Free Comic Book Day!

That time of year again, when the Heroes Alliance makes the rounds of the local comic shops, taking pictures with children (and grown-up kids too!), and surreptitiously browsing the shelves ;)

This year, Packrat Comics in Hilliard OH had the wonderful and wonderfully talented Doug Jones there to sign autographs (and take pictures and liberally distribute hugs). Packrat was my last stop of the day in my new Star Trek uniform (not perfect yet, but it will get there). I went as Captain Pike's Number One from "The Menagerie/The Original Pilot", but most everyone thought I was a Rule 63 Captain Kirk (not so, I'd do my hair much different for Kirk, but at least I know the costume has many uses in it).

After first getting a picture (for me) and a Hellboy DVD case (for my brother) signed by the lovely Mr. Jones, I then went back around because it completely slipped my mind to ask for a picture with him.

Then, as the remnants of the Heroes Alliance were winding down and getting ready to go our separate ways for the evening, I heard Doug telling another young lady that the makeup for Abe Sapien took 5 hours every day to put on. I thought "well, why not? When am I going to get another chance to do this?" So I grabbed my phone and pulled up this picture -

And told him about my 5 hours in the makeup chair. He just said "Honey, that is beautiful! You keep being and creating beautiful things!"Honestly, I'm a positive person and I have met a lot of nice people, but I have never in my life met such an exuberantly, enthusiastically, unabashedly kind person who loves hugs so much! Really, he's got to be the most cuddly person I've ever met and I feel blessed to have made his acquaintance and shared a few hugs!

And I got so spend time with many more friends, one of whom joined Starfleet a hundred years after I did, Captain Sisko. Next time I'll have my Jadzia Dax uniform and Trill Spots ready to go!

The Things You Do For Love

I've been quite busy with film projects over the last two weeks, and I've still got a bit more to go before this weekend. After 5 hours in the makeup chair on Sunday...

...and 14 hours in heels on the set of "Carol" in Cincinnati on Tuesday, I'm still a bit sleepy.

Thing is, I couldn't keep doing this if I didn't love it. 14 hours standing about on set can get deadly boring, and 5 hours in a makeup chair covered in paint and latex (and in a corset that doesn't quite fit right) can't be everyone's idea of fun. Still, you'll never see me willingly leave my bed before dawn for anything other than the chance to be in front of a camera.

I think that's how I know I'm in love. I break my hermit patterns, I get up early, I stay out late, I dress like I want to be seen... It's just that I'm not in love with any person right now; I'm in love with my avocation (and trying to make it my vocation). When you find the right one (whether it be a person, a job, a house, whatever it is), things begin to shift in your life. I haven't found "the right guy" yet, but I know I've found "the right profession" and I'm loving every minute of my time in this life.

I'll be in front of cameras twice more before this weekend, then I'm taking the weekend itself for some much needed time in the garden. I'm looking forward to sleeping in for the first time in two weeks!

Film Speak, Autumn Moon, and Bringing up Baby

This has been a crazy busy couple of weeks, between auditions, fittings, rehearsals, and filming. The good news is that being busy is a very good thing!

I filmed for three days on a student film at CCAD (Columbus College of Arts & Design), and I'm gearing up to film another CCAD film tomorrow. I got a call offering me a role in a short film shooting in Cincinnati next weekend, and another call asking me to drive down and be an extra for a day on "Carol" (the Cate Blanchett movie shooting in Cincinnati) next week.

In the middle of all this, my friend Lana sent me a message telling me that one of the guests lined up for her Dayton Public Access show "Film Speak" had cancelled, and would I like to fill the spot and plug some of my current projects? Of course!

So, I got up this morning, put on something cute, and drove out to Dayton. They were shooting several episodes today, so I ran into a lot of people I've worked with before, and a lot of people I've been hoping to work with.



Author Brian Dobbins and I chatted quite a bit before and during our segments. I've heard so many people in the film community talk about Brian, so it was great to finally meet him!

This was a nice leisurely bit of filming with very fun discussion about Brian's books and my current projects. I got to talk about working with the Heroes Alliance, and got to plug Autumn Moon and mention the Kickstarter campaign. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/323811890/autumn-moon

I think the part everyone was most excited about was the prospect of practical effects over CGI. With a homemade werewolf complete with a hinging jaw, this wolf promises to be the scariest beast on the screen since "An American Werewolf in London"!

For our second segment, we talked about the classic film "Bringing up Baby." Discussing Katherine Hepburn is always fun for me, since I've always looked up to her as an actress, and "Bringing up Baby" is easily one of my very favorite comedies of the period. I'll post the link when the episode of "Film Speak" airs so you can watch for yourself! Lana and Bill run a fun show, so give it a watch even when I'm not on ;)

There is so much more going on in Ohio than most people realize. Independent artists across a number of fields are not only surviving, but thriving in this market, and I'm so pleased and proud to be working here with so many wonderful and talented people (and wolves).

Now, I'm off to spend some time with my family!
Happy Easter!

Captains, and Heroes, and Extras, Oh My!

Many of you probably know that I went up to Cleveland last fall to be an extra in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Many of you probably know that this movie was also the catalyst that pushed me to leave my day job in favor of pursuing acting full time.

Several times on the set, I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I was in the shot. Sadly, for one scene, they chose not to use the footage I would have been in, and another scene was cut entirely (however, based on the content of the scene, I have high hopes for the deleted scenes on the DVD). Thankfully, unlike with the Avengers, I am still visible in this one! I promise that this is non-spoilery to those yet to see it - I am visible shortly after the fight in the elevator. Cap jumps from many floors up and crashes through a glass ceiling into the middle of the ground floor of S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ. When he lands on his shield, you will see glass doors behind him slide open, and the pair of feet in high heels is me! When he stands up, there are a few people in suits behinds him, and I'm one of them. I'm not in focus, but I'm definitely there! On a personal note, standing where I was standing when they shot that scene gave me a really nice view of Chris Evans. Really nice. It's OK to be a little jealous of me.

Before I get into my full review/critique of the film though, I have to take a little time to praise my fellow heroes in the Heroes Alliance and thank the Gateway Film Center for giving us the space in their lobby to take pictures with moviegoers and accept donations for the MS Society before the advanced screenings. We had a rather large turnout for this event; Captain America, Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, She Hulk, Bruce Banner, Reed Richards, Nick Fury, Agent Victoria Hand, and Agent Cutri (and Peter Parker was running around with a camera).

 
I've been working with the wonderful group of costumed heroes for almost two years now, made friends I will hold on to for as long as they'll keep me around, and put smiles on the faces of more children (and parents) than I can count, and I've loved every minute of it. These people give selflessly of their time and talents, and I'm proud to work with them. Here's to many more events in the hot sun, the frigid cold, and hopefully even more in temperature controlled indoor environs!

Now, to the movie! Like I said, I have high hopes for the deleted scenes - HERE FOLLOW POSSIBLE SPOILERS - because the other scene I expected to see myself in was an Agent 13 centric scene. It was clearly trimmed out for time, as the battle for SHIELD sequence was pretty long. The scene I saw filmed was Agent 13 (after the initial fight in the command center with Rumlow), striding through HQ giving orders on a walkie-talkie. As she's giving orders, bad guys start firing and she takes off at a run. I run up a flight of stairs and fall into step beside her (actually, I nearly crashed into her because my shoes didn't even remotely fit). PS, she's not as tall as they make her look, she's just very slim. We were wearing the same size heel, and she's only got about an inch on me. Anyway, I figure that she'll have some space in the deleted scenes, which means I might too :)

So, beyond my minimal involvement in the movie, and my concern over the choice of Emily Van Camp as Sharon Carter, I was impressed overall. I enjoyed Steve's development as a character outside of his own time, the wonderful rapport he has going with Black Widow, and the new friendship and instant kinship between he and the Falcon. I really loved Sam, I thought the actor was an excellent choice and they gave him a lot to do without making him feel like a forced addition to the team. He fit in rather seamlessly, I thought.

I like Robert Redford. He's always turned in good performances. However, he's never (in my humble opinion) turned in great performances, and Cap 2 is no different. He is just alright. He never crosses the line into "intimidating" or "sinister" though, and there were points in the movie where I really wanted sinister. Still, it was not a bad performance and I will not go so far as to call it disappointing, I will just say that it was not quite all that I expected.

Jumping back a few paragraphs, I do feel that some of Agent 13's scenes could have and should have been left in and Rumlow should have been trimmed back. I felt that he was nothing more than a glorified henchman and that he got too much screen time for very little payoff. His end should have been there in the control room with Agent 13 (or shortly thereafter) and any number of other henchmen could have faced off with Falcon before the Helicarrier crash. Some of Rumlow's time could have been used to better set up Agent 13's skills and give us more reason to want her back than "Steve is going to ask her out."

I can't believe people still walk out when the credits roll. Honestly people, sit your butts back down and give it another 5 minutes, it's usually worth it. These two were definitely worth it (especially the first one).

If you pay attention, we were given some tidbits hinting at some future events in the Marvel Universe, including some more groundwork for the "Origins of SHIELD" show (whatever they are going to call it), a Hulk movie, and the introduction of Dr. Strange! Very exciting stuff happening!

Oh! And Gary Sinise narrating at the Smithsonian was a great touch!

HERE ENDETH THE POTENTIAL SPOILERS

Go see the movie, it was another excellent installment in the Marvel Universe's growing mythology, and Chris Evans and Anthony Mackie are pretty. All in all, a fun adventure!

Venturing to my Ancestral Home

One of the first goals I set for myself this year was to get a stamp in my passport (and that Canada wouldn't count). I've been looking at pictures online, talking to fellow travelers, and assessing my meager budget, and I've decided on the UK. In fact, I'm purchasing my plane tickets today.

I'm flying into London, and I'll be there for three days. My plans are fluid, so I'm mostly just deciding between the must-see and must-dos and the take-it-or-leave-it sights and activities. The morning of day 4, I'm hopping on a train for the Wye Valley and the Forest of Dean (on the border between England and Wales), where I plan to spend many hours walking around the Puzzlewood. Tolkien used to walk there, and it was a major inspiration for Fangorn and the Ents in Lord of the Rings. The BBC and other British productions also film a lot there.

From the Wye Valley, I'll be taking a train north to Edinburgh, where I will begin my circle around Scotland. I'll be spending a couple of days in the capital exploring the older parts of the city and enjoying the festivals that are going on while I'm there.

Day 8-ish, I'll take a bus north and east to Aberdeen and the Shire, where I'll be making use of my legs and hiking along the castle trails (Aberdeenshire has more castles per acre than anywhere else in the UK, and they have walking trails so you can hit 14-20 castles in one trek), and exploring the east coast.

Next up, the Highlands! I'll be spending some time in Inverness, visiting historical battle sights, the lochs, and the famed whiskey trail.

South and west to Argyll, to the city where my favorite Scotch originates, Oban. I'll be spending a few days exploring the coast and island hopping along the western shore.

Day 15-ish, I'll be taking the train back to London, where I'll spend the night, and then one more day to do any shopping and catch any major sites I missed when I arrived.

I am unbelievably excited about this adventure! I'm also trying not to plan too much beyond a general itinerary so that if something strikes my fancy, I can rearrange a day to suit any fun diversions that arise. Also, I'm still open to suggestions from friends (one has already recommended his favorite pubs!) for things to do and see in any of the mentioned areas, and I'm not opposed to changing a day if there is something not on my list that I simply MUST SEE! Just a few more months, and I will be embarking on a grand adventure!

To Move, or Not to Move...

There are intelligent questions. There are silly questions. There are rhetorical questions. Then, there are loaded questions.

You might not think "hey, when are you moving to NY or LA?" is a big deal, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I hadn't thought about it at all until it was asked.

Central Ohio (of all places) actually has a thriving film community all its own, and periodic boosts when big-budget movies take advantage of the tax credits to shoot part or all of their movies here with local cast and crew. I've managed to get myself into a few of those, but I'll save the stories for another post.

Lots of commercials, film school projects, community theaters, film competitions, big budget Hollywood movies, and low budget indie films contribute to the huge (somewhat dysfunctional) movie-making family that is the Ohio film industry. For a hardworking actress with a few unique skills, it's quite the playground, if you can get your foot in the door with the cool kids. The great thing is, once someone who is established in the community likes you, word of mouth between the indie folks can get you places no talent agent can touch (hence, my first commercials for Germain Used Cars, my numerous episodes of Framelines, and a handful of Production Assistant jobs for various projects), not to mention small-medium budget indie films who typically don't go through local agencies to cast their films.

That's not to say that having a talent agent is a waste of time/money in this market; it's not. Through my agent, I've done things like a guest spot on WWE Raw, been a featured extra on a TV movie (airing this spring), and (though I've not yet been selected for one of these) auditioned several times for TV and movie jobs for some of the biggest named casting directors in the Midwest/New England regions.

But NY and LA?

Money, of course, is always an issue. Do I have enough money to fund a move? Yes.
Do I have enough money to live in cost-prohibitive NY or LA? Nope.
Do I mind living in my car? Not really, and I love camping.
Do I have friends in the area? Two in LA, none in NY.
Do I have any pre-established contacts in the industry? Other than distant friend of a friend of a friend?
And, I still have some film commitments here in Ohio that I would fulfill before considering a move.

Well, those are some of the negatives. The positives?
LA is sunny.

Having never actually been to LA, that's the only positive I can definitively give.

Part of me is very excited at the prospect of a move to LA (can you tell I'm not that keen on NY?), but at the very least, I have to finish some film projects here and my Subaru has to be paid off. If there's a chance that I will have to live in my car, I'd like to not owe anything on it.

I suppose that's the long answer to that question. There is a lot to do here in Ohio, and there are other growing film markets besides just the Big Two that I could consider as stepping stones. Louisiana has a fast-growing industry thanks to their tax incentives, and Texas is making strides in bringing film into their state as well.

So, I'm keeping my options open, learning new skills, and working my butt off where I am, taking advantage of what Ohio does have to offer, which is quite a lot if you know where to look.

Like a Good Dessert...

I'm writing a screenplay. It is about two people (a guy and a girl) who find one another in a post-economic collapse situation. When I started telling a friend (who also writes screenplays) about this story, he asked if the two main characters were going to end up together. I almost immediately got defensive about it. I told him, "it's not a love story!"

He said, "well a producer reading this script is going to see a guy and a girl and wonder why it's not a love story!"

He's right, of course.

And, of course, it is a love story, but it's also so much more than that.

I started thinking about it, and I remembered the beginning of the "Princess Bride" when Grandpa is trying to convince the kid that it's a cool story; "...fencing, fighting, torture, giants, mosters, escape, true love, miracles..."

My story is like that. Not the fencing (mine has guns, not swords); not the giants or monsters (it's the midwest, not Middle Earth); and the only miracle in the story is that two people can find each other, even in the most insane of circumstances.

I like analogies. I'm not talking about those terrible things in English class - "desk is to chair as tree is to..." No, not that kind of analogy. This kind of analogy:

My mom makes my absolute favorite dessert. It's really very simple, it's crumbled chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, and whipped cream in layers (and if I get my way, it also has a few raspberries hidden in the whipped cream). It's got layers, it's got textures, and it's got surprising bursts of flavor when you least expect it.

That's the kind of movie I'm writing. It's got cake, the texture, a little dryer than the rest, the rougher bits that add definition to the story. It's got pudding, it's smooth and flows well, common elements that make the story palatable and enjoyable. It's got whipped cream, the fluffy stuff... the romance. But even in the fluffy romantic parts, there are raspberries - chunks of outstanding flavor that lend a depth to the love story that might be missed if it were just plain old whipped cream.

So, yes, it is a love story. And no, it's not a love story. The love story is just one layer of the dessert. Each part on it's own might be just OK, but take all those very simple things and put them on top of one another, and you've created something greater than the sum of its parts.

I'm still working on assembling the ingredients, but it shouldn't be too terribly long before it's ready to be served, love story and all.