Why you should take a risk & make a move to a new city for your career

Why You Should Move To A New City Where You Don’t Know A Single Soul

by Eimear Elkington
originally posted on elitedaily.com

“There’s no better feeling than setting a courageous goal for yourself and defying the odds to achieve it; jumping headfirst into the unknown with an open heart and an open mind.

While you may be comfortable living in your hometown or your cozy college city, sometimes you need to ask yourself if you’re truly taking advantage of the world’s opportunities — especially while you’re in your 20s.

Your 20s are your years of freedom, before mortgages, kids and general grown-up responsibilities kick in. Too many people let fear of the unknown stop them from taking chances and forget that only with great risk comes great reward.

Moving alone to a new place (whether it’s the other side of the country or the other side of the world) is an experience like no other: part terrifying, part exhilarating.

If you decide to take the plunge and move to a new city where you don’t know a soul, here are some of the wonderful things you’ll discover along the way:

You’ll make new friends who are refreshingly different from your old friends

A foreign city opens up a diverse mix of people and cultures, including locals who have vastly different perspectives and experiences to yours, and will enrich and widen your outlook on life.

There’s no cast of “Mean Girls” telling you whom you can and can’t be friends with. Make connections with anyone and everyone you want. Plus, the new people you meet will have no prior knowledge or expectations of you; it’s a totally clean slate.

---

You’ll be introduced to new and exciting ways to have fun

You likely have a social pattern with your old circle of friends back home: Friday dinners in a certain suburb, ladies drinks at your favorite wine bar, weekend trips to the markets, etc. Sure, these cozy routines can be enjoyable and nostalgic, but are they really stretching and exciting you?

Your friends in a new city will introduce you to diverse local customs, adventures off the beaten path and fresh perspectives on how to have fun.

Instead of your regular pizza and movie night, you could go warehouse party, learn ballroom dancing or cook gnocchi with an Italian Nonna.

---

You’ll feel an overwhelming sense of freedom

You need to leave your hometown to realize how big the world is and how many different ways of life are out there. People have probably told you, “The world is your oyster.”

Well, it really is. Once you open your mind to the possibilities of moving and traveling, you can go wherever you want. Move like the wind.

Welcome change with open arms and live in whatever country, city, town or neighborhood that suits your rhythm and desires.

---

You’ll develop the social ease to walk into a party on your own and not even bat an eyelid

With the exception of the highly extroverted people among us, most people feel a certain sense of dread when they’re invited to attend a social occasion solo.

You worry you won’t know anyone and that you’ll feel uncomfortable, stuck talking to some weirdo. You’ll end up getting way too drunk to compensate for all of the awkwardness.

Well, fear not. When you move to a new city, you end up going to so many parties alone that it will stop phasing you at all and you’ll become a pro at social interactions.

Before you know it, you’ll be able to initiate small talk, get a laugh, ask the right questions and politely excuse yourself from conversations with ease. Social anxiety will be a thing of the past.

---

You’ll have the chance to reinvent yourself

The great thing about starting afresh is that it allows you to leave your tired, cranky self behind and present the world with a whole new you. It presents you with time to rid yourself of bad habits and say goodbye to friends or lovers who no longer serve you.

Explore the hidden parts of your character, figure out how your ideal self would respond to each scenario and become the person you desire to be.

---

You’ll be able to do something crazy with your appearance without having any shocked reactions

Ever wanted a tattoo? Piercing? Drastic hair cut? When you move to a city where you don’t know a soul, you have the chance to make a new impression on each person you meet.

If you’ve always wanted to do something ballsy with your appearance, now’s the time. Change your look and create the style you want, without any disapproving glares from your parents.

---

You’ll be empowered to realize you only need to rely on yourself

During a solo relocation, you’re left to sort things out for yourself, like find an apartment, get a job and negotiate your way around. You’ll be thrown into independence and forced to make it work; you’ll become a more resourceful, liberated person because of it.

Once you jump in and face your fears, you’ll realize everything is possible with a bit of hard work. After conquering a new city, you’ll feel a sense of empowerment to tackle everything else in life you’ve been too afraid to try.

---

You’ll feel your comfort zone widen drastically

We get it; your comfort zone is, well, comfortable, but when you move cities, things will be different.

You’ll have to re-learn your way around, figure out the public transit system and find a place to get a decent coffee. But, believe me when I say that even though things can be overwhelming in the beginning, you will acclimatize. Guaranteed.

Suddenly, what was once scary and unusual is now easy and stress-free, meaning more of the world is now within your comfort zone — win!

---

You’ll learn to enjoy your own company

If you’re someone who generally surrounds him or herself with friends and family, you may be surprised to learn that spending time alone can actually be pretty enjoyable.

“Alone” does not necessarily mean “lonely” and with your own company, you can do exactly what you want, on your own timeline and budget. A solo move can be an important period of introspection that may allow you to reconnect with your individual thoughts, dreams and desires.

---

You’ll realize you have the ability to conquer your fears

Making a move to a new city challenges your fears and anxieties and gives life to that little voice inside your head that says, “What if I get lost? What if I get into trouble? What if I don’t make any friends?” Being afraid of the unknown is perfectly normal, but we shouldn’t let fear control our lives.

If you start to surrender to your fear of change, you’ll never push through the wall and discover that daring, courageous side of yourself. You must feed your adventurous spirit to survive.

---

You’ll find absence makes the heart grow fonder

Many people feel the impetus to move cities after some sort of negative experience (like losing a job or an awful breakup) to create a fresh start.

As clichéd as it is, absence really does make the heart grow fonder. No doubt, after a few months away, you’ll find yourself missing your friends and family back home.

Not only will this help you to appreciate your loved ones more, but you may also feel much more secure and content to settle down somewhere after a prolonged trip away to experience what the world has to offer.

---

You’ll grow and develop as a person

Perhaps one of the best takeaways from moving cities is the self-discovery you’ll have. The more you travel and live abroad, the more your priorities will shift and you won’t be able to help but learn about yourself along the way.

The choice to go out on a limb and take responsibility for your own life is an incredibly powerful experience. Taking your destiny into your own hands allows you to rediscover your dreams, desires and to shape the path in front of you.”

CENTRAL CASTING 2012 CBS MORNING SHOW

Marketing Your Webseries in Unconventional Ways

Originally posted on http://www.MsInTheBiz.com
Marketing Your Webseries: Be Unconventional!

By Stephanie Pressman on September 9, 2014

“My co-producer of a web series I am a part of asked me a couple of months ago, “How do we get more subscribers and how do we get more views?”. I come from a marketing background but with this show in particular that has some very specific nerdy themes I wanted to try some inexpensive ways of marketing it to our target audience.

First I looked at some of the themes and who they would appeal to, to help us find who our audience would be. Our show has themes that include Star Trek (so, space exploration), Reading Rainbow (so, books, literacy, and children’s books), Nerdy/Quirky Girls (that appeals to nerdy guys & nerdy girls), the production company is all female (so, girl power – we can do it types).

Then I brainstormed…

Conventions (comic book conventions)

Giving out promotional materials

We should only target and distribute flyers and materials to attendees and booths with Star Trek themed Cosplay Costumes and materials (the problem with giving marketing materials out at a convention is that everyone gets a ton of crap they don’t need so you really want to zero in on your audience so you don’t waste time & money on the people who just throw away what you give them).

Signings

At conventions find booths with a similar theme or even just a friend’s booth & collaborate with them and ask if you can do a signing of promotional stills or marketing materials and have your actors or creators sign them – you get new fans that stop to see what’s going on and who you are & the booth gets more people stopping to check out their product.

Panels

To target our female audience we brainstormed a few panel ideas and decided a female creators panel needed to be submitted for many reasons. We wanted to get the name of our series and production company out there but we also wanted to help others like us start creating their own projects. We submitted and got accepted to San Diego Comic Con and asked female creators that we knew and respected to come join us and promote their projects as well as inspire and tell their stories.

T-Shirts

We ordered T-shirts to give away at our panel & sell to raise funds for our second season. We worked together trying to find a design that was cute, wearable, and that others would love. With a simple logo on the front & simple text that marketed our series and production company on the back. I think it’s working well, we have seen a lot of girls on social media wearing our shirts with pride and spreading our name. www.ooshirts.com

Wrap Party / Screening / Premiere Party

So, we took a year to release our entire first season – as we got down to the final episode I suggested we throw a wrap party / screening to not only celebrate our hard work but also to promote the series and possibly raise funds for season 2. We found a venue easily (we shot 2 episodes at the pub we chose to do our party at and they let us film for free, thus they let us use the space for free for our party). We sent out press releases to all our friends, cast, and crew. We made a list of industry contacts we sent the release to them too. We asked our friends and partners to spread the word.

We designed and had a step & repeat (photo opportunity) for the event and wrangled a friend to take pictures. We got our friend’s new app called Weev involved too. All of these small things add to the marketing aspect because everyone that takes a picture in front of our logos gets their picture out into the social media world and spreads the show around to their circles like a happy little virus. Same with Weev. We created a question on Weev that people all over the world can answer and it all ties back into the show. We also made our own photo booth props for people to play with by printing pictures around the theme of our show and attaching foam and a wooden dowel to the back of the picture. These again were popular for social media.

We ordered our “step & repeat” from Event Step & Repeat and they run around $80-$100 (without the stand) it was the only thing we really purchased or spent money on for our event. We borrowed a stand (if you do multiple events you probably can buy 1 stand and just buy the new banner each time). We rented sand bags for $15 from Wooden Nickel Lighting since our step & repeat was outside we deemed it necessary for safety to use weights on the stands. The company is located in Paramount, CA (about 30 min from Los Angeles). We saved money by picking it up and not having it shipped.

Magazines, podcasts & blogs

Contact friends that have publications or send out press releases to media you like and read or listen to. We have done a ton of publicity on radio, in magazines, podcasts, and blogs for the show, the panel, and the party.

Vlogs & Similar Shows

Reach out from your shows channel on YouTube to other channels and shows – don’t spam them or troll them but comment, like, and subscribe. If you get no extra views or subscribers at least you are helping out someone else that is going through the same situation you are.

How have you gotten the most bang for your buck when marketing your series? Was there anything I missed that we should have done differently? I hope this helps you think outside the box for marketing.

Feel free to check out our show at

www.youtube.com/dweebdarlings or www.dweebdarlings.com

We are also looking for female fronted, directed, and or created content. So, if you have ideas send them our way and let’s collaborate!”

Advice to live by

“Talent: These days you have a better chance at your “big break” by putting yourself on camera and building an audience than you do getting headshots, finding an agent, auditioning 1,000 times, attending countless casting workshops, spending thousands each year and waiting, waiting, waiting. You can do both, but I bet 99% would get that break via your own work (if you have talent and are focused). Look around the industry at the people who have made their own careers. Same amount of hustle, but why (only) put your career in someone else’s hands?”
-Kristen Nedopak

New Tax Credits for California Mean Production Coming Back to Los Angeles?

California Governor Signs Expansion of State Film and TV Tax Credit
from Variety
September 18, 2014
by Ted Johnson

“A bill that more than triples the size of California’s film and TV tax credit is now law, as Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday signed the legislation designed to stem the tide of runaway production fleeing to other states and countries.

“Yes, it’s taxpayers money, but it’s taxpayers money going to build jobs for the future,” Brown said at a ceremony at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, where he was joined by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti; the bill’s principal co-authors, Assemblymen Raul Bocanegra and Mike Gatto; and a bevy of other lawmakers and industry officials who filled the forecourt of the landmark theater.

Garcetti predicted that the expanded credit would mean that 10,000 jobs would return to the Los Angeles region next year. He said that the legislation will “level the playing field” with other states offering credits.

Dozens of crew and union members attended, as well as a smattering of stars like Warren Beatty.

“Thank you. This means a lot,” said Beatty in very brief remarks to the crowd. He was among 12 speakers, including State Sen. Kevin de Leon, California Labor Federation chief officer Art Pulaski and crew members who addressed the gathering, before Brown sat at a desk placed just above Mary Pickford’s footprints and signed the bill. No studio chiefs were present, but Steve Papazian, president of worldwide physical production for Warner Bros. Pictures, spoke briefly.

“Today, we remind the world that the Golden State is the home of the silver screen,” Brown said.

Also present were Los Angeles’ “film czar,” attorney Ken Ziffren, and Rajiv Dalal, director of the mayor’s office of motion picture and film production.

The legislation will increase the annual allocation of state tax credits to $330 million per year, more than triple the current amount, starting with fiscal year 2015-16 and lasting for five years. It will expand the eligibility to include big budget feature films and new one-hour drama series, categories of production that have migrated away from the state as studios and producers increasingly take advantage of generous subsidies elsewhere.

The legislation also provides extra incentives — beyond the current 20% — for visual effects and music scoring, as well as to producers who shoot in parts of the state outside of the Los Angeles region.

The California Film Commission can start distributing the funds on July 1, but it also will have to rework the way that the money is awarded to producers. A scoring system in which will be determined based on applicants’ abilities to employ a significant number of workers will replace the present lottery where credits were awarded by chance.

A key question will be whether the tax credit is sufficient to compete against states like Georgia and Louisiana, which have become production centers in their own rights and do not put an annual cap on credits. New York allocates about $420 million per year, and the industry coalition that lobbied for an expansion of California’s program sought to use the Empire State as a benchmark for competition.

The tax credit pool will be divvied among different categories of production. Features will get 35%, independent films will get 5%, relocating TV series will get 20% and new TV series, pilots, movies of the week and recurring TV series will get 40%.

Although the legislation, AB 1839, passed the state Assembly by a vote of 72-0, and the state Senate by 34-2, the overwhelming support masked what the bill’s co-authors said was an uphill climb to convince other Sacramento lawmakers of the need to greatly expand the program. They withheld a figure for the annual allocation until August, a strategy they said was necessary because of uncertainty over the state budget environment. But it also allowed the coalition of union, studio and civic lobbyists to press their case that the legislation would protect middle-class jobs before the total figure became the target of debate.

Gatto said that “at every step of the way, from the building of the coalition to the last hearing, the whole thing was always in jeopardy of collapsing. We are just ecstatic that it did not collapse, that we got this far.”

Garcetti made the passage of the legislation his top priority in Sacramento and among his top priorities citywide, he said. Brown, he said, was the key figure who needed convincing. “I love this governor because he is cheap and smart, so we had to make this case on the dollars and the merits, and we did.”

Garcetti said that he intends to retain the Film & TV Office, with a focus on reducing city fees, streamlining permitting among Los Angeles County cities, and marketing.

The latter may be in play as L.A. tries to high profile productions that have migrated elsewhere. But not all production is eligible for the incentives. The newly passed bill does not cover talk shows, and there are big doubts that CBS will keep “Late, Late Show” in the city when James Corden takes over from Craig Ferguson next year. New York offers a credit for talk shows that move to the state.

Nevertheless, even as studios like Warner Bros. plan layoffs, city leaders characterized the expansion as a turning point.

“I would be deeply more concerned [about layoffs] if AB 1839 had not been signed,” said Los Angeles City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, whose district includes Hollywood. “This changes everything. It changes the landscape, for five years as well.

“This is a signal that we are sending to the industry, saying, ‘Look, this is a five year investment, a five year incentive, to bring it back, grow it again here in Los Angeles and here in the state,’” he added. “I am very optimistic at this. And it does put some responsibility and onus on industry professionals now, producers, those that make the decisions, on where and when and how they film.” “

LA Actors: The Truth As Told By Ryan Gosling

Being Self-Aware

Are You a Self-Aware Actor?

By Secret Agent Man
Dec. 2, 2013
From Backstage

“Right after Thanksgiving last year, one of my clients (let’s call him John) told me an interesting and revealing story. John explained that he spent the first part of Turkey Day volunteering at a shelter serving meals to the homeless. I always saw him as your typical narcissistic, self-involved actor, so I was impressed that he had a charitable side.

John went on to explain that during a break, he started talking with one of the other volunteers, and that guy turned out to be a successful showrunner who produces two shows on the air.

This sort of thing happens all the time in L.A. The industry is everywhere, and if you play your cards right, you can make connections in the most unexpected places. I once became good friends with a casting director during a visit to the Magic Castle.

Anyway, John really hit it off with the producer. The two of them bonded while the homeless waited for their meals. Sensing an opportunity, John started suggesting different roles he could play on the guy’s shows. Impressed, the producer promised to have him in soon.

Here’s the thing. Every story has two sides, and John’s take on this encounter didn’t ring true. He’s always been the kind of client who makes everything about himself, and he never sees anyone else’s point of view. So here’s what I think really happened, and I’ll bet my last 10 commissions that I’m right.

The producer was trying to do something charitable on Thanksgiving Day. He was probably feeling really good about himself. The business wasn’t even on his mind. Then some actor he’s never met came up to him and starting shoving the industry down his throat. Being a decent sort, the producer smiled and pretended to give a damn. But he just wanted my client to get lost, so he made a vague promise about having him in on his show. And then the producer went home, shared the story with his family, and they all had a good laugh at John’s expense.

Think I’m being cynical? Well, here we are 12 months later, and John has never been in to audition for one of those shows. I’ve even dropped the producer’s name to his casting director, but that got me nowhere fast.

I’m sharing this holiday story for two reasons. First, my editor rejected my original idea for a column where I time travel to the first Thanksgiving and convince the pilgrims they need representation. And second, there’s a valuable lesson here that every actor has to learn if he wants to succeed.

You need to become self-aware. You have to understand how you come across to other people, especially those of us who work in the industry. You can’t be the clueless dope at every party who thinks he’s funny while everyone else just wishes he’d leave.

I’ve had clients make a great impression by thanking me for an audition. Then a few seconds later, they ruin that impression by complaining about not having more auditions. And they never even realize what they’ve done. They just wander off to take more bad headshots, not knowing they’ve just alienated their agent.

So examine your actions and choice of words. Understand the impression you’re making. Take a moment to consider how the world sees you. In this business, doors open when people like you. They close if they don’t.

The greatest gift I can give you this holiday season is the gift of self-awareness. So use it wisely. And if you think this column doesn’t apply to you, trust me—it does. ”

A Different Approach to Finding an Agent

5 Reasons You Should Let Your Representation Find You

By Briana Hansen on December 19, 2013

for Ms In The Biz

“Time and energy are very precious commodities. And no matter how good you are at budgeting them, at some point, you always seem to run out.So is it really in your best interest to spend tons of your time and energy seeking representation? In my own experience, I don’t think so. I think you’re much better served working on your own creative projects and outlets, and letting the people who can help you with your career spend their time and energy finding you.

Here are five reasons why:

1. You Can Focus On Your Craft

With everything we juggle in our busy schedules, it’s easy to forget to work on the very thing you love the most. If you love writing, you should spend your time writing rather than constantly telling people about how much you love to write. If you love acting, you should find or make opportunities to act rather than spending your time trying to convince people you’re good at it. It makes so much more sense to actually find ways to do the thing that you’re passionate about, rather than trying to tell people you love doing it. And as a bonus, the more you do it- whatever it is- the better you’ll get at it.

Besides, if you spend all your time trying to convince people to let you work, you’ll be rusty by the time you actually get to work. Instead, find outlets for constantly doing what you love. You can only get better by actually doing it. And as you get better, you’ll begin to pull ahead from the rest of the “pack” that is wasting much of their energy not practicing. And when potential representation finally sees you, you’ll stand out from the crowd because you’ll have been actually doing the work.

2. It Keeps You On Your Toes

Once you’ve achieved in any aspect of your life, it’s easy to get a little more relaxed about your next project. In some ways, this can be a good thing. A healthy dose of relaxation can breed confidence in your future endeavors.

But if you approach every performance (or writing session or makeup job or whatever) as the one that could make or break your career, you’re going to do your best and give it your all. And in doing so, you’re going to get much better. And you’re going to get much better much more quickly than if you just phone it in.

I perform a lot. I’m constantly involved in all sorts of different shows and projects. It’s sometimes easy for me to talk myself out of giving a performance my all. I’m involved in several shows, many of which I have to drive an hour one way just for five minutes of stage time. As a result, I can also find myself making excuses for why that night’s performance won’t be my best work. I hear a little voice trying to convince me that I can just do better at tomorrow’s performance. Save it for the next one. Tonight doesn’t matter.

But I don’t listen to that voice. I don’t let myself get lazy. I’m still looking for a comedy manager to help catapult my career. So I make sure I give every performance my best. Because you never know who might be in the audience. And as a result, I force myself to do my absolute best no matter what the circumstances. So I improve faster because I have no excuses at the end of the night. Sometimes it goes well and sometimes it doesn’t. Either way, I know I did everything in my power, so at least I can learn from it. And I know that when I finally do get in front of the audiences that I want to be in front of, I’ll have been practicing excellence for so long it will come naturally.

3. Everyone Loves The Thrill Of The Chase

We’re hunters and gatherers by nature. An animal doesn’t walk up to a hunter’s door handing out a pamphlet trying to convince the hunter why it should be killed instead of its brother. And if it did, human nature would make the hunter more interested in the brother anyway. And he’d probably be confused as to why an animal was talking to him and how on earth it made a pamphlet.

There’s a thrill in discovering something on your own and being a part of the transformation process before your eyes. Hunting is instinctual. It lets you feel ownership and investment in a your discovery. Reps want to find new talent. That’s their job. It’s a big part of their job. They want to be the one that sees the animal in its natural habitat, hunts it down, and claims it for themselves.

And if you’re doing your job right, you’ll be out there in your natural habitat just ripe for the claiming.

This one has gotten a little too neanderthal for me. You get the point. Moving on…

4. You’re Already Sold

One of the hardest parts of being in the creative field is you’re constantly having to sell yourself and convince people you’re talented and interesting. Actors have to say they’re “working actors” before anyone will take them seriously. You don’t need to be told your accountant is a “working accountant.” They’re an accountant. That means they know how to account. Period.

And if you’re anything like me, you cringe every time you have to turn into an LA entertainment community stereotype and talk about all your achievements and how great you are. Personally, I’d rather spend that time working on something much more interesting. Like my next creative project. Or watching paint dry.

The benefit of letting the people you want to be on your team find you, is that you don’t have to convince them that you’re really great at what you do. They already know that. That’s why they want to work with you. You get to just focus on continuing to do what you do because you’ve found people who believe in you and what you do.

5. You Remember You’re A Catch

In every healthy relationship, there’s good balance and communication between both parties. Too often, you see creatives who feel like their representation is doing them a favor. Which is an unhealthy perspective that makes you forget your power and lose your confidence.

By letting your representation find you, you remember that you are an active and important part of this relationship. It’s wonderful that someone is taking a chance on you and finally helping you get to the next level in your career. You should be extremely excited and grateful. But you should also remember that they’re lucky to have found you. You’re a hot commodity who is going to make someone some serious money with your talent and hard-earned skills. You’re equals on a two-way street.

Being approached by representation as a result of your own achievements is a reminder that your work is very valuable. And while you’re lucky to have found someone who wants to help you, they’re just as lucky to have found you.

Now, don’t get me wrong. You still need to do the work and put yourself out there. You should always stay extremely “findable.” Maintain a website with your current, present and future projects on it. Make sure you get out to events with other industry professionals. Have business cards. Utilize social media. Meet people. Be nice.

But beyond that, you should focus on what you love doing. Be creative. Get involved in a project you believe in. Get out there in this world and just start doing the very things that make you happy. Your happiness will be infectious and the right people for you in all avenues of your life will naturally gravitate towards you.”

Theme Park Jobs : Face Characters at Universal Studios Hollywood

Emily is 23 and has worked in many capacities at Universal Studios Hollywood. I asked her to tell us a little bit about her positions so you know what it’s like to work different positions year round in the park.

Emily has always played face characters (roles that do not require a mask or mascot type costume). She is employed year round as a famous cartoon character, during Halloween worked at Horror Nights as an iconic horror film character in a maze, and during the holidays has played a Who in Whoville twice for Grinchmas. All of her roles are covered by AGVA.

Auditions for each role included:
Grinchmas Audition 2012: A one minute monologue in your own Who character. Callbacks: A one minute improvised scene with a partner revolving around a set of props. Then a dance combination, then a short “personal” improvised monologue answering a panel-given question about Grinchmas in your “Who” voice and character. Sizes taken, paperwork and sit down interview.

Grinchmas Audition 2013: A one minute monologue in your own Who character. Callbacks: Type out. Answer a panel-given question about Christmas as yourself. An improvised story revolving around a given topic with a line of other auditioners, again as yourself. Sizes taken.

Horror Nights: Improv with no callback

Cartoon Character: Type out. Short introduction as Character in Character voice. Sides in Character voice. Walk around room as character. Sizes taken and photos taken in wig/makeup

Cartoon character: is a look alike role as well as voice acting.
Grinchmas: is an improv heavy role and voice acting is also beneficial.
Horror Nights: is a look alike role.

“The best part about playing a character in a theme park is constantly interacting with people and making their experience complete. You really hold the power to turn someone’s day around for the better. Whether it is a group of traveling tourists all the way from Asia, a small child who has never met a character before, or the locals who have passes and come say hi every day, it is a colorful and exciting experience every day. The most fun I have is when I get really into each character and convince myself that it’s all real or that I’m really in the movie. This makes it more fun for the guests because when you believe it, they believe it too. I would love to play games with guests and share special moments with them and then realize.. “I’m getting paid to do this.” Getting paid to dress up and play make-believe is kind of unreal. It’s what we all do as little kids, but as actors we get to keep doing it.
Horror Nights is “a bit of a different story. With her it’s just fun to scare the crap out of people. I would set goals for myself each night and try to scare more and more people in new and exciting ways. It was fun to just go balls to the wall insane and see how it freaked people out. We also kept tabs of how many people fell each night (out of shock/fear) and would have contests to see who could “floor” the most people or in the most epic way.”

Perks: “Discounts on almost everything from movie tickets and metro cards to food and theme park passes. On site health clinic. Access to the Universal back lot for jogging and boot camp classes. Free movie screenings on the lot. Birthday incentives as well as a rewards program for hard work recognition.

The hardest part about working Grinchmas would be the language barrier between a large portion of the visiting guests and myself. It was easy to turn into a photo-opp in these situations, because you couldn’t communicate well with the guest. The other hard part is wearing a nose prosthetic every day. Mine is so small I can’t breath through it, so for the month of December I’m a mouth breather. The glue/latex/and products used for removal can irritate your skin a lot after so much repetition.

Horror Nights was extremely difficult. It was hands down the most exhausting job physically/mentally I’ve ever had. The hours are intense, clocking in at 3pm and clocking out at 3:30-4 am — and then doing it again for the next 3 days. We wear contacts which can be hard to get in and then irritating. We also have prozaide transfers that go onto our face and arms to make us look cut/burnt/boiled. These take about an hour to put on and an hour to get off and they really irritate the skin. You are covered in 3 different types of blood and grease every night. That being said, the hardest part is the physical demands of the job. We are required to scare for five different hour-long sets with 30 minute breaks in between. My scare consisted of popping out of a door every five seconds to scare guests. I calculated and I popped out of that door 2,160 times each night. This leads to repetitive stress injuries such as pulled muscles, blisters, rug burns and fatigue. After getting bruises and blisters all over my hand the first week (just from pulling the door open), I started wearing a padded glove to prevent worse injury. The other room I was stationed in was not a pop-out, but more of a “stay out and do creepy stuff the whole time while people watch you.” This can also get exhausting since you have to be “On” 100% of the time. Most of the injuries in our maze came from us hurting ourselves accidentally, like bumping into walls, opening doors into our faces, scraping ourselves, tripping, bumping heads etc.. (it’s dark and loud and we are all tired.. hah) My worst was spraining my finger by flinging it into a wall. Occasionally there is a guest-inflicted injury. I got hit in the face, head butted and had my door pushed into my face many times. Guests try to scare you, they mock you, get in your face, curse at you etc..”

Advice: “DO IT. It’s the most fun you will ever have and one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Seriously. You will meet the best people in your co-workers, supervisors etc.. I’ve made lifelong friends. No other job is as exciting/entertaining or keeps you on your toes like this.
Stephanie Pressman is great and if you are industry reading this, you should cast her in your project.”

Ahhh, ain’t she sweet?

If you are interested in working for Universal Studios Hollywood please check their auditions board online at Universal Hollywood Auditions

How to prepare for Pilot Season

From Backstage

5 Ways To Prepare For Pilot Season Right Now!

By Steve Braun and Risa Bramon Garcia
Nov. 4, 2013

Think you’ve got plenty of time to get ready for pilot season? Think again. With the holidays fast approaching and an actor’s propensity for procrastination, the nuttiest time of the year always sneaks up on you. And whether you’ll end up having three auditions a day for three months or no auditions, pilot season is a time of ups, downs, expectations, and absolute insanity. Here are five things you can do right now to prepare for the apocalypse that is pilot season.

1. Eat. Sleep. Exercise.
When you have to get to Marina Del Ray for a 6 p.m. audition and it’s 5:45 p.m. and you’re still at Warner Brothers waiting to get into your 5 p.m. audition, caring for yourself in a basic way can get thrown out the window. But it can’t. Fast food on the freeway affects your body and your mind and is bad for business. Start now by being disciplined about caring for yourself. Eat well (enjoy but don’t indulge over the holidays), sleep well, and exercise (including exercise that connects the body and mind through breath). Don’t expect anyone in the business to care for you. That will be up to you. But it takes time to learn self-care. Start now!

2. Assemble your team.
Check in with your representation now. Reaffirm your commitment to the work and each other. See if they have a sense of what pilot season will look like this year. Figure out where they think you fit. Get on the same page. Work through your issues, and go into pilot season knowing that you have an ally. You don’t have an agent or manager? Accept that it’ll be up to you to advocate for yourself and come up with your pilot season plan.

3. Sharpen your tools.
January 25th is not the time to be thinking about new headshots. Get those headshots taken now. Is your reel as good as it needs to be? Need to shoot another scene or re-cut what you have? Do it now. But it’s not just the obvious tools that need to be looked at now in preparation of the grand season. Make sure your phone is working so you can receive emails from your agent on the fly. Make sure your printer is in good shape so you can print sides. Make sure your car runs well so you can get where you need to be. And make sure you have a clean, quiet space in which to do your work. Pilot season doesn’t entertain your excuses so figure it all out now.

4. Get a life.
Let’s face it. You will either be going out a lot and wondering why you’re not booking or not going out enough and wonder why you’re not going out. Self-doubt and disappointment abound during pilot season, so you must maintain your self-worth by having a full life. And that starts right now. Don’t go into forced isolation for three months only to emerge in May as a shadow of the person you once were. Keep yourself engaged in your community, and with friends and family. Make plans now to volunteer during January, February, and March. Take harmonica lessons. Plan one-day and weekend getaways with your friends for February. Do it now. And unless you’re shooting a pilot, commit to your plans. Shed the belief that “I can’t visit my old friend back east because I might get an audition.” This belief leads to paralysis. Hyper focus on the business leads to bitterness and unemployment.

5. Find a class.
If your only artistic expression occurs during a few auditions a week, and within the confines of a mediocre, two page pilot scene, you’ll probably stop feeling like an actor. You’ll probably start feeling artistically stiff, like you haven’t really stretched in a while. That’s bad for business. You have to stay engaged in the work outside of the business, so your artistic pipes stay clean, and so you can walk into the audition rooms as artistically full as you can be. Class is that artistic stretch and that full workout that keeps you in fighting shape. But it takes time to get into shape. Start now!

You’ve got a few weeks before the holidays and before the business winds down in anticipation of Thanksgiving. Use the time to meditate, visualize, and prepare. Pilot season—hell your entire career—is truly what you make of it!