Audition 15 and no Nerves!!

Yesteray was audition number 15!! It was the first one I went into minus the nerves...it just takes time getting used to. You wouldn't think just turning a camera on would cause you to forget EVERYTHING you had rehearsed for 2 hours...but yep...it's happened. But not yesterday! Recording myself at home has helped so much. I record and then play it back so I can make little adjustments here and there. I'm getting there!  

Who Says Graveyards are Creepy?



Todd and Tracey: A House in Los Osos


I admit I'm afraid of a lot of things; clowns, the dark, ghosts, bad haircuts, and the list goes on. But I do have to admit that this graveyard shoot was not as scary as I thought it would be. First of all, I showed up to the wrong Baptist Church on Bethel Hickory Grove Road. Because I was so excited and I had no idea where I was going, I wanted to get there early...just to make sure. There were no cars in the parking lot so I decided to drive down the road along the graveyard...still no people. So I wait. By this time it was after my call time and I decided to stop at one of the FARMS to ask about the church. "Oh", says the female farmer, "You want the WHITE Baptist church. It's about a 1/4 mile down the road". TWO Hickory baptist churches within a mile of each other!

As I pull up I see cars and people! Whew, I'm in the right spot. And this graveyard is creepier than the other one. Mainly because there is a newly dug grave with an empty chair on top of it!! They hadn't started yet so I didn't hold anyone up by being late. (What a way to impress people!!) It's still the middle of witner here, even though it's the south, it's still pretty cold to be running around a graveyard in a nightgown with no socks and shoes. BUT that's exactly what I did. AND HAD A BLAST!!! After all of those movies where I get freaked out, I get to be the one doing the scaring this time!!! Just when I was starting to freak MYSELF out, a Sherrif's car comes rolling on up. Just checking the freak by the grave marker out. Then the pastor and his kids come by to watch for a bit. Talk about surreal! Anyway, what a great local flick by amazing local talent. Mark Cornell is directing this one called A House in Los Osos. (Yes, that means the bears) What a great day!  



And the Money Comes Rollin' In!

Ok, so it's more like the money comes trickleing in...Woo hoo! My first paychecks from film work!!! Somehow, I thought they would be bigger. BUT that only means it's up from here. I can't tell you how excited I was to see that first check envelope in the mailbox...then I opened it up! The good news is the taxes were already taken out!

Southern - It's Official!

How long does it take to become Southern? Well, for me it took 13 years. At first, it would just come out when I was mad or when I was driving. (That's pretty much the same thing or those of you who know me.) Now, I notice it's almost everyday. I'll catch myself saying little things like, "no", which seems like too small of a word to make Southern. Let me assure you, it's not. It comes out more like, "knooow". You know you are a real Southerner when the check out guy at Target says, "You're not used to the snow because you're FROM the South." "What makes you say that, Mr. Target check out man?" "Oh, it's your accent ma'am." - It's official...we'll get to the ma'am comment later...

This is a true story. Names have been changed.

Technologically Impaired

I've never claimed to be great with electronics, computers or anything remotely "techy". Hey, I'm and actor, I just PRETEND to understand technology. We got a new Kodak ZI8 so that I could record my own auditions and save time! Who were we kidding??? Like I said, got the acting part down, so the recording of the audition was not a problem. It was the TECHNICAL side that was difficult. The file was way too big to email, over 42mb and I couldn't figure out how to compress the file so I could email it. (Just by writing the letters mb, I'm second guessing myself, is that right? You see, it's exhausting!) Please, if anyone knows how to do it, let me know. My sanity is hanging in by a thread!

Add "Neighbor" to my acting resume

Add "neighbor" to my acting resume. We filmed on Thursday in Charlotte for the pilot episode of Homeland a new drama for the Showtime network. Getting up at 4:30 am has it's perks, no traffic on the roads. I got to the set around 5:40 am to fill out my extra voucher and set out my wardrobe choices for the costumer. Listen, this girl came prepared with my ENTIRE suitcase full of scarves, gloves, pants, suits, sweaters and coats. They said bring choices! Plus, I wasn't sure if I was playing a reporter, photographer, or a neighbor. (I'm just making excuses, I would've packed as much regardless.)

There was still snow on the ground and it was COLD for an outdoor shoot. But it was so much fun to be a part of the action. When you are watching your favorite show, you don't realize how much goes into just the first five minutes or a simple crowd scene. It's filmed from several different angles, each time focusing on some different aspect of the scene. Gives you a whole new appreciation. Anyway, I was so excited to be a part of that scene and will hopefully be called back again. Great way to earn a paycheck!

What a fun filled day! Talk about your extremes! Went from filming in Charlotte yesterday morning to the Dean Dome in Chapel yesterday evening...sports and entertainment all rolled into a perfect day!! Thanks for winning Tar Heels!!

Roll with the Punches

If you want it to snow in Durham, the trick is for me to have an audition that day or the next. It seems to be a recurring theme, but this Southerner has Northern roots and knows how to handle the ice and snow. Drove to an audition on Saturday and although it wasn't snowing hard here in Durham, by the time we got to Greensboro it looked like white Dip-N-Dots falling from the sky. As a side note, don't try to eat them from a moving car. They hurt your face and don't taste anything like ice cream.

Isn't it funny that no matter how hard to prepare for an audition, they will throw something at you that has NOTHING to do with the script or the role. A few posts back, I mentioned I was trying to perfect my German accent for a role, vell zat vas perfect....BUT I didn't get a chance to showcase that much at the audition. Instead I did a scene as a mute girl...that's right...in hindsight I should have performed that scene much better! In their defense, it makes sense for the character to be able to communicate without words since she doesn't understand English. Totally understand where they were going with that. The point is, no matter how well you are prepared for an audition, you have to be able to roll with the punches and be spontaneous. Just go with it! (and for those of you who have been asking, I'm still NOT taking my clothes off for a role!) :)