Why Chicago: An Interview with Justin Kimball

This is the first of (hopefully) many interviews that I will be doing with artists that have chosen Chicago as the place to build their career. When deciding where I wanted to base my acting career I had a lot of questions. I googled things like "best city to live in as an actor" and "where should I live to work as an actor" etc. Obviously, there were loads of articles and opinions about acting in Los Angeles and New York. I hope that this series of interviews will make the case for acting in Chicago, or at least provide enough information so that you can make an informed choice when deciding where you're going to work. I also wanted to know how people support their acting habit so I'll try to find out what their actor survival jobs are as well.

I've known Justin Kimball since approximately the fifth grade. We didn't live in the same town, but, much like Chicago, the arts community where we're from is pretty small. There's a lot going on if you are willing to drive 45 minutes to get there. I knew when I thought of this series he would be the perfect person to kick this off. So, without further ado, Justin Kimball.

Where are you from?

Benton IL. Southern Illinois. ACTUAL southern Illinois... not like.. by Springfield.

Tell me a little bit about what you do. 

I am mostly an actor/improviser. I do love to write but mostly for sketch and am currently directing/writing/acting for  a few web series. [Right now] I am in Theater Unspeakable's touring production of "Superman 2050" as Superman. We recently had a run at the Lincoln Center in New York and the Kennedy Center in Washington and are in the Chicago's Children Theater festival til the end of May. I am also currently working on the sketch comedy web series "Some Guys I Know" and dancing for the DLD dance company.

Why did you choose Chicago as the place to build your career?

I have always heard that Chicago is the place to go if you are a little unsure of where exactly you want your career to go. It's a great mix of theater, film and different types of comedy. I wanted to be able to explore what I wanted to do and not just be put into a "film" or  "straight theater" box. A good friend of mine told me when I first moved here "Chicago is the place people go to make art, LA is where you go to make money" and that really stuck with me.  PLUS its wayyyyy cheaper here than in LA or NY. I would probably be three different types of homeless if I lived there.

Do you have an actor survival job?

I have MANY. I teach hip hop/ break dancing at two studios. I also work for a party entertainment company called the "Ice Cream Team." Mostly I dress up like Spiderman or do stand up comedy for little kids. I also do some video editing (film/dance reels) on the side for some extra money. A "normal" job with "normal" hours just wasn't working for all the auditions/rehearsals/classes I had when I moved to Chicago.

What is your best career experience in Chicago?

The Second City Conservatory was probably my favorite part thus far. The people that I met and the experience I gained regarding how to live as an actor/improviser in Chicago really made me feel like I had a chance. I highly recommend that training program for both how much fun it is and the name recognition on your resume. The worst experience.... I have done a few "we will feed you, but won't pay you at all" plays that were very frustrating. A LOT of time put into something that I don't even put on my resume. It was also kind of a good experience though because it taught me that I really need to think about the companies I want to work for and to make sure that they are legit. Places like the "Gorilla Tango Theater" are great for new artists but ANYONE can do shows there and sometimes you can get cast in a horrible Halloween play, asked to [go] topless for no reason, and kill someone by force feeding them poison pudding. Ya know, that old story.

Dream job?

I would LOVE to be a Neo-futurist OR have my own sketch comedy show that I can be in, write, and direct.

Any advice for those considering making their home in Chicago?

Learn the CTA (Chicago transit). It can be your best friend or your worst enemy. 

Chicago seems like a big place but the arts community is surprisingly small. Go out of your way to meet people. I have gotten most of my jobs by just knowing the right people. A professor of mine gave me this advise about Chicago, "It's not about how you were on stage that night, it's about how well you drink at the bar after." 

And now, a game of Chicago favorites:

Theatre Company: The Neo-futurists! If you haven't looked up/already seen "Too much light makes the baby go blind".. what have you been doing?

Neighborhood: I love me some Lincoln Park. So much comedy.

Restaurant: Sushi Thai 3! Its kinda up north but seriously.. best Thai food. Period. No...Exclamation point.

Bar: Beer on Clark. They give out free parties almost every time you go.

Place: The planetarium. Just go there. It's the knees of bees.

Only in Chicago:

I was in an R Kelly music video where we had to ride around on the L for 13 hours while R Kelly serenaded us. I got to hang and swing on the bars! It was like a dream come true. Since then all of my train rides feel empty...

Parting words:

Come to Chicago. Come be funny/dramatic/weird/poor/musical-y with us.

You can email Justin at justinkimball88@gmail.com

Find him on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7qDZ_LkTpYz2Wp53ua9TqA

A Very Chicago Weekend

I drove the best friend to the airport this morning before the crack of dawn. If you're flying in/out of Chicago, go Midway if you can. The drive at that hour wasn't too bad, and I was just ahead of the morning rush.

Wrigley Field: 1914-2014

What we did this weekend, and thoughts.

1. Field Museum. I like the Field a lot. I've heard that it's not as cool as the Museum of Science and Industry (I haven't been there yet so I can't compare), but I really enjoyed the time we spent there. Right now, there's a neat Bio-mechanics exhibit going as well as artifacts from the Chicago Word's Fair. My favorite part was the collection of taxidermy animals. The work on them is astounding. It feels like they could leap through the glass at any moment.

2.  Art Institute of Chicago. This was by far my favorite activity of the weekend. Their Impressionist (my favorite) collection is great. They also have a special exhibit on Renoir's (favorite) colors going on right now. We wandered there for quite awhile. The best friend was also excited because they had a lot more Monet's (her favorite) than she had expected.

3. The Bean. I think it's actually named Cloudgate or something like that, but I've only ever heard it called the Bean.

4. City Gallery at the Water Tower. Quite honestly, I can't remember the exhibit that was being displayed. We popped in right after leaving the Art Institute and were rather exhausted. I think it was mixed media. Best part. FREE!

5. Navy Pier. We wandered around the pier for a little. It's currently undergoing some major renovations so that's not ideal.

6. Cubs game at Wrigley Field. Happy 100th Wrigley. We went. It was cold. They won, which someone told me they don't do very often.  

I think we did pretty well for three days. What are your favorite places to take out of town visitors?

Backstage Reports a Boom of TV Filming in Chicago

Via Indiewire

In a previous post I mentioned that Chicago was the number one place to live and work as a filmmaker. According to Backstage, it's also gearing up to be a great place to find television work. Previously, Chicago actors were mostly relegated to Cop #1, Punk with Blue Hair type roles while the bigger Recurring, Guest Star, etc. spots were auditioned and cast out of town. Now, Chicago based actors are getting more opportunities to nab those kinds of roles. And, what's even more promising, Mickie Paskal (a prominent casting director in the City) stated that there are "rumblings that a bunch of pilots are looking to shoot here."

Exciting times.

You can read the rest of the article HERE.

Errands, Chilvary, and a Goodman Deal

Today was errand day. I had a lot I needed to do and, surprise, surprise, I didn't get everything I wanted accomplished.

First off, I had to go and purchase my Chicago city sticker. I have absolutely no idea how I knew about this requirement. In fact, I'm rather certain I stumbled upon it while checking out parking options. If you park a vehicle in the city of Chicago for more than 30 days, you have to have a sticker. This sticker has to be bought within the first 30 days of moving here or purchasing a car. If you fail to do so, it's a $60 fine when you finally figure out you have to register. I've also heard that they're going to ramp up ticketing for those without stickers. I wish there was some sort of packet that you got when you arrived in the city. Maybe I'll make one. I bought mine at a currency exchange. Make sure you bring in your lease and the VIN number.

Second, I needed to head to J&S Photo Service to pick up my headshots. I did a lot of research online to see who did a quality job and their name kept popping up. I am very pleased with the prints. The colors are vibrant and the thickness of the photo paper is great.

On my way to J&S I had to catch my second bus. I get on and my Ventra card, which I loaded up today and had just used to get to the currency exchange, didn't work. I stood there, baffled, and held it up to the scanner repeatedly. The messages Sorry didn't work scan again, insufficient funds, played on a loop. The very nice bus driver told me not to worry about it. Thank heavens. And people say Northerners don't do chivalry.

Third, LIBRARY CARD! I'm super excited about this, mostly because when I got there I immediately found three books that are currently on my amazon wish list. Their YA section is great. When you go to sign up you need your ID and two pieces of mail, a bill and another letter will work.

Finally, I want to see Venus in Fur. However, the tickets for seats I would want to sit in are expensive. But, they have this great program where, on the day of the show, you can enter in the promo code MEZZTIX, and some of the seats remaining in the Mezzanine will be half off! That. Is. Awesome. I ended up not going today because I'm saving this well reviewed show for when a friend comes to town.

MovieMaker.com: Chicago is the Number 1 Place to Live and Work as a MovieMaker

Source: OurFilmSpace

I missed last Thursday's promised post date. I apologize, I was out apartment hunting last week. If all goes well I'll be describing the process in a later post. If it doesn't, I may make a what not to do when apartment hunting in Chicago...or ignore it completely if it turns out to be too traumatizing (joking, I hope).

Anyhoo, I wanted to share that MovieMaker has named Chicago the number one big city in which to live and work as a moviemaker.

According to the article, in 2013 alone the city hosted such titles as Divergent, Jack Ryan:Shadow Recruit, and, of course, another Transformers.
[Interesting rumor on Transformers, a few summers ago the unfortunate souls taking the July Illinois Bar Exam were forced to deal not only with normal test anxieties, but also the fact that Michael Bay was  blowing up the area surrounding the testing center. Not optimal conditions for the situation, but I digress.]

Did you know that the Illinois Film Production Credit has no sunset? I didn't either. There are also some sweet tax credits if a film meets certain criteria.

What does this add up to? It's a lovely time to be in Chicago.

Also note, New York is listed as second and Los Angeles is listed as fourth.

You can read the full article and profiles of the cities that made the cut HERE.

Kicking this Off

I've started this blog to not only document my life as an actor in Chicago, from apartment hunting all the way to, hopefully, booking, but also to share what I learn along the way. I'll be posting about everything I can think of including but not limited to: website design, marketing, business, acting methods, favorite performances, film reviews, living in Chicago, etc.

Thanks for stopping by, this thing is going to get rolling rather quickly. I'm apartment hunting at the end of the month. Stick with me and we'll see how this goes.