The definition of 'procrastination': the act of procrastinating; putting off or delaying or deferring an action to a later time.
Is there really anyone in the world who is not a procrastinator? I procrastinate over everything...the small things - doing the dishes, putting the clothes away, practicing my singing. And the big things - writing a play, forming a theatre company, finding affordable health insurance. Well, as of this week I am pleased to say that although I still have dirty dishes, unhung clothes and a dusty keyboard, I am now the proud owner of a theatre company, a health care policy and I've just finished a second draft of my first short play. Not too shabby...but maybe still a little dusty, dirty and wrinkly.
The first very big thing: our theatre company now exists!
Australian Made Entertainment LLC.
We're currently working on the website, which is scheduled to be finished by the end of the month, and that will have details of our planned activities. But basically, we will be producing theatre and film, written by Australians and showcasing Australian artists. We hope to put on our first theatrical production in September and it will most likely be 'Cosi'...as long as all goes well with theatre rental and rights. We're also aiming to do a web series about nerdy things later in the year, and a feature film with the working title 'Give and Take' sometime next year. We'll also be applying for fiscal sponsorship, so that we can receive 100% tax deductible donations, and then we'll approach all of the Australian organizations in America to try to get support. So if you know anyone who might want to help, send them our way!
The next fun thing is that I started to write, and somehow I was just able to write and write, until I had a short play in front of me. It's something near and dear to me - a play about a couple going through fertility treatment. It may be a bit dull to an audience, since it's basically just a couple talking directly to the audience about their experience. But my plan is to eventually build it...I already have the straight couple retelling their story, and I'll add a lesbian couple in an actual scene with each other (i.e. not just talking to the audience but acting out a scene to each other), who have gone through fertility treatment and are about to have the baby. And finally, and dare I say the most fun, I'll have a gay male couple who are about to adopt a baby and their story will be a musical! Hehehe! I think their first song will be 'Who's Your Daddy', soon to be written by me - copyright to that idea everyone! So I'm currently one third of the way there.
And thirdly, I finally qualified for Freelancers Insurance. The cost to insure the two of us per month is ludicrous - over $700 a month! But I guess it's better that than to have my appendix burst and be whisked off to the emergency room and come out with a $100,000 bill. Or have complications and end up with a $1,000,000 bill. So, we're getting the cheapest health insurance I was able to get, and still paying a fortune, but at least they won't just watch us die and laugh.
Besides those big things life is really going great. I'm now in Improv Level 2 and it is tremendous fun! Really, I don't know why I waited until now to learn how to do it. It seemed so intimidating and like it was so hard to be clever and funny, but you can be stupid and that often can be funny too. And there are all these techniques to make it easier. It is currently the highlight of my week.
And I just finished up at Atlantic Acting School, although they do offer an 'Advanced Scene Study' class so I'll likely take that next semester. I feel like I've acquired all of these awesome skills, and I haven't been able to test them out, except in class, so I'm stoked to have our own theatre company and to finally be able to do our own stuff later in the year.
And that's about it. I'm feeling a little on the brink of everything...but perhaps the fun side of the brink, and not the daunting 'how do I do this?' side. You just do it. Oh God!
Friday, May 18, 2012
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Back to work
I've had an exceptionally busy month. It's been great - and exhausting!
We travelled back to Australia for two weeks, which was so nice. It's only the second time we've been back in almost three years, and it's amazing how everything is still so familiar. I haven't forgotten how to drive - which is good considering the repercussions of the alternative. It's incredibly weird how I DO have to think twice when I cross the road, but when I drive I just automatically know which way to look and which side to drive on.
I had my fill of cappuccinos and mochas (OVER $5 for a regular mocha at Gloria Jeans - WHAT??), we had pies and sausage rolls, and fish and chips and loads of sakata rice crackers and that yummy cashew and chili dip that is SO amazing. We had fake Christmas (that's Christmas in February), a Bat Mitzvah, met a new baby or two, and caught up with many friends who forgot how cool we are (I know, that's hard, but it's been a long time). A nice time was had by all...
Then back to the action in the Big Apple. We arrived home on Friday night and I had to arrive on set and ready to shoot (my first movie role ever!!) Saturday morning at 9 a.m. Crazy times! I was jet-lagged and didn't know what we were shooting that day (scheduling isn't a strong suit for this bunch), and I spent a lot of the day waiting around and reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad (I thought if I have to sit around I might as well learn how to be rich). After learning that I really should own something called stocks which you buy at the market, I was called in to do my first scene on camera ever! BAM! I don't know what I did, or how I did, or what I said, or what I was supposed to say...it was just a lot of 'walk in and stand there and GO'. Ahhh...and wee!
We had another full day on Sunday, and then Monday I got to do something very exciting. I had an amazing voice over gig where I got to narrate children's books for Scholastic. And I even got to do silly voices - I was a millipede with a high voice, and a dung beetle with a low voice, and a nasty snippy scorpion and a cockroach who just said 'hiss'...it was so much fun. I really do think that's something that would make me incredibly happy were I to be able to do more of it. And then one day my dream of being a princess voice might come true...
Filming continued until Thursday night...going slower than they were expecting. They only had the venue until then and when we finished we still had quite a lot of scenes to shoot...so I don't know when we'll do those. I guess I'm still technically on call - and my contract says that they have exclusive rights to my time while they're filming. Let's just hope it doesn't continue for months and months...or years and years...But overall it's been a great experience. There was lots of waiting around and disorganization, but some of the actors I met and the crew guys were lovely.
I started Improv Level 1 (yes, I graduated from level zero!) on Friday and it was loads of fun. My teacher is Pat Shay and he's an actor as well as an improviser and he seems really great. And on Monday this week I started at Atlantic Acting School Level 2 - and that is just awesome. There were only eight in class, and two were missing, so a group of 10 is so perfect. We have a project where we have to pick a historical figure who's dead, or a mythological historic figure and write a two minute monologue followed by three minutes of question time, all while pursuing an action. And we have to research the person and come to class in costume. What fun! And I already have a scene partner for our Scene Analysis class and we've chosen a scene which we'll do next week. So I'm busy learning my lines by rote so that we can come to class and perform it together in front of the class for the first time! I love that - we're only allowed to do line readings together, but the first time we ever actually perform it is in front of the class.
And Matt and I are busy working on starting a theatre company. We bought a book, 'How to Start Your Own Theater Company'. Step one. We've started reading it. Step two. That's where we're at.
Ooh, and I made myself a website: www.kathleen-foster.com. I decided it was time to step it up and become a professional and get a real website and business cards (which are coming in the mail soon!).
That's it for now. Back to line learning, historical figure selecting and book reading (both stock market and theatre company related!).
We travelled back to Australia for two weeks, which was so nice. It's only the second time we've been back in almost three years, and it's amazing how everything is still so familiar. I haven't forgotten how to drive - which is good considering the repercussions of the alternative. It's incredibly weird how I DO have to think twice when I cross the road, but when I drive I just automatically know which way to look and which side to drive on.
I had my fill of cappuccinos and mochas (OVER $5 for a regular mocha at Gloria Jeans - WHAT??), we had pies and sausage rolls, and fish and chips and loads of sakata rice crackers and that yummy cashew and chili dip that is SO amazing. We had fake Christmas (that's Christmas in February), a Bat Mitzvah, met a new baby or two, and caught up with many friends who forgot how cool we are (I know, that's hard, but it's been a long time). A nice time was had by all...
Then back to the action in the Big Apple. We arrived home on Friday night and I had to arrive on set and ready to shoot (my first movie role ever!!) Saturday morning at 9 a.m. Crazy times! I was jet-lagged and didn't know what we were shooting that day (scheduling isn't a strong suit for this bunch), and I spent a lot of the day waiting around and reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad (I thought if I have to sit around I might as well learn how to be rich). After learning that I really should own something called stocks which you buy at the market, I was called in to do my first scene on camera ever! BAM! I don't know what I did, or how I did, or what I said, or what I was supposed to say...it was just a lot of 'walk in and stand there and GO'. Ahhh...and wee!
We had another full day on Sunday, and then Monday I got to do something very exciting. I had an amazing voice over gig where I got to narrate children's books for Scholastic. And I even got to do silly voices - I was a millipede with a high voice, and a dung beetle with a low voice, and a nasty snippy scorpion and a cockroach who just said 'hiss'...it was so much fun. I really do think that's something that would make me incredibly happy were I to be able to do more of it. And then one day my dream of being a princess voice might come true...
Filming continued until Thursday night...going slower than they were expecting. They only had the venue until then and when we finished we still had quite a lot of scenes to shoot...so I don't know when we'll do those. I guess I'm still technically on call - and my contract says that they have exclusive rights to my time while they're filming. Let's just hope it doesn't continue for months and months...or years and years...But overall it's been a great experience. There was lots of waiting around and disorganization, but some of the actors I met and the crew guys were lovely.
I started Improv Level 1 (yes, I graduated from level zero!) on Friday and it was loads of fun. My teacher is Pat Shay and he's an actor as well as an improviser and he seems really great. And on Monday this week I started at Atlantic Acting School Level 2 - and that is just awesome. There were only eight in class, and two were missing, so a group of 10 is so perfect. We have a project where we have to pick a historical figure who's dead, or a mythological historic figure and write a two minute monologue followed by three minutes of question time, all while pursuing an action. And we have to research the person and come to class in costume. What fun! And I already have a scene partner for our Scene Analysis class and we've chosen a scene which we'll do next week. So I'm busy learning my lines by rote so that we can come to class and perform it together in front of the class for the first time! I love that - we're only allowed to do line readings together, but the first time we ever actually perform it is in front of the class.
And Matt and I are busy working on starting a theatre company. We bought a book, 'How to Start Your Own Theater Company'. Step one. We've started reading it. Step two. That's where we're at.
Ooh, and I made myself a website: www.kathleen-foster.com. I decided it was time to step it up and become a professional and get a real website and business cards (which are coming in the mail soon!).
That's it for now. Back to line learning, historical figure selecting and book reading (both stock market and theatre company related!).
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Hiatus
Hiatus...that's such an American word. I do find myself using American expressions so much more than my Australian born and bred brain thinks is okay. 2012 = twenty twelve. I'm so used to seeing dates backwards that when I see them the right way around I get confused (are we flying to Australia on 2/1 or did we miss the plane when it left on 1/2??). I say things like 'Monday through Friday.' Sometimes I don't even REALIZE I'm doing it (well, I did there, but I was going for irony). And sometimes I'm just forced to change so that I'm understood - 'I'll have a moke-ahh' (mocha), 'I'll have an appetiser' (where asking for 'an entree' will get me a HUGE main meal), 'Check that off the list' ('What's a tick?'), 'Throw it in the trash' (if you said 'the bin' it'd end up in your pigeonhole), 'Give me a cookie' (unless you want a delicious Southern treat known as a biscuit, usually served with gravy, but kind of like a scone), 'That's sick' (is a good thing, but maybe I'm just too old and it's a good thing in Australia now too)...and so many more...
Anyway, back to my point. My hiatus. It's been a while since I've written an update. I feel like most people say that quite regularly when it comes to blogs, and are always apologising for it. I mean, who can blame us, when people are obviously waiting on our posts with bated breath. (It's not a lie, even if it's just your parents!)
These past weeks have been busy and fun. Before Christmas I started up at my new old job, which is really great. It's so nice to feel like I'm doing something worthwhile again, instead of bringing complaining people food. At least bringing complaining people babies feels like an achievement. When delivering food to a restaurant complainer there were times when I would want to throw someone's steak in their face, but you can't really go 'here, catch' with an embryo or a syringe full of medicine...although it might be funny.
Matt and I cooked a very successful Christmas dinner. We were house sitting at the time, for a couple who live about 40 minutes away by train, or 20 minutes away by bike, but we were cooking the dinner at our place, not theirs. We don't own bikes, but they do, and they said we were free to use them. This sounded awesome, but became a problem when Matt and I realised that we're both shorties, they're both VERY tall, and there was no tool in their house to lower the bike seats. So we started at their place, mounted our bikes, and ventured forth to our place. Unfortunately every time we had to stop we would have to do a stunt man sideways fall, until our foot was able to reach the ground. I fell off once, which hurt but probably looked a little silly, since I was obviously leaning to the side and just fell off my bike...BUT we made it (and used our tool kit to lower the seats for the ride back)! For our dinner, we had about 10 different things that needed different kinds of preparation...Matt made a spreadsheet thing and we checked things off the list (grr) as we went...and it all came out okay. We were two chairs short, so we put cushions on our coffee tables and sat our least favorite (ahh) guests on them...I mean, guests of honor (help!).
Then Matt became the most busy, driven, workaholic I've ever seen. He became a team leader for [insert long story here]. Basically he worked from home, from the moment he woke up, until the moment he went to bed at night, recruiting, training, testing, reviewing and assisting around 60 people doing data entry, also from their own homes. Some people were great, and some people just suck. And poor Matt had to deal with them and when things didn't get done on time, lucky us got to do data entry to finish them off. Yay money, yes, I know. But boring shmoring husbandless time. And Matt did go a little crazy - he's too nice to be the leader of anyone, which is what makes him a good husband ('Can we watch Downton Abbey?' 'Yes' 'Can we get pizza for dinner?' 'Yes' 'Can we get a cat?' 'No'...still trying with that one though!).
So while I was husbandless I signed up for my first ever improv class. It was a four week course at the PIT, very impressively named 'Level 0: The Joy of Improv'. That's right, level zero. But that's what sucked me in - doing improv when you've never done it before is terrifying, and calling it something that sounds as unintimidating as that was very smart of them. So I started, once a week for four weeks. And it was great. It's pretty much just a bunch of adults standing around in a circle playing games. I liked it 'cause I got to pretend to be Snow White, and a British woman who lost her dog, and a sexy Southern woman named Sugar who has a pet lion. Basically I got to be silly and it's terribly fun to be silly when you're grown up!
I also started a reading group, reading plays instead of novels, made up from people from the classes I've been doing. We've read 'Wit' and today we're reading 'August: Osage County'. It's nice to get a group of actors together who all want to learn and help each other, and learn about writing and what's good and what's not and what we like and what we don't like. And we get to do it while we drink, which is even more fun. I think drinking in auditions should be encouraged - they should have a shots station on the way into the room!
Matt and I are starting our own theatre company - we've already decided on our first play (which is still unconfirmed so will remain a secret). The idea is that we will have an Australian theatre company in New York, doing Australian plays with Australian actors (who are legally allowed to work in the US...). Hopefully our first show will be on around May or June. We're currently trying to think of an Australian-ish name for our company. We've learnt that anything with Australian flora or fauna in the title sounds like a kids group. I like 'Southern Cross Productions'...Matt thinks it's a bit generic, but I might convince him. If anyone has any ideas let us know.
And finally, we fly back to Australia on Wednesday! It's been a year since we've been home so it will be so nice to be in beautiful, clean, warm Sydney...to eat meat pies and have a proper selection of dips and rice crackers at the supermarket, to see SULOs on the side of the road instead of mountains of trash bags, to be able to say 'whacha doin this arvo?' and not get blank stares, to be able to share our niece's Bat Mitzvah and have fake Christmas with my family. Yay Australia, here we come!
Anyway, back to my point. My hiatus. It's been a while since I've written an update. I feel like most people say that quite regularly when it comes to blogs, and are always apologising for it. I mean, who can blame us, when people are obviously waiting on our posts with bated breath. (It's not a lie, even if it's just your parents!)
These past weeks have been busy and fun. Before Christmas I started up at my new old job, which is really great. It's so nice to feel like I'm doing something worthwhile again, instead of bringing complaining people food. At least bringing complaining people babies feels like an achievement. When delivering food to a restaurant complainer there were times when I would want to throw someone's steak in their face, but you can't really go 'here, catch' with an embryo or a syringe full of medicine...although it might be funny.
Matt and I cooked a very successful Christmas dinner. We were house sitting at the time, for a couple who live about 40 minutes away by train, or 20 minutes away by bike, but we were cooking the dinner at our place, not theirs. We don't own bikes, but they do, and they said we were free to use them. This sounded awesome, but became a problem when Matt and I realised that we're both shorties, they're both VERY tall, and there was no tool in their house to lower the bike seats. So we started at their place, mounted our bikes, and ventured forth to our place. Unfortunately every time we had to stop we would have to do a stunt man sideways fall, until our foot was able to reach the ground. I fell off once, which hurt but probably looked a little silly, since I was obviously leaning to the side and just fell off my bike...BUT we made it (and used our tool kit to lower the seats for the ride back)! For our dinner, we had about 10 different things that needed different kinds of preparation...Matt made a spreadsheet thing and we checked things off the list (grr) as we went...and it all came out okay. We were two chairs short, so we put cushions on our coffee tables and sat our least favorite (ahh) guests on them...I mean, guests of honor (help!).
Then Matt became the most busy, driven, workaholic I've ever seen. He became a team leader for [insert long story here]. Basically he worked from home, from the moment he woke up, until the moment he went to bed at night, recruiting, training, testing, reviewing and assisting around 60 people doing data entry, also from their own homes. Some people were great, and some people just suck. And poor Matt had to deal with them and when things didn't get done on time, lucky us got to do data entry to finish them off. Yay money, yes, I know. But boring shmoring husbandless time. And Matt did go a little crazy - he's too nice to be the leader of anyone, which is what makes him a good husband ('Can we watch Downton Abbey?' 'Yes' 'Can we get pizza for dinner?' 'Yes' 'Can we get a cat?' 'No'...still trying with that one though!).
So while I was husbandless I signed up for my first ever improv class. It was a four week course at the PIT, very impressively named 'Level 0: The Joy of Improv'. That's right, level zero. But that's what sucked me in - doing improv when you've never done it before is terrifying, and calling it something that sounds as unintimidating as that was very smart of them. So I started, once a week for four weeks. And it was great. It's pretty much just a bunch of adults standing around in a circle playing games. I liked it 'cause I got to pretend to be Snow White, and a British woman who lost her dog, and a sexy Southern woman named Sugar who has a pet lion. Basically I got to be silly and it's terribly fun to be silly when you're grown up!
I also started a reading group, reading plays instead of novels, made up from people from the classes I've been doing. We've read 'Wit' and today we're reading 'August: Osage County'. It's nice to get a group of actors together who all want to learn and help each other, and learn about writing and what's good and what's not and what we like and what we don't like. And we get to do it while we drink, which is even more fun. I think drinking in auditions should be encouraged - they should have a shots station on the way into the room!
Matt and I are starting our own theatre company - we've already decided on our first play (which is still unconfirmed so will remain a secret). The idea is that we will have an Australian theatre company in New York, doing Australian plays with Australian actors (who are legally allowed to work in the US...). Hopefully our first show will be on around May or June. We're currently trying to think of an Australian-ish name for our company. We've learnt that anything with Australian flora or fauna in the title sounds like a kids group. I like 'Southern Cross Productions'...Matt thinks it's a bit generic, but I might convince him. If anyone has any ideas let us know.
And finally, we fly back to Australia on Wednesday! It's been a year since we've been home so it will be so nice to be in beautiful, clean, warm Sydney...to eat meat pies and have a proper selection of dips and rice crackers at the supermarket, to see SULOs on the side of the road instead of mountains of trash bags, to be able to say 'whacha doin this arvo?' and not get blank stares, to be able to share our niece's Bat Mitzvah and have fake Christmas with my family. Yay Australia, here we come!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Winter is here
It's started getting cold. And everything's started getting prettier. I love, love, love Sydney, but there's nothing quite like Christmas in New York. There are twinkling lights, beautiful decorations, and tree sellers everywhere. I bought a wreath for $15 and our hallway smells of pine. The other day I walked along 57th Street really slowly just looking at how pretty everything is.
So much has happened. Where to begin?
I got the part in the movie! Come February I will be playing Mrs Olsen, the school music teacher, in a feature film called 'Secret Guilt'. It's my first ever film, apart from being an extra in Matt's short film, so it's very exciting. They also asked if I would coach the kids in singing before we shoot, so it'll be very Glee club.
I finished up my acting class at Atlantic this week. It's been so great and I've learnt so much. But now I want to put it all to practice, so I really should get stuck into auditioning more. Auditioning can just be so draining - sitting in a room all day, and if it's Equity I might not even be seen! And there are too many people and not enough parts. Matt and I keep having great ideas about things to do ourselves, but we're both very good procrastinators...
I've started another course with Karen Kohlhaas, an Atlantic lady, in cold reading and audition technique. It's so interesting learning about the 'proper' way to audition. She talks about things you don't even think about - like the way to open the door and enter looking at the panel with a big smile, instead of fumbling with the door handle, looking down and timidly approaching them. Then when you introduce yourself to play a positive action like 'join forces with me' instead of 'asking for forgiveness'. All obvious stuff I guess, but I'm such a nervous auditioner it's good to have things to focus on to take away from the nerves.
I got a new job! Well, an old one really. The fertility centre where I used to work has very kindly asked me to work for them part time - so now I get to do something I actually like (helping people have babies) and I can stop doing something I hate (helping mean people get fatter). Of course, sometimes working at a fertility center in New York City also means helping mean people get fatter (in a there's a baby in your belly so it's kind of like getting fatter way). So I start next week and I've already quit Outback and now I'm having a little bit of me time this week.
I got new headshots done. And I'm really happy with them. This was, I think, the third time I've ever had headshots done and I realized again that I don't look happy, mysterious, mischievous or enticing when I do a serious face. I just look mad, scared and a little deranged. All of which are a very important part of my acting range, I'm sure, but not something I want to print out and use as my calling card! So I picked two smiley ones and got bundles printed and now I can stop handing out black and white ones from 2005.
Some of my dearest friends are coming to New York for the holidays so I get to cook my first ever Christmas feast! Beware all - I have been known for such kitchen foibles as washing cookies (after they fell on the floor!) and 'watching' the chicken for my mum while she picked up my brother (I sat there and watched it burn - I didn't know I was supposed to turn it or anything). I hope the fire department and hospitals don't close on Christmas day...or McDonald's.
Matt's away in Connecticut tonight, filming a training video for Pepsi. So I'm home alone. I bought a bottle of wine on the way home (one of those big two litre ones) but the minimum for credit card was $15 (yes, I'm classy, my wine was less than $15), so I had to buy two bottles (yes...classy). I've watched around four hours of television and I plan to watch more. I just wish I had chocolate and then all would be good in the world.
Happy holidays everyone. Go look at the twinkly lights. They're beautiful wherever you are.
So much has happened. Where to begin?
I got the part in the movie! Come February I will be playing Mrs Olsen, the school music teacher, in a feature film called 'Secret Guilt'. It's my first ever film, apart from being an extra in Matt's short film, so it's very exciting. They also asked if I would coach the kids in singing before we shoot, so it'll be very Glee club.
I finished up my acting class at Atlantic this week. It's been so great and I've learnt so much. But now I want to put it all to practice, so I really should get stuck into auditioning more. Auditioning can just be so draining - sitting in a room all day, and if it's Equity I might not even be seen! And there are too many people and not enough parts. Matt and I keep having great ideas about things to do ourselves, but we're both very good procrastinators...
I've started another course with Karen Kohlhaas, an Atlantic lady, in cold reading and audition technique. It's so interesting learning about the 'proper' way to audition. She talks about things you don't even think about - like the way to open the door and enter looking at the panel with a big smile, instead of fumbling with the door handle, looking down and timidly approaching them. Then when you introduce yourself to play a positive action like 'join forces with me' instead of 'asking for forgiveness'. All obvious stuff I guess, but I'm such a nervous auditioner it's good to have things to focus on to take away from the nerves.
I got a new job! Well, an old one really. The fertility centre where I used to work has very kindly asked me to work for them part time - so now I get to do something I actually like (helping people have babies) and I can stop doing something I hate (helping mean people get fatter). Of course, sometimes working at a fertility center in New York City also means helping mean people get fatter (in a there's a baby in your belly so it's kind of like getting fatter way). So I start next week and I've already quit Outback and now I'm having a little bit of me time this week.
I got new headshots done. And I'm really happy with them. This was, I think, the third time I've ever had headshots done and I realized again that I don't look happy, mysterious, mischievous or enticing when I do a serious face. I just look mad, scared and a little deranged. All of which are a very important part of my acting range, I'm sure, but not something I want to print out and use as my calling card! So I picked two smiley ones and got bundles printed and now I can stop handing out black and white ones from 2005.
Some of my dearest friends are coming to New York for the holidays so I get to cook my first ever Christmas feast! Beware all - I have been known for such kitchen foibles as washing cookies (after they fell on the floor!) and 'watching' the chicken for my mum while she picked up my brother (I sat there and watched it burn - I didn't know I was supposed to turn it or anything). I hope the fire department and hospitals don't close on Christmas day...or McDonald's.
Matt's away in Connecticut tonight, filming a training video for Pepsi. So I'm home alone. I bought a bottle of wine on the way home (one of those big two litre ones) but the minimum for credit card was $15 (yes, I'm classy, my wine was less than $15), so I had to buy two bottles (yes...classy). I've watched around four hours of television and I plan to watch more. I just wish I had chocolate and then all would be good in the world.
Happy holidays everyone. Go look at the twinkly lights. They're beautiful wherever you are.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Wasted time
There are so many times now where I'm out for the day and I have an hour or two to fill in before I'm off to the next of my many things. Today there are three things on the list, which unavoidably turns into a full day in the city. I've just finished the first, my callback for a feature film (hehehe) where I would play a singing teacher. It went quite well, minus the fact that I left the script at home (sitting on the table under where I keep my handbag so I wouldn't forget it). I also left at home the words to the American National Anthem, which I had to sing as part of the callback, and which I probably should know now that this is my country of residence (for the time being, parents, don't fret). Anyway, I was thankfully able to use my trusty iPhone to retrieve the script from my email, google the national anthem and write everything down on the only paper I had - my outback ordering pad. So if someone gets a 'home of the brave' for dessert next time I work, that's why.
So who knows? It went well I think but everyone in this town is great so you can never tell. And singing from an Outback ordering pad can't really be considered 'nailing it'. But fingers and toes.
So now I'm in Starbucks drinking my cheap $1.91 coffee (honestly America, include tax in your prices so nothing ever has to cost $1.91), waiting to meet the husband for a 2pm screening of Hugo in 3D...with a Q&A afterwards with Ben Kingsley and Sacha Baron Cohen. We're getting to see a lot of these special screenings cause they're trying to woo all of the Screen Actors Guild members into voting for their movies in awards season. Last night we saw Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with a Q&A with Garry Oldman (Syrius Black not "what you talkin' about, Willis"...everyone knows this but me) AND Colin Firth. Yes. Colin Firth. And although I didn't understand a large chunk of the movie cause we were in the front row and the character's faces were in weird proportions, it was still very good. And did I mention that Colin Firth was there? And that we were in the front? Yes.
And then after our screening of Hugo this afternoon I'm off to work. Tips have been pretty poor lately. They're putting more servers on cause everyone's complaining about not getting enough shifts, but that means less tables per shift and less money! So basically I work more for less. Silly system.
I've also been inspired to do some proper writing. At a recent audition I heard some girls talking about epublishing, which is basically just 'publishing' a book on your own using one of the platforms now widely available with the ebook revolution. At Amazon you can easily put your own book up and you get a share of the sale price whenever someone downloads it for their Kindle, iPad, etc. Pretty cool. The audition girl was talking about how she wanted to do kids books but she can't draw. So I had a flash of inspiration. I can write. I can draw. And I'm also kinda into changing the world and helping people, so why not create a series of kids books devoted to teaching kids things like gay people are normal and religion should unite not divide and that kindness always works. I'm sure loads of people would think I'm the devil. But hopefully there'd be a few open minded parents out there who want their kids just to always know these things, from when they're little, so the world can keep changing for the better. Anyway, that's me the idealist with a fun flash of inspiration. Who knows if I'll do anything with it.
Matt should be here soon. So I will sign off and get ready for some more Q&A fun with the stars. Yay!
So who knows? It went well I think but everyone in this town is great so you can never tell. And singing from an Outback ordering pad can't really be considered 'nailing it'. But fingers and toes.
So now I'm in Starbucks drinking my cheap $1.91 coffee (honestly America, include tax in your prices so nothing ever has to cost $1.91), waiting to meet the husband for a 2pm screening of Hugo in 3D...with a Q&A afterwards with Ben Kingsley and Sacha Baron Cohen. We're getting to see a lot of these special screenings cause they're trying to woo all of the Screen Actors Guild members into voting for their movies in awards season. Last night we saw Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with a Q&A with Garry Oldman (Syrius Black not "what you talkin' about, Willis"...everyone knows this but me) AND Colin Firth. Yes. Colin Firth. And although I didn't understand a large chunk of the movie cause we were in the front row and the character's faces were in weird proportions, it was still very good. And did I mention that Colin Firth was there? And that we were in the front? Yes.
And then after our screening of Hugo this afternoon I'm off to work. Tips have been pretty poor lately. They're putting more servers on cause everyone's complaining about not getting enough shifts, but that means less tables per shift and less money! So basically I work more for less. Silly system.
I've also been inspired to do some proper writing. At a recent audition I heard some girls talking about epublishing, which is basically just 'publishing' a book on your own using one of the platforms now widely available with the ebook revolution. At Amazon you can easily put your own book up and you get a share of the sale price whenever someone downloads it for their Kindle, iPad, etc. Pretty cool. The audition girl was talking about how she wanted to do kids books but she can't draw. So I had a flash of inspiration. I can write. I can draw. And I'm also kinda into changing the world and helping people, so why not create a series of kids books devoted to teaching kids things like gay people are normal and religion should unite not divide and that kindness always works. I'm sure loads of people would think I'm the devil. But hopefully there'd be a few open minded parents out there who want their kids just to always know these things, from when they're little, so the world can keep changing for the better. Anyway, that's me the idealist with a fun flash of inspiration. Who knows if I'll do anything with it.
Matt should be here soon. So I will sign off and get ready for some more Q&A fun with the stars. Yay!
Sunday, November 13, 2011
The Cheesecake Hour
Matt thinks this would be a good title for a movie. I mean, I'd see it. Is it about a wild competition where people only have 1 hour to eat as much cheesecake as they can and the loser gets thrown down the Chute of Doom (ooh, another good movie title)? Is it about a bunch of old ladies who get together the second Tuesday of every month for a slice of cheesecake and to reminisce about their lives? Or could it be about a hold-up at the Cheesecake Factory?? So many options! It was actually just something silly I said yesterday for no reason except that maybe I wanted some cheesecake.
I got a call-back. For the film. I should have opened with that - more exciting than cheesecake nonsense. Yes, that's right. I got a call-back for a FILM. Hehe. Who'd have thunk it? And it's a feature length film, so maybe if I get in and it becomes a break-through independent small screen blockbuster, I will soon be red-carpeting to Oscars glory. Or I'll just be able to do a film and that will be fun. But, as optimistic as I am in my worldly dealings, I do tend to have a more pessimistic outlook on my chance of success (less disappointment if you don't and more yay if you do). So for now let's keep our excitement in check. The call back is in a week. So fingers and toes everyone.
We went to New Jersey last weekend, to visit some lovely friends who spoiled us rotten. They fed us delightful food, yummy alcohol and took us to the movies to see 'In Time'. It's a fun movie. But I wanted to slap the pretty girl and tell her to buy some sensible shoes so that she could run away from the baddies faster. Enjoyable though. And on Friday night we saw a special awards screening of 'Super 8' (Matt gets invited to these things cause he's all important and Screen Actors Guildish). I really liked that one. It's action, suspense, comedy, sci fi AND romance - everything I love. It came out ages ago, but I don't want to give away anything. So if you haven't, go see it. And the kids in it are great. AND we got to watch it in this neat little Paramount viewing room which had fancy, comfortable seats. One day we'll own our own one of those.
Friday was Vererans Day, so we had a special at work all week where all veterans got a free bloomin' onion and a drink. I served such a lovely old man. He was so kind and talkative, and all he ordered was the onion and drink, and he enjoyed it so much. He told me that he's on food stamps and said that he never gets to come to 'fancy' places like Outback. It was such a sad moment for me. This awesome guy, who fought for his country, is all alone and doesn't have enough money to eat at Outback. He only ate a little of his bloomin' onion, so I packed up the rest and some extra bread for him, and his whole meal was free. I wish I could have snuck him a T-bone or two.
Three more auditions this week, and if I get my AFTRA card in the mail I might go sign up for Central Casting (an extras casting agency). AFTRA is one of the big unions here, but the only one where you don't have to get a role in something before you join. And if I get 3 AFTRA extras roles I can join Equity in a year. Not that I know if I really want to join Equity yet, since it's hard enough to get work non-Equity, but at least to have the option would be nice. And it'd be fun to do extras stuff in some of the cool TV that they film in New York! And if I make $10,000 in a year through AFTRA I qualify for health insurance. So look out for me in the background of everything. I'll be the one waving (I haven't been an extra before, but I assume it's like when you're in the background on the Today show).
That's all for now. I can't concentrate when I keep thinking about cheesecake.
I got a call-back. For the film. I should have opened with that - more exciting than cheesecake nonsense. Yes, that's right. I got a call-back for a FILM. Hehe. Who'd have thunk it? And it's a feature length film, so maybe if I get in and it becomes a break-through independent small screen blockbuster, I will soon be red-carpeting to Oscars glory. Or I'll just be able to do a film and that will be fun. But, as optimistic as I am in my worldly dealings, I do tend to have a more pessimistic outlook on my chance of success (less disappointment if you don't and more yay if you do). So for now let's keep our excitement in check. The call back is in a week. So fingers and toes everyone.
We went to New Jersey last weekend, to visit some lovely friends who spoiled us rotten. They fed us delightful food, yummy alcohol and took us to the movies to see 'In Time'. It's a fun movie. But I wanted to slap the pretty girl and tell her to buy some sensible shoes so that she could run away from the baddies faster. Enjoyable though. And on Friday night we saw a special awards screening of 'Super 8' (Matt gets invited to these things cause he's all important and Screen Actors Guildish). I really liked that one. It's action, suspense, comedy, sci fi AND romance - everything I love. It came out ages ago, but I don't want to give away anything. So if you haven't, go see it. And the kids in it are great. AND we got to watch it in this neat little Paramount viewing room which had fancy, comfortable seats. One day we'll own our own one of those.
Friday was Vererans Day, so we had a special at work all week where all veterans got a free bloomin' onion and a drink. I served such a lovely old man. He was so kind and talkative, and all he ordered was the onion and drink, and he enjoyed it so much. He told me that he's on food stamps and said that he never gets to come to 'fancy' places like Outback. It was such a sad moment for me. This awesome guy, who fought for his country, is all alone and doesn't have enough money to eat at Outback. He only ate a little of his bloomin' onion, so I packed up the rest and some extra bread for him, and his whole meal was free. I wish I could have snuck him a T-bone or two.
Three more auditions this week, and if I get my AFTRA card in the mail I might go sign up for Central Casting (an extras casting agency). AFTRA is one of the big unions here, but the only one where you don't have to get a role in something before you join. And if I get 3 AFTRA extras roles I can join Equity in a year. Not that I know if I really want to join Equity yet, since it's hard enough to get work non-Equity, but at least to have the option would be nice. And it'd be fun to do extras stuff in some of the cool TV that they film in New York! And if I make $10,000 in a year through AFTRA I qualify for health insurance. So look out for me in the background of everything. I'll be the one waving (I haven't been an extra before, but I assume it's like when you're in the background on the Today show).
That's all for now. I can't concentrate when I keep thinking about cheesecake.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Auditions
I thought that when I left my full time job I'd have auditions coming out my eyeballs. But I've had around an audition a week...sometimes not even that. And I'm not really that picky - if there's any kind of role which doesn't require an old lady or a man, I'm there. Sometimes I'm not even as picky as that. I could play a man. I am an old lady. I'm still in my third-life crisis (yes, I've lived three times).
But seriously, where are all the fun, meaty roles that are meant for me? Well, they're there. But so is every girl, my age, older and younger, who was ever any good at singing and acting, who decided to move here cause she WAS good at singing and acting. When I stand outside the audition room, talking friendly-ly to the person behind me but actually running my song over in my head, EVERYONE I hear is good. I don't think I've actually ever heard a voice coming from the other side of that door that was bad. Stop right there.
If I was a scientist (wait!), and I had a monkey (where do I get a monkey?), I could recreate 'Outbreak' and create a virus that rots the vocal chords of all female singers in my age range. Ok, that's done. Shit. I think I was supposed to be the monkey.
I sound like I'm drunk. I'm not. What I'm trying to say is that this is hard.
I've just finished reading David Mamet's 'True and False'. It's a very good read. But he's an opinionated bastard. Sometimes you just want to slap him and cry 'I'll prove you wrong you fool!' But he says things like: if you have something to fall back on you will fall back on it. And: don't you hate those people who smile all the time, they're just trying to create for themselves their own emotional state. Well I say: poo to you. Even though I'm at your school and I think it's great. But he also tells people that if they want to act they should create their own theatre company and just act, act, ACT. So maybe I'll start doing some of my own work. Put on a show, or something.
Matt and I are writing a screenplay. I think it's very good. He's the one who likes to take it slow and read the how-to book and follow all the steps and get everything perfect. And I'm the one saying 'why aren't we writing already? It doesn't need to be perfect. We'll fix it later.' I think we're a good team. And I really am excited about our movie. I won't give away the plot, cause it will be coming to a tv screen near you, sometime in the distant, distant...distant future.
Class is going well. Scene analysis is hard, but I can't wait to put our scene up in front of the class. It's one thing to talk about technique, and it's another thing entirely to do it! And repetition is good. It's harder now cause we've moved on from the 'you're wearing a white shirt' to the 'you're surprised', 'you're nervous', 'you're sympathetic' thing. It's often way easier to see something in a person than it is to put a name to it. But it's making me take note of what I see in people in weird places. Like on the subway I was like 'you're bored' about the lady listening to her friend and 'you're drunk' about the man collapsed on the floor. I'm insightful.
And I have an audition for a short film this weekend. I'm so excited that I got an audition time. It's hard, cause I have lots of musical theatre stuff on my resume, but NO plays or film. So when they get 1000 submissions, why on earth would anybody pick me? But I got picked...for an audition at least.
Maybe it's my big break. Heck, with an audition a week my odds are worse than my Melbourne Cup horse - Older than time. Whoever named that horse is an idiot. If I was Older than time I would...oh no...it's late. Time for bed.
But seriously, where are all the fun, meaty roles that are meant for me? Well, they're there. But so is every girl, my age, older and younger, who was ever any good at singing and acting, who decided to move here cause she WAS good at singing and acting. When I stand outside the audition room, talking friendly-ly to the person behind me but actually running my song over in my head, EVERYONE I hear is good. I don't think I've actually ever heard a voice coming from the other side of that door that was bad. Stop right there.
If I was a scientist (wait!), and I had a monkey (where do I get a monkey?), I could recreate 'Outbreak' and create a virus that rots the vocal chords of all female singers in my age range. Ok, that's done. Shit. I think I was supposed to be the monkey.
I sound like I'm drunk. I'm not. What I'm trying to say is that this is hard.
I've just finished reading David Mamet's 'True and False'. It's a very good read. But he's an opinionated bastard. Sometimes you just want to slap him and cry 'I'll prove you wrong you fool!' But he says things like: if you have something to fall back on you will fall back on it. And: don't you hate those people who smile all the time, they're just trying to create for themselves their own emotional state. Well I say: poo to you. Even though I'm at your school and I think it's great. But he also tells people that if they want to act they should create their own theatre company and just act, act, ACT. So maybe I'll start doing some of my own work. Put on a show, or something.
Matt and I are writing a screenplay. I think it's very good. He's the one who likes to take it slow and read the how-to book and follow all the steps and get everything perfect. And I'm the one saying 'why aren't we writing already? It doesn't need to be perfect. We'll fix it later.' I think we're a good team. And I really am excited about our movie. I won't give away the plot, cause it will be coming to a tv screen near you, sometime in the distant, distant...distant future.
Class is going well. Scene analysis is hard, but I can't wait to put our scene up in front of the class. It's one thing to talk about technique, and it's another thing entirely to do it! And repetition is good. It's harder now cause we've moved on from the 'you're wearing a white shirt' to the 'you're surprised', 'you're nervous', 'you're sympathetic' thing. It's often way easier to see something in a person than it is to put a name to it. But it's making me take note of what I see in people in weird places. Like on the subway I was like 'you're bored' about the lady listening to her friend and 'you're drunk' about the man collapsed on the floor. I'm insightful.
And I have an audition for a short film this weekend. I'm so excited that I got an audition time. It's hard, cause I have lots of musical theatre stuff on my resume, but NO plays or film. So when they get 1000 submissions, why on earth would anybody pick me? But I got picked...for an audition at least.
Maybe it's my big break. Heck, with an audition a week my odds are worse than my Melbourne Cup horse - Older than time. Whoever named that horse is an idiot. If I was Older than time I would...oh no...it's late. Time for bed.
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