'Friends' Correspondant

Last week I blogged about the Hosting Interview I had so after the Interview there was some paperwork to fill out and a 5 Minute Video I had to film talking about one of my favorite TV Shows.  After answering all the test questions and filling in my information I was ready to shoot my Video about 'Friends.'

Hey Guys!

Neil helped me out by being my DP (Director of Photography) and I came up with some ideas I wanted to talk about and then we rolled camera and Action it was.  I was worried that I wouldn't be able to talk about 'Friends' for 5 minutes without getting too in-depth but it was a breeze and as Neil gave me a countdown and the sign for 'wrap it up' those 5 minutes had flown by.  I talked about my favorite characters, watching the Blooper Reels, guest stars and some memorable moments!  There were some small mistakes, and 'ums' (which of course I was super aware of) but we had just filmed this 5 minute Video, on the first take, and after compressing it, I sent it in.  One take and we were done.  I wanted it to be real, I wanted it to be me; I'm not always perfect, but I'm fun, I hope I can draw you in and be interesting, and teach you something you didn't know and I think this video achieved that!

At this point, it's just a waiting game...and it's so hard to be patient but watching to see if they've watched the video on YouTube is like waiting for a watched pot to boil, so I just have to not think about it and let it go.  So difficult though...fingers crossed!

Last weeks Karaoke songs were fun because I had a couple friends that I hadn't seen in a while, so there were songs I hadn't sang for a long time and some new ones as well.  I opened with 'Everytime We Touch' by Cascada for Marty, then 'To Make You Feel My Love' by Adele, dueted with Marcus to 'Cruisin', switched over to some country singing 'That Don't Impress Me Much' and my new song of the night was 'I Need You' by LeAnn Rimes.  It was definitely challenging as she has range but it was a good new one to try.  There was a group of us so we all sang 'Loveshack' and it was by far the best I've ever heard it done; Marty was born to sing the male lead in that song and I closed with 'Careless Whisper' by George Michael as a sing-a-long for everyone!

Potential Hosting Job?

On Tuesday night I headed up to Encino for a Hosting Meeting/Interview with a semi-new (at least to me) Company that has After Shows for pretty much every single TV show out there.  I wanted to skip traffic so I left early, found myself a Starbucks, got a Chai Tea, did some work and then headed to the Interview and was right on time!

There were a few other potential Hosts there as well because they only have these Interviews a few times a year.  We got the tour of the studios, screening rooms, kitchen (SCORE!) and the rest of the residential-turned business.  I was already excited!  Next, we watched a video that we were requested to take notes on, learning their format for the show, some rules, do's and don'ts and other procedures.  Next up we chatted with the main Producer and a Host and talked about our favorite shows, what we like to watch and talk about, and had any questions we had answered.  This solidified for me that I couldn't wait to be a part of this awesome community which seems like an incredible opportunity.

When I got home I e-mailed the Producer immediately and started filling out the paperwork and Test and at this point just need to send a 5 minute video of me Hosting/Talking about one of my favorite shows.  I would love to work with this talented group of people on a weekly basis and am hoping to film my Show sometime this weekend when I can find some free time, so I can send it in, keep my fingers crossed, and find out the final verdict.

As nerdy as it was, I had to take a picture of the manicure I gave myself yesterday before Karaoke ...pastels, sparkles, and even a heart!  And speaking of Karaoke last week's songs were 'Gold Dust Woman' by Fleetwood Mac which I opened with, then 'Jealousy' by Natalie Merchant which I haven't done in at least a year, and then 'What I Like About You' to get everyone dancing.  My new song of the night was 'Head Over Feet' by Alanis Morissette which was a super fun song to sing that I can't wait to do again!  Then I switched it up and did some R&B with En Vogue's 'Don't Let Go' and then 'Who Will Save Your Soul' by Jewel which is one of my favorites.  Everyone ended on a country vibe so I closed out the night with 'Any Man of Mine' and it was a very solid Karaoke night!

Till then...keep smiling and share some love with those around you <3

Soap Opera Intensive Day 2

My Class didn't end when I left on Saturday evening, it was still going as I wanted to be as prepared as possible to do my best work for Casting Director, Bob Lambert, who casts Days of Our Lives.  The second day of our Intensive started on Sunday morning but I rehearsed as soon as class was done on Saturday and right up to class on Sunday morning!

Neil helped me prepare and go through my scene, being an awesome 'Cara.'  My scene was between my frenemy, Cara, and Amanda, whom I was playing.  Basically, I tried to get her deported because she's in love with my husband, but is marrying someone else and she confronts me on her Wedding Day.  The scene had a lot of fun moments and I was able to take my note from the first day to make sure that I had variety, levels, and changes throughout the scene to really build it and make it fun.  By Sunday morning I was memorized and Neil and I had played around with emotions and ideas for Amanda and I felt very strong and understanding of my character.

Annie and I practiced on Sunday morning of Day 2 as soon as she arrived at Act Now.  I had to laugh when she walked into the room because we were both wearing a sweater of the exact same color (Bright Royal Blue) and style.  We must have been on the same wave-length as we got ready in the morning and wanted to wear something bright that popped.  After running the scene a few times we hit a high point and decided to stop because we wanted to keep things fresh for both of us.

Day 2 began with Bob showing us some examples of good and bad Headshots and Postcards and also gave some notes for taking good headshots and what he likes to see on Resumes.

Next up, each scene went one by one into the room with Bob to run our Screen Test where we slated and then performed the scene.  Annie and I hit the mark as both of us really felt the scene and became a part of the world and Bob noticed and gave us some great compliments.  He said it was strong and perfect for the show, so different than yesterday, he could feel all of our emotions and we kept the scene going and the energy up.  He loved the emotion I had brought to the scene and my final moment where I actually had tears in my eyes.  YAY!  After each of us performed our scenes we got to watch all of them on camera and I was really proud of Annie and I and the changes we had made to make our scene pop and come to life!  It was very relateable and the connection between the two of us was strong and I knew my moments were truthful because I realized I couldn't remember what I did because I lost myself in the scene.

The last part of the day were one on one meetings with Bob and when it was my turn he asked about my representation and said I had really proved myself and he would love to call me in when a role fits me!  We talked about my headshots and a little more about the scene and I thanked him for giving me new ideas to think about, that I had learned a lot from him and that I was thankful for such a wonderful experience.  

I would recommend this Intensive to anyone interested in Soap Operas because Bob has a vast knowledge of information to share, he makes the class fun, and really helps you improve on your Audition skills and wants you to succeed.  He was honest and fair and ran his class with enthusiasm, and I can't wait to work with him again :)

Soap Opera Intensive Day 1

This weekend was crazy busy for me...I had work on Friday and Saturday night and had a Soap Opera Intensive with Bob Lambert all day on Saturday and then again on Sunday morning until the afternoon.  Running around well weekend was so worth it for a wonderful learning experience and a lot of fun!

The Intensive was at the Act Now Studios in Sherman Oaks and Bob arrived right on time and a bundle of energy and smiles.  He is a Casting Director for Days of Our Lives and used to Cast for All My Children.  We all introduced ourselves, talked about where we were from and what our experience was.  Bob was full of information talking about the types of roles they cast for Days of Our Lives, what to expect, pay rate, and the Audition process for each of them.  We had a note-taking session on all of this which also included expectations from Soap Opera Casting Directors and Audition notes specifically for Soaps.

We were all given a scene that we looked over in the hallway and 20 minutes later we were all performing our Cold Readings on Camera.  Bob gave some re-directs and ideas for each of the actors and some of us performed again and after everyone finished we all sat down to watch the performances on camera.  He gave me some great notes, telling me that I was a strong actor, had good pacing, and that I was living in the scene.  He said I could add more levels and variety so I made sure when I was Reading for the next Actor I was already applying that note.  When I watched myself on camera I saw what he was talking about and would make sure my next performance on camera would include that note.  I don't usually get to see myself Audition or on camera so it was nice to see what a Casting Director or Producer may see after Auditions.  This way I was able to see what worked and what didn't work which was super beneficial for future Auditions.  I was really nervous when I got up there and was actually shaking but as I watched the playback you couldn't tell at all so that was awesome!

What does this Headshot sell to you?

Next up we talked about the Camera Shots they use on Days of Our Lives and most Soap Operas, blocking, and what to do during your scene based on the camera angles.  Then he gave us some more notes on what to look for in your Sides and talked about our Headshots and Resumes.  I have an exercise I'll be working on this week to make sure my Headshots are selling me and how people see me.

The last part of the day was working with a Scene Partner where he gave us another scene and we would be doing a Screen Test.  So Annie and I worked on the scene for a few minutes, he gave each group blocking and then we rehearsed the scene once through and next up we were filmed.  Our scene definitely felt like it dragged and that was the first note Bob gave was that the energy was brought down with the emotion of the scene and even though there were some sad notes we still needed to keep it up and exciting.  When I saw it on camera, he was 100% right, we were kind of boring, and although he said both of us were living in the moment and were natural there was room for improvement and we were up for the challenge!

That was Day 1 of my Soap Opera Intensive with Bob Lambert and I felt like I had already learned so much and had so many ideas for what I wanted to do with my scene and couldn't wait to perform again and show him the changes I would make to make our scene exciting and feisty!  He's a fantastic teacher and made this intensive interesting and fun :)

Act Now!

I was on my way to my Act Now Interview on Tuesday with a 45 minute window to get to Sherman Oaks when Google Maps had predicted a less than 20 minute drive and I got stuck on the 405 behind an accident for nearly an hour and a half!  Thankfully, my Consultant at Act Now understands the traffic in LA (she is also an Actress) and just told me to get to the Office safely as I sat with my windows rolled down, sun shining in and jammed out to some music during my wait.

I've always wanted to play a Vixen on a Soap Opera!

Upon arrival at Act Now I made my way to their suite and after having an initial meeting, my Consultant left me with my 3 copies to rehearse for about 20 minutes until she came back; one was a Commercial copy, the second was a Comedy scene from 'Scrubs', and lastly a dramatic piece from an Indie Film.  I pulled out my notes to make sure I was getting the most from my scenes, finding a moment before, pulling from my own personal experiences, and allowing the words to disappear off the page as I started to memorize all three pieces.  Obviously, I wasn't going to have 3 different copies memorized in 20 minutes but I wanted to have a good understanding and be able to take direction if they wanted me to change anything.

The 30 second Commercial Copy was a breeze, fun and sassy, while the Comedy piece was very quick and after a quick re-direct I had the pacing spot-on and it became more funny as the scene went on.  The Indie piece had some great moments and I felt like I really connected with the character, wiping away a tear at one point.  Both Consultants in the room liked what I did and said those were parts they could see me playing so I was glad I was comfortable with the variety of scenes and was able to perform my Cold-Reads well under pressure in a short amount of time.

The point of meeting with Act Now was because they offer longer Workshops and Intensives to build a better relationship with Casting Directors and network.  I'm taking a Bob Lambert Intensive this weekend, as he's the Head Casting Director for 'Days of Our Lives' and it'll be my first Soap Opera Intensive!  I've been looking forward to this for weeks and I needed to have this meeting to make sure that I was at a high enough skill level to be placed in this workshop.  The second half of the Meeting was talking about what my type was and what shows I would like to work on and whom I should take Workshops with to have the opportunity to be called in for Auditions.  Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll have a little more freedom with my schedule and will be able to take some more Intensives.

I'm so excited for this weekend...it's going to be crazy busy with work but I can't wait to do some Acting Work for Soap Opera's and learn some new skills!!

'Les Mis' & 'The Help'

I have been waiting to see 'Les Miserables' since it came out in theaters on Christmas Day and I finally got to see it last week with Neil!  I'm still sick with a cold and finally had a night off so tonight I watched 'The Help' which was another great Award-Winning movie!

I first saw 'Les Mis' on Broadway when I was a Senior in High School and remember being so moved by the story and performances that I cried throughout the whole show.  It was incredible!  Since then, I saw the movie with Liam Neeson and last week got to see the SAG Awards nominated movie and cried throughout the whole movie was well!  I did get my Screener for it in the mail but Neil and I knew we wanted to see it on the big-screen, unfortunately, the surround-sound was out in the theater so I felt like we were missing a little of the dialogue and really feeling like we were in the action.  For the most part I was completely impressed by the movie; to me, the women blew the men out of the water, with just 15 minutes of Anne Hathaway I wanted to see more because the close-up shot of her singing 'I Dreamed a Dream' was heart-wrenching and so honest.  Not only was her singing fantastic the performance she gave was so beautiful and raw and made me excited to be an Actress!  I loved Samantha Barks as Eponine and she nearly stole the show with her version of 'On My Own' which once again brought me to tears with an inspiring performance.  I was surprised to hear Russell Crowe sing, and do it well, but didn't feel like he was obsessed with finding Hugh Jackman, who's acting was incredible and moving as well.  Aaron Tveit was my favorite for the guys as his singing and acting were strong and I absolutely loved his voice and character!  The music was just beautiful and I'm so glad that my choir in High School did a 'Les Mis' Medley and I was able to sing along with all the songs even though I haven't heard most of them in over 10 years.  I'm already looking forward to seeing the movie again!

Tonight I watched 'The Help' which I had wanted to see last year and had just forgotten about it after Awards Season was over.  I thought it would be a little slow-moving but it was actually really interesting and I found myself really loving the movie.  Jessica Chastain and Octavia Spencer were my two favorites in the movie with Emma Stone and Viola Davis as other wonderful characters.  I'm a big Emma Stone fan and am looking forward to her Hosting the Academy Awards this year!  I loved the story and was very moved by some of the performances and found myself angry at some of the women, which means the actresses were doing a great job!  

I'm so glad I got to see both movies...now I just need to catch up on the other SAG Award Nominee's so I can cast my votes for this year's 2013 Awards!

Since I was talking about 'Les Miserables' in this entry it's the perfect time to talk about my Karaoke songs from last week which were: 'Hungry Eyes' by Eric Carmen, 'Love You Like a Love Song' because we had a lively crowd, a couple Adele songs starting with 'Rumour Has It' and then my new song of the week which was Adele's version of 'To Make You Feel My Love'.  I sang 'One of Us' by Joan Osbourne for Judy's Birthday and then closed with 'Heartbreaker' in case I needed to sing something rock & roll at my Myspace Interview last Friday!

Weekend Auditions!

It's been a busy work week and on top of that this weekend brought my first two Auditions of 2013!  My first was on Friday morning for the new Myspace and the second one was this afternoon for the role of Mimi in the musical 'Rent!'

 

Myspace is doing a re-launch this Spring and it will no longer just be a social media platform it's going to be focused on Artists in all fields.  My Audition on Friday morning was in Hollywood at a Casting Studio and after filling out a long questionnaire about myself including my background, skills, aspirations, inspirations, and other fun info I was ready to do the on-camera Audition.  It wasn't actually an Audition, more of an interview from the questions I had answered, and like usual, I was being filmed and had to slate, but this video is actually going to go up on my new Myspace page once it re-launches this Spring!  Basically, they're editing the interview into a 1 minute video that will sell you and try to get sponsorship from producers looking for new talent.  I pitched one of my ideas for my own show that I want to film and put up on Youtube, and also talked about Hosting Karaoke, Cooking and making up Recipes, as well as Acting.  The interview seemed to go by quickly and about 10 minutes later they told me I was all set.  The totally random part of the whole thing was that the cameraman was from Wisconsin and the Interviewer's brother lived in Wisconsin and worked at Epic, which is where my brother used to work.  I love how small LA can be at times!

 

Today I had an Audition for the role of Mimi in 'Rent.'  I've been fighting off a cold for the past couple of days because everyone has been getting sick and to be perfectly honest, I knew I would catch it at some point because I come into contact with hundreds of people when I'm working at the bars or Hosting Karaoke.  I just hoped it would wait until Monday when the Audition and Call-Backs were over and as fate would have it, I woke up this morning and could barely speak.  I've been taking good care of myself all week, not drinking, eating healthy, and trying to get sleep even though I've been so busy with work.  So this morning as soon as I got up, I made this Immunity Boosting Tea, took a nice hot shower, had a healthy breakfast of oatmeal and tried to practice my two song selections which were 'Another Day' from "Rent" and 'Gravity' by Sara Bareilles.  I figured if I couldn't sing my absolute strongest at least I would look the part of Mimi and put on some patterned tights,  my combat boots, left my hair wavy, and did more Latin looking make-up, to try to look as close to her as possible.  There was a dancing portion so they had told us to dress appropriately for that and I was comfortable but still looked the part.  I grabbed some hot tea from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf on the way and had a packet of Emergen-C in my bag for my water bottle when I finished the tea.  I prepared myself as best as possibly, trying to rest my voice and only sing when I had to.

 

Channeling Mimi from 'Rent'

When I arrived at the Audition it was in a 2 hour block and there were about 20 people that were auditioning for the Musical.  Everyone got to sing their songs first and then there would be a Dance portion at the end.  Most of the girls at the Audition were auditioning for the role of Mimi so I also said I would consider Maureen because it would give me another opportunity but I really wanted the role of Mimi.  We were told we only had to sing one song and to pick our best one and if they wanted to hear the other one they would tell you.  People went in one by one and I went outside to practice one last time before I auditioned.  I decided on 'Another Day' and when I got called into the room, the Casting Director told them my name and I went in with energy and smiles, got my starting note from the accompanist and sang my song.  My voice wasn't as strong as I wanted it to be but there was nothing more I could do about that and I had done my best to be able to make it through the song, so I sang with emotion, love, hopefulness, and strength as Mimi did.  I felt the part, I felt the song, and as they thanked me when I finished up, I knew that I did my best but that this time it just wasn't good enough.  Once everyone finished we went downstairs to learn the choreography and that was pretty easy and a lot of fun.  We got partnered up and worked through the choreography a few times, rehearsing it in front of the Directors and Producers and then doing it in small groups.  I felt a lot stronger in my dancing because of my theater background and my ability to have fun with the steps and add some flair to it.  I also knew, no matter how well I danced, they had already made their decisions for call-backs, so I had fun, smiled, and flipped my hair with sass.  

 

They announced the names of those who would attend call-backs tomorrow and I was not one of them.  I'm definitely bummed but there's nothing I can do.  I did my best and I got to Audition for a show that I've always wanted to be a part of and hopefully I'll get another opportunity when I'm not sick with a cold.  I'm proud that I went to this audition and gave it my all, no regrets, and they'll be more challenges and opportunities in the future!  As for my Myspace Interview, that'll be up in the next few weeks and I'll post that link as soon as I have it.  

 

Stay warm everyone and keep your eye on the prize!