Sail away with me

There are jobs, and then, there are experiences that become more than a job!

When I get a little 'ping' in my pocket, the one telling me I've received an email, I'm always hoping that it will be from my agent. Every time I hear it, my mind jumps to castings and the wonder of what I'll be casting for. I've spoken often about the variety of jobs that could come my way, and unfortunately the emails don't often give much away. I may get a brand name, or a production house, sometimes an indication as to the type of work and occasionally a wardrobe request. Way back in June, I had such an email come through to my phone, not much more than a time and place. I rang my agent and he mentioned something about an album cover, my ears perked up straight away. I headed down to Putney Bridge, grabbed my usual casting treat of a Milkybar and a strawberry Ribena, and headed to the studio. First to arrive, nothing unusual there, I headed inside and met the lead producer for the project who spoke extremely cryptically, when I quizzed her on the band/artist that the cover was for. More guys began to arrive and conversation turned to more familiar topics (football, TV shows, films, girls). Eventually called in to cast, I was introduced to the creative director who told me a bit more about the project. After a short debate with the producer he revealed the band to me. My jaw dropped. I was very familiar with them, and couldn't quite believe what I had heard. When I lived in Spain, one of the band albums had become an almost anthem for me. I have so many memories of tranquility in Barca, and getting lost in their music. Obviously I was quick to say all this in the casting! So, cast I did. And carry on I did, as usual, as if the casting had never happened. I learnt a long time ago that no matter how good I feel coming out of a casting, or bad for that matter, there is no upside to getting excited about a job until it is booked. Thankfully two weeks later, thats exactly what I did. Im not sure Ive ever been more excited for a day of work than I was that day! I was reunited with the aforementioned producer and creative director and a fantastic team around them. Needless to say, everything went perfectly and everyone was extremely happy with the final result. Even in that early stage, we really felt we had created something special. Which was a good thing as we were one of three teams presenting an image to the band. Again, carry on as usual. It must have been at least three weeks until I received confirmation that our image had been chosen. My agent called me to let me know, the feeling that I felt in that moment, its almost indescribable. I was excited, and then the magnitude of the whole thing settled in and I'm not sure what I was. I began to realise just how big a deal this was when I rang up my Dad to tell him the news. Its not often that my Dad goes crazy for me about a job, but this one had him more excited than I was. Life felt good...it was about to get even better. A month later I was lying in bed one morning and received a call from an unknown number. A London number, meaning it was likely from an office. I answered to a woman asking about my connection to the album cover and asking my availability to shoot a corresponding music video. My availability!! I would have cancelled any plans I had. As it turned out I was very available as a consequence of breaking my collarbone (see last post). We shot the music video. The production team that took control were responsible for some of the greatest covers ever created, and I say that with absolutely zero exaggeration. The band that this whole thing is about have had some of the greatest covers in history. 

The album was released on the 7th November 2014, the bands first in over 20 years. Upon writing, it is to be their last. The music video was released four days later on the 11th November. To have been a part of this project, to be in any way connected with this band is such an unbelievable honour. 

If you haven't listened to 'The Dark Side of the Moon', by Floyd, choose an evening, put it on, start to finish. Thank me later. 

As cheese as this may sound, I think the best part of this whole experience as been the way I have been able to share my success with my family and friends. I've done many jobs were I have felt proud of myself, where I have felt a real buzz inside of me. When, first, the album cover, then the video were released, the amount of love I felt from everyone around me was, just...overwhelming. Seeing the looks on their faces when they realised it was me, the way in which my friends have been showing off my success to anyone and everyone who will listen. My uncle had a count down going to the release date of the album, literally reminding my Dad most days. As I said at the start, some jobs become more than just a job. Im going to struggle to top this one...oh wait, no I won't! I will use this as momentum to take me higher and further. 

The next stop for me on this crazy adventure called life is Cape Town. I leave in five days, landing in CT on December 1st, just for the three months! Yep, three! As pleasant as that sounds, this is very much a work trip. My agency over there Full Circle, has put faith in me, in their desire to have me in town, and I intend on repaying that faith. Like when I upped and moved to Barca, Cape Town is going to change my life for the better. I just hope they're ready!

Six weeks of nada

I've spoken often of the many challenges that my industry brings me. Work can be thick and fast one month and a slow trickle the next month. This is all part of the game that I am trying to play. Its tough...to go from such highs to lows all the time, it can be mentally exhausting. I genuinely believe it is this roller-coaster that sorts out the players from the fakers. You could have every attribute to make you a top model, or a respected actor, but, lack the mental strength to deal with the tumultuous ride, and you won't last long. 

Dealing with these challenges is never easy, but it is something that you have to expect and anticipate if you are to succeed. Something that in not so expected, yet can quite simply put you out of work for a period of time, is an injury or an illness. Unlike you guys, if I get ill to the point of bed-ridden, theres no 'taking a couple of days off from work', there is no 'fall-back plan'. If I am ill and can't work, then my life comes to a stand still...its as simple as that. As a result, Ive often worked with colds, headaches, coughs...I did what I could to ensure my health never affected my work. As I currently write this, I am sat in my dressing room just off set, with my face in a lemsip and eating strepsils like candy! Yesterday, I was sat at home terrible, today all of that goes out the window and I endure. Sadly, there are some injuries which one is simply unable to get around. Six weeks ago, I broke my collarbone playing football. In the weeks prior to the breakage, I had been doing ecomms work left, right and centre (see last post) as well as having a number of other projects lined up and scheduled to shoot. Then I fell awkwardly in training, landing on my face and shoulder. I knew straight away that I had done something bad. The pain in my arm was excruciating! I remember standing up straight away and being unable to walk in a straight line. I slowly made my way to the side of the pitch where the local leisure centre staff met me and began taking me through their procedures. I passed out! Yep...serious amounts of pain! An ambulance was called, the first time those wailing sirens have been for me, and I was taken straight to the hospital to get checked out. I don't remember a lot about the actual incident...I think the impact of hitting the floor muddled me up a bit. What I do remember extremely clearly is also a little hard to explain. After I initially fell and made my way back to my feet and to the side of the pitch, I can remember the feeling of panic I had. Genuine panic. My heart was beating faster, my mind was working in overtime, I obviously had great pain in my face and my shoulder. I was quite inconsolable. After 5-10minutes of the staff checking my shoulder and the rest of my body out for any other damage...I was able to check for myself. This for me was the strangest moment of the whole incident. Still panicking, I reached over and felt my shoulder for the first time. Almost immediately my body calmed down. My breathing deepened, I stopped shaking...my heart no longer felt like it was trying to jump out my chest. Now, this certainly wasn't down to any good feelings I now felt, if anything it was the exact opposite. Having felt my shoulder myself; having felt the way in which my bone was resting compared with my knowledge of how a collarbone should rest in a shoulder, I knew 100% it was broken. And therein lies the source of my calmness - clarity. Up until this moment I didn't really know what was wrong, I was just in pain. Maybe it was an element of shock taking over, but as soon as I knew for certain it was broken, my mind and body relaxed. It was a strange sensation, one that I can still recall now. 

So, what does a model do when they break their collarbone? the answer: not a lot! I had to cancel work that I had lined up. I wanted to try and work through the pain on a couple of projects, but being the honest person I am, I felt a responsibility to make my employers aware of my injury. Unfortunately, non-surprisingly, insurance rarely covers people who have an existing broken bone. My projects were lost and given to other people. I have literally worked one day in the last six weeks. Now, some of you may be sat there thinking, "What is this guy complaining about? 6 weeks off from work - that sounds great!" Well as so often in life, it sounds a hell of a lot better than it is. If you had six weeks off, I expect you would still be making some kind of money in that period, even if it was less than a usual monthly rate. As I said, Ive managed one day of work, which means Ive had one paying day in the last six weeks. If you had six weeks off, I would expect you to come back to a job that is ready and waiting for you. In some cases you might have even been missed! In my line of work, momentum is as important as anything else. I was on a role six weeks ago...now? Now, I find myself out of favour with clients who I was just beginning to build real relationships with. Now, I'm literally making videos of myself waving my arm around, in an attempt to show my shoulder is back to full fitness, in the hope that clients will be reassured I am up to the task again. These six weeks off, have been anything but great! 

Thankfully, the healing period is done. I am back and will be getting myself stronger than ever in anticipation of Cape Town in december. Today, as I mentioned, I am back on set. Nothing would make me happier than to tell you guys the project I am working on...it is quite simply the best job I have ever done. The sort of job, and I say this with no exaggeration, that if I do nothing else in my life, I could probably die a happy man! Today I hope to be immortalised. Yep, thats right...I said immortalised! I have signed a number of non-disclosures preventing me from going in to any detail, but Im hoping in about a month, all will be revealed and I won't need to say a damn word! The truth is, yes, I would love to shout from the rooftops what Im working on today, but for now, the personal satisfaction is more than enough. My hope is that I can take the energy of the next two days and dive straight back into this world next week. 

When bad stuff happens in life, I feel it is in our nature, as humans, to look at ways in which we can change ourselves to prevent the negative existing. When you get a setback in my industry, it can be very easy to spiral downward; to allow that negativity to cloud your judgement and what it really is that you want out of life. My judgement will never be clouded. I know what I am meant to do with my life...at least I believe I do...and I will not stop until I have realised my dreams.

A summer of E-Comms

One of the biggest struggles a model faces at the start of their career, is consistency of work. I've always said about the modelling (and acting) industry, once spotted there are two ways your career will go. Someone big in the game sees you, loves you, and launches you in at the deep end, leaving you to either sink or swim. Alternatively, you are recognised as a talent, but you have to pay your dues. This route involves taking a hundred castings and getting booked twice. It means countless test shoots, improving your book. It means getting a part time job, to keep your dream alive. It means dealing with rejection, more often than not with no explanation as to why. It means making sacrifices, and turning your back on other areas of your life. This is no easy route. But just because it isn't easy, doesn't mean it isn't possible. For four years, I've travelled down that second path. I still am. I have literally given myself to my dream. Everything I do, every decision I make, I do so, because I believe in myself. Since I began this journey, I have had zero doubts about continuing it. Ive mentioned before that it is all about setting goals, achieving them, and then setting some more. Well, I set some goals when I came back from Barcelona to London. A lot of them were to do with acting, and I continue to work tirelessly to achieve them. On the modelling front, the goals were more simple. Achieve the level of work I was doing in Barcelona, over here. Obviously, London is one of the biggest and greatest cities in the world. I like to think of it is as the city of opportunity, but with a price tag. Living in Barcelona and Cape Town, I would wake up and decide whether to go to the beach, climb a mountain, incredible experiences just by stepping outside. In London, I step outside and already money is being taken off my oyster! Herein lies the reasoning behind one of my goals, money-earning. Now I'll say straight off the bat, I am not a person who is dictated by money. Both my parents have worked tirelessly throughout my life to provide an incredible upbringing for my sisters and I. Looking back the fact that we went on holiday as a family of six every year is an incredible feat. I have grown up without wanting but never being spoilt, and I feel that is how I am now. I have no desire for an over the top lavish lifestyle, I simply wish to be able to provide a good life for my family and loved ones. However, as I said living in a city like London, you have to think about your earnings and if I want to maintain the lifestyle of my friends, all of whom have fantastic jobs,in all manor of industries, I have to be hitting a certain level of jobs in my industry. The fact is, I will never have a monthly wage. Its one of the few things I am actually jealous of people for. So it is important to find jobs in the modelling world which come with a level of consistency, 'the bread and butter' as my Dad likes to say. Thankfully, thats exactly what I did. 

One of the most profitable and consistent jobs for a model, is e-comms work. This means the photos you see on online stores advertising the clothes. It involves going into a studio and putting on clothes, posing, taking off clothes. Not the most challenging work, but one which happens every day, all year round. Upon getting home from Cape Town, I was casted by boohoo.com for a trial day. They are based up in Manchester, which is cool for me as I get to see my fam who live up there. The trial went really well and after a nervous couple of weeks of waiting to see if they would use the photos of me, I clicked on to the site to see myself staring back at me! Pretty surreal. Im up there again on wednesday next week, Its been fun getting to know the whole crew who create a lovely environment to work in. 

Next, came a message out of the blue. My agency in Barcelona have expanded, opening a brand new office in Madrid. I got a call one day saying that El Corte Ingles, the biggest department store in Spain with over 500 retailers, wanted to use me for their website. Obviously, I said yes. I flew to Madrid and spent a week there, working Mon-Fri. I have to be honest, by the fourth and fifth day of posing I genuinely felt like I needed some sort of challenge, thankfully, no one in the studio spoke English so I was constantly being tested on my knowledge of Spanish. Little update - I am still only 'ok'. Im hoping to be taken back out to Spain soon for another weeks work. 

Finally, and something that has only happened this week. Ironically, 2 weeks after I told a friend I was done trying to work for them, as I had boohoo and El corte, ASOS asked me in for a casting, my fourth casting. This is why I had previously been bitter to a friend. I had cast with ASOS three different times with three different casting agents. This, my fourth, went really well. I got on immediately with the casting agent and had some quick photos and measurements taken. They liked what they saw and called me in on tuesday afternoon to shoot, putting my photos up on the site the next day. Now, ASOS, is obviously one of, if not, the biggest online store. When I think about the amount of people who may stumble across a photo of me, now that, that is surreal!! 

Im hoping to bring you an update on the acting front soon. Even more hopefully Ill be able to show you some footage as well!

One Love

Yes I x

An Actors first steps

Next Thursday, the 22nd May, I will watch what is effectively my film debut as a lead role. Admittedly it is a short film, and a student project, but I have always known I will have to start this journey from the bottom and work my way up. The film is called Playing Around. It is the final year project of director Chris Goodson, a student at University of West London. It was written by his friend Javed Sohrabi, a tale about a couple and essentially how distrust and secrets can ruin a relationship. Running 10minutes long, it is the sort of project I am trying to get involved in as much as possible right now. 

The filming process was incredibly fun, once again I felt at home on set. Chris, Javed and I got on immediately, to the point that Chris rang me hours after I had finished my audition informing me I had the role despite him still having guys to see, that was how confident he was in me being able to bring his character to life, in the way he wanted. The whole team was full of like-minded people, and as such time on set was extremely harmonious. The film was set around my girlfriend and I spending a long weekend in the countryside; Chris had found a picture perfect white-picket fence cottage tucked behind a block of flats in north London. Literally you would never guess it was there, I was amazed when we turned through these rather ugly flats to reveal this quaint little cottage. It was perfect. Katie, the actress playing opposite me, and I had had numerous rehearsal days where we had gone over the script with Javed and Chris. These were vital to Chris who was keen for the two of us to really get into the script, and in fact change it where we saw fit; where we felt the speech didn't quite roll of the tongue, he was happy, if anything insistent(!) on us working alongside him to develop it. I feel this led, to us being as comfortable as possible on set. Speaking of which, on set, as I said, was where I felt my best! I just enjoy it so much! I love the focus that has to be present, from everyone involved. When you know a script, and you have confidence in yourself and your performance, there is nothing better than finally having the opportunity to give it. I genuinely live for those moments right now. 

So yeah, next thursday, I will have my first real indication of whether the acting world is for me! I have seen myself on screen before, I did a 45min film at school and a short film at university. But I really see this as my first step on the acting ladder. This is a film I sourced myself, auditioned to strangers, and shot with an overwhelming feeling of a job well done. Im going to sit in the cinema next week with as much judgement as possible. I really hope I walk out with the smile I carried throughout the whole experience still firmly sat across my face.

Despite spending the last six weeks in Cape Town (more on that to come), I have managed to arrive back in London and have two more short films on my plate. Next week I shoot another student project titled Torpor, a horror short, and in June I'll be shooting an independently funded project, again revolving around the issues of relationships. This is all work I am finding myself, either through casting sites StarNow and CastingCallPro, or simply word of mouth. My plan at the moment, is to obtain as much experience and time in front of a camera, similar to, initially, the music videos and commercials I was shooting and now the short films I am becoming involved in, with the intention of making a showreel with which I can hopefully find an acting agent with! Its as simple as that!! To be honest right now that plan seems logical and achievable, and once it is done, I will set out the next plan, make some more goals, and that is how I shall continue for as long as I can. 

Peace x

Commercial: SHOPCADE.COM

I was contacted around the start of the year by Anda Teglas from This is Insomnia production house asking over my interest and availability to star in a commercial for a new up and coming retail site/app, called Shopcade.com. Its a clever site that essentially incorporates big online stores into one place, under clearly categorised groups, whilst allowing each individual user to showcase their own styles and tastes. 




As always I throughly enjoyed my time on set. You know, the more work I do, the more time I spend in this environment...its like a vindication of why I chase this dream. I literally feel alive on set; I feed of the energy and enthusiasm of others. once again I was surrounded by a great team of hard working individuals. Im always impressed by the roles that everyone plays on set, and the eagerness of how they attack those roles. As an actor on these projects, I obviously have a large impact on the final product and the quality of it, but as I do more jobs I am beginning to understand just how important everyones role is, from the director all the way down to the runners. Without everyone being on their A-game, and with a precise and well organised plan prior to shooting, things would simply fall apart. One of the themes of my jobs, and I feel very lucky for it, has been the quality of the teams I have been a part of. 

The months keep on rolling and the work keeps on coming :)
step by step, I will achieve my dreams
Wease x

MUSIC VIDEO - 'Don't Click' by 'THE TIGER ROSE'

Another day, another video.

The second shoot I did in January was for 'The Tiger Rose's' first music video for her track 'Don't click'. This was another job I had found and applied for myself through the casting site StarNow. The brief that was posted on the casting captured me immediately. The director that Rose had found to create her video had come up with a film noir style concept, seen clearly in the video below. I was excited by the idea of effectively creating a mini film. Again, I was blessed to be working with a fantastic cast and crew.



I hope you like what you see

Thanks for watching

Wease x

Music Video - #illjustsayit (I Love You) by MOSA

January was a good month. Over christmas and new year, I had literally been chomping at the bits to get back into work, to find projects, to get roles and generally just smash it :) 

The first of such projects was this video for up and coming R'n'B singer MOSA. It is one of the first projects I have worked having applied through the casting site StarNow. 

The day went extremely smoothly, continuing my luck at working with a fantastic crew. I found Mosa to be a creative, thoughtful artist. He had a great idea of what he wanted to create and had organised the team around him to make it happen. 

Call me biased but I think the track is awesome...it certainly stuck around in my head for a long time!

I hope you enjoy watching this as much as I did making it
x