Manager Meeting

Today I traveled into Beverly Hills for a meeting with an acting manager (actors need to have an agent and or a manager to help them get auditions) that my vocal coach refereed me too. The manager already told me before our meeting that she won't be able to represent me because I look like someone she already has as a client, but she would like to help if she can. When i walked into the office i was overwhelmed with excitement by two happy dogs. I knew at that very moment i was going to like this place, too bad i didn't bring Gizmo!!! The manager gave me some great tips and an awesome CD with a documentary on the business.

The documentry talked about how the business is a lot to do with luck and risk. There is no safe choice but if something doesn't turn out good there is always something you can take away from it and learn from. I enjoyed what actress Nia Vardalos had to say on how she didn't allow the rule (the rule was to listen to what everyone had to say was correct) of having to be tall, beautiful, bright blonde hair, big boobs, to destroy her goal of becoming an actress. She stayed true to herself and worked hard to become an actress. My favorite part of the documentary was the talk on failure. I agree strongly with the fact you need to fail at something to succeed. I am reading a book called Failing Forward by John C. Maxwell. It's such an amazing book because it talks a lot about successful people and what they failed at to make them become the person they are today. Without those failures they wouldn't be where they are today because they needed to learn what works and what doesn't.





Now on a less serious note, i totally lost my car in a parking garage (didn't realize there would be so many garages that looked the same) so i started wondering around Beverly Hills. There are some amazing places to eat at and shop, hopefully someday i will be able to afford to go there for an afternoon, but as of right night i need to do some studying for school!  :)

To make my Passion a Reality

Gizmo and I went out last night, on a Friday Night so not something we do and stayed out until 1:30am. Way past our bedtime (he is passed out right now as i type). One of our girlfriends was house siting a home in the Hollywood hills. It was a beautiful home and i could see the stars. We must have been higher then the smug so then we could actually see the stars in the sky. It was a low key night since there was just a couple of us girls but it was good to get out and not just be studying and working all the time.

 I did background work this week on the Daily Habit (that is a talk show on Fuel) and then played a high school student on Glee. The background work has been a great experience because I get to be able to see these different studios and be able to be on the sets, even if it is only for a few seconds.  However, when doing background you only make $64 for 8 hours if you are non union (If you are union SAG or AFTRA you make more). It doesn't bother me the low amount of cash, since i feel like i get to see and learn quite a bit being there, but i can't afford my bills, rent, and acting classes if i just do background/extra work.  So i need to think of something else for work once again...       :)

I'm a junior at Devry University for my bachelors in multimedia design and development (I have always been a plan B person because you never know if your plan A will work out, so I've always felt it's a good to have a back up plan just in case). Multimedia design and development has a lot to do with graphics and webdesign. I have a little over a year left to go with school but i thought i should maybe start going about creating websites for actors, models, and musicians. I created my website which is www.jahnnarandall.com last summer and if i keep practicing and learning new designs i can create even better sites then that one. I went to the library and picked up over 10 different website design and coding books. I have been studying over these books and designing some mock ups at the moment and once i like a few of them i will share them on my blog. Opinions would be awesome!

Wrapping up this long post (sorry),  I do love it out here in California but i just got to be creative and think of different things on how to make money to survive out here until I actually get the great opportuinty of making my passion of acting a reality.

recap of week

A few things have gone on this week. I got my new head shots and am going through them figuring out what ones I'll be sending out to try to get some acting jobs. I'll put some up here once I narrow down the potential picks.

I got to be a high schooler on the show No ordinary family (some pictures I took are below). It was a fun shoot and I got to learn some new things. I noticed the actors would come into the shot once the camera and all lighting was set. When the assistant director is figuring out the shot where the camera will be and where the actors marks will be, there are stand in actors for that job. Being on set it is long hours and if the actors had to do the stand in work too, it can get really tiring and can affect their performance.

I didn't get the audition for the nickelodeon show I went out for last week, but I did get to be 18tpy which is an 18 year old to play younger. I was an excited fan for the episode :)
Yes it was a bummer not to get the part but at least I got the opportunity to be on set and see how that show works with the acting style and their camera equipment. One thing I love about sets, is that they are all different

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Two days two different sets

Yesterday I worked on set filming a promo for MTV. The most information that i gathered about the promo is it's called upfront edges and will be airing on MTV. When? That i have no clue.
The first scene i got to play a vollywball player in the girls locker room and then the second scene i was talking with three other highschool students and we then caught a kissing couple, who are in other relationships; therefore, our gossiping began, gotta love the high school days. The shoot was pretty fun and went by super fast. The camera the director was shooting with was actually a doggiecam. The camera was attached to a helmet and then one of the actors playing a student would wear it. Was neat since i have never seen that before onset.

Today I was on set and played a scientist, which i thought was odd since i look a little young to be one, but i guess it didn't matter too much since the show was for cinemax. I didn't mind being in the background playing a role in cinemax, since you won't really be seeing me and i was fully clothed in scientist gear. It pays pretty well so i didn't want to turn it down!

 This is the off set area for MTV where I was when camera wasn't rolling

 Me trying to look like a scientist

Fun Day

I figured i needed to have some fun today, not studying or working but to just watch a great movie. My friend Wednezday and I went to the movie The Fighter at the Arclight on Sunset Blvd. I've wanted to see this film for a few weeks now and when my friend told me the cast was going to be at the screening with a Q&A, i knew i couldn't miss it. Going to Q&A's are my favorite because you get to hear how the film was cast, why the director did what they did, and how the actors adjusted/captured their roles. I feel it is a great learning lesson to hear from the pros because it will help me, since i am an aspiring actress. Below are some pictures I took, i would write more but i am off to bed because i have 9am call time tomorrow filming a promo for MTV...I'll write more about that later

Outside of the theater Sunset Blvd:

 The Theater:

 Jack McGee, Melissa Leo, Amy Adams, Christian Bale, and Mark Wahlberg

 Me and Marky Mark hehe

Back to Hollywood

I drove back into Hollywood today for my audition for Nickelodeon and I drove around for 30 minutes trying to find parking; therefore, I gave in and parked at a meter. I waited to audition with about five other girls. They were a little younger then me, how i could tell was because their parents were there (if you are under eighteen years old you have to bring your parents with you to audition since they are your legal guardians). When entering the auditioning room the casting director asked me to slate to camera and then do the first scene which was a girl who didn't want to get hit on and she was a little rude. After the first scene I had to slate again and do the next scene which was a nicer girl who didn't mind being talked to by a boy that wanted to ask her out on a date. It was pretty fun being able to do two different roles in front of the casting director; however, i will be honest i was a little nervous. Being in the Nickelodeon lot and being auditioned by the casting directors was just a little too surreal for a moment... but i gave my best shot and had fun with it!




                                                              Nickelodeon lot on Sunset Blvd:

Long day in Hollywood

I got my headshots taken this morning, it went very well. I did one look and it was an all American girl next door with a blue plaid flannel shirt with holey jeans. After the shoot I had to rush out and go to a commercial audition that was looking for a female with a great personality that will play the friend role. I was put on camera with two other guy actors and we all were asked our slate (slate is your first and last name) and what kind of sports we like better between land or water. I said i liked both, my favorite would be hiking mountains for land and swimming for water sports. Well...of course a wet suit is needed during these months since the ocean is a little chilly. After the audition was over i was off to rehearsals for a short film (short films are usually 5-15 minutes long) that i booked called Freebie List. I play the girlfriend. After rehearsals I had to rush home to attend to Gizmo because i knew he was upset with me for leaving him so long by himself.

After hanging with Gizzy (playing fetch) I got a call from my agent and I have another audition tomorrow for the Nickelodeon show called Victorious, i am auditioning for the cute girl role. Fingers crossed

On the hunt for a new look

So since it is the new year I thought i should try a new look for acting. When you decide to do a new look in this industry that means you have to re-take your headshots. Casting directors do not like when you come into the room not looking like your photos, so today Gizmo (Giz is my dog, picture below) and I are off to the mall to find a new outfit for my photoshoot, which is on Thursday morning.

We are looking for a young trendy look since i get the roles 18 to play younger, which are the high school and college types. Then after the mall it is off to Runyon Canon a mountain in Hollywood to do some workout/exercise to get our bodies back into shape after the holidays of wonderful junk food and delicious pizza that i won't be able to have for awhile....

My year mark

Yes! I made my year mark in California and I am still here determined as ever to stay in this over populated city and become a working actor. It is the new year and i am going to make this 2011 a great year to remember.

The joys of trying to be a working actor in this town, is that you actually have to have a different job to support yourself. For awhile i was in casting for reality shows. I thought if i got into the casting i could meet some people and possible audition for them down the road. I then learned that reality and film are two different casting industries and they don't work together. So i left casting and am now on a hunt of a new job. I want to keep my new job in the lines of the entertainment industry, so i thought hey why not give background work a try. For some of you who don't know what background work is, it is all the people in the background behind the actors of films and TV shows. It might be a good way to meet people and learn from the already established actors.