The Trial (2010) - Andrew Kaplan, Assistant District Attorney

Photo of Andrew Kaplan in his featured role as Assistant District Attorney in the film called "The Trial". The film is based upon the best selling book by Robert Whitlow. The movie stars Matthew Modine, Bob Gunton and Rance Howard. This is the 8th film for Andrew Kaplan since he began Leatherheads with George Clooney in 2007. Andrew Kaplan was also the stand in for Robert Gunton who appears in the television series 24 and had an award winning role as the warden in Shawshank Redemption. Matthew Modine starred early in his career in Full Metal Jacket and recently appeared in the television series "Weeds". Rance Howard is a seasoned actor has appeared in over 100 movies and is the father of film director, Ron Howard. Learning from these world class actors was one of the best parts of the newest MediaMensch journey.

Start Up Your Social Media Marketing

Social Media is now the biggest buzz out there. Are you able to understand how to leverage your business and brand. Even if you build a facebook fan page or set up a twitter account, do you have the time and expertise to build the audience.

Here are some of the ways a social media firm can help you.

1) Develop a high level strategic marketing plan to reach your audience and build relationships
2) Guide you and your team to integrate and use complementary tools such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and your blog to execute your social media strategy.
3) Provide on-going support, advice and education about current best practices and changes within social media

MediaMensch works with clients who are looking to invest in their future. Old media such as advertising is not working well anymore. MediaMensch can provide you with a plan and the expertise to bring your social media plans into focus.

You can contact us at ewarriorbizdev@gmail.com with the Subject heading "Start Me Up"

Andrew Kaplan listing in IMDb

After a year of working in the film industry, my profile is now appearing in IMDb (Internet Movie Database), which is an Amazon owned company featuring the details of your favorite movies from an industry standpoint. My listing can be found at http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2699505/ as Andrew R. Kaplan.

Blood Done Sign My Name - Oxford, NC Welcome

This is a picture taken with actress Robyn Shute and Andy Kaplan in front of the Welcome sign for Oxford, NC. In fact, we were actually shooting that day in Shelby, NC in an old run down area of town. The film takes place in a small town in 1969, so our costumes and hair reflect the era. Robin has a wig and my hair was cut short and slicked down. The costumers also supplied my shirt and undershirt and told me to unbutton the top buttons. Even though we are "extras" There is tremendous amount of work put into the details. Most of the costumes for the movie are rented from companies in Los Angeles. The costumers pick out the clothes from a large warehouse and they are trucked cross-country in tractor trailers which then are used as the local "warehouse" during filming.
Robyn is a talented actress who has a background in opera, self defense and horseback riding. She can fill a multitude of roles in a movie from actress to singer to stunt double.

Leatherheads Debut with Andrew Kaplan

It was almost a year to the day that I stepped foot on the Leatherheads set thinking I would be a fan in the stands and make $100.00 for one day. A year later, I have had the opportunity to have built long lasting friendships, learn about film production and be in 3 other movies (Gospel Hill, Tyler Perry's The Family That Preys, and Insignificant Others.).

On Friday, April 4th, I attended the screening with Maurice at the theatre at Concord Mills, actually the same mall where I went to the open casting for Leatherheads in March 2007.

As the movie opened, I sat with anticipation to see how this movie would turn out. It is very difficult to describe the differences in being on a film set and what comes out of the editing and sound process in post production.

I remember talking to many of the people show in the film such as Tim Griffin who is the black football player on the Bulldogs. I remember meeting his girlfriend who had flown out from LA to visit with him. I just had Edd Robinson on my mediamensch radio show and he told me he was a scorekeeper, so it turned out he had about 5 seconds in the movie as a clear shot. Maurice, whom, I had met on my last day of filming had also told me he was on the scale in the athletic club. When that scene came up with Clooney running through the athletic club, Maurice had is 5 seconds of fame as well. There was a man on a "belly machine" who was clearly shown. I had been cast that day for that role and was costumed and then on the day of shooting another gent with a much better belly...showed up and had that role...

Personally, I am in the movie for about 1 or 2 seconds with a closeup during the Chicago-Duluth football game. I also made the background talking for about 10 seconds behind the bench holding my camera. My hand and camera, also had a closeup for about 5 or 10 seconds holding the camera directly behind the coach....(great for my new career as a hand model)...then there was a camera on the sidelines on a tripod, I used that for a while.

The scenes that made the cutting room floor with me were when they took a player off on a stretcher and I was the cameraman almost on top of him. I am not sure if they erased me or just had another angle. I also had been in a closeup talking with Coach (Wayne Duvall) during the game and that also did not make it. The other scene which I thought would have been in was the concession stand. About 50 extras spent about an hour on that scene with George directing. I had been waving dollar bills in the scene.

Well...all I can say is that Leatherheads was an incredible journey which continues to have made changes in my life which were unforeseeable. This included last week when I attended the Leatherheads press junket and asked Clooney two questions. He joked about my memorable acting.

I couldn't have written a better script for this life journey!

Preparing for Bill Clinton's Arrival

Kaplan talking to Alex Reed, TV journalist/reporter for NBC Affiliate WCNC Charlotte, NC.
Alex was discussing the life of a reporter in a top 25 city. We agreed how great it is to be able to cover events like Clooney and Clinton and have such access. Reed also was an extra in the Clooney movie Leatherheads and reported on it as well.

We will have Alex on a future MediaMensch radio show discussing his life and career as a mid-market tv journalist. The MediaMensch show is a live talk show (also becomes a podcast) where we interview people in media, sports, politics, technology, and entertainment about their life and careers and their current ventures.

We welcome any suggestions for guests for our future shows.

My first Press Coverage Bill Clinton Campaigning in NC

What a week....I came in at around midnight last night to find an e-mail saying Bill Clinton was going to be in the area...turned out he is at the same Train Depot that George Clooney was at on Wednesday. This time we were outside the station.

There was a crowd of a few hundred people. We were in the press area behind the crowd on a platform so we had a clear shot of the crowd. Bill's speech had humor and was direct and pointed about plans to really turn this country around. He discussed the need for 100 mph cars which can run on Lithium, to pulling the troops out of Iraq, to schools and getting rid of all of this national testing for No Child Left Behind and to really look for true success not just test scores.

He also praised the McCain and Obama and this election has being historical no matter who wins.
The main theme was the Hilary has always been a 'change agent'. Not just in talk but in deeds her entire life. She thinks about the individuals, not just those with wealth and has been an advocate for children and families.

On the economic side, he made a great point about our trade deficit.
China, Japan and Korea are our largest trading partners, followed by the oil producing nations. They are also the countries who own our debt and lend us money to fuel our economy...his quote was that dealing with fair trade is tough since China is our banker...and "You don't go up to your banker, punch them in the face and then ask them for a loan".

He also joked about Not being able to go home, if he didn't campaign for his wife...

One of my highlights for the new mediamensch networks venture was meeting ABC News Producer for the US Senate Zach Wolf..we had a brief discussion of his feelings for the personalities and effectness of Senators Clinton, Obama, and McCain's surrogate, Sen. Tom Coburn (whom I believe may be on the VP short list..just my gut feel)....
More later....

Clooney and Zellweger -- Audio Clip of Press Conference

Well, here is copy of the press conference with George Clooney and Renee Zellweger. I had the opportunity to ask two questions during the press conference and had a fun time with George kidding with me about my role in the movie.

Click here for Audio Clip of entire press conference from Radio Station WBT in Charlotte.

Whistlestop Tour of Leatherheads with George and Renee

Today was one of those surreal days...I interviewed George Clooney and Renee Zellweger at the Leatherheads Press Conference in Salisbury NC today. The press conference was held at the same train depot and they rode in on the same train seen in the movie. Renee and George were dressed in the 1925 outfits they wore in the movie. They are the Hepburn and Tracy in this romantic comedy. Prior to the press conference there were over 1,000 fans outfitted in Leatherheads t-shirts and with other promotional items for autographs.

More later...

The Family That Preys - Day 1 - Arriving in Atlanta

I drove down to Atlanta for the role as an extra in the Tyler Perry "The Family that Preys" movie. We arrived outside the Atlanta Civic Center after maneuvering through downtown Atlanta which was just recovering from a tornado a few days before. When I arrived at the parking lot I was met by some of the production assistants on the film and then went to line up. I was to be in group "B". My call time was at 5:30 pm. As I went to the back of the line, I heard someone call my name. It was Edd, who was in Leatherheads and Gospel Hill. He had driven down from NC. We talked about the movie and also that as I stopped by at the Greenville, SC Starbucks, there was a poster for a "premiere" party for Leatherheads being organized. With Ed was Gina and Alisa who also were in Leatherheads.

Since it was about 4:45 when we arrived for our bus, the earlier groups to go over to the set were band members and the "A" group. We were going to the Bank of America Building (31st Floor) for extra's holding. On the 31st floor were racks of the tuxedos we were to where for the scene. I finally met Tiffani-Mishell who I had spoken to numerous times on the phone. I was given my tuxedo and then went into the dressing room which was really someones empty office.

We then were asked by different groups to take the elevator to the lobby...dozens of production people were there and it looked exactly like a real black tie gala. We had a 20 piece orchestra, dance floor, bars, and tables with 4 ft high centerpieces.

At our table, I sat next to Joe and Tiffany. Our waitresses name was Hope. My "wife's" name was Ylian. We started to film at about 10 pm and spent the next 6 hours filming the party scene.
I had sushi (real) and champagne (sparking apple juice). the red wine was cranberry and the chardonnay was white cranberry. I even had a "scotch" placed in my hand.

During one of the scenes Robin Givens (actress) comes to our table and talks to a couple sitting across from me. A large camera on a boom is being used to film this scene. I had seen a similar large camera in Leatherheads. It is on a crane about 40 ft high/long.

The others on the scene included Jennifer Hudson and other actors and actresses. Here is the IMDB Listing http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1142798/

Starbucks Post for "In Your Face" Column

This picture above was created and is property of businessweek.com. The comment below was the original comment posted on businessweek.com's website for an article called "How to re-energize Starbucks". After posting this comment, businessweek.com selected this comment for their "In Your Face" feature for readers. Businessweek.com is moving quickly to become a website which is embracing its readers and engaging them in conversation.

andrew kaplan Feb 21, 2008 4:11 PM GMT
Starbucks ideas
1. Focus on a niche for non-coffee drinkers as well such as moms with small kids. They have organic apple juice,milk and also really their cream based frappucinos are really close to milk shakes..(no caffeine)..

2.They also should get rid of the merchandising and focus on teaching the customers about coffee. Most customers and coffee drinkers do not realize each coffee is paired with a cake/food they sell and can eliminate the need for pouring milk and sugar into regular coffee as it sweetens the taste. Many of their bold coffees have better taste when paired with chocolate.

3. They really should have some type of community bulletin board in all stores.

4. They should have a permanent counter with stools and a barista teaching...and attracting single customers.

5. They should hire "public speaking baristas" who can go out to the community

6. GO GREEN - Have real mugs and encourage use of travel cups (give a large discount to "Green Customers".

Businessweek.com - "In Your Face"

This week was an amazing media week. A comment I wrote about how to re-energize Starbucks was featured at the top of Businessweek.com's new In Your Face page which was added to their home page yesterday. They created this picture.

I also had the opportunity to kick off my new MediaMensch radio show with an interview featuring Howard Behar, former president of Starbucks North America and International and current board member. The show can be found at www.blogtalkradio.com/mediamensch.

In addition, I was introduced to an "experimental" Starbucks drink this week which was a "Mint Chocolate Chip" frappucino. It is not on their menu and tastes exactly like the ice cream. We submitted the idea to Starbucks this week as well and thought they could do a "Green Day" on Earth Day with Green Teas, Green Lattes, and test this new Mint Chocolate Chip Frappucino.

MediaMensch Radio - Author and Executive Howard Behar of Starbucks

We are excited that our MediaMensch radio show is off to a great start. We are featuring stories in media of people, authors and musicians who might be new to you.

Our next show will feature, Howard Behar, the former President of Starbucks International and long time board member who has published a book entitled "It's Not About the Coffee". Howard will be appearing as a guest on the new live MediaMensch radio show on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 from 12 to 1 pm. We will be discussing his views on Starbucks culture and successful leadership practices and observations such as "The Walls Talk" and "The Person that Sweeps should pick the Broom". We also will discuss the changes taking place at Starbucks since Howard Schultz returned as CEO.

You can listen to this show at www.blogtalkradio.com/mediamensch

This show can be listened to live from your computer. You can also call in a special phone # as well. This show and future shows will be archived and available via this link and on iTunes.

We also have a sister show for the Facebook Economy called "Facebook Enthusiast", one of MediaMensch Networks new brands. You can listen to this show at www.blogtalkradio.com/facebookenthusiast We have an interview with the incredible young and prolific Anastasia Salter, a college professor and reader of over 5,000 books at age 23. She is one of the top reviewers for the facebook applications, Visual Bookshelf.

Leatherheads - My first day

I arrived for my 6 am call for extras and rode the shuttle bus over from near the Bobcats Arena to the set at Memorial Stadium. This is a "closed" set, meaning no pictures and things need to remain a secret as far as the movie is concerned.

Once I arrived as a first day as an extra, I was in a line for 'wardrobe'. This movie takes place in the 1920's so I was fitted with clothes of that period including a hat and a large brown coat. The costume team made sure that all the actors and actresses were dressed in that period.

After that, I went into a tent where they do hair and makeup. In this tent were about 15 or so makeup artists and stylists working on the cast. Although I had just had a haircut last week and I thought my hair was relatively short, they cut it to fit the 1920's era.

I then asked about makeup and was told I only needed to put "sunscreen" on. (I was to find out later that this is so the actors and extras don't start tanning).

After that I walked down to the "holding area" and eventually made it out to the football field where they were filming todays scenes. I had expected to be just a fan in the stands. However, I found myself, in a role as a "news reporter" standing on the sidelines....the pad I was to write on was "authentic" from that era also.

I did get to see George Clooney from a distance as he is both director and actor in the film. Renee Zellweger was also there and some of the extras (not me) got to be in some scenes near her.

The field was windy today as a large storm had just come through the Carolinas and was wreaking havoc on the East Coast. Our fall football attire was perfect for today's weather.

We were served a buffet lunch and after I spent most of the afternoon sitting with other extras and making it a point to meet some of the production crew. Most were from the Charlotte area and some were in from LA.

At the end of the day, they had a raffle of items and I won an "Ocean's 11" poster (another George Clooney film).

We then checked out and I finally arrived home around 8 pm (a 14 hour day). I was told to return to the set at 6 am tomorrow.