come from, you know, ‘Well I’ve got a dog, I’m not going anywhere.’  I’ll always have a place here no matter what happens.” - Alex O’Loughlin

I wondered what kind of owner he would be. For some reason, I thought most Australian dogs were probably working dogs in the country. So would Alex put his little puppy in the backyard to fend off marauding pigs after the veggies in his garden?
 

Dusty walking Al.

In an interview I heard Alex mention his “bub” Dusty, the sad little face she gave him when he left his house, and feeling guilty for leaving her while he attended an event. Yeah, no worries for this pup. She’s already got him wrapped around her little paw.

Thanks to a few wonderful Australian surveys*, there are some assumptions we can safely make about Alex’s relationship with Dusty.

Over three-quarters of Australian pet owners surveyed claimed they are able to understand the sounds made by their animals. The survey also found that 95% of dog owners talked to their pets, while over 89% spoke to their cats.

1.3 million Australian dog owners would rather confide in their pet than their partner. Over half of Aussies with a partner think their dog is a better listener than their significant other. One in five Aussies sees their dog as a companion for life and one in ten perceives their pet as a child.

There’s an old Aussie saying: “If you insult the other half I won’t be happy, but if you insult the dog we’ll be out the back to sort it out.”

Post-doggie spa treatment

Companionship is the strongest motivation for people to own pets, two thirds exercise with them and more than half admit to sharing their bed with their pet. Other findings revealed that half of Australians buy their dogs presents for special occasions such as birthdays and Christmas, a quarter takes their dogs to a professional groomer. It’s also not uncommon to take their pets on holiday with them or put their pets in their will.

It seems nothing is out of reach for Australian pets and they now have a presence on social networking sites, with 4% of respondents having set up an online page for their pet and 36% featuring their pet on their PC screensaver or wallpaper.

Ok, Alex, if you don’t want to be on Facebook, can Dusty have her own page?

 

*Statistics from Coles Pet Survey; Pure Animal Wellbeing Poll; Purina Pet Study

LOUIE Named Rodent of the Year by RQ

 

                      From Squirrel Alone to Tree for 2
                                                Pictorial inside.
(Disclaimer: This is a pictorial layout only. Louie did not get married, nor does he have a girlfriend. There are no parallels between Louie and Al's lives. Louie has his own personal life).

 

A squirrel shouldn't be alone. (Sweater, by Cottontail Cashmere)

Find the right one and whisper sweet nuttings in her ear. 

Shower her with gifts. (Strawberry Blue, Eau de Parfum by, Marmot Me)

Pick the right moment to pop the question. (Tux, by Mr. Vole/glasses, by Optimouse/dress, by Rodentical/pearls, by Seeds of Style)

YOU DO! (Top hat and tie, by The Fine Porcupine/Veil, by Hare Cover/flowers from nature)

 

It's a tree for 2 and 2 in a tree.
















All Photoshop work done by Pam. No copyright infringement intended.

Alex's Process Adjustment

by Carol 

“I think it is important for an actor to do as much homework about their character and their surroundings as they can.”  “I’m not the kind of actor who feels like he has to become his character, 24/7. It’s just helpful to understand what makes your character tick.”  - Alex O’Loughlin - Global TV (Canada), November 2011

 I always enjoy hearing Alex talk about the acting profession. However, there seems to have been a change in his philosophy over the past 2-1/2 years.

  “I’m big on living like the character, so I went up to the river and I actually stayed up here for a week with a swag and not many new pairs of undies, and a fishing rod.” - Alex O’Loughlin - Filmink, June 2005

“I walk in the shoes of the character 24 hours a day.” - Alex O’Loughlin - TV Guide Magazine, April 15, 2009

So what’s going on with this 180 degree turn in Alex’s approach to playing a character?   With no rhyme, reason or priority, here are my speculations.

 This is how he feels today. Deal with it. He changed his mind.

 As his experience has grown, Alex is better at getting into his character when he’s at work and can just be Alex when he’s not working.

 Living the life of his character left no time for his own life and he decided that was not how he wanted to live his own life and consciously changed.

 This is the longest period of time Alex has played the same role. Maybe he’s comfortable with his character’s persona as it is. He doesn’t have to figure out how Steve McGarrett thinks and behaves. Alex knows.

 Or just maybe Alex has been reading Harold Macmillan:

“When the curtain falls, the best thing an actor can do is to go away.”

Life with Louie and Al

What Louie talks about when Al's not around. 

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Life with Louie and Al

Have a safe and Happy Halloween, like Louie and Al will.

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Life with Louie and Al

Louie sets a so-so example.


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Life with Louie and Al

When it comes to Alex doing his own climbing stunts, Jeff Cadiente leaves that up to Louie.

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War and Honolulu, a Love Story

By Pam

A man marries his sweetheart 7 months before he goes off to war.  A Private in the 98th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army, his luck holds out for 4 years. He never sees combat, but comes very close. In 1944 he is stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii, waiting for orders to invade Japan. While he's waiting the war ends, and as a Corporal, he's sent to Japan for the occupation. 

From the pictures, his days in Hawaii are happy and filled with camaraderie.  There's fishing and swimming.  He’s smiling in every picture. He thinks of his wife back home and wishes she was there to share the fun and the beauty. He sends her a pack of picture cards of the Island he has come to love. So much so that when he retires him and his wife spend the month of April, every year for 12 years, in Honolulu. He loves the beach, she loves to shop. 
 

My dad died in 1994. In a lucid moment, my mom sometimes reminisces about the Hawaii vacations. She’s 95 now, and doesn’t watch much television because of her confusion, but I tell her about Hawaii Five 0 and her eyes brighten. I wish she could see the colors again.

She and dad will meet again on the shores of Waikiki, I’m sure of it.  

 

1984

Life with Louie and Al

Louie, the film maker?? Oy...this can't be good. 

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Life with Louie and Al

Louie has his own opinions...and his own diet. 

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Everybody Is Watching Your Back, Al!

by carol

Hey Al, got a minute?  Let’s talk.

There’s a screencap of you floating around the internet. It’s a side shot of you running down the street in a recent H50 episode. Your shirt lifts in the back and there is a glimpse of your altered lower back tattoo. 

Gotta tell ya, Al. Fangirls are aching to see what it looks like.

Now I know, we all know, how you feel about your privacy. But you’ve also admitted you understand what the public expects of its celebrities. Public photos of you show an amiable man who knows this is part of his job. Private photos of you surface occasionally and you have not complained publicly. You still go shopping, you surf, and you probably walk your dog around the neighborhood when you have time (don’t forget to take a baggie with you!).

So, is there a way to spin some gold from this straw? I think there is and politely ask you to consider this:

You arrange to have a photo of your back tat taken.
You crop it as you see fit.
Then sell it to the highest bidder and give the money to charity!

                   No, Al, this is NOT a crazy idea.

Celebrities from Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt to Sandra Bullock to Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony have posed with their children for the covers of magazines. Brad and Angie have received millions for photos, culminating with $17.8 million paid for pictures of twins Knox and Vivienne in 2008. The couple has donated almost all of the income generated from their baby pictures to charitable causes. Their reasoning was sound and the benefits were enormous to the charities they chose.

e-Bay even offers celebrity charity auctions. Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EBay#Charity_auctions  The highest successful bid so far is $2.63 million for the 2011 annual "Power Lunch" with investor Warren Buffett at the Smith & Wollensky Steakhouse in New York. All of the proceeds go to the Glide Foundation.

And wouldn’t it feel better if you controlled this inevitable exposé?

Ummm, have I mentioned that I have mad photography skills?