Sunny Day

I feel like yesterday was the start of my weekend.  After shooting for three days straight, then writing and going to production meetings, yesterday was the first day in a stretch where I didn't have any other obligations.  I went to Cardio Barre (which I am super sore from today), got some grocery shopping done, hung out with a friend, went to the library, got some new shoes and made dinner for a quiet night in.  I was going to get some writing done but decided to take the day off.  Life as an artist is interesting because it doesn't follow the structure of most everyone else's schedules.  Auditions come up at the last minute, you book a job and are shooting the next day, you have long dry spells, you have classes and rehearsals and meetings but all at odd hours of the day and night to accommodate all of the artist schedules in the mix.  You would think that after the nearly ten years I've been living this life, I'd be used to it.  But I still find myself feeling a little guilty when it is a beautiful Thursday afternoon and I get to sit outside while most people are in their offices.  But then I remind myself that sitting outside is a little reward - for all of the ups and downs and shaky ground that you face as an artist.  For all the hard work and uncertainty and rejection.  That being able to have a moment in the sun is nothing to take for granted.  And that, if I'm lucky, that moment will be fleeting because the next flurry of activity - from auditions to bookings to creating new worlds - is just around the corner.

Not knowing

It has been a little slow on the audition front.  Haven't gone out since I booked the commercial and I'm itching to get back out there.  Slower times give me the opportunity to write though so I'll work a bit more on that today.  In the meantime, a few thoughts for the day:

Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what next or how.  The moment you know how, you begin to die a little.  The artist never entirely knows.  We guess.  We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark.

- Agnes de Mille

The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

The Little Engine

I feel like I've been go-go-going this month and I have been loving it.  I shot a fun scene last night that I'm excited to see come together and had a long weekend of shooting on a different project. Tonight is a production meeting for the new webseries our little company is developing.  Today I've got an intense writing session planned which includes writing first drafts of two episodes for our series and outlining my screenplay further.  Then I get to catch up with the lovely F. this afternoon and somehow squeeze in a trip to the library to renew the chapter book I've been reading to my third graders.  I know my blogging has been sparse but it's a good thing!  I've just been busy chugging along and taking it all in.

Belief

"To be successful at what you love requires an almost delusional amount of belief in yourself and your dream. Most people don't have this. But not you. You believe. You know that miracles happen every day and are open. You are not one to settle."

My friend, K., sent this quote to me in an email yesterday.  I'm not sure where he got the quote from...but I kind of love it.

After shooting a commercial last week, having a film I'm in screened this week, and shooting our webseries this month, I'm feeling very lucky and very proud to be following my dream.  It is definitely a marathon and I'm nowhere near the finish line.  For an interesting analogous take about marathons and this career, check out The Working Actress's blog post from earlier this week.

Cheers to believing.

Sweet

Our director/writer, Al Lewis, during the Q&A post-screening

Cheese factory.

Even cheesier.

The screening was a success!  It was a packed house - standing room only - and we opened the evening with a bang (which is even funnier to those that know what happens at the end).  The audience really seemed to enjoy our little film - there were big laughs in all the right places and laughs I wasn't expecting in other places.  It was even more fun to watch with an audience than I anticipated.  The rest of the films were well done and overall it was an entertaining evening.  There was a red carpet so as soon as I track down those pictures, I'll share them with you.  Oh! And randomly, there were two separate groups of people that I know from other places that were there to see other films.  This town is getting pretty tiny.  One funny tidbit of the night:  My co-star and I were waiting our turn on the red carpet at the reception after the screening and these people stop us and ask excitedly, "Oh! Are you a real couple in real life?"  We laughed and told her no and they were disappointed because they were rooting for us in the film - we play an estranged couple that two cupids are trying to bring back together.  Well, I took that as a testament to our performances!  These same people went on to tell us that, shhh, our film was their favorite.  "Shhhh" because they were there to support someone else's film.

Yep. I need to hurry up and get in another film so I can continue this film festival fun.  I could get used to it.

My first screening

Excited about tonight!  The short film I did, TRUE LOVE, is screening at the New Filmmakers LA. It is my first LA screening and, as my friend F. says, "First of many!" Have you watched the trailer yet?

If you're in LA, you should totally come out!  We are the first short film of the evening and there is a reception before and after.  Should be a lot of fun.  I'm particularly interested in watching it with an audience that hasn't seen it before.  It has screened at the Olympia Film Festival and at the New Filmmakers NY but I didn't get to make it to those so this will be a new experience.

I'll let you know how it goes!

Good Week

The location for my commercial yesterday was pretty awesome.  It was on a ranch about an hour and a half outside of Hollywood and it was gorgeous.  Horses, barns, green grasses, hills, dirt roads...I kind of loved it.

Definitely not a bad way to spend a day.  It was a really fun shoot, as anticipated.  The fun, relaxed vibe from the director, producers and ad agency in the call back was carried over into the shoot.  Really positive energy and attitudes permeating the day.  I feel very lucky to have gotten this job and worked with this group.  I even had my own little trailer...

Fun tidbit: at an adjacent ranch, there is a major film being shot. On our call sheet, they warned us that there two sets in the area. If we show up and Matt Damon is there, we're on the wrong one.  Sadly, I didn't take a wrong turn.

Today is another busy one.  As I was sitting in my trailer I got an email from my theatrical agent with an audition today for a feature film.  I'm about to go work on my script and prepare for that so I can rock it.

Remember when last week was really quiet?  That had it's merits but I'm loving this week so far!

Smiling

As I was out enjoying my flowers yesterday on my walk, I got a call from my agent to tell me that I had been put on avail for the callback I was just at.  A few hours later, as we were on our way to pick up food for our friends who are in the hospital - she's having twin girls as I type this (they may already be here) - I got another call from my agent to say that I got a nice St. Patty's Day job...

I booked the commercial!

So excited to work on this tomorrow. The callback was a lot of fun and the director and producers seem equally fun.  I have a fitting today and then shooting tomorrow.

Lots of excitement in the air...baby girls to meet and a job to do.

Feeling very grateful.

Taking time for the flowers

In the hopes of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet.

- Albert Schweitzer 

*All pictures I just took on a walk around my neighborhood. Life is good.

More like it

A callback tomorrow. A residual check in the mail. Great shoot over the weekend. Rehearsal scheduled for this week. Production meeting tonight.

Yep. Feeling like my "vacation" is over.

And I love it!

21 years ago today...

....I met my sister.

It was love at first sight.

Happy birthday to the best sister a sister could hope for.

*****

Since it's her 21st birthday, and she wants to collect hand-painted wine glasses, I thought I'd get her collection started by painting some for her as her gift.  Now I just have to ship them to her...without them breaking.  Hopefully UPS will come through for us.

Between all my knitting and painting this week, I've become quite the crafty diva.  Let's hope auditions pick up soon otherwise I'll be opening up my own craft shop full of poorly knitted potholders and way too much painted glassware.

Welcome to the Zone

I've felt like I've been on a mini-vacation this week.  I've been appreciating all the quietness and the sunshine - don't get me wrong - but  it also feels like I'm in a twilight zone.  I'm used to running around and having a hundred things to fit into a day.  I like writing out my schedule by the hour so that I know what I need to get done and when.  And I love the rush of an audition...or three.  So, yes, quietness was nice for a few days. But I'm ready to be movin' and shakin' again.

Today is a little more full.  I've got yoga, then meeting with friends for lunch, then meeting with another friend after that and then rehearsal for Girl Parts in the evening.  I also plan on working a bit more on my screenplay.  I did more research yesterday and I'm starting to outline scenes now.  I'm adapting a true story and chances I'll run into red tape eventually but right now I'm enjoying it as an exercise of sorts.  It would be pretty cool if something comes of it in the end though.  That would be quite the adventure.

Stitches

It may not look like much yet but after an all-afternoon-hang-out with L. yesterday, complete with tea and scones, I know how to knit.  Well, I know the basic stitch and that's a start!  What you see is the beginning of a pot holder.  It may have some hiccups in the pattern.  It may not be completely square but more of a rhombus shape. It may take me an entire week to finish.  But, by golly, I'm knitting.  L. was a fantastic teacher and there is still much for me to learn.  She graciously lent me her needles and yarn for the week and she is going to teach me how to finish off the pattern next week while I work on getting it to the finishing point on my own.  Then we are going to take a field trip to Michael's and get me my very own supplies.  I'm really enjoying it and can see why once you start, you tend to continue little projects here and there throughout your life.  I'm already imagining the different gifts I can make - baby blankets, scarves, throws, hats.  Watch out, family and friends:  You may have irregularly-shaped knitted gifts bestowed on you from here on out!

How to fill the quiet

It is shaping up to be a quiet week.  No auditions on the calendar, no deadlines.  Just kind of quiet.  Which is okay.

Yesterday I got to see my 3rd Graders again and was greeted with hugs and lots of excited squeals of "Miss Meagan is here!"  Yep.  I was squealing inside and equally excited to see them too.  I went to the library on Friday to pick out books to read to them and I could have stayed for hours.  So many fun books and only once a week to read them!  I'm just sorry I didn't start being a BookPAL sooner.

Today I'm getting my first knitting lesson from my friend L.  I hope I like it as much as I think I will.  I think my quiet week will be dedicated to trying things out that I have been meaning to do.  Like knitting.  And maybe a hip hop dance class tonight.  What else can I try?  I'll have to brainstorm.  What I really should do is work on my screenplay.  And I will.  I mean, I finally have my outdoor office set up and it's going to be gorgeous all week...so I do believe I'll get some writing done!

Here's a sneak peek at my new office...

Not too shabby.

I had some awkward years

Looking through old photos when visiting my family, I came across some funny sights.  This is one of them.  On a trip to MGM at Disney World when I was about 15 years old (I would guess), I saw this replica of the Emmy statue and had to pose with it.  Why does my hair look orange?  Why do my feet look huge?  Why did I love my ankle bracelets?

Not really sure about the answers to all of those whys.

Why did I insist on posing with this statue?  Well, that answer is obvious:

Because one day I'd be able to frame this picture and the picture of me winning my first Emmy side by side.

Because I believed in dreams coming true.

I guess not much has changed after all.

Gator Nation

As I was signing in for my audition yesterday, I noticed a bag with a Florida Gators keychain and a Tervis tumbler with the Gator logo sitting next to the sign in sheet.  I look at the girl running the session, look at her stuff, look back and say, "Is that your stuff?"  "Yes," she replies, a little suspicious like I'm going to ask her to move it or something.  "Go Gators," I smile.  "Go Gators," she smiles back - just like the commercials you see during games.  And then we get into a long and fun discussion about how she is actually from Gainesville, where she watches the games around town, how the Gator Nation is not just a slogan:  I was driving on the 10 last week when someone started honking incessantly at me.  I looked over, afraid I had a flat tire or something, and there is a girl doing the Gator Chomp at me, going 70 mph - I have an alumni license tag holder.  I honk and wave back - I'm not as skilled to do the chomp and drive!  I told this story to the session runner and she's like, "I do that!"  I was even wearing Gator blue to the audition yesterday - a sundress that I bought probably because when I saw it I thought, ooh, I can wear this on game days.

I gotta say, being a Gator can really make this big world seem a little more intimate. It was like a slice of home running into a fellow Gator...which is especially nice at a casting office.

Yay, Reading!

Commercial audition yesterday and another one today.  That is always fun! Also fun?  I became an official BookPAL this week and read Jumanji to my two 3rd grade classes. They were so excited and receptive.  I can't wait until next week...I haven't picked out what I'm going to read yet. I'm doing some research to see if I can find something that corresponds with their current lesson plan.  Luckily, they just wrapped up their "Imagination Unit" so Jumanji was a perfect fit for what they had been working on.  We brainstormed together how the story might continue and some of the kids wanted to write out their stories, like a Chapter 2.  I'll be interested to see if any of them bring their stories to class next week.  It is just a really good group of kids, all excited about reading and I have a feeling this may become a highlight of my week.

The story about webseries

So I've been pursuing this acting thing for nine years now. Really, my whole life if you wanna get technical. And I've had success and my goals have stretched. Now I'm involved with a group of friends and we've created a webseries together. The great thing about webseries is that they are kind of like the new "pilot." After the Writer's Strike in '08 - the year I moved to LA - the networks changed up the way they approach pilot season. It used to be that all the big networks - NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX, etc. - would churn out hundreds of potential shows during pilot season, which takes place January through May. They would shoot one show of a good idea and then they would whittle it down from there to decide which shows would be picked up to be added to their lineup. Many shows never went beyond that first pilot. But many acting careers were launched from those pilots. They were a great way for unknown actors to get seen by big networks and develop a reputation. But things have changed. Now the networks only do a few pilots, they cast "name" actors first and then they may open up the search to "unknowns." I'm still unknown. And it is still hard for me to get seen for pilots.

Webseries are the new way that actors have taken their careers into their own hands and also the new way for networks to search for talent and show ideas at a much cheaper cost to them. It seems like everyone and their brother is making a webseries out here so it is possible to get lost in the shuffle. But if you do one at a professional level - with the right cast, filming equipment, and editing - then you have the chance to be seen. People start to watch, buzz starts to build and you never know where it can take you. Some webseries get bought by networks to be developed into primetime shows. Some webseries get screened at film festivals where studio execs attend and take meetings. Some webseries get corporate sponsors so that they can go into several seasons and pay their actors and crew. Or sometimes nothing happens. Sometimes the series gets made with a lot of love and sweat and are just a way to showcase an actor's work in the end.

We're shooting the moon with Girl Parts and I'm proud to be a part of it. The scripts are solid and so are the cast and crew. Will anything come of it? Not sure. But I know for me it will be a great way to work in the world of comedy that I see myself working in on network TV, developing the character of Sam, and showcasing what I'm capable of to a wider audience. And it is going to be a heck of a lot of fun - for us filming and for those watching.

The reason we've started an IndieGoGo account is so that we can raise the funds to do this show right. We are lucky to be calling in a lot of favors when it comes to equipment and crew but there are still holes to fill. Where the money goes is best detailed at our fundraising page but I'll give you a brief rundown: more and better equipment, paying our crew members, hiring a great editor, providing wardrobe for our guest stars, providing DVDs, advertising...all of these things cost money and we are self-producing. Which means we don't have a producer paying the bills. Your contribution goes a long way. $10 is the minimum and there are "perks" listed for certain dollar points but you can do any other denomination you'd like. Like I said yesterday, I like to think of it as buying a movie ticket. And in a way you are - except we'll be on your computer. And instead of just getting a "movie" out of your $10, you'll be part of actually creating the series. Which is pretty cool.

Here is the teaser, which includes our trailer, which includes some language - so be aware if you're watching at work or around young ears.


IndieGoGo Teaser from Kelsey Robinson on Vimeo.

And the link to our fundraising page again is:

GIRL PARTS: THE SERIES

Thanks if you've actually read this whole post. And big thanks if you check out our IndieGoGo page!

Happy March to you....let the madness begin....!