| Mark Bedell says . . . |
 I
came to LA in the late summer of 2002 after a 17 year long
successful career on stage (and
some screen) on the east coast. I did not know anyone here on the
west coast... I mean that literally... not a soul. A friend (in
Maine of all places) forwarded me one of Rock's e-mails. Not
having any other options... I went to the seminar.
I heard
Rock speak and then three other producers. The information was
sound business common sense. I met with Rock the next day and
discussed my membership in APS. All I had in the world was a small
savings from my stage/screen work on the east coast. The money I
would have to spend on APS was nearly half of what I had, but I had
NO job prospects at all. So I bit my lip and joined APS.
I
continued to go to the seminars but, in all honesty, for a while
there I feared I'd made a bad choice. I actually stopped going to
the seminars for a time, but then figured... I may as well play this
out all the way.
After a
seminar one day I was approached by Don Glut of FRONTLINE FILMS.
He'd seen me at the seminars and (without an audition by the way)
offered me a part in one of his films. Because of my background, I
was also able to be his stunt coordinator, weapons expert and
practical FX artist. Sure, it was a low budget picture but when you
take on several jobs, you wind up with a pretty good salary.
I bent
over backwards to go the extra-mile and become "indispensable" to
FRONTLINE FILMS. Don Glut then made me a FRONTLINE FILMS regular
team member and recommended me to his friends. One of those
recommendations was to John Carl Beuchler. John Hired me for two of
his pictures and liked my work. So John recommended me to Charlie
Band. After that point I'd worked for three low budget horror icons
and of course my resume reflected that. That, in turn, helped me
get more horror work. I've now worked on SIX horror features since
that first Don Glut film. Low budget? Yes... but all of them paid
enough so that I have not had to take a "real job".
Also at
the APS seminars I met Barron Castle. Barron introduced me to many
producers. As I sit here now it's hard for me to tell you how many
jobs (and more importantly... how many friends) I've gotten out of
that contact. But I've been hired as an actor, a stunt coordinator,
a production coordinator, a stage manager, a writer and a director.
One of the acting jobs was an industrial for Pet Care TV that has
national distribution. The stage manager job was for the Silver
Spur Awards... from that I was hired to stage manage the CAMIE
Awards and from that I have two talk shows and a series (as
line-producer) lined up for later this year.
Also at
APS (and based on a personal recommendation from Rock), I met David
E. Durston. I am currently production coordinating and will
be stunt coordinating and acting in his next feature. When this
feature is over Mr. Durston will be recommending me to others.
THAT is
the way APS worked for me. Rock sent out 50 of my headshots a week
to producers all over Hollywood. That did not work for me... though
I know it HAS worked for others. Rock put me on his website. That
did not work for me... though I know that it did work for others.
BUT, actually meeting producers AND having the necessary skills it
takes to be recommended in this business... THAT'S what worked for
me, and it continues to work.
Networking really does work. If you are good, and do good work,
networking is a wonderful thing. John Beuchler or Charlie Band
would never have hired me from my résumé. But they DID hire me on
the advice of a friend. That's a sacred trust when you recommend
someone. I've never let my friends down and because of that, I keep
getting work. That's what APS is all about.
-- Mark Bedell
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