The Commercial for Mass Mutual

So here is the link to the Mass Mutual commercial that I was blessed enough to shoot on my actual birthday...they even got me a cake! It was a wonderful experience.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzIg0vw8gNY


Photo taken by Peter Lang on Mass Mutual Set October 2011

Mass Mutual Commercial

This is a still shot from the Mass Mutual commercial my son and I shot in October. We had a great time, I was shocked at how well he behaved he was. (I'm sure it was because they pretty much just followed him around and let him do his thing.) Pretty sure if he had to hit a mark, we wouldn't have had such great success.

Here is a link to the one minute version of the video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzIg0vw8gNY

Shooting scene from BLAME

The director is working on editing a scene out of the feature film he will be doing called "Blame" I am waiting to see the footage, I hear it turned out beautifully. TJ Myers will be playing my sister. She's a beauty, check her out.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0616866/

October 2011 Auditions

Yesterday I had two auditions, one for a skin care line (I think perhaps it may have been for an infomercial rather than commercial but I'm not sure). The second one required my little one, so I went home and picked him up before we headed to Santa Monica...they were looking for mothers of "special needs" kids and I just happen to have a precious special kid. They both went well. I felt good, really I've been in my element since I moved about two weeks ago. Really liking my new digs and neighborhood. Then I got a call back for the commercial, a day or two later I was put on Avail...then during another audition while waiting in the waiting room I got a text from my agent saying that we booked the commercial. So Saturday (on my birthday) my little one and I shot our first commercial together...they even brought me out a cake and sang happy birthday to me.

Just Published in Issue 51 of SGVPQ

Here is an Excerpt for the poem I had published in this issue.

There was no way that I could sleep,

Due to this pain that would not cease;

They wanted me to hold him in,

But my body forced his release.

No preparation, you shot out,

Even the nurses weren’t ready.

The doctor is late as we wait,

Not in stirrups, I’m unsteady.

Forced to have a natural birth,

The drugs didn’t come though I did beg;

Rob cries, but the baby does not.

No movement, spy a pure white leg.

Is he dead? The nurse sees Rob’s tears,

And says “We’re doing all we can”

I don’t yet know what’s going on,

But Rob securely holds my hand.

Now incubated, your chest heaves

I helplessly watch through the glass;

Reeling with all uncertainty,

Yet very certain it will pass.

They say you will be here for months,

And there’s nothing that I can do;

But I’ve got people all across

This country praying just for you.

Some day soon you’ll open your eyes,

Then at last you’ll know who I am;

I can’t wait until they let me

Hold you, like my dear little lamb.

I pray for healing as you lay

On top your tiny papoose-bed;

At last allowed to touch your back

With my fingers; nails painted red.

Circus Freak

Many years ago my loving and kind manager (who always looks out for me) told me that I needed to do something about my eyes because I looked like a Barnum and Baily Circus freak. Well that really hurt my feeling (to say the least) so I rebelled for years and just kept saying "This is the way God made me and people should just accept me for who I am." She said she had feedback from a lot of casting people telling her how "distracting" it was, but that was hard for me fathom and any of my friends and family because it never crossed our minds...then one day a few months ago I was watching a movie with my friend and a guy on the screen had 2 different colored eyes...at least it looked like it, so I asked my friend...and then I wasn't sure, and maybe it was just the lighting, or the angle, I kept waiting for certain lighting and angles and different scenes and asking my friend, I was so caught up in it that I lost what they were talking about in the film and it hit me...oh no, I'm distracted by this. Ugh, she's right! So I had a set of new headshots done, then got contacts to make my eyes the same color. I know I'll never blend in off the set, but here's to trying to blend in on the set.

Getting Organized and Writing Poetry

A few auditions sprinkled throughout the year, but mostly, I've been focused on getting my office organized, and writing my poetry books. So far I have complied, had edited, rewritten and retitled 4 poetry books this year so far. With every task that I complete I feel a sense of accomplishment. When the stack of papers to read and to do lists get whittled down there is a burden lifted off my shoulders. And as far as the writing goes...sometimes you just have to. When I'm not acting, I'm very grateful to have the gift of a stack of gel pens and a new journal and some quiet time just to listen and write down what comes into my spirit.

Reel Growth Preemie Documentary

The filmmaker from the documentary Reel Growth interviewed us today for his project on Preemies. This is me and the documentarian Drew Donnay. I told bits and pieces of our story, shared a couple of poems, tried to compose myself, but some of those emotions are too vivid to recall without a tear or two. Check out the the website www.ReelGrowth.com

R.I.P.

I landed a part in a short film, great role, sweet wife who, when she becomes pregnant and her hormones kick in, she becomes goth... filled out the paper work at the studio, and then 3 days before the shoot they had to pull the plug on the project because the union was causing them all kinds of problems. They were set to do the project under a certain type of contract because the budget was so low...but when this union found out it was this particular studio...they said no, you can't do it, you have to pay 7 times more for the people (even though the project fit within the parameters of the contract.) That is like having a car lot where you sell twenty thousand dollar cars, but you see Bill Gates coming to buy one and you raise the price of the car to 50 thousand. How ridiculous is that? So now 25 people or more are out of work.

CONQUERORS

Had a wonderful shoot, playing a tormenting spirit along with Kevin Linell and Robert Neary. We tormented Marcus LaVoi.

I loved how the make up artist Gabriella did my eye make- up.

Here is her website address

http://www.beauty2perfection.webs.com

The Dream Team: Office Games

I just heard the word that the film I was in called "Office Games" just got distribution. Here is a picture from the set, behind the scenes. This group of girls is referred to in the film as "The Dream Team" when you watch the movie you will find out why they call them that.

From left to right we have: Katherine Norland, Malia Dawkins, Tamara Kelly, Herica Thompson, and Allison Wottawa.