Tuesday, September 28, 2010

September is mostly gone

Which puts me all the closer to my end of the year deadline!
By the end of the year, I want to have a finished (polished) demo reel, and membership in SAG or AFTRA. I hope that my agency will have its acting submissions figured out by then, and if it does not, I anticipate throwing a lot of money at Actors Access come pilot season in January.

I enjoyed working with the crew at Nesson Media last week. Every last person was a film production professional who had been working on all the feature films coming through Boston. The last one to come through was What's your Number?, and it seems everyone has been waiting for the work to come back.

Game plan to go union:

Option A) requires another feature film to come through. I book work in background, and quickly buy my AFTRA membership. If I can get 4-5 days of work, it will basically pay for itself.
Offshoot of Option A) Actually get those background SAG vouchers. Make friends with the 1st AD on set? Not really sure how to go about that.

Option B) Buy my way into AFTRA, and eat the loss because no work shows up.

Option C) (preferable, but the least likely) book principal work on a SAG or AFTRA project between now and January. I can dream.

I've been stalking my actor friends' demo reels online. I know I need a couple more projects to flesh it out. Right now I want to include High Heel Samurai, Sexually Frank, my PSA from Mission Park if I can get it, (mysterious future project here), and a shot of my Marilyn Monroe wind-skirt moment from the Garment District commercial. I'm fortunate enough to have a friend who edits and produces DVDs professionally, so I know it will be well-presented. Just need to flesh out that content.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Its been a long week..

...but a fabulous one!

Tuesday I went back to Charles MGH. I had previously participated in a well-paying psyche study, and to my ( and my checking account's) delight, they called me in for another one. While the paycheck still has three weeks before it will show up, it's good money for one afternoon pressing buttons while getting an MRI.

Thursday I shot a scene for a language video with Nesson Media. Not only was production base camp in the back room of my favorite bar on Moody Street, but the entire team was great. I made friends with my scene partner, my MUA, wardrobe stylist, and Production Manager. Enron postcards and business cards were distributed, and fabulous connections were made. They even finished shooting ahead of schedule, and booked me for two more days of work. Woohoo!

Enron opened last night to a very nice turnout. It feels great to be doing live theater for an audience again. Dear readers: please come! Tickets can be found at BostonTheatreScene.com . If the $30 is too steep, please come to our pay-what-you-can wednesday night shows!

And last night, a casting director emailed me directly about a role. Its fabulous to be remembered. I cannot make the open call time for the film, but I wrote her back hoping we can work something out.

Real world employment update: I don't want to jinx it, but one of my previously mentioned seasonal opportunities has contacted me with a fabulous hourly rate, and is hoarding me away from other recruiters at her company. Updates to follow when the job is confirmed...

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Gracefully Accepting Defeat

I was fired from my first film today.

The director felt I had too many things going on. I thought I could balance it out...but I've always taken on too much. Ask me sometime about my extracurriculars at Sarah Lawrence. I don't remember if I slept.

I am disappointed. I was excited about the project. I thought I had a better rapport with the director, one that would warrant a phone call over a "Dear John" email, but the point seems to now be moot.

I think its very easy to turn around and call a person who drops you foul names, reassure yourself and others that you were too good for their project anyways, and do your best to write them off. The harder fact is that they have their goals, just like you have theirs, and you weren't helping them enough to continue your relationship.

What's worse is that this week has left me with two burned bridges: this director, and a photographer who would not stop sending harassing emails until I used the phrase "making my attorney father uncomfortable". The latter was inevitable. I am left wondering whether I could have made enough appropriate changes, and not felt I was cutting myself off from other opportunities, to salvage the former.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Getting Sick of Being Poor

I was talking with my dad yesterday, and he made a good point. Talking about being poor while in college can feel informed and relevant, but means absolutely nothing out in the real world. Now I'm actually here, and being poor sucks.

I am starting to realize what a fluke my job with Mosaic was. A part-time job that paid well that I enjoyed now seems completely unattainable. I do somewhat regret not taking their offer for full-time, but the grass is always greener when you're unemployed.

Real world jobs I've applied for in the past couple days: Theater Marketing position at Suffolk, Seasonal Marketing Coordinator for H&R Block, and a supporting marketing position for a biochem marketing firm in Cambridgeport. The last one doesn't pay as well as I'd like, but they advertise a free T pass and flexible hours. I could really use both of those things. I also spoke with my dad about putting hours in at his office again. Now that I have a decent handle on the next month or so of my schedule, it would be nice to have the income.

I've received a few phone calls from promo companies I've worked for in the past, and companies who found my profile off NARMS. They either want me to work on weekends (damn promos), or want to offer me merchandising jobs for 5 (yes five, I am not exaggerating), hours a week. I suppose the good news is that my resume and track record are strong enough to warrant being called in the first place.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

My feet hate me less than anticipated

Yesterday I went to Stoneham Theater's open call for 42nd Street. I sang well, and they asked me to stay for the dance call. While the tap was faster than anything I've done in the past, oh god, five years, I didn't completely embarrass myself. My marketability has always been that I dance well enough to be put in the back until I come on later to sing, so I was pleased with how I presented myself.

Two days ago I interviewed with Busy Bee Promotions over the phone. While in-store demos aren't my favorite thing in the world, they focus on mostly Whole Foods. Given that they sample four different products, and that there are 10 Whole Foods(ses?) within a ten mile radius, it could mean a decent amount of work for me.

I also applied to pet-sit for a dog in Concord. I attempted that career path about a year and a half ago, but no one was really going on vacation (and paying expensive pet-sitters) then.

Today I am going wardrobe shopping for Joy and the Apocalypse with my director. That being said, we'll be going to maternity stores. I plan to receive some strange looks.


Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Passive-Agressive Non-response?

So of the two photographers I mentioned last post, one continues to email me. Thus far, he's sent me a (poorly lit) photo of a kid on an electric toy car, two photos of a woman in lingerie and a fur coat in her bathtub, and an e-postcard of photos he took at the Mission Park premiere. While I don't believe he has any ulterior motives, his persistence in emailing me (supposed proof that he is capable of good photos?) is bothersome. I sent him an email a few days ago explaining why the photos from our shoot were unusable. He wanted to do a 1950s pinup shoot with me, and had been linking me to places to buy period-correct undergarments. However, at this point it seems apparent he has no lighting equipment (necessary for pinup...and most other shoots), and our shoot at my place made it more than clear that he isn't quite sure how to utilize natural light.

Lighting and equipment aside, none of the shots given to me flatter, or have any sense of composition. If it were just the lighting, then I could potentially take them to a photoshop-savvy friend...but I am hard pressed to find a photo that merits that effort.

I do feel bad. He seems like a nice enough guy, but the way in which he has latched onto me is disconcerting. I've resolved to send him a clearer message... next time he emails me. Oof.

Monday, September 13, 2010

Keep Making Work

Language video for Nesson Media aside, I am still waiting on any major job leads.

I had a couple photoshoots over the last week. I was incredibly pleased with the results from one, and incredibly disappointed in another. So it goes. However, after getting favorable responses on the more goth-stylized set, I resolved to make myself more marketable in that light. I've submitted a profile and photos for an Alt Modeling website, and I'm hoping they'll accept me. I also have a black and white punk shoot slated for later in the month. I hope to be able to use those shots in both my mainstream and 'alt' portfolios.

I've received several promo gig offers, but all of them conflict with my Enron schedule. I guess I was not destined to be a highly-paid costumed booze wench. I can only hope the offers continue/resume when I am available.

Enron is also prohibiting me from participating in a couple Boston Fashion Week events with P3. However, not being a size 2, I'm not missing out on very many runway opportunities.

Tonight Zeitgeist is kicking off its 2010 season with a party at Stella's in the south end. I'm stoked because its a networking party to which I can wear comfortable shoes. Hooray for networking and beer.


Thursday, September 9, 2010

Hurry Up and Wait

So the frequency of my posts is dwindling, but I am confident this is a temporary setback. The good news is that I am busy, and am booked solid into November. Being this busy, I have to wait for projects that would fit into my schedule, which accounts for my lack of blogging about auditions.

I also tend not to blog about the day-do-day rehearsal process. I don't think its relevant to the goals of this blog. "I'm sore from being a velociraptor!" "I rehearsed on my co-star's kickass roof garden!" "My director smells!"
Meh. Refraining from blogging on the day-to-day rehearsals (unless something really exciting happens, of course) also keeps me from venting when I have particularly frustrating days on set. Part of my personal code of professionalism includes keeping my complaints to myself, my boyfriend, and my cat. (Edgar, my cat, is a fabulous listener).

I've continued my quest for day jobs. Yesterday someone called me having found my profile on NARMS. Sadly, they wanted me for a weekend position.

I've applied for another job through mosaic. Its 25 hours a week, and temporary from mid October through January. It would be a great fit for me, and I am hoping their recruiters will call me soon.

I continue to look on monster.com, careerbuilder, and craigslist daily. When my schedule slows down I think I might take out books on photoshop and website building from the library. As secondary skills to my editing, I think they could be useful.

Lastly, I've started applying to promo jobs again. As I learn more about SAG and AFTRA rules and itch to work more in the industry, I worry if I want to make a commitment of a year plus to any Boston company. Right now the most appealing option seems to be to stay in Boston for the forseeable future, but attend auditions in NY, and bus out for any work.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Crazy Theater Movement Classes Finally Paid Off

That's right, I play a velociraptor in Enron. It's a lot of fun, but leaves me sore in weird places. Also fabulous: light saber battle. Theater is awesome!

The past week has been mostly full of real-world job applications. I signed up on a couple more staffing websites, applied for an Xbox-related job back at Mosaic, and got a contact at the ART BAR in Cambridge. The most exciting real world job news is (drumroll please), I have an in at Irrational Games, the people responsible for BioShock. They'll be hiring in the near future, and I've been promised that my resume will magically float to the top of whatever I'm qualified for. So that's cool.

I've assembled my schedule with Google Calendar to incorporate Enron, Joy and the Apocalypse, and Boston Ballistic. I am pretty much dead to the world until Halloween rolls around.

Auditions on the horizon: 42nd St with Stoneham Theater, and A Christmas Carol at the Hanover theater. I know I don't dance well enough for the former, but I should get my butt to a dance call. I think I have a good chance at the latter, which would pay and offer equity points. Gotta brush up that RP.