Headshots

I had my headshots taken last Friday, the day after my first acting class. It was another very exciting event to take place. For those of you who don't know, headshots are a must in the acting business. It is what is sounds like - it's basically just a shot/picture of your head. In acting this is something that you need, especially just starting out. There are two different kinds of headshots: commercial and theatrical. A commercial headshot is more of a shot for commercial type work. It's the type of picture with a big smile. A theatrical headshot is more for theatrical type work, which is movies and television. It's a more serious picture.

I took my pictures with Elijah Star, who was recommended to me through Image Development. He is located in Manhattan Beach - so that was fun driving down near the ocean. I took about 10 different shirts and Elijah helped me pick about 5 that would be best to use for the pictures. It was a lot of fun. He took about 400 pictures and then gave me a disk with them all. Elijah said I was easy to work with and have great knowlege of what to do on camera - which I was very pleased (and a little surprised) to hear. Elijah was great to work with as well and I would recommend him to anyone.

I am now working with Elijah and Image Development to pick out a couple headshots to use. Image Development is going to pick which one they will use when they put me out on their September poster to all of the agencies. I am then going to pick about 3 different headshots that I will use, then Elijah will send them in and get them finished and get my final copy of my headshots back to me. Its all so exciting! Everything is developing smoothly and I can't wait to see how things will turn out!

Check out the side bar for some more of my headshots! I own the copyright to them all but the credit goes to the photographer: Elijah Star [www.elijahstar.com] .

1st Acting Class

I had my first acting class last Thursday. It's a 6-week on-camera acting class taught by Barbara Cameron. I am taking it through Image Development. I was nervous for my first class but over all it went pretty well. There were 9 students in the class (including me). To start off Barbara had us all sit in a circle and go around introducing ourselves, saying a little bit about us, what we like about acting and why we were taking the class. That was cool. It made everyone relax a little bit getting to know each other I think. After introductions, we were each given a short two-paragraph commercial and 10 minutes to memorize it. Mine was a funny commercial about clear band aids. Once I got the memorizing done and how I wanted to say the words I decided to throw in something extra just for fun. There was a part in my commercial where I say "So now I wear clear band aids from Johnson and Johnson" - at that part I decided to hold up my arm and point to it, like I actually had a clear band aid on.

After our 10 minutes were up we all went into the waiting room. Barbara called us one by one into the other room where we did our commercial audition in front of the camera. I felt like mine went pretty well. I only stuttered at one part on words but I did feel like I was nervous and was afraid I would be shaking on the tape (but I wasn't). After everyone did their commercial we all went back in the main room. Then Barbara played everyone's audition and critiqued them all, saying this is what you did right, this is what you did wrong, these are some tips, etc. Everyone seemed to like mine, I got a couple compliments which I wasn't expecting from others in the class. Barbara said I had a lot of energy but that I talk with my eyes to much. So my biggest focus is going to be trying not to talk with my eyes and blink so much. I learned a lot from everyone's corrections and took notes the whole class.

After we went through everyone's auditions, we all took turns doing them again on-camera, trying to improve on the comments Barbara had made earlier. Everyone improved for the second one. I felt a lot better about mine too. Once everyone auditioned again, we watched them all and Barbara critiqued them all again. When we got to mine Barbara paused the tape after my first line. I was afraid she was going to say something about I made a huge mistake on something but she didn't. She said that the first line was great and that I really grabbed her attention. We had talked about how your first line is very important to make an impression and grab their attention - so the fact that mine did was a very good thing. I was so excited about that! Then we watched the rest of the tape.

After watching the rest of the tape...Barbara said I have a lot of energy and that my first line was really good and that she liked how I pointed to my arm. She said I was still talking to much with my eyes (so fixing that is my main focus for tomorrow's class) but that I have a lot of natural talent and that she thinks I'll be good. I was very pleased with those comments. Over all it was very encouraging and I can't wait for my second class, which is tomorrow! :)

Pictures of My First 3 Weeks in Cali

The sign I waited for about 3 days to finally see, welcoming me to my new home state

The sight after crossing the CA border. That's the Colorado River in the distance.

US & California flags at the inspection station at the CA state border

PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY

Malibu houses on a hill

Driving along..

First sighting of the Pacific Ocean


LOS ANGELES
My first view of LA




LAGUNA BEACH

Getting Things in Motion

Hey everyone! I am still enjoying Cali very much! I have gone to two different beaches and enjoyed both. I still have yet to go into Hollywood and see the Walk of Fame and other famous sights but I have time.

I went to Burbank last Friday to register with an extra/background actor company called Central Casting. It took longer than anticipated. I didn't know how long with trafic it would take to get there so I left early. I got there 30 mins before they opened so then I went to Target and Marshalls to kill time. I lost track of time and got back right about the time they stop taking submissions. I was so scared I wouldn't make it in but I did! I was one of the last people and stood in line for 2 and half hours to register. Once I got my turn it took all of like 5 mins to get registered and my picture taken. So now I am registered with Central. I have yet to get a background job with them though. I can close to fitting one description but didn't meet one of the qualifications yesterday, that was upsetting. Then today I fit one so I called and left a message with the casting director - the job works on Monday - I have yet to hear back from them, so we'll see.

I am still looking for a job. I've filled out applications but have yet to hear anything from anyone. I am enjoying this time off, not working, but I know that I can't keep this up forever. The money will run out and I don't want that lol. I'm not panicking about it yet. God opened all of the doors to get me out here so I am trusting in Him with the whole job situation too. Its frustrating sometimes because I do need a job but I just have to trust that when I really need one is when God will open the door.

On a little lighter note, my acting classes begin a week from today. I can't wait! Its hard to believe its that close but I wish it was today already! It is a 6-week course and I look forward to learning all I can and being taught by Barbara Cameron. I also just got my head shots booked to take place on Friday the 21st (the day after my first acting class). I am so excited about getting the head shots done too. All of this is so exciting! I'm getting things in motion and they are all progressing very nicely. I can't wait to see where it will all lead and what God has in store for me!

I guess that's all for now. My weekend is looking busy with plans but it will all be so much fun! I am really enjoying myself out here. And am feeling very blessed to be living with such an amazing family and meeting so many amazing new friends! Even with all that is going on I still miss all of my friends and family back home very much! I love all of you! Thanks for the amazing support you have all shown me! If you're ever out in Cali let me know so we can try and get together! God bless! xoxo, Stephanie

Image Development

This past Thursday my dad and I drove up to Thousand Oaks to meet with a talent promotional company called, Image Development. Image is basically the middle man between getting an agent. They are a Christian based company run by two very nice Christian ladies. Nicole Sutton is the President of Image and Barbara Cameron (who happens to be the mother successful actors Kirk Cameron and Candace Cameron Bure) is the Talent Executive Advisor.

I found out about Image Development when I was back home in Virgina, its actually kind of funny. I love reading biographies and autobiographies of/by actors. I just love reading about their lives, struggles and careers it intrigues me. Anyway, it was late last year - right about the time that Kirk Cameron's autobiography "Still Growing" came out. Being the fan I am, I went to a store to by it. While I was there I happened to find another one that interested me too.."A Full House of Growing Pains" by Barbara Cameron - the mother of Kirk Cameron and Candace Cameron Bure. I thought it looked good too, so I bought both of them. I took them home and began reading Barbara Cameron's book first. (Both were amazing and I highly recommend them to everyone!) At the end of the book there was a page with website links. Image Development's happened to be on the list. I went to it and read up on the company and become excited. I thought they would be a good place to help get my acting career going.

I e-mailed Nicole Sutton about the company and if they could work with me. She asked my experience and for me to send some pictures to her. I told her my experience and sent her my resume and a couple of pictures. She said they couldn't do anything to help me until I was in Los Angeles (since they are located right near by) but that I have a good look and that they could probably work with me if I moved. Believe it or not this is actually what got my plans for moving to LA started. I mean I have wanted to move to CA and get into acting pretty much my whole life but this agreement to work with me is what got my plans officially going. This was back in October of 2008.

Since then I e-mailed back and forth with Nicole for a little while - giving her updates - as I started getting the OK with the family and worked towards moving. Once I arrived in California I called them and set up an appointment. I got one booked for Thursday.

When I arrived for my appointment in Thousand Oaks I was given a form to fill out and a commercial to read through. It was a Gap commercial about jeans and only a couple sentences long. I had to memorize it and audition it for Barbara Cameron - talk about nerve wracking! lol. There were two others in front of me and I ended up waiting for about an hour before it was my turn to go in. It was ok with me though. It gave me a chance to relax and get my commercial just how I wanted it.

Once I went in, I did my commercial audition for Barbara. She said I had a lot of energy and potential but that I needed work. Which is what I expected - the needing work part. She said I was doing a lot of things right but that I probably didn't know I was doing them right or even why I was doing them. She then went on to discuss classes she teaches and a little bit about the company. She seemed really surprised that I had never had any kind of acting classes before - I told her everything I've learned has been by reading and studying other actors in movies and stuff. She seemed really surprised and said that I have a lot of natural talent and instincts. She said that normally most people they work with they recommend take a couple of acting classes but that she thought I would only need one and then be fine. That was a big (but pleasant) shock to me.

After meeting with Barbara, I met with Nicole. We discussed all of what they can do for me and I signed a contract with them that day. So now I am officially a client of Image Development (YAY!). I am taking a 6-week on-camera acting class with Barbara Cameron starting August 20th. It will be on Thursday's. Nicole said that Barbara is tough but very good because she knows what the agents want to see. I am so excited! After my first class then I am going to get head shots done. Once I get my head shots back then I will meet with Image and pick out my head shot for their marketing. Once that is done then I will be marketed by Image Development to all of the licensed LA agencies to try and get signed. I will be going out in their poster for September to agencies. The neat thing is Nicole said that if I don't get any response then they will keep pushing and putting me on posters if necessary to try and get signed to an agency. So that is exciting as well.

I had a choice of going out on their September poster or waiting. Nicole said that January-April is called Pilot Season - basically it is when all of the pilots for new TV shows get filmed and try to get picked up to networks. Because of this she said that most agencies slow down and stop taking people (until the next year) starting November because they are so busy getting all of their clients and submissions ready for pilots. So I decided to go ahead and go on the September poster so that hopefully I am get an agent before pilot season begins. We'll see but basically that is the deal.

Nicole recommended until the class starts (since it is still a couple weeks away) that I register with an extra/background company in LA for extra work on movies and shows. She said that she never recommends clients do that but since I had some time to kill that it may be good so that I can get familiar with how movie sets work. I am going to register with them on Friday.

I can't wait to begin my acting class and get everything going. Hopefully I can get some extra work to familiarize myself with life on movie and TV sets. We'll see. As time continues to pass I am still going to be looking for any job really. That is pretty much what is up right now. In short - things are going really well so far and I am loving Cali!

Yesterday was a day of firsts for me in California. First, I woke up at 3:30am and left at 4:00am to take my dad to LAX for his flight back to VA. It took us about an hour to get there but traffic wasn't bad at all. I wonder why HAHA. Second, I had my first In-N-Out burger and it was amazing! I also visited my first frozen yogurt place yesterday, which I was told is the biggest new thing in California right now. It was also amazing. I have a feeling I will become addicted in no time haha.

I'm still unpacking my things in my room but the majority of it is done. I have met some really cool new friends and continue to enjoy life on the West Coast. I still have a lot of sights to see. Seeing as how I haven't seen hardly any yet lol. I still have yet to visit a beach, Hollywood, and Disneyland but there is plenty of time for it. I will keep you updated as things develop. God bless! xoxoxo