When I arrived, the only other person there with the casting director was another actor trying to break into the business. The casting director’s name is Angela Hutchinson. She is the founder of Breaking into Hollywood, the organization that holds these events. Because of the cancellation, 4 attendees ended up cancelling as well & I heard 2 other people accidentally went to another location. It came down to just Angela, the actor, and me. It was perfect because if there were more people, I probably would not have been able to ask all the questions I wanted to ask since I was not there as an actress. It was more of an intimate conversation. She advised me to start off as a reader for those who were auditioning and she also offered to be my mentor. I was floored. My excitement level went from 5 to 25.

Another fateful event was that she passed out 2 issues of the Hollywood & Vine magazine that her organization publishes and one of the issues she passed out happened to feature Rider Strong on the cover! Honestly, what are the chances of that happening?!! I couldn’t believe it. I was meant to be there & attend this session & get this magazine. Angela also gave me a book she wrote that has loads of information on resources for actors which also apply to me as well. I couldn’t have had a better deal.

Other than this business side of the trip, I got to hang out with some friends I hadn’t seen in awhile. I found a sushi/thai restaurant & had a late dinner. What a dream combination to have sushi rolls with my Pad Woon Sen! I also got to check out Griddle Cafe, which is famous for ginormous pancakes & celebrity sightings. I was just excited to eat breakfast in LA, something I’ve always loved doing. Then we headed off to a store called Wacko where I purchased the cutest coin purse I’ve ever seen and the coolest umbrella there ever existed. The coin purse was shaped like an owl and the perfect size for money, credit cards & keys. The umbrella was black & had the handle of a sword. I took a photo & of course I posed like Lion-O, who else would I pose like? Duh!

After that, we went to a bookstore to be extras for a pilot. I don’t know what it was called but all I had to do was sit there & pretend like I was busy writing at the coffee shop. My friend’s brother made some delicious Shanghai rice cakes for dinner so I enjoyed that along with some grubbin’ lumpia made by her mom. Sooooo goooood. There were potatoes in it. :0)

All in all, a productively fun trip was had. These are the kind of days I want to have. What a dream it would be to be able to set my own schedule. Tonight, I have a meeting with someone whom I am hoping will be able to help me launch my new business. I’ve been sitting on my idea for about a year now and it wasn’t until just recently that I met someone who actually might be able to help me get it up & running. I don’t want to go into it too much but just that I feel it is potentially a million dollar idea and I hope to be able to provide jobs for others one day in this horrible economy. For now, it is just a dream waiting in the wings.

Here are some pictures from my mid-weekend:

My awesome new swordbrella

SFO’s new Yoga room

My new coin purse

Sushi & Thai as a married couple

Hollywood & Vine Magazine Cover

In case anyone wants to read: Rider Strong Interview Page 1

Rider Strong Interview Page 2: You’re welcome :0)

I often think about what my meeting with Will would be like. Perhaps filled with tears, heart palpitations & immobility? Naw, I like to think I’m cooler than that. I imagine my chance encounter to go somewhat similar to the pleasant experience of when I met Matthew & Gunnar Nelson at a cafe. Or it could be awkward like the time I ran into Joe McIntyre at 3 AM; he was so completely tired & irritable that he took it out on me & my friend. I wanted to slap him. Or, it could be as awesome as the time I met Jason Marsden & he already knew my name. I wanted to hug him like a long lost friend. What a sweetheart. As memorable as these all were, I’m thinking my encounter would be most likely an admiration from afar, like when I spotted Katey Sagal in Carmel, Kathy Najimy in Los Angeles, Kevin Nealon in New York, or Kevin Pollack in San Francisco. Wow, lots of Ks in the house.

No matter what, I’m excited to be having a weekend experience in the middle of the work week. This is why I need a career change. I’d love to travel for work. Oh, we’re doing a movie in Canada & you need Canadian extras? I’d fly right over there in a heartbeat. I’m so excited over this career path I’ve decided to go towards. You have no idea how many have preceded this one. It took quite a long time for me to feel solid about something. We shall see what happens. The future is always unpredictable.

Moving on, our heroes, Club Mist, saved the day & allowed us to use their club. This place was the exact opposite of the goth look we were going for but to me, that was what was so great about it. It didn’t meet your expectations as to what “goth” is. The scene is supposed to be a goth club scene and yet, the place looked more like a white heaven that a dark haven. Nice contrast. The director, Matthew Abaya, made it all work. I had so much fun getting all the extras for the scenes. The makeup artists did an above & beyond fantastic job with the makeup on everyone.

We were there form noon until 8 pm. I assistant directed as much as I could and finally got to rest that night. Unfortunately, I caught a fever the next morning and have been under the weather ever since. I am constantly stopping to hack a chunk of lung every 2 to 3 sentences as we speak. Salty. Being able to be the one to get the extras for the film really solidified my infatuation with wanting to be a casting director. Moreover, a friend of mine sent me an email today.

It was for a Q&A event with a casting director who works for NBCUniversal. Mainly, it’s geared towards actors who want to know what casting directors look for but it says that you can ask anything you want so I figured hey, why not go to this event and make it a weekend on hump day? It was a very spontaneous decision but I shop by intuition and my intuition told me I should buy a ticket…then a couple of flights, then rent a car, and find a place to sleep. Done, done, done, & done. The event is in Burbank so I’ll have to fly down there. I do not want to drive my car down there & back on my own. Granted, I’ve done it before but I was younger then…ok, only by 4 years but still, I was more balls-to-the-wall back then. Ok fine, I did it for New Kids on the Block. There, I said it and that’s the honest truth. Don’t judge me by my questionable interests. So now, all I need is a restaurant to go to. Hmmm, which restaurant should I try? I just love eating in places other than home. :0)

Here are some pics

Jeff getting his face cast by the amazing Melissa

Michelle getting her face cast also by the amazing Melissa

The only time I’ll ever be behind the bar

Goth people in heavenly setting

Filming Scott & Kitty scene upstairs

Kitty doing her dance

I know, my captions is sooooo creative! Well, it’s 12:20 AM and I’m sick sooo….yeah.

It was such a great accomplishment to see someone from Bindlestiff onscreen, and on prime time no less. I have a dream that one day, Bindlestiff Studio will be like The Groundlings, nurturing artists & propelling them towards success. I never thought it would happen until I saw Ali. I am so proud of her for doing her thing. I just wish the show was casted differently. To be honest, I didn’t feel that Laura Prepon really captured the essence of Chelsea Handler. I wonder if she had ever watched Chelsea’s talk show. Even just watching it one, you truly get a sense of the crass & sarcastic nature of Chelsea. I didn’t really see that in Laura. If Chelsea’s personality were a 10, Laura is imitating it at about a 3. Maybe it’s just because it’s the 1st episode. I’m hoping it gets better as time goes on.

However, I applaud Laura for trying to take this character on. It’s not easy to play a character that already exists, much less performing side by side with your character’s real life persona standing right beside you. If it were me, I’d be wondering if she thought I was doing a good job, if she thinks I suck at playing her, if I’m saying it the way she would have said it. And I understand that Laura is probably just putting her own spin on her character but I think a lot of the audience would still be comparing the two.

I liked the characters but I did lose interest in the plot of the episode. Perhaps I was just too busy doing my AD work to pay enough attention. Although, the show I watched yesterday, Rob, starring Rob Schneider was so hilarious that it kept me from doing my work. I love comedies that get me that way. I haven’t seen a sitcom do that to me since Living Single or Martin. There is just something about ethnic humor that has a special spark to it. You either get it or you don’t. And even when you don’t get it, it’s still funny! I think I’ll be tuning in from now on just to see what else they come up with. Wow, I haven’t watched sitcoms since 2000. Epic.

I’ve recently come across a career that I have never been more excited about pursuing. I think I really want to become a casting director. I don’t know why I never thought of it before. I am comfortable around celebrities, I love watching people audition, I have been on both sides of the spectrum and I loved it a lot more when I wasn’t the auditionee. Currently, I’m helping a local filmmaker on their first feature film & I’m the assistant director & I’m in charge of all the extras for the shoot. My emails are overwhelming but I can handle it. I’m finding that a lot of people want to be extras but when it comes to communication, it’s pretty iffy. You just never know who will actually show up, especially when I tell them they have to come dressed in goth clothing. All of a sudden, that’s too much work and instead of letting me know they are no longer available, I guess I just have to assume they are out if they don’t reply. If any of you ever want to be a movie extra, it’s best to reply.

Anyway, on Sunday, I spent about 3 hours with the fight choreographer, working on the training for the actors. I just went for the workout & boy, was it hard. I don’t think I’ve ever worked out my body so much before. Today, I am sore in places I never even knew had muscles. I ended up kicking, punching, & crawling around the floor like a caterpillar. The workout was reminiscent of those once-popular Tae Bo tapes with Billy Blanks except the Tae Bo workout was a lot easier. Man, the things that actors have to go through to fulfill their roles as their characters require so much work. I have a much higher respect for actors who can grunt through it. I used to think they just walked around onscreen, saying someone else’ words. I never thought about the physical aspect of it all as I’ve only performed onstage & never had to do any type of fighting, jumping, or kicking. I hope this pain goes away soon. I can barely go up & down the stairs due to some stressed calves & weak knees. Let’s just hope my body recovers soon. In the meantime, I’m going to spend my days recovering from this hot mess of a workout.

Well I’m not going to continue with my tradition anymore. Instead of making resolutions of empty promises of things I will do, I’m going to make promises to myself of things I will not do.

I will not…
1) lie to myself.
2) tolerate drama.
3) put myself down.
4) let fear get in the way of my goals.
5) waste time dwelling on coulda, shoulda, woulda.
6) restrain myself from being happy.
7) allow negativity to overcome my positivity.
8) let embarrassment stop my imagination from freeing me.
9) pretend it’s all good when it’s not.
10) be afraid to speak my mind.

That’s enough for the year. I’ll do my best to refer to this list whenever an applicable situation approaches me. I spent the weekend watching “Intervention” on A&E and realized that there are so many people out there who take life for granted. There are many individuals whose lives are seemingly perfect but no one’s life is perfect. I shouldn’t compare my life to anyone else’s life because there will always be someone who has it better or worse than me. My very basic bottom line goal is to just find my happiness and pass it on. There’s no point in being happy if you can’t share it.

Happy New Year, all.

Will Friedle Voicemail

    “What? Why are you asking me that?” I wondered, is he making fun of me? Or is he being sincere? Did Will send him to ask me this? I felt like crawling into a hole & dying of embarrassment there. When will this drama go away?
    “I just wanted to know, that’s all. Would you?” I didn’t know what to say. The honest truth, of course, is hell yes but the only words that came out of my mouth were,
    “Nope. He’s not really my type.” But I love him so much!!!
    “Not really? So does that mean you would possibly go out with him?” What’s the point, really? He’s already said that he wasn’t interested. Is he trying to break my heart twice? Oh, if only I could go back in time, I would never have told him about Danielle’s antics. I would never have dropped that note in his locker. I should never have eaten those stupid Froot Loops!
    “What does it even matter? I already know he wouldn’t so who cares?” There I go, with my heart on my sleeve again. It was so obvious that I was disappointed but I didn’t care anymore. No embarrassment could top his rejection note to me. Jason looked puzzled. Oh, I don’t care what Jason thinks of me. Will’s opinion was the only one that mattered to me anyway.
    “He wouldn’t what?” Wow. He’s really going to make me say it.
    “Go out with me.” A rush of goosebumps raced through my body. Just saying those words saddened me. I didn’t want to admit it but now that I’ve said it to someone else, it seems to have made it real now. I could just die right now and be okay with it. I’d be proud to die for love, like Juliet without her Romeo.

BRRRRIIIIINNNNNGGGG!!!!!! Saved by the bell.

    “Laters!” And Jason heads back to his seat. Thank god, I did not want to continue that conversation. I can not wait to get out of class. Why is life so difficult!?! The whole time, I can just feel his creepy crawly eyes staring at me. How much more awkward can he get? When class was over, I dashed for the door. As I swung it open, there was Will, standing in the hallway with Leah hanging all over him! Oh, what EVER! This is so typical. I can’t believe this! I hope he didn’t see me see him with Leah. I tried to turn around as fast as I could.

Seriously, Leah has some nerve. First, she makes fun of me for liking Will and then she goes for him? What a B-word! Oh my god, no WONDER she was making fun of me! She was afraid I would take her man from her. It all makes sense! They’ve been dating all along! Why didn’t I realize this in the first place?!! Well, maybe because I never see them together. I mean, it’s not like they have lunch together. Hmm, why don’t they lunch together? Is this relationship a secret? Is he her secret boyfriend? That’s crazy. And why was Jason asking me if I would go out with Will? Did he keep it so secret that he’s hiding her from his own best friend? If Will were my boyfriend, I would show him off, he’s amazing! Of course, I can totally see why Will wouldn’t want to tell anyone that he’s dating Nosy Leah. Haha! Joke to myself. Ugh, he would never notice me anyway. There are probably tons of girls who want to go out with him. Darn it, but why did he have to pick Leah? I hate her! I hate her so much! I hate her now more than ever! I hate my life! I’m never going to…OUCH! My hair!!

Anyway, there are tons of episodes on Youtube but none of them are the one with Will in it. Luckily, I have amazing friends. Here is the episode in all its glory. Gawd, I love this man. He’s got some scruff now but I don’t even care. I just wanna…om nom nom!!

Part 1

Part 2

And let me just add how giddy it made me when I saw that Kat Dennings favorited 2 BMW videos 2 months ago. She’s in my favorite movie, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Love her!

Anyway, I have yet to watch this film. I was supposed to watch it back in October at a local film festival but my friend got sick & I had rehearsal so we had to cancel. I would still highly recommend watching it as I’ve been following the success of this film since I first fell in love with Jackson last year…ok, well, I’m not really in love with Jackson (that’s reserved for Will Friedle) but I actually would love for him & Ashley Greene to go out. They seem to make a cute couple. Alas, Jackson travels so much & Ashley probably would want someone she doesn’t have to miss all the time. She needs a man she can see almost everyday.

Sorry, tangent. “Girlfriend” is about Evan, a young man with Down syndrome. Evan has a crush on his friend, Candy, who has a child, an abusive ex-boyfriend who won’t leave her alone, and a baby daddy who’s married to another. Basically, Candy has a lot of baggage. Evan comes into some inheritance money when his mother passes away. He decides to give some money to Candy to help her eviction in exchange for a romantic affair with Candy. The story follows how Evan learns what love is & how to live without the assistance of his mother. I only know all this because I read the script & once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down.

Here is an article written by Justin Lerner where he talks about how it felt to win the Gotham Award. I haven’t heard of any other festivals that I can catch “Girlfriend” at. Fortunately, I can watch it here anytime, and I will do that this month. One last thing, Jackson & Jerad’s band, 100 Monkeys, is included in the soundtrack.