....even when you're sick. I've been stricken with the severe and long-lasting cold/cough that has been making the rounds. But not even the GU (gainfully unemployed) can collapse on their couches without some ramifications. I did engage in much collapsing from Good Friday through the Easter weekend, making my way through copious amounts of TheraFlu, tea and Puffs.
But I had an audition Monday from an agent for a train the trainer video that could not be missed. So whenever I could manage to lever myself off the couch, I laid down the 3 pages of copy on my ear prompter and practiced. An ear prompter, for the uninitiated, is a tape recorder with a news anchor-type earpiece attached. The script plays back in your ear, then you say it. This enables the actor to audition with large amounts of copy without having to memorize it. Try repeating whatever the radio announcer or news anchor says, and you'll get the idea.
Thanks to the miracles of makeup, I managed to conceal my red nose and make my eyes look less puffy. I drove to the audition and even found a parking space. I must say, it went very well, and the auditioner said she was very pleased, but the client would choose who got the part. I was so happy to get back home and change out of my audition attire into my sweats. Then the phone rang. It was my agent. No way they could they have decided that fast. Maybe he had another audition for me.
Neither of the above.
My audition had been videotaped without sound. Could I go back right away and redo it?
I changed clothes. I drove all the way back. I did the audition again. Not sure it was quite as good...
And I didn't get the part. Sigh.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
The Homeless Washerwoman Lives On
Waiting is an inevitable part of the acting (and writing) worlds. You wait to find out if you've gotten a part you auditioned for. You wait for agents to send you on auditions. You wait for your paychecks. When you're an extra, you wait to see if your scene made it into the final film. If not, you wait even longer to see if it shows up in the DVD's deleted scenes.
In November, 2005, I won an online fan auction and travelled to Lithuania to be a featured extra in Highlander 5: The Source. I had to wait almost 2 years to see if my scene made it in.
In mid-September 2007, the movie finally came out as a SciFi Original. I watched with baited breath. Yes! About 10 minutes in, there is a shot of just me walking away from the new villain, The Guardian.
But what became of the rest of the shots we did, and the interviews I'd done for "the making of" featurette? I had to wait until the DVD just came out a couple of weeks ago. No interviews appeared, which is probably for the best...I was so excited to be there I have no idea what I said. About 52 and a half minutes into the special feature on the making of the movie, lo and behold! There are several shots of me and my three fellow homeless compatriots. And you can see the shot during the entrance of Zai, another character new to the Highlander universe.
For readers who want to know more, my Set Visit Report is still on the Highlander Worldwide Web site.
In November, 2005, I won an online fan auction and travelled to Lithuania to be a featured extra in Highlander 5: The Source. I had to wait almost 2 years to see if my scene made it in.
In mid-September 2007, the movie finally came out as a SciFi Original. I watched with baited breath. Yes! About 10 minutes in, there is a shot of just me walking away from the new villain, The Guardian.
But what became of the rest of the shots we did, and the interviews I'd done for "the making of" featurette? I had to wait until the DVD just came out a couple of weeks ago. No interviews appeared, which is probably for the best...I was so excited to be there I have no idea what I said. About 52 and a half minutes into the special feature on the making of the movie, lo and behold! There are several shots of me and my three fellow homeless compatriots. And you can see the shot during the entrance of Zai, another character new to the Highlander universe.
For readers who want to know more, my Set Visit Report is still on the Highlander Worldwide Web site.
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
I'm a model!
Yes, this is true. I shot my first print ad yesterday!!! Out of 8 people cast from many who auditioned from various talent agencies, I was the only female. The ads will appear in some newpapers, magazines and the Internet.
The process was just like the shoots on America's Next Top Model. Had my hair/makeup/wardrobe done. Stepped onto the light-strewn set, where the photographer, an ad agency representative and the guy who seemed to be the director (never got his title) and a guy who manned the computer (never got his title either) could see every shot appear on a huge computer monitor.
Just like the ANTM models, I was asked to keep "giving them something different" in terms of facial expression, attidude, and gestures. Even when you have a clear idea of what they're looking for and they offer suggestions, doing this is over and over is harder than you might think. And you try "smiling with no teeth" while people are telling jokes.
Watching every ANTM cycle (they're on #10 at the moment) definitely helped me get and succeed at this job. Thanks to Tyra I've learned how to make sure my eyes convey emotion instead of being flat and lifeless. Thanks to Tyra, when they said "smile with your eyes," I knew exactly what they meant.
Everyone seemed happy, and said I was very photogenic. At one point the director showed me a closeup on the HUGE monitor and said something about how great my face was for closeups. Pretty much all I saw were the bags under my eyes and the wrinkles that have recently appeared above my top lip...but all that matters was that the client liked it. My eyes looked good, tho. Will be very interesting to see the final product!
Ruth
The process was just like the shoots on America's Next Top Model. Had my hair/makeup/wardrobe done. Stepped onto the light-strewn set, where the photographer, an ad agency representative and the guy who seemed to be the director (never got his title) and a guy who manned the computer (never got his title either) could see every shot appear on a huge computer monitor.
Just like the ANTM models, I was asked to keep "giving them something different" in terms of facial expression, attidude, and gestures. Even when you have a clear idea of what they're looking for and they offer suggestions, doing this is over and over is harder than you might think. And you try "smiling with no teeth" while people are telling jokes.
Watching every ANTM cycle (they're on #10 at the moment) definitely helped me get and succeed at this job. Thanks to Tyra I've learned how to make sure my eyes convey emotion instead of being flat and lifeless. Thanks to Tyra, when they said "smile with your eyes," I knew exactly what they meant.
Everyone seemed happy, and said I was very photogenic. At one point the director showed me a closeup on the HUGE monitor and said something about how great my face was for closeups. Pretty much all I saw were the bags under my eyes and the wrinkles that have recently appeared above my top lip...but all that matters was that the client liked it. My eyes looked good, tho. Will be very interesting to see the final product!
Ruth
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