I wrote last month about why little wins are important for artists.  There’s so much rejection in this business that you need to appreciate and celebrate every accomplishment…no matter how small it is. Last month, I got my first callback for a national commercial. It’s a big deal for a new actor.  And, while I didn’t book the job, being one of the few selected to come back and audition for the director and larger group (client and ad agency) was HUGE.

One of the things I learned quickly about the auditioning process is that you can’t fret over how the audition went, your performance, etc. too much. I always walk away with one lesson learned and then I forget about the audition. There are so many factors involved in the decision-making process so there’s no point to waste time and energy thinking about what went wrong.

For example, it didn’t occur to me while sitting in the waiting room that the other five women all had dark hair. After my audition, l was told they didn’t want California-type girls (blonde hair and blue eyes) cast for the role as this needed to appeal to women in different parts of the country. I asked why I was selected to come in and he said “you must have done something in your audition they liked.” That’s good enough for me! I’m doing something right…and as I always say after a bad date…..NEXT!!!

Coming into this, I thought I had realistic expectations of what a bi-coastal move and change would do to me. Nope! I had no idea. Leaving stability and financial security, and moving 3000 miles away from friends and family bring lots of emotion.

Thankfully, I’ve made it through major hurdles and am stronger for it. There will always be bumps in the roads, hurdles to jump over, punches that knock you down…….Get up! Push through! Persevere! Take one day at a time!

Well…it’s not an Oscar BUT I’lllll take it.  Here’s the story but first let me set the stage.

I’ve been fortunate throughout this crazy journey.  It seems good things happen when I need them to…like when I start to question if this new path is the right one.   I will say this happens less and less now, but there are those rare occasions when it does.  Like when I’m feeling overwhelmed about the long road ahead.  This will take years to accomplish.  I know and accept this…..but thinking about everything I need to do and my odds….it can be quite daunting. Another thing that gets me sometimes is when I hear industry people rant and rave about the biz.  AND, these are the successful ones.  Wow…does Hollywood make everyone jaded?  Hope not.

The gals and me

When I start down this unnecessary road of self-doubt, the universe gives me a sign to keep going.  A form of validation that I AM on the right path?  That’s how I look at it.   It could be as small as picking up a penny on the morning of an audition, to a more observable, greater event like being selected as an aspiring actress in a nationwide contest.

So, just days before the 84th Academy Awards, I got an email telling me that I was named in an aspiring actress contest by Emma.com.  F#$cking fabulous, right?

Who is this Emma anyway? Emma.com is a new online marketplace.  Think Craigslist but better.  Leveraging Facebook’s connections, people now have the ability to control the audience and interact with only their friends and friends’ connections.  It’s much safer. An undoubtedly creative PR strategy, Emma.com is holding monthly “experiences of a lifetime” contests to bring visibility to the site.

According to a company spokesperson, they looked for actresses with passion and personality, and who demonstrated dedication.  In total there were three of us.  We were all at different levels with me being the newbie.  The other actresses – Aliza Rupert and Laura Hunter – are super cool chicks whom I look up to.  Take Laura, a.k.a. Miss Hunter.  She inspires me on so many levels.  She’s stuck with it through all the ups and downs, and things are starting to happen for her.  Through her blog and other writings, she does a great job at marketing herself.  Laura also creates her own content – so smart!  This has been one of my goals for 2012 and she’s inspired me to get off my ass.  You need to watch her Hillaree the Hillbilly character – so hilarious!

The girls and I attended very cool after-Oscar parties where I rubbed elbows with stars.  I also ran into old friends from DC – Cheryl Romero and Andrea Rodgers (AKA Miss A).   These girls are lovely and they know how to work a room.  TV and film actor Chris McDonald was part of our posse for part of the night.  A regular on not one but TWO TV series (Harry’s Law and Boardwalk Empire), Chris’s very down-to-earth.  I’m kicking myself for not asking him questions.  It WAS a party so I was trying to be polite and respect his time.  Chris, if you’re reading this, I would love to pick your brain one day.  Coffee?  I’ll come up your way.

The final destination was a swanky LA mansion where we mingled and danced.  There was food served around 3 a.m. so Laura and I ate.  In fact, I went up to the buffet not once but twice.  Quelle surprise!

I left the girls on the dance floor around 4 a.m. and headed home to my man. Hanging with the beautiful people at swanky Hollywood parties is nice, but I greatly value the relationships I made at this event.

Here I am…a year into it.  I moved to LA essentially not knowing anyone.  I can count on one hand how many people I knew.  But now?   I have lots of friends…and continue to meet cool people every day.  Whoever said LA doesn’t have quality people????

Thanks Emma.com, this was certainly an experience of a lifetime.  Well….hopefully not.  I will be here again soon!!!!  And, not because of a contest next time.

One film that I’m particularly proud of is “Maple Syrup.” Written and directed by Alexander N, a recent graduate of the New York Film Academy, Maple Syrup is a short romantic comedy about a lonely man (Keith) who tries to avoid a friendship that found him.  Keith is played beautifully by LA Actor Jesse Steele.  Great job, friend!

Student films are great because you get to meet and work with talented and passionate young filmmakers, some of whom are the next generation of Hollywood.  I have no doubt Alexander N is an up-and-comer.  Why am I so sure?

I first met Alexander at my audition. I just had a feeling.  I felt comfortable with him.  He had a good energy.  I wanted to work with him.  Thankfully, I got the role.   It was a small part, so I didn’t film many scenes, but I appreciate the time I did get to work with him.

Maple Syrup was well received at the screening.  The Program Director called out the technical effects with the leaf and Alexander’s ability to create a heart-warming film in less than six minutes.

Maple Syrup has been submitted to 40 film festivals across the globe and just received news that it was selected for The Short Film Center Competition in Goa, India.  Congrats, team!

Alexander has a powerful combination of talent, passion and drive.
I have no doubt that he’ll continue to make great movies.  I just hope he keeps me in mind for future films and lets me audition for them.   Wink, Alex.  Check him out here.

Here’s the trailer:

http://youtu.be/7SYSBnOhBkA

ACCLIMATION.  It took a couple months to settle in and acclimate to the area.  LA is quite large, and VERY dispersed.  The highways and traffic are a nightmare.   I learned the different neighborhoods, and am happy to report that today GPS is rarely used.    Not to mention…. I know three ways to get over the canyon to the valley.   Making friends and finding a permanent home fall into this bucket too.

GETTING IN SHAPE was next.  I gained (hmmm…) a tad of weight post-surgery and while traveling last year.  Daily wine + rich foods/eating out – exercise = 20+LBs for Kristin.   Not
good.   I had one pair of jeans that fit – and they were the stretchy kind.    One
needs to be confident in order to make it in this business.   This is something that was never a problem for me but I will say my confidence was lost with the extra weight.    If I
had any chance in this town, I needed to get it back.   So, I cut back on food and alcohol and started working out with an amazing trainer.   I need to give a shout-out to Jim Barcena.  He’s worked on numerous celebrities, and was kind enough to give me a deal so I could afford him.   Ladies/gents, if you’re in LA, he’s fabulous.   I lost all the weight and
attribute it to him.  Thank you, Jim.

EDUCATION.   I started acting classes.  Up until this month, I was attending classes regularly at two well-respected schools – Margie Haber and Lass Moss studios.   I recently
wrote about my experience with Everybody Loves Raymond’s Brad Garrett.   Pepper in some one-off improv classes and workshops, and my daily reading (including books, trade rags and plays), I’m learning the craft.   I plan to start classes again once the holidays are over.
To be an actor is a lifetime pursuit.  I will take classes as long as I can afford it.

Attending productions is important too.  Part of Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way is taking yourself on weekly artist’s date.  One of my fav experiences was attending John Lithgow’s one-man show “Stories by Heart.”  I drove downtown to the Mark Taper Forum to see Lithgow’s autobiographical solo performance.   He began by greeting the audience, seating himself in an armchair with the only prop being a family-owned book of tales, and then stated the evening is going to be about storytelling.  He acted out his favorite short stories from his childhood while sharing memories of his dad reading to the family. I have always admired Lithgow as an actor but to see him act out multiple characters was impressive.

EXPERIENCE/THE WORK.
My first project in LA was taping integration pieces (or b-roll) for an Emmy-winning medical show.   I never actually saw the episode air so I have no idea how it came out.   Nevertheless, I appreciated the opportunity.  Thank you to my actor friend, Svetlana, for the invite.    I started auditions with my old DC head shots.   Auditions are tough!  This is an
animal in itself that needs constant attention and practice.  I’m getting much better though.

For the first year, I’ve focused on student and short films.  I figure this is the perfect place to learn and make mistakes.   I’ve been involved in some great projects, one of which is called “Maple Syrup.”  I’m dedicating Thursday’s post to it so stay tuned.  As the other projects are
finalized, I will plug them on Damn the Odds.

One of my favorite pieces of advice or words of wisdom that I have received is “do shit!”
Along the same lines is what my former acting teacher in DC, Brenna McDonough,
used to say at the beginning and end of every class…”Do something for your career every day.” These are simple but so very true.   An actor needs to put in the work if he/she wants to make it.  As Actor and Instructor Adam Hill says, “Work produces work!”

Admittedly, I haven’t put in the time/work this deserves and what is needed to make it.  Over the last month, I’ve been deep in self-reflection about what I have and haven’t accomplished.
First of all, friends, plleeeease don’t do this.  DO NOT focus on what you haven’t accomplished.  This is not good.  Trust me.  Look at the things you have done.  When I did this, I realized that I have done some great things in my first year – things that have helped me build a good foundation for what I’m trying to achieve here.   Also, I had some unexpected challenges happen that took my time and energy away from acting.  Thankfully now,  these are close to being in order.

I am looking toward the future now.  2012 will be different.  It’s all about putting in the work.   I am motivated more than ever to do this.   My new head shots are done
(thanks to Lorenzo Hodges) and come the new year, I will start auditioning again.

I’m making a commitment to work harder…..to put in the work….to do shit!!!!  You can hold me to it.   Please do!

A famous actor (there is debate about who actually said it), lying on his deathbed, was asked by a friend, “Is it hard, this dying?””No,” replied the actor. “Dying is easy. Comedy is hard.”

Well, folks, I can attest to that.  I just wrapped up a six week sitcom workshop with Emmy Award-winning actor Brad Garrett at the Larry Moss Studios/Edgemar Center for the Arts.  In the class, we explored what it takes to have great comedic instincts from one of the great comedic actors of my time.  What a remarkable experience.   I learned a great deal, including the fact that that I have a lot more to learn about comedic acting.

Acting classes are expensive in LA so when we actors find one that’s worth the money, it’s fantastic.  I highly recommend this class.  Brad’s fabulous.  He not only has the gift of funny but he’s an amazing coach.  I found him to be on point with his redirects, inspirational, surprisingly humble, and refreshingly candid about the biz.  He shared his experiences in dealing with the politics of Hollywood and his ongoing displeasure with auditioning.   I really took what he said to heart.

On the first class, Brad emphasized, “It’s all about the craft!  It has to be or you will get destroyed by the rejection and pressures of Hollywood.  Your craft can never be taken away from you.”   Boy, that is the truth.  This is a tough business on so many levels.   I am not as thick skinned and resilient as I thought – but I’m happy to report I’m getting stronger.

Brad also talked the about the “Four F’s” – Freedom, Finds, Funny, and Fearless.   The last one really hit home because this is something that I’m struggling with regularly. Speaking truthfully to you, I have an unwanted companion on this journey of mine…. an internal demon that I can’t shake.  I allude to it in my 8/11 post titled “Self-doubt is a bitch.” Call it fear of failure (or is it fear of success?), I really don’t know.  I can argue it both ways.  It doesn’t really matter what it is at this point.  Bottom line – it’s a roadblock, and I need to deal with and say goodbye to it ASAP.  This is another topic for another day though.  Blogging is a process of self-development, so I’ll be writing again about this soon.    So, pertaining to Brad’s 4^th F, I am on a quest to become fearless.  I am not quite sure how to do this yet.  Open to suggestions though.

The final class was an industry showcase, where we performed in front of a panel of experts — Jim Vallely, a TV producer and screenwriter (for some of my all-time favorite shows such as Arrested Development and Golden Girls), sought-after casting
director Susan Vash, The King of Queens Director Rob Schiller, plus an actor, an acting
coach, and a literary agent.   My partner and friend, LA-based actress Rachael Simone, and I performed a scene from the hit series Friends.  The performances were taped.   Unfortunately, the camera was positioned behind me so I’m not sure if the video will turn out.   If decent, I will upload to Damn the Odds. Stay tuned…