Alright, so you're a decently trained and young inexperienced actor and you finally got headshots you can live with. Then you got some more done. Now you got an entire book filled with a face only a mother could love and you even went so far as to land a reputable SAG licensed agent who also has the same taste as your mother. You are ready to be sold on the open market, but your agent hasn't had the time to give you the entire run-down. Well here it is. Most people in the biz will tell you never to listen to other actors... this is true, but there are some things that are a part of the starter set you should know. Before you start going out on the castings you've been so fortunate enough to be called on (thanks to those wonderful pictures), there are some necessary things you must have in your bag and in your car (or whatever transport you got) at ALL times. In your bag, you should have:

• Headshots: At least two different looks.
• Business cards: Preferably with your headshot on them.
• Cell phone and/or Laptop: The digital lifeline of every modern-day actor.
• Acting & Voice Over Demo Reels (3 formats in order of preference): DVD, iPod or any other mp3 player, or on your laptop.
• Casting Information: A list of all the casting locations, names, addresses, and phone numbers in your town.
• Notebook: Log all information about the casting (i.e. time spent, the dialogue, gas mileage, expenses, what you wore, names of clients and casting directors, etc.).
• Makeup: Ladies-only, fellas, unless clown paint is required. (Nobody likes a done-up actor unless they're looking for drag-queens, in which case...)
• Breath mints or gum: You know why.
• Book, Script, or a Magazine: Only if you know your lines. Sometimes you have to wait a bit.

That pretty much covers all the things that should go in your goodie bag. Now for the must-have stuff stored away in that dingy trunk of yours:

• Wardrobe: This is a safety measure. One get-up of all types of clothes (i.e. Beach look, Business Suit, Shorts, Boxers, Underwear, Slacks, Jeans, T-Shirts, Sneakers, Dress Shoes.).
• GPS or a Map.
• Extra Resumes and Headshots ready to submit.
• Hair Gel or Hairspray.
• Electric Razor & Lotion.
• Hats, Scarves, and Gloves.

That pretty much does it for the trunk. Hey, if you can think of anything else that should go in there, please let me know. This is a blog from one actor to many, so any new tips would be greatly appreciated, though I'm not sure anything else can actually fit into my trunk. One must always leave space for those unexpected dead bodies. That was a joke. I think.

So now I'm off to another casting out here in wet, dreary, and shivering cold Los Angeles. You thought it was sunny, huh? It's winter right now and if you live in the Valley it's always colder or hotter (depending on the season of course) than down in the city. One must learn that BEFORE arriving here, lest you get stuck in the Valley because it is a veritable death sentence. Oh yeah, I almost forgot... always carry at least one million dollars U.S. in spare change for the meters in Hollywood. One quarter gets you like... 3 minutes. No lie, seriously, and parking tickets are 47 bucks (Ouch!) so have a separate bank account for parking meters and tickets because you WILL get at least one.

Once again I'm writing to you all from experience. Remember the Rodney King beating? That was for having too many unpaid parking tickets. And the cops were racist but... nonetheless make sure they're paid because they tend to put a boot on your car the very next time they run your tag. That's if some shady tow-truck driver doesn't just outright jack your car and take it to a chop-shop with a future destination of East L.A. or Mexico.

Please kiddies, don't let me instill fears in you about L.A. It's not like in the movies and music videos. Wait! It is like in the movies... especially if you make a wrong turn into South Central and end up in Compton, Crenshaw Blvd, or Watts. But that is why you have a GPS in your car. Oh, did I forget to mention the mace, switchblade, and fully-automatic pistol you MUST have in your glove-compartment at ALL times?