I'm back!

OK, it has been a long time since I've uploaded my blog. First thing, I did make the final cut for the Curves commercial and it's been airing since the end of 2007. Yay! I'm really happy with how the commercial turned out, too.

Second, I've had to take a break from acting/performing due to a car accident at the end of November. My car was totaled, and I sustained whiplash. The worst part was that my husband was away on business at the time, so I was totally alone at the time. Well, I shouldn't say alone - my friends and family stepped up and were wonderfully supportive. I went to physio and was worked on by a great therapist. I still tend to get a sore neck and back (especially at my day job when I do desk work, and sometimes when I'm singing), but I now have my range of movement back so I can do normal day-to-day activities. When I had my last physio appointment, I asked if I could work out again (who thought I would actually miss it, but I do!), and my therapist warned me that I shouldn't really work out yet, but if I was really intent on doing so that I should work out with a professional to make sure I wouldn't put any unnecessary strain on my neck. I was working out about 5 days/week, so who has the bucks to hire someone for each work out? Needless to say, I have gone with her advice on waiting.

Singing has gotten easier as time has passed, so I'm really happy about that! At first, and for awhile (and even still sometimes now), it was really hard to even hold my head up properly for singing, and my neck and back would kill! But this is something that is continuing to improve so I'm just giving it time.

And now, after a disheartening 6 months, I feel good enough to go back to acting! Yay! I have to still be careful, so I won't be doing any stage work but I will go back to auditioning for the screen, so long as the roles don't require major physical movements. No glorious hair-swinging, head-tossing commercials for me at this time. But I can't wait to get back at it!

The good that came from this - I was forced to get a new car (which I love!). And I was pretty lucky to not have any more serious injuries. And now, I'm going to start back at my acting!

That's about it from here - I'm very excited to start back on my journey of acting/performing. I've missed it!

Not going to seen in the Curves commercial.

Drat! After 2 days of shooting for the Curves commercial, it looks like I didn't make it to the final edit. :( My agent received 3 different variations of the commercial, and I'm not in any of them. I'm pretty bummed, but at the same time, this definitely makes me feel like I'm a regular actor as these things happen all the time. I suppose one of the big reasons I'm bummed is because of the money (not in the final edit = no buyout $). I know it's not about the money - that we act because we love to act - but when you book something and see a dollar figure on the contract, well, that gets pretty exciting. Plus, it sure would come in handy at this time of year for Christmas shopping.

Not to worry, I'm OK. I still got paid for my 2 days of shooting, where one of those days I was working out, so that's a plus. And I got to meet the founder of Curves. And we got some cool surprise loot from her. So now, I'm just looking forward to my next booking and making the final cut (whenever that may be). ;)

Excited about this commercial

I booked a commercial last week! It was unexpected, and I was super nervous, but as filming approaches, I'm getting more and more excited. It started 2 weeks ago with a call from my agent that I had an audition for a "women's fitness club". I got the information and the casting director was one that I hadn't seen in years. That in itself was pretty cool, because he used to call me in quite often in the past. The audition required me to use sign language. I do know basic sign language (and I even booked a job in the past based on it), but by no means am I fluent, and there were no sides provided before the audition, so I was feeling quite nervous about going in without being able to prepare anything (to research word signs I didn't know, etc). But I went in, sucked it up, and signed away.

A week after that I got a call from my agent that I got a callback. Yay! Again, there was nothing to prep, so I just had to go down to the studio and see what was in store. Once in the audition room, Blair (the CD) said to just do what I had done at the original callback, which was to "teach some sort of fitness using sign language". I started out and very quickly the producer (I assume he was the producer) said to Blair, "What is she doing?" to which Blair replied, "She's teaching a fitness class." It was all very humourous (thank goodness) and lighthearted so I didn't feel like I was being attacked or anything. Then the producer guy asked if I could just tell a story or something, and to pretend I was speaking/signing to children. So off I went with that, and they seemed to like it. After I was done and leaving, we spoke a little more and shared a little laugh. Even Blair got in on it and we were cracking up as he walked with me out the door.

Then about 10 minutes after that Blair called to say that production wanted to know if I could tell a story using sign language. I didn't get the message until about 45 mins after that, because I was off to a different audition right away. I called back and spoke with his assistant and told her I know pretty basic signs, but that if I was given something to work on, then I could look up any word signs I didn't know.

A day after the callback I was on the shortlist, and the day after that, I got the good news! They still didn't provide any sides, so I decided to learn a story over the weekend (I got cast on a Friday), just in case. Today was wardrobe, and while I was showing off various outfits to the production people, they asked if I could sign them a story. Thank goodness I did some research and learning over the weekend, so I confidently said, "Why, yes I can!" One of them asked, "Can you tell us the story of the 3 bears?" Which was perfect, because that was the story I had chosen to learn! I went through a little of it, and they all loved it and commented on how it was perfect for the role, as I will be playing the role of a schoolteacher, signing a story to children. Man, I am SO glad I took the initiative.

So now I'm not worried about what they'll want me to do, and am now just super excited about filming, which will be on Thursday and Friday. Oh, the commercial is for Curves (a women's fitness club) and will start airing Dec 31st, 2007. :)

Yesterday Turned Crazy

Yesterday started out as a normal day, but turned into a very busy one indeed! It started just before 8:30am - I was just on my way into work and I got a call from my agency. That in itself is weird - so early! Anyway, it was news of an audition. A big one. For one of the leads in a feature film. And if that weren't enough, it will be filming in Prague at the end of this month. How very cool! Unfortunately my passport has expired (just a couple months ago!), so should I get this gig, I will have to do a speedy request to get a new passport (as Canadian passports aren't renewable at this point).

I get to work, start checking the Gov't of Canada website about passport stuff, and it looks like starting Aug 15th, they will be doing renewals of passports. So that's cool - not so much paperwork to submit (but still a big wait time). I check my email and get the info for the audition, only the sides aren't there. Is something wrong with my email? I contact my agency and they resend the email right away and it works this time. 4 pages of script. I figure I can do some work in the 45 minutes I have after work before I go out to my singing rehearsal, then come back to it when I get home at afterwards.

Then my boss calls and says my husband (we work together) needs to go on a trip. We both roll our eyes, and I schedule his flights, making sure he's back in time for our plans for the next evening (it's a big event that's been planned for awhile). The bad news is that it meant he would have to leave yesterday afternoon, and won't be back until tonight. But if there are no flight delays, he will be able to make it to the big event!

Then at about 2:15pm, my agent calls with a new audition - for 4:00pm same day! I don't have my materials with me, but she says she'll fax them over to the casting director. This now means I have to leave work early. (Luckily I have that flexibility in my job.) I feel like a loser in the audition waiting room as I don't have my headshot and resume, but heave a little sigh of relief when I see the casting director with my faxed materials - especially when no big deal is made and she thanks me for coming in on such short notice. The session starts late, and I don't leave until 4:40pm. I have to head home to pick up my music for my rehearsal, then head back out to Vancouver. Rush hour makes the drive home quite a bit longer than normal and I don't get home until about 5:30pm. A quick change, a quick vocal warm-up, a quick grab of my music and audition sides, and I'm back out the door. No time to peruse my sides.

Luckily I always leave a little bit early to get places, so I arrive about 10 minutes early for my rehearsal. I stay in the car for those 10 minutes and figure out some things for my next day's audition. Then I head inside for 2 hours of singing. We finish and I head back home - arriving sometime around 10pm. I gather some laundry together so I have something appropriate to wear for to my audition, get a late dinner together, and finally sit down to really go over my sides. Can't stay up too late, though, because I start work at 8:30am again the next morning (as always!), and have to look camera ready.

And that is how what started as a regular day turned a little crazy. Whew! I'm tired just thinking about it. But I must wake myself up - I am at work now, and my audition is at the end of the day. Crossing my fingers that all goes well. :)

Sweet! My first voice work booking!

Woo hoo! I just got the call tonight from my agent… I booked my first voice work gig! I don’t have all the details yet, but I’ll be working next Tuesday (July 10th) for an hour to do the recording at the studio. It’s funny - the audition for this was back in April (with no callbacks), and we just got the word today. We just figured it got booked and that I didn’t get it.

Anyway, my agent explained to me that normally for voice work there isn’t an audition - that it just gets booked from your demo, so I’m super lucky to have gotten this job. I’m doubly happy because this is my first booking for this year. YAY!!!

I'm on "hold" for a commercial!

Woo hoo! I'm on hold for a commercial - it's some sort of toy commercial, where I'd be playing the mom (SOC). I've met the director a few times previously at other callbacks, but this is the farthest I've got with him. It was funny at the callback, actually. I walked into the room and recognized him right away, and he did the same thing, and he got up, came over with a big smile and a big hug! Like we were old friends. :) Shooting has already started, but goes until June 10th, so unless I get word of being "released", I still have a chance at booking. *crossing fingers*

"The Ovum Factor" audition

Today I had a great audition for a short feature film! We didn't get too much information going into it, but I did my homework and created something from it. The producer was the one running the audition - it was my first time meeting him (Dana Pemberton) and he was sooo nice! Not only was it a really good chance to "act", but it was so validating because Dana was so positive about everything I was doing. He even extended my audition to have me do something a little extra. Nothing gross! No casting couch, if that's what you're thinking. ;) It was just to do the scenes in an entirely different way than I had prepared, and than what he had directed earlier. When it was time to say goodbye he said, "I hope we'll be talking soon," and, of course, in my head I'm thinking, "You do?? I do!!"

Now I'm just crossing my fingers. If I'm not right for this part, I feel SO good knowing I had a great audition. :)