They're baaaaaaaack. Most of them, anyway.

Matt Damon has completed his role, but the rest of the "Ocean's Thirteen" gang (led by returnees George Clooney and Brad Pitt and new nemesis Al Pacino) reunites in Las Vegas for a week of location work, following an August shoot.

Once again, the "Ocean's" crew (under the command of director Steven Soderbergh) visits Bellagio, a Venetian construction site and other Strip locations, reports executive producer Susan Ekins.

The caper wraps next month -- in Southern California, where "we've created our own casino" on a soundstage, Ekins notes. "It's a lot easier to build and shoot on a stage" than work around a real-life casino's inner workings -- as "Ocean's Eleven" did back in 2001.

Full plate: Echoing "Ocean's Thirteen," the upcoming "The Great Buck Howard" -- with John Malkovich and the father-and-son duo of Tom and Colin Hanks -- opted not to visit Las Vegas for principal photography.

Instead, a second unit stopped by Friday to capture background "plate" shots of the Strip.

Speaking of "plate" shots, the Fox series "Bones" is scheduled to shoot Strip backgrounds Tuesday for an upcoming episode, reports location scout Nicholas Savalas.

Acting up: Cameras are rolling on the upcoming talent competition "So You Want to Be an Actor," with director Don Lewis Barnhart shooting introductory exterior sequences in Summerlin and other southwest locations.

Veteran actor Daniel Baldwin and Australia's Terasa Livingstone, meanwhile, have been cast in the finale, where they'll team up with winners of the acting contest, according to executive producer Skip Burrows.

"Nashville Star" search: Another talent competition, USA Network's "Nashville Star," will hold auditions for its fifth season from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday. Registration deadline is 2 p.m. for aspiring Nashville stars 18 and over (as of Jan. 1), who will have one minute to perform a song from an approved list; those who make Friday callbacks will sing either two covers or one cover and one original song.

For additional information, log on to www.usanetwork.com/nashvillestar/.

Reality bites: Fox Reality's "Rob and Amber: Against the Odds" continues production, as reality-show veteran Rob Mariano tries his luck at being a poker pro, risking his and wife Amber's "Survivor" and "Amazing Race" winnings in the process.

And another amazing racer, Champ Car driver Paul Tracy, is scheduled to hit the Strip today (on foot and on wheels) for the international motor sports show "Martini World Circuit."

Carol Cling's Shooting Stars column appears Mondays. Contact her at 383-0272 or e-mail her at ccling@reviewjournal.com.