Funny Filming

Austin has added following Kristin Schaal on his twitter. If you don't know who she is, she is a comedian, has been on Flight of the Concords. You might remember her from a video Austin put up on his Eguider.

It's been a while - but Austin had set up an Eguider account to highlight videos he liked and comment on. Hoping he hasn't completed abandon it and will come back and update it. It is little window to a different part of him.

Another one is the famous fight between Norman Mailer and Rip Torn on the set of Maidenstone.
The clip isn't available on Eguider now - but here it is courtesy of YouTube.



The two other videos Austin posted are one about Red, the digital camera and Barackula a muscial/comedy of Presidential candidate/Dracula.

Check out his EGuider.

His clips are in two main categories - comedy and movie making. Makes you think that his first time behind the camera will be more comedic than dramatic - and will be influenced by those directors who influenced him. So brush up on your John Ford, Sam Fuller and Hal Ashby trademarks for him to homage. And can't help thinking there will be a smidge of Milch in there too.

With only 7 episodes left to film OTH will be winding down by the end of March. The rumor is that BrookeDavis(TM) and Julian will get a baby. Why is there a thought that Austin's directorial debut would be some how tied to that momentous and comedic (ask any parent after they get home) moment. Maybe directing's like the old adage about writing. "Write what you know"

Get on your bikes, skis and or skates it's Two Wheel Tuesday.

On the Job Training

Got this sent to me about Austin on OTH, from Stubborn TB, and thought it was interesting. I am so not a numbers person, so this is one thing I would not have calculated.

"Austin had a little over 3 minutes screentime in the latest episode. That's 7% of the whole episode. (Now the percentage of that 7% spent in some state undress is what ...60-75%?) "

"He had more screentime when he was still a guest star instead of a regular. He had less than 2 1/2 hours worth of screentime in 21 episodes, which makes up roughly 10%. "

"
OTH is an ensemble show with 6 main charaters and 4 major storylines with 4 B-storylines so that is a lot to balance and fit in everyweek. So maybe that's why we don't see Austin as much as we like.

This isn't Austin's first esemble show. But with Milch, it was dialog heavy and lots of last minute rewrites. He worked in FNL, Surface, and Pasadena. All ensembles Working in an esemble cast does have it's advantages. You have time to work on other things when you are waiting for others to film, or on the days you have off. And your days on the set you can learn as much as you can about production.

We know that Austin has behind the scene interests. He reads, he writes everyday, and we've seen him talking with the directors and in video village on several projects he's done. He takes advantage of the on the job training. You think we will see him get a chance to director a episode if OTH is renewed for another season?

Austin Trivia for Austin Friday: Austin seems to find himself cast in dramas on TV. But can you name the one comedy he was cast in ?

Photos: Austin Nichols Journal/CW

Why so Serious?

It's kind of funny we know that Austin loves to laugh and seems to crack Jake up but we've haven't seen him in comedy. Yeah, we've seen glimpes of it in some of his movies, but he hasn't yet to get cast in a comedy.

What kind of comedy do you think would work?

More of a black comedy like Harold and Maude, Fargo or Dr. Strangelove ?

Or parody like Airplane ,Young Frankenstein, or Sean of the Dead?

A classic screwball comedy? Brining up Baby, His Girl Friday, or What's up Doc?

Or just something completely goofy? What is that movie... you know the one with the guy...in a bubble?

Then again would it be a tried and true romantic comedy that Hollywood seems to be in love with?




So who's Austin more like - is he more Coen Brothers humor or more Apatow?

More a The Big Lebowski or Pineapple Express kind of guy?

Come on Nichols we know you know how to tickle a funny bone, but let's see it on the big screen.

Go Todd Go

Bubble Boy is the like movie junk food. Panned by the experts, but oh so good you can't help yourself. You flip past the channels somehow you have to watch, and then you wonder hours later... it happened again. Kind of like potato chips (crisps to some of you) you can't stop at one and you can't believe that you finished off the bag.


Who is responsible for this? These men - Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul. These are the two who created Bubble Boy, Dr. Phreak, and the Bright and Shinys. But don't call them Ken and Cinco, they are Todds. Oh yeah they are Todds, when you write a song like Bright and Shiny you have to sing it. Next time you find yourself trapped in the Bubble Boy bubble, look for them. While Bubble Boy was not a commercial hit, they have had another, little movie called Horton Hears a Who. And Bubble Boy now has type of cult following.

An other cameo in Bubble Boy you might not have noticed - Stacey Keebler, Pro Wreslter with the WWE, Reebok spokemodel and contestant on Dancing with the Stars in the U.S. Listed at Working Girl, suspected she was one of the two ladies challenging Jimmy for the "500 dollahs".

One good thing that Bubble Boy did was show off those comedy skills Jake's had since childhood. Jake grew up with Martin Short as a neighbor, his godmother's Jamie Lee Curtis husband funny man Christopher Guest as a family friend and of course worked with Billy Crystal. "From the time he could talk," his mom quoted as saying, "Jake didn’t have a chance. 'We knew he was going to be an actor since the time he was tiny,' she says. 'We figured he would just run away and join ‘Saturday Night Live.’ "

And he finally got his chance.


Now you can't you see him doing the Bright and Shiny video, complete with the jazz hands. Cause you know he is a Todd at heart.


And yes that is a peppermint patty eye patch.