Viewer discretion advised!

     My colleague, actor Tom Puckett, tried background work for one summer.  He turned his experiences into a book, The Big Blur,
http://thebigblur.com/thebook/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJ4zkmZaQIk


     Usually, an actor might not choose to acknowledge that they have done background work.  Usually, once an actor has an agent, doing background work is not encouraged.  Well, I, for one, have no shame and I am proud of my background work.  I have enjoyed doing background work and even if I am not seen in the final product, if I enjoy viewing the final product then I like to boast about the piece of work.

     Last year I did background work on WORKAHOLICS, a pilot for Comedy Central.  WORKAHOLICS premiered on Comedy Central on April 6, 2011.  The show may not be everyone's cup of tea but my hard working husband sat and watched the premier episode and was entertained as was I.  You won't see me if you watch it.   Here is the link.  Remember, viewer discretion advised!

http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/workaholics/index.jhtml

What's my reel? Part 1 and Part 2 + some commercials

     In the business world when you are looking for work you submit your resume or curriculum vitae.  As an actor you need "a reel", head shots and a resume.  My current favorite head shot is the cover shot for this blog.

    Here, I would like to share some of clips of my work.  Above is my reel, draft 2.  In it I feature some still photos of me at work on different projects,  clips from the short films RO SHAM BO, and SPEED DATING and a DISH NETWORK commercial that ran nationally on the DISH NETWORK in 2008 and 2009.

Below is a link to my reel, draft 1.  It features a clip from a Public Service Announcement that I did for Senior Concerns and clips from READERS THEATER TELEVISION, the short film, SPEED DATING and a pilot of a reality TV show, YOU'VE BEEN SERVED!
clips reel draft 1



Here are links to some other clips of my commercials and industrials work:

CARMIND, a car dealership training program
This link will take you to the website where you can spot me in the "Behind the Scenes" video.
http://www.dealersocket.com/departments/training


A Jamba Juice spec commercial
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEL4YBy0YJI

Heinz Catsup

Sober Living by the Sea

Clemmy's Ice Cream #1

Clemmy's Ice Cream #2

SLANTED MONICA

     This past Wednesday night (2/9/11) I had my last shooting day with Lost Hills Films on their project, THE INFECTED, a zombie horror short.  Some of the producers are also actors in the project.  For an actor, becoming a producer is a way to take your career in your own hands and make something happen for yourself.

     As an actor you must wait.  Wait for your agent to call.  Wait for the casting director to call.  Wait to be cast.  Wait to hear about production days and call times.  Wait in holding until you are needed on the set.

     ". . . you've got to wait it out.  You wait in a kind of trance.  You need infinite patience.  No use fretting or worrying.  You just wait.  Doing nothing, thinking nothing, burning no energy.  Then you burst into action.  After an hour, five hours, a day, a week.  Waiting is a skill like anything else."  Lee Child, Killing Floor

     There have been times in my life as an actor when I did become a producer.  These were times when a particular project would posses me after I was introduced to it and I felt I had to give it more life.  A producer believes in the project they are producing.  Their belief is instrumental in pulling all the elements together to bring a project to life.

     On Sunday (2/13/11) I met with some cast and production staff, writers, producers and director for a new media project in which I've been cast.  It was a table read, wardrobe meeting and some production information was shared.  Entertainment superstition prescribes that I not speak too much about this new project while it is getting underway else I jinx it.  But later in this post I will say more.*

     I just want to say that for this project actors are producers.  They are making something happen for themselves.  It has been my good fortune to work with several actor/producers since I've been in Los Angeles.

     Jenny Tallent, actor/producer of COFFEE CLATCH introduced me to community access television which led to my becoming a producer of READERS THEATER TELEVISION.

     Actors/producers Erin Cathcart and Tony Saltzman cast me in their short project FACES.

     Beth Dewey and Christina Beck actors/producers cast me in KILL HOUSE.  www.killhousemovie.com

     At my local community access cable television studio I met Tim Gallagher, an actor producer, and we teamed up to produce READERS THEATER TELEVISION.  Tim and April Gallagher went on to produce Tim's screen play, GERALD and now produce the Castle Rock Film Festival in Colorado.
http://www.gallafilms.com/gerald
http://www.gallafilms.com/crff/crff.htm

     *As I complete this post (3/3/11) the actors/producers of  SLANTED MONICA, a pilot, produced on spec, have completed 7 shooting days and have scheduled me for a pick-up shot on 3/5/11.
    
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Slanted-Monica/193558377335279

    

Working with Catholic production companies

   I have enjoyed working with two Catholic production companies in Los Angeles, Family Theater Productions http://www.familytheater.org/en/About.aspx

and Paulist Productions http://www.paulistproductions.org/about-us.html

     With Family Theater Productions I am featured in film Number 11 of 20 in their Manifest Mystery Anthology.   YOU WILL SEE is the title and I was shooting it in San Pedro, California in May 2010.  YOU WILL SEE screened at the 2011 Los Angeles Catholic Religious Education Congress and is now available on DVD  http://www.familytheater.org/en/About/News/NewsDetails.aspx?pr={16295A5C-0668-4D95-A92D-09927E16FDEA}

Watch the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EceRIabRJ2U&feature=channel_video_title

     With Paulist Productions I did background work on their web series, Tyler's Ride, http://www.paulistproductions.org/movies-tylersride.html


    

This one went to Sundance!

     I had the opportunity to work for one day of shooting as a background actor on the film ONE TOO MANY MORNINGS.  The film went to the Sundance film festival in January 2010.
     I just heard from the filmmakers that the entire film is available to view on hulu for free!  Here is the link:
http://www.hulu.com/watch/203072/one-too-many-mornings
     I enjoyed viewing ONE TOO MANY MORNINGS at a screening in LA.  I was very moved by the story.  I am proud to have played a small part in this film.   Those of you who are in my fan club can catch me in the back ground of the ER scene.

Just completed./For your viewing pleasure.

      In the spring last year I worked on CHAKRA LOVE, a 30 minute short comedy.  It has just been posted on youtube.  I play "Madame Lazora" and my scene comes about ten minutes into the film.  Maybe if you have a moment you will view the film on youtube. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PfDfKi3vRM

     I'm also including a link to an interview with the producer/writer/director of CHAKRA LOVE and a link for the film's web site.

http://www.eeriedigest.com/wordpress/2010/09/interview-with-jeff-bonilla/

http://chakralovethemovie.com

 

First Acting Project of the New Year

 
role - Halloween costumed human turned zombie
Project - film, THE INFECTED,
Genre - horror
Producer - Lost Hills Films
Teaser trailer at:
http://www.youtube.com/user/LostHillsFilms


     Landed my first acting project for 2011.  Thought I might be working with Carmind

http://www.carmind.com

first this year but a production date has not been worked out yet.  Lost Hills Films came knocking first.

   This is not my first work in the horror genre. 

I appear with Judd Nelson in SHADOW PEOPLE just released

this year by A1 Media Distribution. 

http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/22540/ 

   And if you know me you know about my work in KILL HOUSE,

www.killhousemovie.com/ 

and TEA TIME http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKQpG7EjXsg 

   Looking forward to my next shooting days on THE INFECTED.