Another adventure (of a different kind)

I've been thinking for a while about starting another blog, to talk about food and exloring local things in LA...and today, I did!

Eat and Explore

My first 'official' entry is about today's hike at Santa Ynez Canyon. :)

Hope you enjoy!

Bits and Pieces

Thursday, I had a meeting with a friend's talent manager. It was okay. He reps people who are more developed than I am, as far as credits go, so when he told me it was "a little early", I wasn't surprised. I don't really remember much of the meeting, except that he had a lot of opinions about a lot of things, and I did a lot more listening than I did talking. He basically told me to keep in touch, keep him posted on what I'm up to, etc. He might have been full of shit, but I'll do it anyway. Either it will be something that could develop, or it won't be.

Upon leaving the meeting, I checked my phone and saw that my commercial agents had called, with an auditon for Friday. It was for Pediasure, and they were looking for a soccer mom type. I am on the young end of the age bracket they wanted. I went into the audition on Friday, having looked at the sides (which said that they wanted even older than the audition info stated) and hoping that I looked a little older and more soccer-mom-ish than usual. :) I guess I did fine? It was an interesting audition--the spot has two moms watching a soccer game, commenting on what their kids ate and how they were moving (quick vs. slow). They wanted it laid back. So, I was laid back. Anyway, we'll see what happens. I was just happy to have an audition with a new casting office--I sent a thank you card on my way out the door. :)

I've been working on my apartment this weekend, and busy with work beyond that, so I haven't been updating as much. I did transcribe a scene last night, for future use in class or a workshop. I'm thinking about how to alter a scene that I wrote, to make it easier to shoot. I was supposed to have a writing meeting today, but I'm not sure if that will happen...I started painting my bedroom, and I really have no idea how long it will take (on a break right now, to let the one and half walls that I painted dry, to see if I need another coat or just touch ups, before I move on).

Oh, some interesting videos for folks to watch...interviews with the dramatic actor Emmy nominees (Matthew Fox, Jon Hamm, Bryan Cranston, Alexander Skarsgard, Ray Romano and Matt Bomer) from The Hollywood Reporter:

Love. My. Class.

I really have the best acting coach and the best acting class. I'm so lucky. My coach is so effing amazing. My classmates are so effing talented.

Our class tonight started with our usual guided meditation time, to get centered and relax, to do some imagery. Then we talked about Jungian psychology, how it relates to acting and characters, and also how it relates to our own life. We had to each identify elements of our own Shadows and suggest scenes for one another to explore those elements. I love this aspect of our class. The technique is rooted in psychology, and it's effective as hell, because it really allows for a character study. Combining that with detailed imagery to create experiences and memories from the lives of characters...powerful. (I'm not doing the technique justice here, but trust me--amazing results. And a safe, open, supportive environment.)

I did a scene that was originally an improv, based on an idea I'd had for a script, which I'd written into a scene. We ran it once, with great results, then made some adjustments to see what would happen. We ended up throwing in a section of improv, largely based on what I was saying to deflect the emotional intensity of the scene, and it ended up paying off hugely, because as soon as my partner hugged me, I went from laughing to sobbing. I love moments like that. Just being in the moment with whomever I am acting with, reacting without thinking, allowing emotion to be there and come out how it's going to come out. Love it.

I brought the scene to Amanda (my partner) because we both need footage for our dramatic reels. I hope we get to shoot it, because I think it'll be great for both of us. :)

Everyone else did great work tonight, too. I love watching such talented people each week, watching how each of them have breakthroughs and rise to new levels. So amazing and rewarding!

Next week, I'm diving into a scene from The Constant Gardener, which is a script that I just picked up again after a few years. I think I understand it a lot better now, and I'm excited to work on it. :)

I also had a fun photo shoot this morning! My headshot photographer called me yesterday, to see if I wanted to serve as a model for a lighting test, and in exchange, I'd get some free headshots out of it. I moved my schedule around so I'd be free and said yes! It ended up being a lot of fun. There were these insane lights that were so cool, and the three photogs were playing with angles, lighting, shading, exposure, etc. Some interesting photos, for sure--my fellow model had a few really killer shots! I saw a few of mine, and I'm interested to see what everything looked like. Felicity threw me a few more headshots, just as a thank you. I mostly just changed clothes, more than changing 'looks' too much, as I was doing my own makeup and hair. So...we'll see! I bet I might have gotten something fun out of it!

I have a meeting with a talent manager tomorrow, should be interesting. Just excited to meet new people!

(photos were taken on the iPhone of Felicity van der Hidde, my longtime headshot photographer--she's the blonde in the wideshot, taking the photo of me with Elgin)

Headshots That Book

Hey, I'm a model, right?

On Saturday, I was interviewed by The Working Actor. I think the piece will run sometime in the next couple of weeks. Not sure which bits of the interview will be posted. Mark came by the previous Saturday, to shoot some still photos. This weekend, we taped an interview. I think the images will be fun--lots of dogs to look at, anyway! :)

I got a call today from my lovely, longtime headshot photographer, Felicity Murphy, asking me if I was available for a test photo shoot tomorrow morning. They were in need of a model, I think for lighting purposes, and she thought of me! In return for modeling for them, I'll get a few free headshots out of it. So, that's cool! I get to help out a friend, meet some new people, and get some free pics--awesome!

I have some ideas for what I want to shoot as far as looks go, just not sure how long we'll have, or what the set up will be. Also, am doing my own hair and makeup. I will figure out my hair, but I'm never sure if I do my own makeup well or not. I tend to feel like a five year old putting on mom's mascara when I do it. :) Definitely a skill I need to learn...or need to improve, anyway. :)

Also, class tomorrow! Woo! Meeting with a rep on Thursday! Woo!

Here's the thing...

I've been posting the Actors Rights Now emails as information, that's all. It's important to be informed about how this impacts us all, and their emails provide some valuable information. I've included links to the law itself, via an email from a casting director workshop business, too. I will post the language of the law itself, if I can...but maybe in a later post, because I'm really tired right now. :) I also included a link to an article about everything, in an older post, from Backstage West (I think--again, tired).

Let me clarify how I feel about what I've read/seen/been told:

I think it's important that there be laws in place to protect actors from shady businesses that would exploit them to earn a buck. I do. I think it's especially important to protect people who don't know any better, i.e. new actors in the industry, the parents of young hopefuls who aren't well versed in the industry, even folks who are so driven by needing validation that they don't always see things clearly, etc. When I lived in Chicago, I actually dated a guy who was "discovered" by a modeling/acting "agency" that came to visit his community college. He gave this company his checking account information, so that they could take money out each month, in order to rep him--and that they did, and it wasn't cheap. When I found out, I was APPALLED (and I told him so, explaining that no legitimate rep in the world would charge money up front, and he should never have given them his checking info). This guy simply did not know any better and was being preyed upon because he was validated by the idea that someone thought he could be a model. This is one example of someone who would really benefit from laws like this one.

That being said, I do think there is a way to protect these people (and all of us actors) while still allowing legitimate casting director workshop businesses to continue to do business as usual (i.e. allow casting directors to take headshots with them). I don't think the new law needs to be abolished or struck down, but I do think it could be amended. There are some great, legitimate businesses in LA that allow actors to be seen by casting directors, to receive valuable feedback, to make connections, etc. (And maybe people would take issue with the term "legitimate casting director workshops businesses", thinking that none of them are actually legitimate, or that the law has stripped the title of "legitimate" from all of them...I'm just too tired to argue that point right now. I'm not saying they're wrong, I'm not saying they're right.)

My suggestion (and this may be in existence already, who knows): create a specific board to review/monitor the business practices of every casting director workshop business in the city and make sure that they are practicing fairly and in compliance (Yes, the Talent Agency Licensing Department might qualify for the job, if they don't already do something similar). Those businesses that pass inspection and are certified should be allowed to continue to operate as usual, i.e. allowing cds to take headshots. They can be required to be recertified every six months or a year, and to make that information public and clearly/easily available to their patrons. Something similar to the way that LA handles health inspections in restaurants--there could even be a grading system, if they really wanted to get that specific about it. Is there a possibility that actors might still be taken advantage of? Sure. But that possibility still exists, even with the current law...because, let's face it, there will be shady businesses that will ignore it.

Some people might not understand why there is a such a flap about casting directors being able to take headshots with them. There are a few reasons why this is upsetting to a lot of people:

~Handing a cd your headshot before you read with them allows them to make a stronger connection to you. It's a visual reminder that sets you apart from other actors.

~Some workshops allow room for cds to critique your headshot, which is valuable information for a lot of actors, since our headshot is an integral part of how we market ourselves, how we reach people, and a required part of our resume. Hearing consistent types of feedback can help us determine if we are costing ourselves work by marketing ourselves with a less than stellar choice of a headshot.

~I often see casting directors make notes on headshot/resumes during/after a read. I know that the majority of casting folks I've seen keep files from workshops, and having the headshots with them, with notes, is an easier system than pairing things up after the fact. (more on this later)

~Mailings add up. To mail a headshot and resume (with or without cover letter) is above $1 per mailing. That does not include costs for the envelope, and the standard that I see are the clear front headshot envelopes (which I use myself). I won't factor in costs for the headshot printing and resume paper (I purchase mine specially cut to fit 8x10 headshots, but you can cut it yourself--not as clean--or pay to have it done at Kinkos), since an actor would be spending that even if they handed the headshot to the casting director in person. Regardless, adding more cost to entire thing by forcing actors to mail the headshots after the workshop...it might seem trivial, but it is annoying. In my case, that would add a mailing for me, since I also send thank you cards with postcards inside of them, after every workshop.

~Mailings also get lost or ignored. So, there's that.

~Preventing cds from taking headshots with them makes their job harder. These are busy people, who take time to come and do these workshops. Yes, they get paid to do it, but many of them are genuinely giving and open with the time they spend with us actors. Having to wait for actors to send in their headshots, then go through and pair the headshots up with the notes for their files...it's just an extra, unnecessary step.

Sure, having to pay to see casting folks is not ideal. And yes, there have been times where I've felt taken advantage of, even at legitimate businesses--but it's never the business that has been the offending party, but the individual casting person and their treatment of the actors in the workshop. After all, there's no law against assholes.

(For the record: The majority of casting folks that I see at workshops come across as decent people who like their jobs and treat actors with respect. I've had some really amazing workshops with casting folks who gave a lot of their time and put thought and consideration into their notes to us.)

I look at workshops as an educational experience, in addition to being an opportunity to create a relationship, get in the room, make a fan, etc. I learn from every workshop I attend, whether it's simply about the office of that cd, their process and notes about the casting process, to things about my type, my headshot, my work--and there is a lot of value in that, which I have taken back to apply to my career. I learn about how I process things, how I interpret notes, where I have hang ups, and I find opportunities to grow...it's been really, really valuable to me, because it enhances my skills. It's worth the price (which is often on par with a single night of class at most acting studios, if not actually less) to be able to learn and experience all of those things. This is just how I happen to look at it--it's my personal view, and not everyone might share it, but that's fine. And, for the record, all of this is before I even consider the chance of being called in for work.

And, on that last point, it does happen. I have a number of friends who have booked roles after meeting casting directors at workshops. They've developed relationships with these casting folks after having met them at workshops, they begin to have relationships with their offices, they've gone on auditions, and sometimes, it does end up in a booking. Before every workshop I have attended, there is always a disclaimer that the workshop is not a promise of a job--and it's not. It's an opportunity. A chance to learn, to play, to grow, to be seen...and who knows where that might take you.

Again, I do think it is incredibly important to protect actors, no matter how seasoned or green they might be. Actors tend to be preyed upon because it's easy--it's a giant pool of people in LA, who are often seeking validation, and new additions show up every day. I just think the entire thing could be handled better. I do think there is a way to separate the legitimate from the shady, and I think that's the key to making this work for everyone involved.

Update: New Law

This is from Actors Rights Now:

This just in. SAG co-sponsered the law. They have received letters from
actors praising this new law. Please makes sure to send an email or letter
to SAG to let them know how you feel.

We have had a few of you ask why this law was created. And I know there has
been a lot of anger directed towards those who have created the law. The
short answer is that I believe the lawmakers had good intentions, they were
trying to protect us. However, they have made a blanket law with poor
language that is now hurting us. Simply put, we need to have them change
the language.

Thank you!

Actors Rights Now

They also sent an additional email, which included this passage:

Thank you for joining this email list. And I have to send a big "THANK YOU"
to all of those actors who have cc'd us on their email's to the City
Attorney's office. This is indeed the first step in what may be a long
process. I ask that you please keep up the fight, don't get discouraged.
And do continue to cc this address with those emails. They may come in
handy in the future. I know that this business can be exhausting and this is
just one more thing to add to the stress of an actor's life. But know that
in the long run, we can win the battle to change this poorly written law.
And as was suggested by a fellow actor on this list, we should also make
sure to include Paul Krekorian who is the originator of the bill at:
councilmember.krekorian@lacity.org. And yes, he also has a Facebook page...


We are going to do our best to keep you as informed as possible. We know
that there are pockets of actors here and there, who are just as outraged
about what is occurring with CD Workshops. What we need, is to start
finding who they are and get them to be vocal, as well. What would be
helpful is for us to have one large group instead of tiny factions here and
there. Actors Rights Now is one source. However, we would like to
introduce you to www.befreetochoose.org. I met with the Actor running this site today and we are joining forces to try and change the wording of the law. David H. Lawrence is the owner of this site and is really on the ball with what is going on. In addition, he knows the history of how this all
came about. He is a great resource and is working to find lawyers willing
to assist with our plight. I encourage you to go to his site and leave
comments as well as subscribe to his RSS feed.

Update on the New Law

This is an email from Actors Rights Now (actorsrightsnow@gmail.com), with some great suggestions for LA actors to get involved in the movement to fight back against the law that is now impacting legitimate casting director workshop businesses:

Thank you for getting involved.


We are in the process of gathering information about the law, so that we can fight back. It is very clear to myself and all the actors around me that we have NOT been asked our thoughts about this new law. While I respect and appreciate the intention behind the law, I feel that it is incredibly misguided and being misdirected at the CD workshop businesses that are legitimate.

So here are a few simple things we can start doing:

1. Be informed and inform others. We need to get the word out ASAP. This law is in the process of negotiation. The sooner we get involved the better. Please tell every actor you know about it and direct them to this email address: actorsrightsnow@gmail.com . The more Actors we have fighting for our rights the better. We will have a Facebook page up as soon as possible.

2. Email, call, snail-mail the City attorney and the CSA. Tell them how you feel. It's your career. What business do they have to be involved with it? I would also suggest sending one headshot to the City Attorney, with your letter of discontent. I think it would be quite a statement if his office was inundated with headshots. He may finally understand, first hand how many of us there are, and how strongly we feel.

3. Call the City Attorney and request a "Town Hall" meeting to discuss the law and allow actors to be heard. Again, no one has asked the Actors how they feel about any of this. The City Attorney is just that. He has no idea what goes into being an actor.

More information to come.

If you would like to be even more involved or have a special skill that can be useful in this fight, please let us know. Also, if you have any ideas, please send them this way as well.

Thank you so much and please forward the email address far and wide. The more voices we have, the easier we can be heard!


The Division of Labor Standards:
320 W. Fourth Street, Suite 450
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 620-6330

City Attorney Carmen A. Trutanich
City Attorney Mark Lambert
City Hall East
200 N. Main Street
Room 500
Los Angeles, CA 90012
atty.talent@lacity.org
213-978-8070

The CSA
606 N. Larchmont Blvd.
Suite 4-B
Los Angeles, CA 90004-1309
Tel: 323 463 1925
Email: castingsociety@earthlink.net

Fun callback!

Had a fun callback today, for Tuesday's commercial audition! Ran into a guy in the lobby that I did a short LMU film with last year--totally random, love that! :) The callback was laid back--they wanted everything really natural, very real and low key, and let us improvise a bit. I had a great time, and I felt really good about it the entire way through--great vibe in the room after we were done. So, we'll see! Fingers crossed!

Gotta work on some writing stuff, and also starting research for a script to tackle in class. Excited about that!!!!!!!!!!!

VERY IMPORTANT POST FOR ACTORS

ACTORS:

If you participate in Casting Director Workshops in the LA area, you'll need to know about the new law that just went into effect, and what it means for you. (I posted a link to the article in an earlier blog entry, here: http://gratitudeandattitude.blogspot.com/2010/05/article-for-actors-crackdown-on-casting.html)

Below is an email that was sent out from The Actor's Key, which is a well-known and respected workshop center in LA. I've highlighted the important change to procedure in bold, because it's something we should all be aware of:

To our valued actors:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As I'm sure most of you have heard, there is a law in
place (it has been since January 2010) called The
Krekorian Talen Scam Prevention Act of 2009 (AKA
Assembly Bill No. 1319), which took effect in January
of 2010 with regard to talent training services, of which
we are one. If you would like to read it in its entirety
(we encourage you to so that you know your rights),
go to
http://leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/calawquery? codesection=lab&codebody=&hits=20 **(If this link doesn't work, go to http://leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html , and click on LABOR CODE, then on instructions below)
You then click on the CHAPTER 4.5. FEE-RELATED TALENT SERVICES.
You can click on each individual section (1701-1705.6).


**(If this link doesn't work, go to
http://leginfo.ca.gov/calaw.html , and click on LABOR
CODE, then on instructions below)

You then click on the CHAPTER 4.5. FEE-RELATED
TALENT SERVICES.

You can click on each individual section
(1701-1705.6).

We want you to be informed, but we also want you to
know that we are in compliance with all elements of
this new law. We are in the process of being bonded,
and we have personally spoken to attorney Mark
Lambert, who has been extremely helpful with going
over all levels of the law with us to ensure that we are
in compliance. We have spoken with the Labor
Commissioner's Office, as well as the Talent Agency
Licensing Department (while we are obviously not a
talent agency, they handle all fee-related
entertainment businesses, which include acting
schools/acting workshop places, coaching places, OR
talent agency- essentially, anyone who charges ANY
sort of fee for anything entertainment related, including
education), and gained all the information pertinent to
our workshops, and to this new law.

This new law will not affect our workshop format, save
for one aspect, as everything else complies with the
law, and you will continue to be able to be educated
by professionals in the industry on acting technique,
and the entertainment world as a business. We want
to remind you that our workshops are educational, and
our goal is for you to walk away with a little more
knowledge, a little more confidence, and a positive
experience. While we realize that taking workshops,
like taking acting classes, singing lessons, dancing
lessons, dialect lessons, etc., can help you to gain
work eventually because you are a better actor and
have stronger skills, we want to reiterate that there is
never any guarantee of this.

With this said, we can no longer allow the casting
directors to take your headshots with them. This
implies an audition (as would anything like us sending
the CDs your website links). You are certainly allowed
to follow up on your own with a teacher, and send
them anything that you wish to after class, and yes,
you can mention that you met them at our place, as
can any representative of yours that speaks to them in
the future.

If you any questions, concerns or comments on the
law,we would encourage you to make your voice and
opinion heard, so that they are taken into consideration.

To that end, we have been made aware of a group of
actors that has begun to get together to discuss how
this law affects actors, and is setting up a facebook
page in the near future for actors to discuss their rights
and this law. Their email is
actorsrightsnow@gmail.com if you would like
to get involved.

We also wanted to provide the following information:

The Division of Labor Standards:
320 W. Fourth Street, Suite 450
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 620-6330

City Attorney Carmen A. Trutanich
City Attorney Mark Lambert
City Hall East
200 N. Main Street
Room 500
Los Angeles, CA 90012
atty.talent@lacity.org
213-978-8070

The CSA
606 N. Larchmont Blvd.
Suite 4-B
Los Angeles, CA 90004-1309
Tel: 323 463 1925
Email: castingsociety@earthlink.net

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We do not have any affiliation with any of these
groups, but we wanted to give you all the information
we have in order for you to make informed decisions
and get involved if you decide you want to. It's your
career, your money, your life, and we wish you all
success in this business. Please don't hesitate to
contact us if you have questions- we are here to help
you!All the best,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Actor's Key Family
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I understand the need to protect people from the sort of groups that do prey on actors (and the parents of young performers) who do not know any better, but I do find it frustrating that they've removed the option of allowing a casting director to take our headshots with them from the workshops, especially at businesses that are otherwise compliant with the law. It's just a hassle. Not the end of the world, that's for sure--but it adds another step to the process, and yes, it is expensive, as well as inconvenient (even for the cds, I'd think, as I know a lot of the casting folks I see actually use the headshots to write notes, etc, and keep them for files). I already send thank you cards after each workshop, so this just adds another step (and expense, I suppose). Who knows, maybe it will change?

Anyway, consider this a heads up!

Woot!

I'm not really a "woot" person, but eh, thought I'd try it.

Callback tomorrow! It's for the commercial audition that I had on Tuesday! Looking forward to it!!!!!!!

Interesting class tonight--lots of great work by everyone. I'm in a bit of a weird headspace lately, although I'm doing good work--just...feeling off. Gotta work that out. But, at least, still able to do the work and whatnot. Maybe I just need to find a character that I really love. Sometimes, that's the right medicine. :)

Quickie

I had a fun audition today, for a commercial--not 100% sure what it was for, as the copy referred to some yogurt nobody's ever heard of...so, it's either for a mystery brand of yogurt that didn't want its name used, or it's for something completely different. Anyway, here's hoping I get a callback! I'm sending a thank you card tomorrow!

Article for Actors: Crackdown on Casting Workshops

http://www.backstage.com/bso/news-and-features-news/casting-workshop-crackdown-1004090772.story

*bouncy*

I had a great day!

Worked on some general stuff online earlier today, then went on a nice hike under the cloudy skies. :)

Had a good writing meeting tonight, with one of my co-creators. We hammered out the future character arcs for our main characters, for the pitchbook. Very cool. Looking forward to finishing up the book, so we can have it ready to go with the pilot script. I found a couple of small things to fix in the pilot, but they aren't urgent--just things to tweak when we have a chance.

After watching the finale of Six Feet Under last night, I wrote a scene for myself and a friend, to do in class--but also to possibly film for our dramatic reels. It felt good to write something again. Been a while. :)

I have a commercial audition tomorrow. Two of my agents called me at the same time, after hours, to tell me about it. I felt so loved! :) Looking forward to it--new casting director!

Six Feet Under: Finale

I just got done watching the finale of Six Feet Under. It destroyed me.

What a really perfect piece of television.

I have mixed feelings about the series as a whole--there were a lot of things I loved about it, and a lot of things I felt were totally off the mark--but the finale was heartbreaking in a really beautiful way. Keith's portion? That sent me over the edge. One of my favorite things about the series was the evolution of David and Keith's relationship. It felt so authentic and was so well acted.

Anyway, I'm happy to have finished the series, because it definitely upped my anxiety level, but the finale kinda makes me sad that it's over.

Speaking of finales, I cannot believe that LOST ends in less a week. I'm in denial.

UP date

I just checked my IMDb page. I am up 155% in popularity, since last week. Wow! Must be the Taft-Hartley Yourself article! :)

Speaking of articles, did a prelim photo shoot today, for a possible interview to appear online. If all goes well and it works out, I will post a link here. Keep your fingers crossed!

Oh, and I updated a bunch of stuff on IMDb, including giving myself a vanity url:

http://www.imdb.me/daniellecloutier

:)

Scene opens on the African Plains...

I had a hilarious audition today, for a commercial, in which I had to stand on a box with two other actors and encourage/cheer on/react to a man getting chased by ravenous, wild animals (a coffee cup kindly stood in for the running man). It was ridiculous amounts of fun! Commercials can be so silly sometimes, and it's SO MUCH FUN to get to go play at those auditions!! I love love LOVE it!!! I had a great time in the room, and I felt good about what I did, so we shall see!! It may come down to a look thing, since they are casting a bunch of people.

While waiting for the audition, which was at 200 S. La Brea, I was treated with an interesting chance to people-watch other actors. The place was absolutely packed--and it's a large facility. It was actually physically hot in the main room. Hot and humid. Because of how many people were there. I've never seen it so busy!! There were multiple castings for the same product, by two different casting offices, and TONS of children, which seemed to double (if not triple) the number of bodies in the room, because of their parents and siblings. I also happened to arrive just after 4pm, which is when the ticketing/towing starts on La Brea. When announcements were made that the last of the cars was being towed, and what car it was, some poor guy freaked and ran outside--when he came back, he told everyone he'd saved the car from being towed, but had to pay $209 to get them to release it. It was just a crazy sort of situation to observe, lots of intense energy.

I stood pretty close to the door for my audition, partly because there were so few areas left to sit (all of the bench things were filled or blocked). Since I was standing so close to the sign in sheet, I was asked questions here and there by incoming actors. I was also afforded the opportunity to watch a woman crash the audition.

She was there with her two daughters, who were both auditioning for something AND had callbacks for something else, so she figured she'd just crash the one audition she thought she fit, since she was already there. Unbeknownst to her, the session assistant was checking the sign in sheet with the registration list that came directly from the casting director. Which meant that the crasher got busted.

I was standing right next to her when the assistant asked her what her name was, checked the list, and said she wasn't on there. The woman mumbled some excuse, gave her agency name, then got "distracted" looking for her children. The assistant pressed her on it, and finally got her to admit she was crashing. It was SO awkward. The assistant let her audition, but it was so beyond mortifying to watch--and a number of the actors in the area were watching, I just happened to be the one closest to it...which also meant that the crasher looked at me while it was going on and was 'commiserating', for lack of a better description, with me. After it was over, she was super friendly with me, in a "bonding" sort of way--i.e. touching my hand, etc. It was hilarious. And awkward.

I don't really care that she crashed, because people do it all the time (although, I never have, mostly because I'm scared I'll be busted and reamed out for it--that's the good little Catholic girl upbringing at play). I just thought it was funny that she wanted to bond with me afterward. :)

Anyway, it was really, really interesting to watch the whole thing go down. Afterward, we got our instructions from the session runner, then waited our turn to go into the room, in groups. I stood just inside the hallway that separates the main waiting floor from the casting rooms, where it was cooler/quieter, and chatted with a guy in my group and the session assistant. It's always nice to chat with other friendly folks before a session--I think it gets me out of my head a little more.

I had a lot of fun today and was so excited to be back at it, auditioning for a new commercial. So, fingers crossed that I get a callback! I had a lot of fun and felt good about it! Also, am sending out a thank you card tomorrow, to the CD (per my usual routine). So yay!!!

Getting back on the horse

I went to see my friend Clementina perform at IO West this evening, with her improv group "Soups You Like"--if you can ever check them out, do it, they're excellent. Very smart, quick and funny.

The evening was structured to fit in some short form games open to anyone who wanted to play, so I got a chance to get up on stage a couple of times, which was fun (even though it was also painful at times, in the sense that I haven't been actively improving in that manner in a long time, except for once a week in class--and we don't always do comedic, short form games). Always good to get up and stretch that muscle--it's a very different beast than acting, in a sense. A great mental workout!

tiny update

Have a meeting scheduled in two weeks! Yay!

Six Feet Under

I've been blazing through all five seasons of Six Feet Under recently--had never watched it before. It's an interesting show. There are things I love about it and things I'm ambivalent about...it has cemented my undying love of Michael C. Hall, that's for sure. I've seen the first three seasons of Dexter, so I really just knew him from that, and it says a lot about his talent that I completely forget he's a) Michael C. Hall and b) Dexter when I watch SFU.

I'm actually working on a scene from SFU this week in class, playing Brenda. I'm always on the lookout for new scenes to do for class, particularly great dramatic pieces or pieces with two women (because there are more women than men in my class). So, I'm having fun hunting for scenes while watching the show. It's funny to me that the majority of my decent footage is from comedy, when I do so much drama in class. Just hard to get good drama on tape, I suppose--most short internet projects are comedic, in part because there's more of an audience for that. Not sure anyone really wants to watch me perform excerpts from Neil LaBute's bash: medea redux. Well, maybe. :) Definitely wouldn't get rated high on Funny-or-Die, though. :) However, I have been thinking about possible short things to film, for a dramatic reel, because I really do need one...hrm...

Ah, just some late night musings. I'll leave you with a puntastic pun, courtesy of SFU:

"What do you call an Italian hooker? A Pasta-tute."

Well hey there!

I had an audition this afternoon for a cute project, and I was happy for the opportunity to make a new contact! My character was a "quirky" type, but I went in and just kept it low key, as opposed to acting at being quirky. I thought about trying to be more comedically quirky, but it felt weird, so I went back to being a little more normal about it. I had a fun time!

The entire day kind of started out hairy, though! There was a bit of a snafu with the location, which was really just a matter of communication not coming through--the location had changed, but I wasn't aware of it until I got to the old location. A phone call to the gal who submits me on stuff straightened out--she'd received the notice of the location change, but she hadn't checked her computer all day, so she didn't know about it until I asked her what was going on. :) I was all concerned that I was then going to be late, as the actual location was across town (in a sense), but they had opened it up to just being a window of time for auditions, as opposed to actual appointments. So it all worked out! :) Sometimes, that stuff happens...best just to roll with it and take it all in with good humor. Otherwise, life is gonna suck a lot more, right?

Anyway, upon going into the room to do my read, I was introduced to the cd and found out that she's a reader of this blog (Hi, Brandi!). Very cool! Kind of a surreal feeling, in a way--I write this, obviously, but I don't think I really believed people were reading it...but you never know! Anyway, I enjoyed the overall experience, and we shall see what happens! I'm so grateful to be getting out there and meeting new folks, especially ones who are making things happen for themselves--so inspiring!

Speaking of, I sent an email off the my friend's manager, to see about getting a meeting with him...*fingers crossed*!

I'm looking to meet with my co-creators on the pilot sometime soon--we're just all so busy right now! In the meantime, I've been thinking more about an idea that I had a couple of years ago...it'd be for a tv pilot, but not sure about some of the details of it yet (i.e. length). I loved this idea back in the day, though. My ex boyfriend didn't think it would ever sell because of the content matter, so I kind of dropped it at the time, but I think it's got merit, if done correctly. The premise is interesting, and I do think that the ideas of what people will accept in what they choose to watch on tv have expanded. At any rate, it's something to think about.

In the meantime, I'm thinking about posting a few pics from the pitchbook...we'll see... :)

Mother Jones luuuuurvs us

A couple of quick things:

One, my friend just completed editing my comedic reel, which is now online! Yay! I worked on my cover letter to the manager (to whom I have a referral), and I plan on emailing him on Monday (referral contact said it was the best way to do things with this particular manager). Fingers crossed!

Two, my mother called me at 3:40am her time to tell me that my Big Lots commercial was referenced in the May-June 2010 issue of Mother Jones Magazine, at the end of an article about hoarders. The article is not publically available online (yet), but you can access it if you sign up for their email alerts. That being said...



A direct link to the text is here:

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/2812/textfrommotherjonesarti.jpg


Oh, and as for the comedy reel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akNCNE-1SWE



***edit***: I just noticed that the video player is cut off on the right side of the column...not sure if that's been happening the entire time, or just today...but, anyway, to see the FULL picture, just click on the direct link above. :)

Shout out!

My brilliant and amazing and talented and wonderful friend Bilal was recently nominated for a Jeff Award for his play "The Man Who Was Thursday":

http://bit.ly/bilalnom

Bilal is a friend from college--we were in an improv/sketch group together, where we actually co-produced/co-directed a show, and co-wrote one sketch (which was the sketch that marked my first attempt at writing anything to be performed...which I also adapted for the Second City show this past December). I have appeared in two of Bilal's plays, one at school, and one in Chicago, just prior to moving to LA. I have an incredible respect for his work. He's disturbingly talented. And finally getting the recognition he's long deserved.

Bilal is a member of the NeoFuturists. If you are in Chicago, I highly recommend you check out their weekly show, Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind, which is a collection of 30 plays performed in 60 minutes. It's really amazing, interesting, thought provoking theatre, and Bilal is an awesome member of the ensemble:

http://www.neofuturists.org

RIP Conoco Commercial

Well...bad news.

My commercial agents called today to tell me that I got cut out of the Conoco Phillips commercial, so I'm not getting paid the buy-out lump sum. So...that sucks. A lot. The money would have been really helpful, as money always tends to be, but I also would have loved to have had the footage and had it be running, if only for my family to see. I need to call the production company and see if there's any chance they have my footage, just for my reel.

It's an unfortunate situation, and a new experience for me. I'm bummed. But, I'm trying to look at it from this perspective:

~I had another experience on set, which is always great.
~I booked the commercial to begin with, so my agents know that I can book.
~I no longer have a conflict for gas stations.
~Since I never had the $3K from the buy out, it wasn't mine to begin with, so I'm not technically out the money (although it sure feels that way!).
~If this were a union commercial that I'd been cut out of, I'd be out WAY more money. So, this isn't so bad.

Actors get cut from things all of the time. I've known people it's happened to, and it always sucks, but it's not so uncommon. I'm trying to not take it personally, because I honestly have no actual information about why I wasn't in the final cut. My agents told me that they just received a form letter saying I hadn't made it into the final edit, with no reasons given, and that's just how it happens. I do know that I was at the end of a 30 second version of a spot that also had a 15 second version. When I was on set, I noticed that what they shot at the start of the day did not match up with my portion, and I thought it was weird at the time, but who knows...and, granted, I didn't feel great about what I did on set, but who really knows? Actors are always their own worst critics, and I am notoriously hard on myself. The urge is totally there to blame it all on myself, but the truth is, I really don't know the actual reason. So...just gotta accept it, mourn the project (and the payment), and move on.

I am grateful to have booked it and had the experience, and maybe it's good I'm learning how to deal with being cut from something at this stage in my career. :)

Yay Sunday!

Had a really nice workshop today!! The casting associate (she's on NCIS and NCIS: Los Angeles) was super nice, friendly, cool--very down to earth. And she gave us all a lot of focused attention in our reads with her, which was so awesome! I did well in my session with her (she gave me great feedback, literally said she didn't have a critical note to give!) and came away really happy with the entire thing! Definitely needed a great experience after my last workshop! :)

After running errands and whatnot, I got an email from indie casting director Bonnie Gillespie to let me know that my The Actor's Voice - POV article had been published!

http://more.showfax.com/plus/pov/2010/05/tafthartley_yourself.html

Check it out! I'm excited that it's up and out there, hopefully helping other actors!

Also, mysterious audition that was supposedly this Saturday, is actually next Saturday. :)