PSA Cord Blind Safety

https://youtu.be/e39o5MrXCjQ

Independent Again ???

I am an independent actor and model again.  My decision to leave my last agency was one that I thought about for months on end and I finally made the decision to part ways.  We were not a good fit and I could not afford all the fees associated with representation but hopefully we parted on good terms.  I still think very highly of the agency and am happy to have had the experiences I did learning and growing in this career field.

Spokes Model.

I had the opportunity to be a spokesmodel for the Cricut Company. I love their products and they were such a great company to work for and with.  I am excited to get my own Cricut expression machine so that I can take advantage of all the wonderful crafts it can make.  Below are a couple of the videos I got to do with them.  What an amazing opportunity that I hope happens for you if you are trying to break into acting.
http://us.cricut.com/home/?Campaign=Brand%20-%20Cricut&ad=1&kw=[cricut]&gclid=CjwKEAjwp_uqBRClvrrXmsbPog4SJACK4gIPjgS04r607OE3Oxp-7kY29N0pZIp_w9VhB1lSyXe2FRoCdaXw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Acting Reel

Having an acting reel is such a good idea if your an actor.  You can showcase some of the projects you have had the opportunity to work on as well as show your versatility. I just got my Reel today my good friends at Redcastle Productions put it together for me and features many of the projects I have done with them as well as a couple of the jobs I got to do with Cricut a company I loved working with. So with out further ado here is my Reel I hope you like it and I hope if your an actor that you get one put together best of luck. 

Choosing a Talent Agency and Dealing with Fees

So I am currently with NIYA Model Management she is very good with young talent as she tends to get them seen by top agencies in LA, New York and so on.  I have been told many times that since I plan on staying local TMG or Mc. Carty may be a better fit for me.  However I have already payed the website and promotion fees to be represented by NIYA Model Management and although I found them to be much steeper than Stars Talent Studio online marketing fees. I have made a decision and hopefully one that benefits me.   Agency fees such as this go toward upkeep of a website and since my husband happens to be a developer, I know first hand how expensive this can be.  A company has to hire someone to create a website as well as continue to pay them for maintenance of the site and every time a new person comes in or leaves they are in charge of taking taking care of it so this is an ongoing process one in which the agency must pay for and if the agency is small like many in Utah then expect to pay this fee.  I have seen them as small as $50 and and expensive as $300.  

Who should you choose to represent you or your family member?  I get asked this a lot by people I know who are interested in having their kids in the media.  My best advice to them is to enroll in an acting class.  If you're not willing to pay for acting classes than I'm sorry but you're not going to make it as an actor.  Many of the agencies in Utah offer acting classes.  I personally would never take them from an agency I think the prices are far too steep with little pay off.  Instead I would and have taken tons of theatre and improv classes. Most of them have been through multiple universities.  I also am planning on taking a film acting course and I have already learned a lot just by being in film as main characters as well as background characters.

This brings me to another good point do some background video work.  Many of these jobs pay about $100 a day  which isn't a lot but you are learning how to be in film and you are getting paid to do this so take advantage.  Besides being a background actor will allow you to get a feel for the environment and then you can decide first hand if this is truly something you or your child should pursue.  Another good thing about background work is that it pads your resume and shows those agencies that you are trying to get in with that you're not afraid to look for your own work. Just recently I found a job on my own and had them refer to my agency so that I would get a better pay rate.  I actively look for work everyday even with an agent.  If you are not looking for work chances are you're not going to be working a whole lot.

 More about helping you child succeed. If your child is tall, beautiful, photogenic and comfortable in front of a camera but has no experience you're probably going to have to get a test shoot done. These are photoshoots an agent can use to determine if a young person has potential. These photos also are used in promoting your child.  These shoots are not and never will be free.  I payed roughly $400 to start my comp card and the images were pretty basic. I had a great headshot and then on the back of my comp card I had 4 different photos in different outfits. They are great images they got me some of my first jobs.  Since then I have made sure to ask photographers who I am working with if I can have a copy of my best image from the shoot so I can add it to my portfolio or comp card.  Now every image on my comp card is a working image.  I have even been hired by photographers for stock photo shoots and generally they give me an entire CD of generic images.  Stock photos are not my favorite jobs but if I ever need to show someone I can look like a Dr.  I have that image.

Some agencies will refer you to photographers. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO USE THEIR PHOTOGRAPHERS I hope that was clear.  Really if an agency is bullying you into using their guy than its probably a scam.

Here are some people I love and trust to shoot with if you need someone.

Tiffany Fuller- Specializes in newborns as well as children awesome lady very reasonable prices.
https://www.facebook.com/tiffanyfullerphotos?ref=br_tf

Charles Uibel- I met Charles at a job for a sunglasses shoot he is very talented.
http://www.uibel.com/

Mark Reynolds-  Amazing with my son who happens to be a model and also a very fun person to be around his talents show in all of his work.
https://www.facebook.com/MachineGunMarc?fref=ts


So who should you go with for representation?  That depends on who will take you as well as your goals if you plan on staying local TMG, Mc. Carty , Stars.  If you plan on being shown to Ford Models, NIYA.  If none of them will take you there are some other agencies in Utah just don't sign until you are positive and don't be bullied into taking classes from their establishment.

21 day fix Eating Out but Eating Right!

I love going out to eat! I love everything about it.  I don't have to do dishes, I don't have to prepare my meal, I get to chat with my family and I just enjoy being out on the town.  So I decided that maybe it would be a good idea to let you in on my favorite places to eat and why.  I also occasionally go to fast food restaurants but I choose the right things for myself and my kids.

My absolute favorite fast food chain in Utah is Zupas they have a fun family atmosphere and quick food prep line.  They offer great salads and their soups are good too! When I take my family here, I always feel good about what everyone is eating.  My kids pick from the kids menu which includes grilled chicken and fresh fruit cups along with other healthy choices and I get a different salad every time I go.  I also love their chicken taco soup. http://cafezupas.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Catering_Menu_2page_R1.pdf 
One thing to remember when eating out, is to always get your dressing on the side that way you know how much is going on your salad.  I generally skip on the bread that comes with these salads unless I haven't had any grains for the day.  I also just love the chocolate covered strawberry for my little treat that comes with every meal.

We also eat at Costa Vida about 1 time a month.  My favorite part of this cafe is that I can go online ahead of time and see how many calories my meal is going to be.  Check out the link below and it will show you based on what you choose how your meal will effect your daily intake.http://www.costavida.net/healthy-living/  I never eat a full burrito from here I generally split one 4 ways with my kids and then pair it with a salad.  Or if I am on a date I choose something from the menu that goes along with my goals.

So we live in a place that has a lot of Mc. Donalds restaurants and they have really cool play places. I generally don't choose to eat at Mc. Donalds but when I let my kids choose they almost always say lets go to Mc. D's and so we go.  Now many people don't know this but when you order here you can get your kids cutie oranges, apples, yogurt or a side salad.  Pair one of these sides with chicken nuggets and a water, milk or juice and your kid gets a fairly balanced meal. I still wish they had grilled chicken for kids but they are slowly making improvements and I like that.  As for me I always get the Southwest Salad with grilled chicken and no dressing.  I have water with every meal so overall my Mc. Donalds calorie count is at 290 calories. I really do like the nutrition information available online and at the restaurant.  So keep it up fast food chains your on the upswing.
 http://www.mcdonalds.com/content/us/en/food/product_nutrition.salads.3642.premium-southwest-salad-with-grilled-chicken.html

Another place my kids love is Chick Fil-A and I sorta love that place too.  Thier salads are very good and they offer great sides for the kids as well.

When we eat out at a nice restaurant my favorite place to go is Teppanyaki. I get the salmon with veggies and rice. I end up either sharing this meal with my husband or I put half of it in a  to go box.  Fresh veggies cooked right in front of you along with delicious salmon what not to love.

In An Instant (Child Safety Film - Dangers of Corded Blinds)

I love working with Redcastle Productions.  I found this job on my own and because I do not have an acting reel yet they auditioned me much like I would have auditioned for a theatrical role.  I really love auditioning for roles in person, unfortunately for me many jobs are booked solely by previous work shown in a reel.  A reel is generally very short with small snippets of scenes that an actor has done.  I will have one made for me hopefully in the near future.