Today I had a commercial callback for Hershey’s at Broadcast. I was super excited, this spot is cute. I was paired with a fellow CU client named PJ and I thought we did a great job.
They asked me if I would consider being an extra in the commercial, but I said no. It be fun, but would be a huge conflict for other commercials down the line.
Thanks you Dan Cowan for the audition!
Good News! I have a commercial callback tomorrow at Broadcast. Check back tomorrow for details or find me on facebook: http://tinyurl.com/JenniferKellerFanPage and twitter: http://twitter.com/JenniferKeller1for more info.
Tuesdays are class nights for this actress and this Tuesday I received a great single camera comedy scene to work on. A single camera comedy is different from a multi camera comedy. A single camera comedy is not taped in front of a live audience and the comedy is a little more subtle. An example of a single cam comedy would be “Sex and the City” or “Cougertown”. An example of a multi cam comedy would be “Friends”
My new scene is from an untitled pilot. My character is Jane, and her prototype would be Charlotte from “Sex and the City”
Next week I return to class for the “call back” with the same scene, dressed appropriately for the character.
Today I had a commercial audition for Casting Director, Dan Cowan, at Broad-Cast. Two audition at Broad-Cast in 1 week! I’m a lucky girl.
Today’s audition was for Hershey’s and it was a non-dialogue spot. And wow, was this a super fun spot! I auditioned with another guy and we had a lot of fun in the audition room!I am really crossing my fingers for this one. This commercial would be super fun and super cute.
Thanks again Dan for the audition!
Today I had a commercial audition for Casting Director, Dan Cowan, at Broad-Cast. I am always glad to be called in for an audition for Dan Cowan. The commercial was for KFC. The type: mom.
I ran into a slow down on La Brea on the way to the audition. I don’t know if it was a stalled vehicle, accident, or what but I was stressed out! After putting down the street, I cut down a side street and was able to get to the audition site just minutes before the audition. Not good. I rushed in to the audition room and felt frantic and ashamed. I do not like to rush into auditions right before my audition time. I like to give myself a couple minutes to breath.
I walked in, signed in right on the dot, and looked over the storyboards as I caught my breath. The door to the audition room opened and they were ready for me.
This was a non-dialogue spot and afterwards I walked out and felt okay. Those few minutes before you go into the room are important. I’ll just have do better next time. I’m just blessed that Dan Cowan calls me in to audition for him often.
Thank you Dan!
Thursday night I attended Improv class at Monkey Butler. I am now taking the Level 2 class, which focuses on the Long Form Improv.
And tonight we worked on a Long Form! Very exciting. 6 people at a time went to the front of the class. We received a suggestion and then started a group exercise. Afterwards we split into groups of two for improv scenes. I stepped forward an worked on a scene with a guy named Nick. And I thought our scene was fun!
I’m a little rusty after taking a couple months off improv class to concentrate on Casting Director workshops, so it feels great to be back. I enjoy learning and working at my craft.
I love working on comedy! Yet, the only opportunities that I have had to work on comedic scenes are in my on-camera acting class. My teacher, Christinna Chauncey, always finds the best comedic scenes for me, including this scene from “The Class”. Take a peak:
Tonight in class I was given 2 dramatic scene from an untitled film. And wow, the second scene is tough. In my new scene I play Claudia, an irresponsible young mom. Though irresponsible, she loves her daughter and fights for her.
The reason the second scene is so tough is because I need to go ballistic on a woman who is trying to undermine me. I have trouble getting angry on film. So, I really need to work on this.
Next week we return to class for the “call back” with the same scene, dressed appropriately for the character.
Tonight I attended Improv class at Monkey Butler. I haven’t been to an improv class in about 6 months now. I was in a Level 1 class which I loved, but when my instructor had to take a break from teaching to start an improv class in England, I started concentrating on taking casting director workshops.
Now I am now taking a Level 2 class, which focuses on the Long Form Improv. This was my first time back at class in months, and wow, did I feel rusty. But it felt great to be creative and I feel like I am going to start taking improv again!
Tonight’s class was a lot of fun! I returned to class tonight with a funny scene from a pilot script called ”100 Questions”. My character is Jill, who is described as fun and spontaneous with just a touch of dark”.
There are actually 2 scenes for this character, and they are both so funny! I just really went for it and received a lot of laughs. I would love to post the footage from this scene, but since it is a pilot there is a chance that it may be picked up for the new fall schedule and I don’t want to get myself in trouble by putting unaired footage out there in cyberspace.
I look forward to next week’s class to see what Christinna gives me next!
Last night I attended a Casting Director Workshop with Christal Karge at AIA Actors Studio. Christal ia a Casting Director at Cami Patton Casting. This busy office has cast “The King of Queens” and “Las Vegas”, and is also working on a number of TV pilots.
Christal passed out sides from “The King of Queens”. In my scene I played Carrie (portrayed by actress Leah Remini). Instead of trying to copy Leah’s work, I tried to make the character my own, giving her my own spin. I felt good about my work and my scene partner and I got a couple laughs, so that is always a good sign.
Thanks to Christal for teaching last night!
Wow! What an exciting day!
Today I had my first TV co-star audition! I was called in for a receptionist role on “Castle”. I met the Casting Director, Kendra Castleberry, at a 3 workshop at AIA Studios last fall. And she called me in for the audition.
I prepared the sides and arrived at the casting office 10 minutes before my audition. There were a number of blonde girls my age who were called in for the role. I walked by a couple leaving as I walked into the building and I rode the elevator up with another girl, who was very nice. There wasn’t a bathroom nearby and she lent me her compact mirror for a last-minute touch up.
Kendra walked out of the audition room to check off the next name on the list. I greeted her with a “good morning” and she said hello back as she asked the next girl to join her in the audition room. Before I knew it, it was my turn. I walked in and greeting Angela Scalleta, the casting associate, who was behind the camera. I have also taken a workshop with Angela at AIA. The audition was quick. Kendra directed me in another take and I left feeling like I had given her what she has asked for.
What a thrill. Thank you Kendra Castleberry so much for the opportunity to audition for you. It was such a treat!
I also had a Print Audition today. Aurora at KSR Models sent me to Comcast audition. They are looking for a model from the back of the head. I arrived at the studio and the photographer took a couple quick pictures.
After a short break for my Christmas Break, I returned to my weekly acting class with Christinna Chauncey.
Christinna always pulls the best scenes for me! We have been working on comedy and tonight she gave me a scene with a great quirky character from a pilot script called ”100 Questions”. My character is Jill, who is described as fun and spontaneous with just a touch of dark”.
Next week I will return to class for the “call back”, using the same scene, dressed appropriately for the character.
I have been invited to audition for my first TV co-star role! I am beyond excited! Thank you Kendra Castleberry
Oh what a morning!!
Today I received a same day callback notification for an Old Navy commercial at Lisa Field Casting. I was hoping for the callback for this commercial, so I was elated.
The way it works is my agents submit me for an audition through a service called LA Casting and when they send an audition notification through this site, I receive a text message. I then know to open up my e-mail account and read the audition notification to see where and when the audition or call back is. Lastly, I call to confirm with my agents. Well, I received the notification at 10:50 am and the callback was at 11:30 am at The Casting Cafe in West Hollywood, which is 40 minutes away (depending on traffic)!!!
I called to confirm with my agents at CU, and Richie answered the phone, laughing, as he asked if I could make it. I told him I would be there, but I would never make it by 11:30am. He told me to get there before 12:45 pm and he would call the Casting Director to let them know.
I just have to chuckle sometimes. What is the crazy industry that I have chosen and why do I enjoy it all so much?
I jumped in the shower and got ready as quickly as possible. I left the house right before 11:30 am and arrived at the Casting Cafe about 10 after 12 pm. I walked into the casting office and there was a sea of brunettes in gowns in the waiting room. There was only one other blonde, which could be good or bad, depending on how many girls they are casting and what they are looking for. I signed in at 12:15 pm and there was a wait. No problem! It gave me time to file my nails, which were a little jagged.
When it was my turn to audition, I was paired with 2 other girls, one girl with reddish brown hair and one with dark brown hair. I always like it when I audition with girls who have different looks than me. Two girls who look alike would not be cast together in the same commercial, unless they were playing sisters.
I walked into the casting room and there were about 5 people in the room, the director and the clients, who are not introduced to us. Benjamin, the casting associate, is there again running the audition, and he gave us the overview of what they are looking for.
I’ve got to say, I felt great about this audition! I even received a couple chuckles from the clients on my take, which is always a good sign. Let’s just hope that I am what they are looking for. Though, I have to say I am quite sensitive about the fact that I was able to make it to the audition right at 11:30am. I really hope that does not work against me.
I just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thanks for following my journey as an actress in 2009. I am excited to see where it takes me in 2010!
Best Wishes! Jennifer
Last night was the screening of the short film ”A Simple Conversation” at The American Film Institute (AFI). I played Kitty Olsen, the lead in this film. “A Simple Conversation” was screened twice that evening and I attended the 7 PM Screening. It was great to see Director Jon Clark and Writer/Producer Kristina Monson again, as well as a number of cast and crew members.
I was pleased with the final outcome of the film. Kristina said that the film will be submitted to the Sundance Film Festival, as well as a number of other film festivals, which is very exciting. Overall, this was a great evening!
Jennifer Keller with Director Jon Clark and Producer Kristina Monson
Just the Girls: Actress Jennifer Keller and Producer Kristina Monson
Cast and Crew of "A Simple Conversation" at the 7 PM Screening
Today I had a commercial audition at Lisa Field Casting. The audition was held at The Casting Cafe in West Hollywood. Today’s audition was for Old Navy. I’ve wanted to audition for an Old Navy Commercial for years!
This commercial is a non-dialog spot and I auditioned with 2 other girls. We walked into the audition room and met Benjamin, the casting associate, who explained what the client is looking for. I can’t say much about the content of the commercial, but I can say that I dusted off a gown to wear, which as a former pageant gal, was such a treat.
The commercial is casting before the holidays, but shoots in January. I just really like this commercial and am really hoping to be called back for this one. Oh, it would be a fun shoot!!
The Internet Movie Data Base (IMDB) is a website that tracks projects that actors have been in. Today I found out that ”Wedding Day”, the Independent Film with Elements that I am working on, has been posted on the site. Check it out at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2641302/. Not all short films are posted on IMDB, so a lot of projects that I have worked on are not listed, which is why I am excited that “Wedding Day” has been updated!
Thanks for checking it out!
Exciting News! “A Simple Conversation”, a short AFI Film that I worked on, will be premiering on Friday, December 18, 2009. There will be 2 screening times, 7 PM and 8 PM, both at AFI in Los Angeles, CA.
Check the flyer for more details!
Today I had a callback for a commercial print campaign for US Cellular at Armstrong Casting.
I arrived for the callback dressed in the same outfit I wore to the original audition, khakis and a cardigan. I saw there were a variety of looks in the room, blondes, brunettes, ethnicities, but I had the youngest look there-which could be a disadvantage since the campaign is calling for a “young mom”.
When it was my turn for the callback, I met the client and had a my photo taken by the photographer. Lastly, as in the original audition, they flipped on a video camera and asked me a couple questions so they could get a better sense of who I am.
Special thanks to Yvonne Armstrong for the callback.
I am looking for an SAG Franchised Agent for TV/Motion Picture/Soaps and am open to recommendations!!
I work hard at my craft, as you can see by checking out my site. I am taking Improv and On-Camera classes and auditioning regularly.
If you or someone you know is looking for new SAG talent, please leave me a comment!
Thanks!
Jennifer Keller
Oh what a day! I had both a callback and a print casting. Oh, the life of an actress at it’s best!
Richie at CU called this morning to say that I had been called back for the CBS Promo! How exciting! Though, then I realized that I had a print casting at nearly the same time. I called and e-mailed Aurora at KSR Models to see if I could go to the print casting early, and she said that I could go anytime between 1:30 PM and 5 PM. What a relief.
I arrived at 200 S. La Brea for the call back at Ross Lacy Casting. I primped in the bathroom for a couple minutes and then signed in. I was paired with 3 different people for the audition and was in the last group for this promo.
Afterwards I jumped in the car and headed to Armstrong Casting today for a print casting. The Print Campaign was for US Cellular. The attire: young, hip mom.
I’ve been invited to print castings at Armstrong Casting a couple times this year and I always enjoy the experience. First the photographer takes a couple photos, then they flip on a video camera and ask a couple questions so they can get a better sense of who you are.
Special thanks to Casting Directors Ross Lacy and Yvonne Armstrong for the auditions.
I had a commercial audition at Ross Lacy Casting today! What a treat. It was for a CBS Promo.
I arrived super early and was greeted by the Casting Associate, Spencer. He called out “Jennifer” as I walked up to sign in. I answered “yes”, and he said that he was calling a different Jennifer. I joked with him that “he was really good” if he recognized me from my headshot.
In this particular comedic spot, I had to lightly “smack” another person. I really don’t like to do this kind of thing, but we rehearsed the spot a couple times before the audition was taped. Spencer told me that they were casting people who were not afraid to hit or be hit. So, I did my best (though I know I was still quite light in my smack).
This is the 3rd time I have been called in to audition for Ross Lacy Casting. I’m so glad they recently discovered me . Thank you Ross Lacy for calling me in!!
If you are a Twitter Fan, look me up: http://twitter.com/JenniferKeller1 . I tweet about everything from auditions to whatever life throws my way.
~ Jennifer
Today I had a commercial audition at Ross Lacy Casting! Today’s audition was for a hair product in Europe called Schwarzkopf. The audition was for blondes and red heads only, which is great for me.
Since it was a hair product commercial, I wanted to make sure my hair looked great. I curled it up and it looked pretty. This was a non-dialog spot and I felt like I gave a very natural audition.
This morning I attended a table reading for a film script as a part of the Elements Film Project. The Film has been named “Wedding Day”. Our group has worked hard on the script and the lead writing team did an excellent job weaving the storylines together into one script.
The table read went great! It was exciting to hear the characters come to life. Now the lead writing team is going back to the drawing boards to make a couple changes to tighten up the script. Filming is projected to start sometime in February.
Here is a photo our group, founded by writer/director/producer, Patrick Durham.
Tonight I attended a Casting Director Workshop with Head Casting Director, Amy Reece at The Network Studio. Amy works at Perry/Reece Casting. This busy office casts MOW for the Hallmark Channel.
Amy was really great. She talked about how she started off as an actor and then broke down the process for auditioning for MOW’s in her office. She said that often times, you may be auditioning for one role, but because they cast several projects at once, you may be considered or even cast for another role in another film!
Afterwards she passed out sides from various she has cast for a cold reading exercise. My scene was from the “Love Comes Softly” Series. Sadly, my scene was short, only 2 pages compared to may other longer scenes in the class. But I am familiar with the first film in the “Love Comes Softly” Series, so I felt good about my scene. I just hope that Amy keeps me in mind for future projects!
On Thursday night I attended an Agent Workshop at The Network Studio. The guest agent was Brandy Gold at Talent Works. Talent Works is a really fantastic agency, so I was excited to have a chance to be seen.
The Network Studio sets up agents nights differently. Each actor goes in for a quick audition scene and then is done. I used a great courtroom scene from “Shark” for my audition. I felt solid about my performance, and that’s all I can ask for.
Afterwards I was off to Disneyland for the KOST 103 Holiday Event! What a treat to see the park decorated for the holidays.
This morning I attended a writers meeting for the Elements Film Project. The concept: to bring together a group of talented people to create an independent film. The group is founded by writer/director/producer, Patrick Durham.
The group discussed the script and available locations that we have access to for filming, which will begin next year. I missed the first half of the meeting because of work, but the second half of the meeting has me very excited.
There will be a table read on December 1st! Check back for details.
Today I was called back to Broad-Cast for Expedia. I felt great about my audition! There was a variety of ages and types at the callback. Afterwards Dan Cowan asked if I could stick around and read for a different Expedia Commercial with kids.
Thanks again to Dan Cowan for calling me in!
Lucky me, I had 2 auditions today.
First audition was a commercial audition. Dan Cowan at Broadcast called me in to audition for “Expedia”. This is a great spot and I felt really good about my audition, so I am really keeping my fingers crossed for this one.
Next I was off to Bass Casting in West Hollywood to audition for a short film. The best thing is that I met Lauren Bass at a casting workshop a couple months ago and she called me in for this audition. I’m not sure if this is the best role for me, but I did my best at the audition and I hope that Lauren will call me in again.
Overall, today was a great day. I love having one audition in a day, let alone two! That’s the life of a working actress!
I missed class last Tuesday because of a rehearsal for “A Simple Conversation”, so I made up my on camera class on Thursday. My scene was from “CSI New York”.
I have been really overwhelmed for a couple weeks now: rehearsals for the AFI Film, 2 days of filming, moving to a new apartment, finishing up my job at AIA Studios, and starting a new job as an apartment manager. I prepared my scene for class, but I have to admit, I did not have the time to work on it as much as I usually like to. So when it was time for me to work on my scene in class, I was a little nervous. But overall, it went well. I tripped on a couple lines, but I just kept going.
I really enjoy my craft and will look forward to my next scene in class.
Tonight I attended a Casting Director Workshop with Freddy Luis at AIA Actors Studio. Freddy is a Casting Director at Engine Media Group, a big office casting office. Freddy gave us great tips for auditioning. He said that an actor should always know who is going to be in the audition room. If the writer is going to be in the room, do not change a thing. And always be confident with your choices.
Afterwards Freddy passed out sides from films he has cast. I was given tough sides from a Sci-Fi Film where I played a character who was visually half a 60-year-old man and half 20-year-old woman and speaks like a 60-year-old man. This character is a manifestation of the imagination of the main character. In this scene I was also threatening the main character. Freddy said to be confident with our choices, so I just went for it. Hopefully I made a good first impression!
Tonight I returned to class with my comedic scene from “The Class”. I was excited. This was a fun scene to work on. My character, Nicole, has just run into her old flame. The problem, she is a unhappily married woman now.
I really enjoy working on comedy. Christinna has been pulling a lot of great comedy scenes for me to work on. I want o perfect my comedic skills and I hope to work professionally in a great comedy someday.
Aurora at KSR Models sent me to Katie Taylor Casting for a print casting. The Print Campaign is for National Rent-A-Car. The audition was held at 201 Ocean Park Casting Studio.
This is my first time auditioning for Katie Taylor, so I was thrilled to receive the call. The audition was the same day as my last day of filming for “A Simple Conversation”, but Aurora gave me a range time and asked me if I could make it before 6PM. Luckily I was able to work it out. I finished my last shots for “A Simple Conversation” and rushed over to Santa Monica for the casting.
The Casting notice said not black and white, so I arrived wearing a cute red shirt with polk-a-dot sleeves. There were a number of girls of different ages and with different looks. When it was my turn, I met the photographer and posed for a couple of photos. Lets hope they are looking for a blonde!
Day Two of ”A Simple Conversation”. Another 7am call time, another cold day. Today we jumped right into filming. We picked up a couple of close ups, but really the creative team wants one contiuous shot for the entire film. We shot the film over and over, 30 takes I believe.
Here is a shot of my co-star, Anthony, and I with our “wedding pictures” in the background:
Jennifer Keller (Kitty) with co-star Anthony Cran (Richard)
I completed Day One of filming “A Simple Conversation”. What a day. My 7am call time came too quickly. I woke up and when I left the apartment I was greeted by brisk cold air. I drove to our lovely shoot location in Pasadena where the crew was setting up for our day of shooting. By the time it was my turn for make up it was 9am. After a turn in the make up chair, I hit up the craft table for a cup of hot tea. Soon it was time for rehearsal. We ran the scene and set up the camera shots until lunch. Instead of setting up a series of shots, the creative team decided to shoot the entire film in one continuous shot with a steady cam.
After lunch it was time to shoot!
I play Kitty Olsen, an uptight family oriented woman. My husband, Richard, is the man of the house, but has a terrible secret.
Here I am with our director:
This Tuesday in class I was given a dramatic scene from “CSI New York”. In my new scene I play guest star Isabelle, a woman dying of cancer who knows the reason of the recent suicide/murders of her friends.
This is a tough scene. A lot of “romantic” language. But what a good exercise this will be for me.
Next week we return to class for the “call back” with the same scene, dressed appropriately for the character.
I had a commercial callback for Truegreen! The callback was at a new casting facility, 2601 Ocean Park Blvd in Santa Monica. There was a huge accident on the 405 and the highway was backed up all the way to the 101 entrance onto the 405, so it took me an hour and 40 minutes to drive to Santa Monica. Not only that, I had a dreadful day that I cannot even being to blog about. I finally arrived in Santa Monica and quickly found a parking spot. I often audition at 2701 Ocean Park, and I was on “autopilot” and automatically went to that studio. Luckily 2601 was right next door, so it didn’t take long for me to walk to the correct studio.
When I arrived there were a couple girls in front of me so I had a few minutes to calm down. I took a few deep breaths and reminded myself how blessed I was to be there. I started to think about the spot and how exciting it is to get a callback. When it was my turn to go in the room, I was ready!
The spot for Truegreen is really fun. Again, I had one line of dialogue and gave several different interpretations. I left feeling pretty darn good.
Thanks again to Ross Lacy Casting for the opportunity!
Exciting News! I have been cast as Kitty in “A Simple Conversation”, and AFI Film Project! Filming begins in two weeks. Check back for updates!
Today I had a callback for ”A Simple Conversation”, a short film produced at The American Film Institute (AFI).
I was called back for Kitty, a wife and mother who learns her husband has an awful secret. Today I read with two different actors who were called in for the role of my husband. Both actors were really great and gave 2 very different performances. It was nice to be able to play off of each actor’s unique performance.
Again, the director, Jon, gave us all sorts of different ideas to play with as we ran through the scene. What a fun audition (even though the material is heavy) I left the callback feeling really happy with my performance.
Thank you for keeping up with my journey as an actress! I’ve had almost 19,000 hits to my website since starting it less than a year and a half ago.
Now there are two more ways to keep up with me: on Facebook http://tinyurl.com/JenniferKellerFanPage and on Twitter http://twitter.com/JenniferKeller1
Thanks for the support!
Sincerely,
Jennifer
Today I had a commercial audition for Ross Lacy Casting. This is my first time auditioning for this office. I am always excited to audition for a new casting director!
Today’s spot was for Truegreen. I arrived at the casting facility at 200 South LaBrea for my 2 PM audition in good time. I signed in and waited my turn to audition. I was given one line and asked to say it a couple different ways. I used the process that Megan Foley spoke about in her workshop 2 weeks ago. I left feeling good about my audition.
Thanks to Ross Lacy for calling me to audition for the first time!
Tonight I attended the second week of “Adjusting your Audition for Different Genres” with Casting Director, Kendra Castleberry, at AIA Actors Studio.
This week: The Procedural. I was given sides from “Castle” and asked to read for the part of Detective Beckett. I love the show “Castle” and was glad to see that I was not only reading sides from the show, but they were also sides from an episode that I have not seen yet. The last thing you want as an actor is someone else’s rendition of a scene running through your head. So, I was able to make it my own and I received some nice feedback from Kendra.
After a short hiatus for my European Vacation, I returned to my weekly acting class with Christinna Chauncey. It felt to great to be back, even though there were a lot of unfamiliar faces in class.
Christinna alway pulls the best scenes for me! The characters she gives me are the types of roles I would be called in to audition for. Tonight she did not disappoint and I was given a great scene from “CSI: NY”. The character: Summer Hamilton, a high spirited, blonde chatterbox from Idaho. Summer is a new applicant to the program who has been sent over to the crime scene to meet Detective Mac Taylor.
Next week I will return to class for the “call back”, using the same scene, dressed appropriately for the character.
Tonight I attended a Casting Director Workshop with Eric Souliere, a casting associate at UDK. This busy office casts great shows such as “Nip/Tuck” and “The Mentalist”.
When I received my sides for the evening, I was speechless. I was given sides from “Nip/Tuck”, a show known for its edgy material. My character was a 40-year-old divorce have a very personal procedure. It was the dialogue I had trouble saying, I just do not speak that way. Hind sight is always 20/20 and I wish I would have asked for another scene. But I did not, and I couldn’t even look at Eric in the eyes for a couple of my lines. That’s the hard thing about casting director workshops. You never know what kind of scene you are going to get and if it is going to suit you. You’ve got to make it work.
UDK is such a great office and I really enjoy “The Mentalist”. I hope I have a chance to read for them in the future.
Tonight I attended a Casting Director Workshop with Tara Tracey at AIA Actors Studio. Tara is the Casting Associate at Valko/Miller Casting, a huge Casting Office. This busy office casts great comedies such as “Two and a Half Men”, “The Big Bang Theory” and “Hank” as well as “Sons of Tuscan” and “The Secret Life of an American Teen”.
Tara was so sweet. A Midwest girl as well, I immediatley felt like someone I could be friends with. Tara talked about the different casting process for each show. She also gave encouraging news, that co-star roles and under 5’s are often cast from actors who she has met at workshop!
Tara passed out sides from “Two and a Half Men” and “The Big Bang Theory”. I was given funny sides from an episode of “Two and a Half Men”. I played one of Charlie’s “latest conquests”, a starstruck girl who happens to work in Allen’s office. Comedy ensues. My scene partner and I received some laughs and Tara told us that we would go “straight to make up”. Yay!
Thanks to Tara Tracey for teaching on a Friday night!
Tonight I attended a Casting Director Workshop with Kendra Castleberry at AIA Actors Studio. Kendra casts “Castle”, a show I like a lot, in Donna Rosenstein’s Office.
Kendra’s workshop is in entitled “Adjusting your Audition for Different Genres”. This will be a 3 week workshop.
This week: The Dramity. I was given sides from “October Road”, a show that Kendra previously cast. I played a guest star named “Melanie”. This was a great scene and I got some laughs, which is always a good sign!
Today I had a commercial audition for Dan Cowan at Broad-Cast. I am always glad to be called in for an audition for Dan Cowan.
Today’s spot was for Monster.com. The attire: casual. I arrived early so I could audition before I had to work at AIA Studios. Everything was running on schedule and I was in and out.
Today I had an audition for ”A Simple Conversation”, a short film produced at The American Film Institute (AFI). I was called in for a lead role, Kitty, a wife and mother who learns her husband has a terrible secret.
The director, Jon, and the producer, Kristina, were both so sweet. Jon was a very hands on director and we kept playing with different interpretations of the script. He would say, “let’s just play with this…”, which was great. It gave me a chance to try all sort of different tactics to get what I wanted in the scene. I walked out of the audition feeling really happy with my performance. What a good experience!
Tonight I attended a Casting Director Workshop with Commercial CD Megan Foley. The workshop was at AIA Actors Studio in Burbank.
I auditioned, and was called back for, a Clairitin Commercial that Megan cast over a year ago, but have not auditioned for her since. So I was really looking forward to meeting Megan again.
Megan was all about the Q&A’s, and since there were various level of actors in the workshop, there were many questions that were answered. Megan’s tips for commercial audition was to always “pick 3 different ways of saying a line” and “think about saying it to 3 different people in your life”.
Megan passed out a series of commercial lines from an Acura commercial and each person in the class was asked to choose one line and prepare it 3 different ways. I chose the line ”They give excellent service and after the repair someone always calls to ask me how the service went.” My characters: a casual friendly woman, a valley girl and a “Desperate Housewives” gossip. When Megan told me I had a Bree kind of feel, I knew I hit the nail on the head!
Thanks to Megan for teaching and answering so many questions!
I am still pinching myself!
I took a Casting Director workshop with Fern Champion last month and she returned to the studio to teach again. When I saw her, she asked me for a headshot for consideration for the film she is casting. Fern is an incredible Casting Director! She has cast huge films such as “Eraser” and “The Mask”. Actress Cameron Diaz had her big break in “The Mask”, so it was an honor to meet Fern and even have consider me for a role.
And lucky for me, the next day I was invited to audition for a supporting lead role in a film that Fern is casting called “Sex Tax: Based on a True Story″. The role I auditioned for was journalist, Nicki Daniels, a young reporter who is the first to jump on the Cottontail Ranch and quickly moves from the local station to reporting for the National News.
I received the sides the night before and had a 11:30 am audition. There were 8 pages of sides and the script was also available, which I read, of course. At the audition, Fern Champion was in the room, as well as the Director, John Borges. The audition was also on tape. There was another friendly face in the room, a AIA member was working as the reader that day.
Overall, I felt really great about my audition! I really did. I was a little nervous at first, but I felt like I hit the highs and the lows in the different scenes. No matter what happens, I felt great about my audition!
I am so thankful to have had this experience! Special Thanks to Fern Champion for the opportunity to audition for her!!!
Big news! I met a casting director at workshop last month and I bumped into her again at AIA Studios last night. She is casting a film and asked for my headshot. And sure enough, she CALLED ME FOR AN AUDITION FOR FEATURE FILM! And it is a nice supporting lead role! Wow!!! Keep me in your thoughts Wednesday morning!
Tonight I attended a Casting Director Workshop with Jennifer Lurey at AIA Actors Studio. Jennifer is the casting associate at Paul Weber Casting. This busy office casts for the Stargate franchise as well as a number of Movie of the Weeks.
Jennifer passed out sides from Stargate Atlantis, and a couple MOW’s she has cast for a cold reading exercise. My scene was from “Stargate” I read for a character named “Carter”.
I had a good scene and I felt good about the workshop!
I had a commercial audition today at ASG Casting. Today’s audition was for Quest Internet. The spot called for a group of friends chatting over lunch. The attire: Fun, Stylish, cool daytime dining out attire. I wore a yellow dress and heels.
This is a great comedic spot. And the 3 women I read with were top notch. I felt like the 4 of us had great chemistry. And I felt great about the audition.
Thanks to Randi at CU for the audition!
Admiring the Pantheon in Rome
The Colosseum
The Colosseum was an amazing sight. It is mind boggling to think that the Colosseum is 2,000+ years old and is still standing so majestically. Within walking distance of the Colosseum are the ruins of Ancient Rome. I followed the “Roman Forum Walk” spelled out in Rick Steve’s “Best of Europe” Book and viewed the ruins of the Basilica of Constantine, The Curia (Senate House), and the Arch of Septimius Sererus. I even walked the path that Julius Caesar himself walked thousands of years ago. Next we visited the Pantheon. The Pantheon is an incredibly well preserved Roman church with huge granite columns. Surrounding the Pantheon are adorable Italian cafe’s, just like the one referred to in my American Express Commercial! I also ordered the best gelato I’ve ever had at a restaurant near the Pantheon. Melon and Pistachio…yum!!
Afterwards we took a night walk in the city (Thanks again Rick Steves) and visit the Trevi Fountain and Piazza di Spagna, AKA the Spanish Steps. The Trevi Fountain was built in the 1700’s and is amazing. It is so grand, including a statue of “Ocean” and “King Triton”, with water gushing from 24 spouts. The Spanish Steps are a hang out for locals and tourists alike.
A photo by the Eiffel Tower before the rain starts
The Eiffel Tower at night
We always found time to visit the Eiffel Tower. Day or night, I could just stare at it for hours. There was a long line to travel to the top of the tower, but it was worth the wait. The view is amazing (900 feet above the ground). We decided to visit the tower in the early evening and stayed at the top of the tower and watched a glorious sunset. Afterwards, we returned to the ground level we walked across the bridge to Tocadero Square. Were we sat on the lawn and admired the tower. Once evening falls, every hour on the hour, the Eiffel Tower is lit by hundreds of blinking lights for 10 minutes. It is quite a sight!
Coldplay in Paris
Our last evening we took Le Capitaine Fracasse, a dinner cruise on the Seine River. It was incredibly romantic. I dined on salmon and drank a rose wine. After dinner, it was up to the top of the boat to catch the sights at night. I found myself singing “Our Love is Here To Stay” just like in Gene Kelly’s movie “An American in Paris”.
I wish I could have spent more time in Paris. There was so much more that I wanted to do. Alas, five days in Paris just flew by. But I have wonderful memories and hope to return again.
Next Stop…Rome
The rain stopped just for a few minutes to catch a photo of Big Ben and Parliament
I spent 2 1/2 days in London. What a fun city. Though it rained most of the trip, I still had a great time.
Playing in the Red Phone Booths in London
jenniferkeller