Pacoima, Machete, Donuts and Levi…

April 12, 2016

I had business in Pacoima. Well, when given lemons you make lemonade so the saying goes… I took my Volvo to a mechanic Jen thought needed the work more than someone in our own neighborhood; I had wanted to see and take a pic of the mural “Mona Lisa” anyway and knew it was close to said mechanic; and I wanted to see if I could get info on the artist. There was no parking in front of the mural and it was raining so we turned the corner and there I saw a gigantic mural of young Danny Trejo looking as menacing as ever and once of Pacoima’s favorite sons. Took a pic of that mural first and posted it to my Instagram account @MrPeterSantana and the artist was Levi Ponce. Went to “Mona Lisa” and took that pic and realized it was by the same artist. Later I found out he had painted many of the murals on MuralMile.org . He was a very impressive artist; and the fact that I can’t really draw and this person was drawing a huge version of a drawing to cover a wall was mind blowing.Please check out LeviPonce.com

Like when in Dodge once your business ends in Pacoima it’s the time to get outta ( with a quick stop at Me Gusta Gourmet Tamales (13754 Van Nuys Blvd.)…Went home and engulfed my Chile Cheese and Pork Tamales and worked late into the afternoon when a listing from Chadrian McKnight at House Casting listed a commercial seeking a real muralist. My instinct was to submit Jennifer Korsen ( http://humansmakeart.com/home.html ) and they loved her work like so many Angelenos do but the client ( Dunkin Donuts ) wanted a male. Bummed, but then I remembered Levi Ponce, and although I didn’t know him personally I submitted him and the response was “Can he come in at noon, Monday?” I said sure and hoped I could get in touch with him since I never spoke to this talented man before! I left him a message at his web site and tracked him down on various Social Media sites. He called back and of all things at the time he lived in Valley Village! He is a young handsome and talented Latino and the client loved him.

Levi Ponce goes in for the audition we hear nothing. Three weeks later I am driving on the 405 by The Getty where I got cut off by an 18 wheeler. I hit the brakes so hard I do a 360 degree turn ( should have have been t-boned the minute I swerved right) headed toward another 18 wheeler but taller (thought the top of the Volvo was going under the truck taking my head off) and did another 180 where I ended up in my original lane facing a red Mercedes and somehow stopped without incident. I feel very lucky to be alive.The more I repeat and describe the actions that happened in what seemed like an hour but was probably seven seconds tops is very terrifying! I had just turned fifty less than a month before and I saw Jenny’s face pass before my eyes and that is all I had time to see! To get back in the right direction I had to make another 180 turn through the carpool lane and get in the original lane again. People were magnificent; they were in shock too! I saw people giving me the thumbs up and communicating to me if I was all right and I go where I was originally headed; The Odyssey Theatre in West Los Angeles to see the Bachelor’s and FMA acting classes of USC and arrived to the theatre completely in shock. I sat at one of the little tables in the theatre’s lobby like I had done so many times when my beloved son Nicholas performed in a play for three months called “Way to Heaven” and just kind of shook violently thinking how did I get through that unscathed? I called Jenny in tears describing what had just happened but no matter how I describe it the situation becomes even more surreal each time I play it over in my head. I turned my phone off and focused on the showcase and needed the laughs I got and had a couple of clients with me (Joseph Cannon and Austen Jaye) who helped me get over the scare by laughing along with me. The showcase was good; SC’s acting program is very good and I always enjoy it but I just wanted to go home and kiss the boys and Jenny-totally knowing how lucky and grateful I was! I turned my phone back on and my first call was from Levi Ponce! He booked the commercial!

I have been in this business long enough to know that a myriad of things could happen: They could scrap the commercial, scrap his role, get edited out, the commercial could go on a shelf and he could be replaced by Jennifer Korse (See above!)

What happened was he filmed his commercial and got paid for two days. He took an illustration they wanted and made it a mural. Perspective, accuracy and artistry made a pretty colorful and exciting mural; just like the client wanted.

The “set” was a wall near Jefferson and La Brea and they let him have his way with this wall for two days and he worked on and off a scissor lift and had lots of supplies provided from his wish list. I got to the set just in time for his shot. The cinematographer got on the scissor lift with him and his first shot was to drink an iced coffee and take a bite of a breakfast sandwich. He choked; not figuratively but literally! The iced coffee went down the wrong pipe. It was an “uh-oh!” moment but the kid was nervous and he probably sipped way too much. It was not a we’ll laugh about this later moment; we all laughed after we found out he was ok. The next shot was perfect and so were the other angles and they got the footage they needed and they moved to the next location-which was the interior of the building of his mural. It was a glass blowing shop that also taught people of all ages.

The goal line stance on this project involved this last set of worries: Would the commercial appease the client?, would Levi make the cut? , would it be a limited play or would it be a “hit” and he is a reason for it?

He not only made the cut; but is the first image you see on iSpot.com for the play button and he is one of only two actors who gets two cuts in the commercial and there are tons of actors in this shot.

Overall, my take away from this whole experience is it was supposed to be. Pacoima was a trigger, Trejo was my guardian angel and getting to know Levi has been a god send for business and for friendship.

We met one morning before the shooting of the commercial and he and I looked over some paper work and he said he had to head off to work. I didn’t know if that meant another lovely commissioned mural or what but I had to ask what his day job was. He is a Disney Imagineer! He has been working back and forth coasts preparing Disney World in Orlando for their new “Frozen” ride and attraction.

Levi Ponce has a variety of ways to become a household name and the world is his oyster! I am extremely proud of him and I can’t wait to see how his life plays out in full!

So, it is with great pleasure to present to you “Keep On” the Dunkin’ Donuts commercial for your enjoyment and approval!

 

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/AGLe/dunkin-donuts-keep-on

 

 

Best Adapted Screenplay-Heart Picks and Head Picks

I would be very disappointed if Richard Linklater (or Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke) won an Oscar before Matthew McConaughey did. I would also have rather had wanted to see “Lone Survivor” get the nod over “Before Midnight.” Billy Ray’s script for “Captain Phillips” was probably not calling for accents to be lost over the course of the film and maybe it dealt with the eventual heroes the Navy Seals. The wrong script about Navy Seals was chosen again. “Philomena” was masterful and a serious toned with moments of levity fueled by sarcasm by its male star and co-writer Steve Coogan. John Ridley’s adaptation of”12 Years a Slave” recounted a story many Americans wish wasn’t in our history. It’s comedic counterpart of last year, “Django Unchained” was a winner in the original category and it makes me wonder what the Academy will do eventually. The best most exhaustive screenplay was “The Wolf of Wall Street” and a return to form of the master, Terrence Winter. If we saw Mr. Scorsese film the scene it all began and ended with Mr. Winter’s words.

My heart Terrence Winter and my head John Ridley.

Oscar for Best Original Screenplay: Heart and Head Picks…

There was plenty of originality this year and by virtue of the screenplay Spike Jonze wrote and conveyed for “Her” and its futuristic view on relationships and their unfortunate continual difficulties Mr. Jonez seems to be the front runner. I have accepted this but it certainly wasn’t my favorite screenplay of the year. “Blue Jasmine” is Mr. Allen’s Tennessee Williams contribution of the 21st century. If they can make a musical out of “Bullets Over Broadway” they sure can make this a dramatic juggernaut on the great white way! There were two scripts which had several lives and incarnations and stops and starts, “Dallas Buyers Club” and “Nebraska.” The former for several production turnovers and the latter for Mr. Alexander Payne’s insistance on shooting the film in black and white or not at all. They gave the foundation for great performances. Mr. Bruce Dern waxed poetic about the simplicity of Mr. Bob Nelson’s script. Every single word held weight. The script I had thought would be the one to beat was “American Hustle.” It was a madcap, twist of a roller coaster ride and it incorporated some truths about a totally different era, the 70’s. My heart says “American Hustle” and my head believes “Her” will be Spike Jonze’s first of many Oscars to come.

Oscars, Best Supporting Actress-Head and Heart Picks…

Whoever wins tonight it will have been a tough battle and an inspired performance and this will be the one category where anyone could win and there would be little outrage. The sassiest, most outrageous performance came from the most mature of the group. June Squibb stole “Nebraska” and she was the wattage of that film. She is proof that you can work at any age and any annul of time. Sally Hawkins fed Cate Blanchet’s performance superbly in “Blue Jasmine” as her sister Ginger. The English actors playing siblings gave each other the thrill of a classic Wimbledon match. Julia Roberts was a brave movie star to take a supporting role against so many actors but as Barbara Weston I was kind of hoping for a similar ending to her character as the one she played in “Steel Magnolias.” The true race and interchangeable winners goes down to Lupita Nyong’o and Jennifer Lawrence. Ms. Nyong’o gave a tremendous performance and she was brutally mistreated even under slave standards. The power of her performance was she never lost hope and had the strength to endure 100 episodes of violence. Ms. Lawrence gave a classic performance as well. Her character deserves her own film and many would be rooting for her as they would for a biopic of Amelia Earhart.

My heart says June Squibb and my head says Lupita Nyong’o.

Enough by Peter Santana Chapter One-Sunset Blvd.