www.jasonfong.com

What’s Been Going On

JMF — Tue, 07 May 2013 23:27:50 +0000

Hey you! It’s been a while so I thought I’d give you the update roundup.

HBO Pilot Audition
I had the honor and privilege of auditioning for an HBO pilot. The character I read for was well-written and had some snappy dialogue. The show definitely has a hip, comedy vibe with a fast pace. Good writing always makes auditioning so fun and easy. I even got a compliment from the casting director who said my approach to the character is what they’re looking for. Score! Of course, it’d be even more awesome to book the role and have the series get picked up. But hey, it’s still a win to have my hard work acknowledged by an industry pro. I wish everyone behind the pilot the best of luck in getting picked up. It looks like a really fun and modern show.

Oh, it’s on like Cybertron, yo.

Hunting Vampires
I pulled an all-nighter doing fight choreography for an upcoming action-comedy webseries about vampires called Hunting Journey. It was a blast. I love doing this kind of stuff. It’s never the same thing twice and that’s great for me because boredom is my kryptonite. (That’s one of the reasons I love acting, too, by the way. You’re always doing something different.) Fight choreography is a lot like life. As much as I plan out a sequence, I still find that I must improvise when shit gets real (thank you, Michael Bay). Actors’ skill levels vary, the set offers up various blocking challenges, timing becomes an issue if the story moves faster or slower than anticipated, camera angles shift – it all affects the fight sequence. Thankfully, I’m really good at coming up with alternatives and substitutions for a lot of things. I like to keep it reality-based, brutal, and close-quarters. I’ve been asked to help out again on this particular webseries with a more comedic fight sequence. I already have some ideas cooking. Can’t wait.

What I think I do.

Again, what I think I do.

Blue Steel
I just got new headshots taken by one of my favorite photographers, Nancy Jo Gilchrist. She’s photographed well-known actors such as Kaley Cuoco (Big Bang Theory), Rico Rodriguez (Modern Family), Molly Quinn (Castle), Nana Visitor (Star Trek: DS9!!! I’m geeking out right now…), and a number of others. She’s always such a blast during a shoot. She’s very direct and honest and I like that. She helps you decide on your wardrobe based on how well it sells you and how well it photographs on you. She does your makeup, too, and it looks like you’re not wearing any at all. Before she starts shooting, she takes you through some centering, deep breathing, and body alignment exercises. It’s all in an effort to get you to relax, be open, and really feel and look your best during your session. It’s awesome and I’m happy with how my headshots turned out. Check out my favorite picks on my Gallery page. Here’s a sneak peek below…

Listen, do you want to know a secret? Do you promise not to tell?

Other Fun Stuff
I’ve been fortunate enough to do more and more commercial and voiceover auditions. Voiceover auditions are so much fun. I can do them from home just sitting here with my microphone and laptop. How awesome is that? There are other projects in the works that aren’t quite beyond the idea stages. Once they start coming together, you’ll read about them here.

The Actor Manifesto

JMF — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 05:02:01 +0000

I’ve been feeling all mentor-like in recent months. Maybe it’s because I’ve been doing this a long time, and maybe I just feel like sharing some wisdom and experience with others. I guess I want to give back in some way. I wrote this Actor Manifesto a little over a month ago. Mainly, I wrote it for myself as a reminder of why I act, how to approach it – the craft as well as the business – and how to behave on and off set. So, I figured I’d share it with anyone else willing to read it and possibly hang it on their wall. I’m going to pick up a print for myself and hang it in my office. It’s likely this won’t be the only way I choose to give back to other actors. I’m already thinking of other ways to share knowledge and assist my fellow thesps. Keep an eye on me; I’ll be up to something soon…

The Actor Manifesto available as prints in three different colors, Shadow Gray, For Real Teal, and Magic Magenta at www.society6.com. Click this image to get there.

Geekspeak: Wrapped Brand Identity OCN Job for a Fortune 500 Technology Firm

JMF — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 04:44:14 +0000

I busted out my OCN skills once again on a recent booking for a large technology firm out in the Bay Area. It’s an internal training video so I won’t be posting it up here anytime soon. It was a fun, easy day and I had the opportunity to team up with one of my partners in crime, the lovely and talented Marika. She and I go way back on a Gallo Winery job, amongst others. Come to think of it, that Gallo job also co-starred the one and only Christopher H. I ain’t name-droppin’, at least not his full name – you gotta guess! As usual, Marika and I were teamed up with a wonderful crew and a great client on this particular outing. Thankfully, they chose some of the better, more colorful choices from my wardrobe. Love these kinds of gigs. Thankful for the opportunity.

Geekspeak: Breaking Down Datacenters

JMF — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:33:06 +0000

Here’s a fun little direct booking I wrapped as an OCN explaining data centers by a company called Nutanix. It was great working with this client and crew. Here’s a link to the full video of me introducing the Nutanix Solution: http://www.nutanix.com/the-nutanix-solution/ and here’s a link to my voiceover describing the evolution of the datacenter: http://www.nutanix.com/evolution-of-the-data-center/. Check them out. I know I feel smarter already.

OCN for Nutanix Data Centers

Actor Special Skills Reel, P.E. (Physical Edition)

JMF — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 02:33:21 +0000

A little something I put together to showcase a few of my special skills. You know, those things actors put near the bottom of their resumes. What a lonely corner of the universe to put our superpowers. Man, sometimes you gotta just shine a spotlight on the stuff that makes you stand out. So that’s what this is. These are all part of my workout routine depending on the day and my mood. If you’re an industry person, I figure you might need one or more of these skills in an upcoming project of yours. If not, well, maybe it’ll motivate you to kick your own workout into higher gear. It’s 2013, let’s get it.