Last night, today and....tomorrow

Class went great last night. We did our scene once and then I.C. made some adjustments and then the scene exploded. It was such a heavy scene but it ended up being so fun to do and such a learning experience. Wowza.

Got a callback for the commercial, which was a little unexpected but always appreciated. Doing that this afternoon. Then we have a meeting for Girl Parts....apparently there are some updates to learn about. Fun stuff. I'm setting up our website today so hopefully we'll have the site live sometime next week with fun cast bios, info on the show, pictures and our trailer. Oh! And I found out that the short film I shot a little while back, True Love, is having its first screening on May 12. So excited to see it!

Ring ring

Got out of bed and went for my jog this morning. It's getting harder to get out of bed but easier to run once I'm going. It's my bed's fault that it is so snuggly. And warm. Why has it been so chilly in LA? I'm coming off of a completely enjoyable and relaxing weekend and it feels like the calm before the storm. There are no auditions on the agenda today, no rehearsals. Just another day waiting for the phone to ring.

The Door

My horoscope today:

"You keep pushing yourself toward success, and can tell that things are getting better and better. Even though your mood may not be sky-high, you're still pleased with your progress."

Yes, horoscope-writer-at-yahoo, that sounds about right.

Here's the scoop: I did decide to start a twitter account and I noticed yesterday that I had a new follower - Kill the Door. I checked out their profile and saw that they seem to be somehow industry-related and that their latest tweet was about the In My Shoes casting. Well, that happened to be the pilot I went out for on Wednesday. So I went over and read their blog and apparently girls who went to audition for the show yesterday were greeted with a sign on the door: SESSION CANCELED. THE ROLE HAS BEEN OFFERED TO SOMEONE ELSE.

I gotta tell you, I felt good about my audition on Wednesday. But I also have to tell you, I am NOT the person the role was offered to.

It's not a huge shocker. Basically it seems like they have auditions because they have to reach some sort of union quota or just in case the celebrity they really want doesn't commit to the project. Not because they are actually considering you for the part. Which is why I said the other day that sometimes just having a good audition is all that you can hope for. I had fun with that part and who knows what sort of seeds I may have planted with that casting office. Just getting in the door is a major part of the battle these days.

I have other things in the works......so we'll see where those roads might lead.

By the way....I got my grocery shopping and laundry done yesterday. And now it's time for a Runyon hike with Corinne. At least the sun is out today.

Phew!

I was planning on posting yesterday but the day got rather hectic, rather quickly. On Tuesday afternoon, I was all prepared to go to class and put up our scene. But then, around 3:30, I got a call from my agent. He told me that I had an audition for a NBC pilot and that he had sent the email earlier in the day. Now. I don't know what is going on with my gmail account but for some reason, some of my emails have been arriving hours after they are sent. And this is an example of how a delayed email can really mess one's schedule up. I had him send the info over to another email address and I took a look at everything. The script was 116 pages long and the role was a series regular role and I had to leave to go to an audition for a commercial out in Santa Monica and now it's 4:00 and there is just no way I can do it all. By the time I'm done with the audition, if it's running on time and if traffic isn't too bad around 5:00 on the 10 (ha!), there is no way I can get back to the studio in order to go first, do our scene, leave after the scene, come home, read the script, do some work on the sides and still do well the next day. So I had prioritize and forgo class. Luckily, my scene partner is very understanding. And we had a sub teaching anyway because Ivana has been stuck in London due to the volcano, so it may be for the better. Nuts.

So I'm glad I made that decision because the commercial audition was not running on time and I didn't get back to my house until 6:30 and I was originally supposed to be at the studio at 6:00. Phew! My husband was the best and made us dinner so I could read through the script and get to work.

Which brings us to yesterday. We had an appointment in the morning, so I wasn't able to get to work on the script again until 11:30. My audition was at 4:15. No problem. I had plans to meet up with Fadhia to rehearse the scene at 2:30. That would give us at least an hour and she lives 10 minutes from where the audition was, so it was perfect. And then at noon my phone rings and it's my commercial agent. He has an appointment for me at 3:45 in Santa Monica for a commercial - national network. Sorry! That won't work. I have a pilot audition at 4:15 in Studio City. Can you be there at 2:00?, he asks. Um....let me think. Ok. Yes, I think I can swing it. It moves up my whole time table and now I'm not sure if I'll have enough time to rehearse with Fadhia, but this is a big commercial campaign and I can't miss the opportunity.

Panic mode! Husband is a saint again and fixes me lunch so I can print out directions to all the different places I now have to go to at all four corners of Los Angeles. Yes, it's true - I don't have a GPS like the rest of the modern world and I still have to rely on the blessings of Google Maps. I scarf my lunch, get my hair and makeup ready, rush out the door to get to Santa Monica by 1:45 so I can be one of the first to sign in and be seen. Of course, about five people got there before me but luckily the auditions actually started on time, at 2:00, so I was able to get out of there by 2:20. And traffic was moving on the 405, which is a miracle in itself, so I got to Fadhia's in 20 minutes. And then we were pretty much back on schedule. It was great to work on the scene with her and I had an epiphany about the character so I went into the audition feeling ready and confident. And hopefully that works in my favor...we'll see if we hear anything soon. Keep your fingers crossed!

All of that and yesterday was our third wedding anniversary. We celebrated with a nice dinner and champagne, compliments of the restaurant's manager. Pretty sweet end to a satisfying day.

Which brings us to today. No auditions on the schedule for the day.........yet. I guess you never know when something will come up! If nothing does come up, then I'll use today to catch up a bit and do fun stuff like laundry and grocery shopping......I hope something comes up. Ha!

Tuesdays

Feeling a bit more calm today. The yoga helped. The dose of reality helped. Now I'm just formulating a battle plan...and I'll tell you all about it next week.

The audition went fine yesterday. Callbacks aren't until the first week of May so it was definitely one of the "do it and forget it" type of auditions. I forgot to tell you about the Entourage audition I had on Friday. It was another "do it and forget it" audition because it was just a few lines and often with those it just comes down to a look, which I have no control over. But I did have fun with the audition. It was on camera and the casting director had me do the scene a few times, a few different ways. That was fun because I actually love getting adjustments. I come in with a strong choice but an open mind. I feel like I take direction well and I like to prove that I can. It's a challenge, like a game. And I do love games.

Today I have an audition for a promo and then class tonight. And then I come home and get to watch a bunch of dvr'd TV - LOST, GLEE, and Parenthood. Tuesday nights have some good shows, I tell you what.

Ohm

It is a ga-ga-gorgeous day here in Hollywood and I'm in a state of suspension. Not sure where the next few weeks will take me but certain that all will work out as it should. In the meantime I plan on soaking up the good feelings, channeling my butterflies and trying to live moment to moment. I have a commercial audition later this afternoon and I am going to try to get in a long walk and some yoga before I go. I need some "ohm" in my life.

Make a fan

What a difference a day makes. Stuff is percolating for next week, which I will update you on once it comes to fruition. In the meantime, I found out yesterday evening that I have an audition for Entourage today. I've wanted to get in for this casting office for awhile so I'm excited to go in and make a fan. That is something my husband always says to me: Go in there and make a fan. It's not just about getting the job. Of course, you want the job but there are so many subjective factors that go into getting the job that even if you are the best sometimes they go with someone else because of a look or their credits or...whatever - a thousand reasons. All you really have control over is walking into the room and making a fan. So that even if this role doesn't work out, that office is going to want to bring you back to make another role work. I ended yesterday's post with, "Bring it." The sentiment still stands.

Bummer

I was released from the commercial. The short film I did last month did not get into Cannes. The casting workshop I was going to go to last night was postponed. And I still haven't heard any feedback from the soaps. This "biz" can be a bit of a bother sometimes.

Yes, yesterday was a bummer. But what about today? Today I have no auditions on the horizon, no more answers that I'm waiting for. It's a day to regroup, refocus and look forward to the next opportunity. Bring it.

And now we wait...

...I was put on "avail" for the commercial yesterday morning and thought I would hear something by the afternoon because the shoot dates are tomorrow and Friday....but nothing yet. So we continue to wait. I kind of think that if I had gotten it, I would have heard by now so I'm not holding my breath. Also, my manager put in a call to the soaps to see if she could get any feedback and hasn't heard from either yet. I don't think that is a good sign. Oh well.

I'm feeling a little under the weather today. I started feeling it yesterday and today it is still here. I'm fighting it with Emergen-c and rest. I think I'm just feeling a little run down.

The Whirlwind Explained.

I don't even know where to start. The past two days have been a bit of a whirlwind...so I guess I'll start at the beginning. Sunday morning was our photoshoot for GIRL PARTS and we had to start bright and early down in Venice. Well. Not really "bright" because it was a cloudy and cold day. If you looked at the pictures yesterday then you'll notice that we are wearing little black dresses...we were freezing! Luckily, Mel's mom is in town and came along to watch the shoot. She held our coats while we vogued and then quickly gave them to us between shots and locations. We did the bulk of the shoot on Abbot Kinney and then we went down to the beach. It was a lot of fun and I think we got some really good promo shots out of it. We were done there at noon, I had to race home to grab some lunch and then leave again for the reshoot of TIPS, the pilot I shot a few weeks back. There was a computer glitch and they lost footage, including our scene. So the bitches were back - as you saw above. Those are some shots from set. I particularly like the second picture where you can see the champagne spraying us. Once we were done there, I had to run home, change out of my champagne-sprayed clothes and go to the studio until 10:00 at night to monitor for class. Phew! That was a busy day. And then yesterday hit...

Yesterday was the day of auditions. The day started with the wonderful Fadhia coming over at 9:00 to help me run through my sides for the day. I had an audition for a dayplayer role on Young and the Restless and an audition for a contract role on All My Children - suddenly the soaps are interested in me - who knew? So there was a lot of material to rehearse. Thank goodness for good friends. She read through everything with me for an hour and then I had to get ready to go. My first audition was for Y&R at 11. How did it go? It could have gone better. I had a question about the sides, on the second page, so I referenced it when I was asking the question. And then when we started the audition...I still had the second page of dialogue on top. Which shouldn't have mattered because I had the scene memorized! But I stumbled. I should have asked to start right over....but I didn't. Live and learn. Shake it off and on to the next one.

The next one at 1:00 and was a callback for the commercial I went out for last week. Which should have gone great but I was the first one in the room - well, the first part of a "couple." They paired me up with a husband. And the room full of producers and directors wasn't quite sure what they wanted yet. A wide shot of both of us? Close ups of each? Smiles or no smiles? So the guys kept discussing what they wanted before, after and during our audition. Not a big deal because it is fun to see "the other side" of the casting process but I'm not sure if it is going to work to our advantage to be the guinea pigs of the callbacks. They hadn't found their rhythm yet and hopefully our ability to go with the flow will bode well for us. Or...they'll just delete the first "couple" from the tape because we didn't do what they ended up wanting from the audition. Oh well....on to the next one...

...Which was at 3:50 for the contract role on All My Children out in Glendale. (I was in Santa Monica for the commercial, by the way - my little car got some mileage yesterday) Anyway, the audition for AMC was the one I was most looking forward to all day. I worked hard on the sides getting coached on Saturday by S., running lines throughout my crazy Sunday - between shots both at the photo shoot and the pilot reshoot - working on it in the morning with Fadhia....I was prepared. How did it go? The casting director, Judy, couldn't have been more lovely. She was very nice and made me feel comfortable. And my reader, Greg, was very nice and welcoming. But I still felt nervous. And even though I was completely off book, I fumbled my lines a bit. Overall, now that I've stepped back from my first instinct which is to criticize everything I do in an audition, I think it went...well. I gave a solid audition and in all reality it will come down to a look. I hope Judy liked me enough that if I don't have the right look for this role, she'd be willing to bring me in for something else I'd be right for. Fingers crossed...we'll see!

Which brings us to today. Today I have rehearsal for class but no class tonight. Ivana is off in London and Paris teaching this week, so we have the week off. I plan on snuggling up with the hubby tonight, watching LOST, GLEE, and Parenthood. Have you been watching Parenthood?? I love it - it is one of my favorite new shows. Definitely check it out if you haven't already.

Busy busy!

Today is a really busy day, which I'll tell you all about tomorrow. And yesterday was a really busy day that I'll catch you up on tomorrow as well. In the meantime, head over to Chelsey Ball Photography to see a few shots from yesterday's photoshoot for GIRL PARTS. Here's a taste...

And there is a lot more where that came from. Thank you to the very talented Chelsey!!

Let's do this

Swing batta batta swing! That's how I feel right now. It feels like a lot is starting to percolate and I'm excited to see if I hit it out of the park. I am working on an audition for Monday, waiting to see if I get callbacks for those commercials I went out for this week, I have rehearsal this afternoon, am doing a casting director workshop tomorrow afternoon, we have our photo shoot for Girl Parts on Sunday morning, reshoots of that pilot I did a few weeks ago on Sunday afternoon and...wait...I think that is it. I need to make a list and a rough schedule for myself of the priority of projects and the time I can dedicate to them over the next few days. Its days like these that need structure in order to be productive. Ok...I need to turn off my computer for a bit and concentrate. Have a great weekend!!

The Run-around

Yesterday morning I had...an audition! I was sent out for a commercial as a "young, hip mom" and I was excited to go out again. I know, I know. It had only been a few days since I had gone out but I guess I got a taste of what it is like to be sent out everyday and I missed it. I also missed the turn to the casting office and almost missed my appointment time. But I figured out my navigational blunder and got there right on time. Came home and as I was walking in the door I got a call from my agent - can I make it to a last minute appointment for another spot? Why yes, yes I can. I had time to grab lunch, change and then headed back out to Santa Monica. The casting office was in the Third Street Promenade though - and it was packed. All of the parking garages were full. I finally pulled into a full garage and just circled until someone left. I was really glad that I wore flats instead of heels because I booked it out of that garage, walked at a brisk pace for a couple of blocks and got to the office a few minutes late but no one even noticed. I was a little sweaty but what can you do? I spent a total of three hours in my car yesterday running back and forth between auditions but I'm not complaining. No way. That is just part of the job.

Girl Parts

So our webseries that we have been working hard on has a trailer! One of Kelsey Rob's friends, Flitz, put this together for us using footage from our first episode. There is a lot of potential excitement on the horizon and we have a production meeting tomorrow to map everything out, so I'll keep you posted. In the meantime, check out the trailer! And if you are on Facebook, become a fan of Girl Parts: The Series.

For the birds

So I was looking out my window last week and I saw this cute little bird perched on the tree, so I took a picture:


Which zoomed in looked like this:

And so yesterday, inspired by the rain, I painted this:

It's nothing spectacular, it's actually really simplistic. But there is something about mixing together colors of paint that I find really relaxing. And have you noticed the influx of bird silhouettes in decorations lately? Next time you go to Target, take a look at their bedding and wall hangings. Lots of birds. At least out here there is. And I love it. I'm not really a "bird" person (I will never own a pet bird) but I like the artist imprint of them. So instead of buying a picture from Target - which I almost did last week - I pulled out an old canvas and did one myself. And now I'm wondering what I should paint next. This is what happens when I don't have auditions...the creativity finds a place to go...

Class tonight! My scene partner and I are meeting up before class to rehearse and then I get a few hours of watching other people work. I wonder what I'll learn tonight.

To tweet or not to tweet, that is the question

I'm toying with the idea of getting a twitter account. I know, it seems a little behind the times but trust me when I say, getting people's useless updates does not appeal to me - thus, the not having one yet. Also, if I'm being honest, I am shamefully aware that I might get addicted to it - no matter how much useless updates are unappealing. But then again...I keep hearing that it is a good way to stay on top of what is happening in the industry. Who's cast in what, who's looking to cast what, what new projects are being developed, etc. But then I think, will it actually give me an edge? Or will it just frustrate me more? From a "business" standpoint, will I feel empowered or will I feel left out? Because one thing I don't talk about enough on this blog is about how incredibly frustrating this career can be. As I'm sitting here, watching the rain fall outside my window, I'm wondering when my next audition will be. I'm wondering when my next chance to get a job will arrive. And, even when I get a job, chances are it will last for a day or two and then it is back to waiting again. The dream is to land a series or a string of movies but those opportunities are few and far between and everyone is clamoring for them. And if it comes down to me and "someone's daughter," guess who's getting the job? But I gotta keep hustlin' because I'm determined to beat the odds. Maybe twitter is a way to help? Argh.

Sappiness

I meant to post yesterday. I wanted to spin an elaborate tale about how I was giving up on acting and moving to Wisconsin so I could eat fried cheese curds with abandon. Or I thought I could write a big blog about how I was going on a two week master cleanse. Both sounded like fun April Fool's jokes to me. The first one because I would not give up and the second one because, if you know me at all, the idea of me even going two hours without food is a scary thought. But seriously though - I was watching the Food Network the other day and they did this special about Just the Cheese, which is fried cheese curds that they make in Wisconsin and it looked like a delectable treat that I plan on adding to my bucket list: must-have-in-my-life. I might even just order a couple bags online. Fried cheese...mmmmm....

But my April Fool's post was thwarted because I was running around being a social bee yesterday. I woke up and went to meet Kelsey Rob at Runyon so we could catch up on life and get in some exercise. We talked about Girl Parts (did I tell you that is the name of our webseries?? We finally decided on a title!) and what the next steps are that we need to take. Just generally speaking. We are going to have a production meeting soon to iron out details. Then I met up with a friend from the One on One trip that we both took 2 years ago, which led me to move here. She had already made the move but she did the same weekend intensive and she has been making strides in her career so it was motivating to meet and catch up. And then it was time to meet with another guy that went on the One on One trip last fall and who moved out only a few months ago. We have mutual friends and since he is new to town, he wanted to meet and pick my brain about my LA experience so far. I never mind doing these kind of meetings because when I was new, it was great to do the same thing with people who had been here longer and plus, I never know what I'll learn from meeting the "new kid in town." I realized how lucky I am to have Selena as my manager. It makes such a difference having someone that is in your corner - even if I don't have the most extensive resume - she believes in my abilities and wants to show the rest of the world what I am capable of. That is hard to find in this town and I am so lucky to have someone that is working just as hard as I am to make my dreams come true.

All right, all right, enough of the sappiness (even if it's true). I've gotta go find out where to order Just the Cheese...