2010 Year in Review

In looking back at the past 12 months, only one question comes to mind: am I dreaming? The year began with a new job, a new acting gig, and a few new friends. And it ended with new writing assignments, a couple directing projects under my belt, a refocus of my creative energies, and a commitment to creating projects that stay in Portland and help build on the vibrant film community. While the following is not meant to be a comprehensive play-by-play of the past year (there are tons more projects and people that certainly deserve recognition), but more of a reminder to myself of the things that helped propel me to where I am now.

In January of 2010 I started working part-time for Imbibe magazine as the Marketing Manager.  For those that don't know, I have been earning a living as a marketing professional for roughly 15 years - a skill that I honestly believe all filmmakers should learn! I work on a great product that I am proud to support with some great co-workers. I have a good-paying part-time job that allows me the freedom and flexibility to pursue filmmaking. And now that we are making cocktail how-to videos, it is even more enjoyable!

Also back in January I had the opportunity to work on a short film called "Sandwich Days" that subsequently went on to win a best short film award at the Eugene Film Festival. Sure, it's no Sundance, but an award is an award and it is a project I am proud of!

In March I signed with Arthouse and enjoyed a nice round of auditions for Leverage (among others). I had a call back with Jonathon Frakes who laughed heartily and applauded my performance. I didn't get the role, but that's fine by me. My goal as an actress has always been to make people laugh – and my more recent writing projects have been along that vein as well. So the fact that I made an actor/director that I admire and respect laugh genuinely was just as good as booking the role. Well, the money would have been nice, but ah well… I started the year awkwardly fumbling my way through auditions, and ended the year walking in the audition room with confidence.

What else happened in March… Hmmm… Oh yes! We shot the teaser trailer for "Meet Jane Doe." While I had hoped to start filming "Meet Jane Doe" in February of 2010 (that obviously didn't happen) I did get the opportunity to put a portion of it on film! We shot a proof of concept teaser trailer in hopes of securing financing to begin filming in July of 2010. We had a very successful teaser release party in early May which was able to generate a little bit of funding and a ton of interest. I was suddenly propelled to the status of someone who is actually working hard to make film happen here in town. My status from "wanna-be" to "go-getter" changed that night. None of that would have been possible without the amazing support I received from Jay Cornelius, Christopher Alley, Andrea Speedie, Brian Mazzola, Jeff Hammond, Peggy Knoebel, Michelle Williams, Aaron Wong, Sadie Medley, Audrey Walker, Craig Johnson, Jon Ashley Hall, Kit Koenig, Bob McKeehen, Andrew Young and all the kids and their parents who showed up at Green Frog at 5 am – Diego, Brenton, Liam, Lily, Bella, Brooke, Beth and Emma – and Emma's Dad Ken Chitwood who was a big trooper and got thrown in as a featured extra when we were in need of one.

We secured some funding, and started dance rehearsals confident that we would be in full production in July 2010. While we didn't make our funding goals for that date, we did secure enough funding to shoot additional promotional material that generated interest by some heavy guns here in town. And for that I have to thank some additional folks – Kameron Johnson, Jen Filson, Levy Moroshan, Kim Donohue, Nichole Stewart, David Mendez Cantu, Jason Ptaszek, Ederlinda Ortiz-Clawson, Anthony Forsythe, Chris Benham, Luke Clements and my fabulous dancers who endured grueling dance rehearsals: Meredith Adelaide, Michelle Damis and Rachel Klein. And thank you to all of the extras that came out to be audience members at all sorts of ungodly hours! We had the pleasure to play the music video at a party at Dante's and perform one of the dance numbers live on stage – it was a great way to show of all of their hard work. Stay tuned for more news on that front in 2011. Additional thank you's go out to everyone who pledged their hard earned dollars toward the production of MJD. I won't list you by name for privacy reasons, but you know who you are and I am eternally grateful to you all. Believe me when I tell you that I am working my tushie off to make sure that you all reap the rewards and benefits that you so dearly deserve!

In addition to those I had the pleasure of working with on the teaser and video, I'm looking forward to working with Hannah and Paige Wilson, Tara Dublin, Harold Phillips and the rest of the MJD cast and crew!

The sad news of 2010 was the dissolution of JackSpeed Productions, the company formed by myself and producer Andrea Speedie. We had a great run, that included a TV interview to promote the MJD video release party and I am eternally grateful to her for her support and contribution to MJD. I wish her the very best of luck in her new adventures in Florida!

Other MJD thank you's go out to those that supported me during the development and production who, for no other reason than supporting a fellow filmmaker, offered their advice and encouragement. The first and very biggest virtual hug goes out to Todd (and Jason) Freeman. I think it was the first night that I met Todd that he and Robert Blanche (big virtual hug to you too, Robert!) sat me down in front of Morrison Hotel Bar and grilled me. Todd grilled me about money and the storyline and my 10 second pitch. He made me pitch the story to a complete stranger at the bar, even. I know, what an asshole. And he continued to support and encourage me at my teaser release party and the video release party. He read the script and told me it didn't suck. That was nice.

And speaking of fellow filmmakers who I adore that for some reason adore me back, big thanks to Phil Bransom. Your kind words and encouragement have meant the world to me.

In April I started taking stick fighting classes with Keith Cox who nicknamed me "The Natural." I'd still be kicking ass now if it weren't for my stupid knee… Tore my left ACL during a camping/people hunting trip in late July which resulted in surgery in late August. Thus ending my stunt career (ok, maybe some minor stunt work in my future, but not the awesome aerial work I hoped for…).

I also had the opportunity to work on an amazing film in April, Population: 2, a feature film directed by Gil Luna and the fabulous DP Kenneth Luba. I sincerely hope I get a chance to work with these two in 2011… And I can’t wait to see Pop2 – it's going to be beautiful. In a very depressing sort of way.

In between hurting my knee and the resulting surgery, I participated in the 48 Hour Film Festival with an amazing team, Pixel Prose, headed up by Aaron Cohen. I hope this team will be a regular participant, as we worked amazingly well together and had a blast. And our film didn't suck, either. In the middle of the 48 Hour Film Weekend I had my (gulp) 20 year high school reunion. Showed up 4 hours late and totally sleep deprived (I think I was on hour 36 when I got there, hour 40 by the time I finally got to go to bed…), but managed to have an amazing time.

In mid-August I had a concept meeting with Kc Guyer and Deneb Catalon that launched what was to become known as "The Super Secret Project" – a concept that is going to blow all other concepts out of the water. If you doubt it is that good, then you don't know me very well. Not only is it "that good" it is one step beyond. We will be working non-stop in early 2011 to launch the transmedia component of this really big, super awesome project.

In September I got to meet one of my favorite funny men of all time, Dan Aykroyd. Not much of a story there except that he came to my office and we drank cocktails and chatted about vodka. We didn't talk film or Yogi Bear or anything. We just hung out and it was lovely. This is the part of my blog post where I just drop names needlessly without any real content to go along with it. At least I have photographic evidence.

It was also about this time in the time-line that I got word back from Mr. Moneybags about "Meet Jane Doe" – the gist of it was "we like the script, we just have reservations about investing in a first-time director." Hmm. Ok. We can fix that. I started writing a series of short films to build up my writing and directing credits and get the experience that the money-holders say I need. Shot the first short in early December, called "Sack Lunch" and am in the process of polishing it up and preparing it for distribution. I'll be submitting to the Seattle International Film Festival and the LA Shorts Fest in early January, but will also be going straight to my target audience, as this is a film that all recent or soon-to-be divorcees will truly appreciate! Super big thanks to Christopher Alley, Peggy Knoebel, Brian Mazzola, Michelle Williams, Ian Fowler, Rob Harris, Susan Funk, Terri Lodge - and major love to the talents of Brynn Baron and Shelly Lipkin and to Muffin for being such an easy cat to work with.

Top it all off with monthly and weekly sprinklings of networking events, a couple spec commercials with Gay Nolton, coffee dates and lunches galore, many many film screenings, and a little bit of karaoke, and you have yourself on hell of a good year. I met a heaping pile of amazing new people simply by attending networking events and social gatherings. People that a year ago I put up on pedestals I am now honored to call friends, and that, above all else, is what I am most proud of this year. The fact that in one year's time I have gone from a nobody to part of an amazing, supportive community tells me that this is where I am meant to be. And if 2011 is anything like 2010, then you can call me Jacqueline Gault Super Star this time next year.

Casting 4 Shorts & A Music Video

In the coming months I will be shooting 4 shorts and a music video. Time to beef up my IMDb credits in preparation for the next round of funding for Meet Jane Doe (a blog post on that status is long overdue and forthcoming soon). Three out of the four shorts I am casting are single-location interior homes - super easy stuff - likely shooting for 1 day, although Dinner Party may stretch into 2.  Below are breakdowns of the characters I am looking to find talent for. I will be scheduling auditions in the coming weeks and will likely cast all shorts at the same time. Casting for the music video will happen seperately as that audition will occur on roller skates. :-) Please note that compensation for these projects is limited to copy, credit and food, but since this is for my reel I will be pushing hard for all of them on the festival circuit. Script is available now for Dinner Party and Sack Lunch, scripts for My Turn and Take the Groceries and Run will be available at the end of next week.

DINNER PARTY, comedy
When 7 college friends get together for a dinner party to meet Ben's new wife, things stop being polite and get very, very real.

Mike: the party host along with his wife. Mid to late '30's, average build.

Kathleen: Mike's wife, the perfect hostess. Mid to late '30's, genuine and nice, with a Martha Stewart edge - almost too good to be true.

Sarah: Kathleen's former college roommate. Petite and adorable in spite of having 4 kids under the age of 6. Mid to Late '30's.

Shane: Sarah's husband, an accountant, very serious and studious. Attractive, but in a goofy sort of way. Also mid to late '30's, thin build.

Ben: Mike's best buddy from college, they haven't seen each other for over 10 years. Ben is your typical guy's guy - into sports, fit and athletic, a little snarky and arrogant. Mid to late '30's.

Cassie: Ben's trophy wife, early 20's, thin build. Not much going on in that head of hers, smiles and tries to politely join the conversation, but doesn't have much to add.

Ed: The instigator. The jokester of the group. The eternal bachelor who refuses to settle down. Mid to late '30's, handsome, but not overly built. More of a GQ handsome, with a quirky edge to him.

SACK LUNCH, comedy
A middle-age housewife cures frustration with a little passive-aggressive revenge.

Wife: mid to late 40's, typical empty-nester mom type. Mom is the focal point of this film, which has very little dialogue, but tons of action. Comedic timing and personality are what will sell this role to audiences.

Husband: mid to late 40's, businessman, professional. Cold and militant.

MY TURN, comedy
Having three teenage sisters has taken it's toll on poor Billy. He's had all he can stand and he can't stand no more!

Billy: 7-9 years old, must have incredible sense of timing and physical comedy. Must be extremely likable - the audience needs to sympathize with this little guy and root for him in the end.

Melody: 18 years old, senior in high school. Typical older teenager, thinks she knows it all, rude to her siblings, bossy and demanding.

Charity: 16 years old, diva in the making. Extremely trendy and stylish and puts great effort into her fashion and appearance.

Harmony: 14 years old, following in her older sister's footsteps. Barely a notch above Billy in the household rankings, and tortures her little brother to take out her frustrations of being the younger middle child. Sassy and rude to Billy, idolizes Melody and Charity.


TAKE THE GROCERIES AND RUN, comedy
Being a mom of two young children is hard enough. Try taking them grocery shopping when you are already stressed out of your gourd and nothing seems to be going your way.

Mom: early to mid-30's, tired, worn-out, frustrated. She's at the grocery store with her two small children simply trying to get her shopping done. Must have the ability to swing from manic to loving to screaming to crying to numb. Requires great comedic timing and minor stunt work (being chased by a security officer through a grocery store parking lot).

Kid 1: age 3-4, girl, winy and impatient, demanding ill-mannered little princess.

Kid 2: age 5-6, boy, complete terror. Throws food, wrecks displays, pulls his sister's hair.

Grocery Clerk: Male, mid '20's, thin build. Sarcastic, bored and snarky young adult that hates his job and makes everyone else miserable. Total attitude of arrogance and indifference.

Security Guard: late 30's to mid 40's, overweight, donut eating slacker that couldn't get in to police academy. Must be great with physical comedy, as he has to chase down the mom in the parking lot, panting, stumbling, falling down.

Old lady: elderly. She's in line in front of mom at check-out, going really slow, fiddling through coupons and writing a check. 

ANOTHER NOTCH, music video
In need of roller dancers! We need men and women with various levels of skill on four wheels. In addition to needing 20 or so skaters, we need 2 attractive male roller-dancers who are AMAZING (there will be a dance-off!).

To submit for any of the above roles, please email your HS/R along with the role you are interested in auditioning for (please don't just email and say "whatever you think I am appropriate for" - you know your type better than I do) to jacqgaul@gmail.com. I will contact you for an audition once we have the audition date set.

Thank you all in advance! I am really, really looking forward to these shoots.

Lots on my plate! Good thing I'm hungry...

I love to juggle - metaphorically. I can't juggle for real. It's part of me being a giant klutz. I trip over the pattern in the carpet if given a chance. Why do you think I've had 2 knee surgeries in less than 2 years? One blew out while dancing at the Crystal Ballroom (it was super '80's night!) and the other while jumping over a log in the woods (I was being hunted by friends armed with Airsoft guns). Not exactly big stories of traumatic injuries - just me being a klutz. But I digress, my inability to remain upright while navigating sidewalk cracks is not what this post is about.

Juggling. For those of you who know me, and know me well (and even for those whom I've just met), I always have a lot going on. If I'm not writing, I'm concepting. If I'm not acting, I'm volunteering to be on someone's set. If I'm not networking, I'm planning the next networking event. I just absolutely love what I do - and I'm impatient. If I don't have ten things on my plate, then I stress and obsess over every little thing. Having a lot going on keeps me from obsessing over any one thing. I am currently repacking my feature film "Meet Jane Doe" so that I can continue to seek funding from a fresh perspective. I am writing a series of shorts to be produced in the next few months because I desperately need more writing/directing/producing credits so that I have more behind me as I seek funding for "Meet Jane Doe". And of course there is the big secret writing project that I am collaborating on, which I can't go into detail about other than to say it is brilliant. 

With so much going on, it is easy to get distracted, sidetracked, muddled. I crave and need structure. I need an environment that fosters creativity and kicks me in the butt when I get stuck.  Which brings me to the other big project on my plate. Tentatively titled "Base Camp", I dream of a hub of creativity that creative minds from all aspects of filmmaking can gather together and make shit happen. A place where artists can have a permanent residence to write, collaborate, inspire. A place where educators can hold workshops, teach classes, mentor. A facility where people that can't afford the latest and greatest in technology can shoot and edit their dreams (this last one is a bit ambitious, but will come with time).

I don't have the means or ability to create this space on my own. I didn't win Powerball last night, so I continue with my campaign to attract other filmmakers to join me in my quest. If we get enough folks on board - people dreaming of their own office, people with existing office looking for a more collaborative environment, successful companies willing to share space and mentor - we can do this. We can do this in phases and grow as our community grows and as we are able to raise money to add resources. But first we need to start somewhere. I am willing to do the legwork to gather folks and seek out affordable space (affordable being the key word here!). I just need to know who is interested so that I know what kind of space to look for. Is it 1,000 square feet of office or 4,000 square feet of mixed-use - or more? If I can get enough people committed to needed rehearsal and classroom space, then I will go for the latter. If I only find a few people that need office space I will go for the former. But regardless of where we start, it is a START! A start to something I hope will be big. And you wouldn't believe how many in our community have construction experience!

Now I just need to know who is interested. I set up a very simple, basic survey that is just meant to gather information and interest.  If you are interested in this project in any capacity, then take the survey and let me know what your needs are.And please feel free to share.

Cocktails with Dan Aykroyd

 

Like most independent filmmakers, I have a day job. But unlike most independent filmmakers I have a really cool day job. I am the Marketing Manager for the national print magazine Imbibe.  And today we had a very special visitor come by our office. None other than the uber-talented funny actor/writer/producer Dan Aykroyd. He is in town promoting his vodka, Crystal Head Vodka (watch the video of Dan explaining the vodka, it's pretty wild stuff), and stopped by our offices for a quick interview and tasting. We had a fabulous local bartender, Dave Shenaut of Beaker & Flask, come in and mix some cocktails for Dan and his entourage. I even got to drink out of the same glass as Dan. I now have Aykroyd cooties...

No, we didn't talk film and no I didn't tell him I am a filmmaker. There is a time and place for everything and today was all about Imbibe magazine. I'm just glad I got a chance to meet him. One of my favorite old-timers, for sure!

Casting and Crewing Up for "Dinner Party"

What's Up?
Thanks to an amazing short film idea that was given to me by Ethelwynne Crain Mathews (gotta give credit where credit is due...), I am now in early pre-production for a fun little project. The purpose of this short is to 1) give me additional footage for my director's reel, 2) to submit to festivals and get myself a directing and screenwriting imdb credit, and 3) to test out some new camera techniques and equipment. I hope to shoot on a consecutive Friday and Saturday in late October.

Will I Get Paid?
Please note that this is a VOLUNTEER opportunity. I will feed you some yummy food and provide you with an imdb credit. That's all I can promise.

What's It About? 
It is a single-location, character-driven story about a bunch of old college friends that get together for a dinner party to celebrate the recent marriage of one of their friends who they haven't seen in over 10 years. Turns out their happy charade isn't quiet as blissful as they all pretend.

Is There a Role For Me?
Kathleen & Mike: both late '30's, married for over 10 years, college sweethearts, professional upper middle-class. Still in love after all the years, they are the ideal lovey married couple - almost sickeningly so.

Shane & Sarah: both late '30's, got married young, Shane has a good paying but stressful job to support Sarah (stay at home mom) and their 4 kids. Sarah is the happy homemaker and Shane prides himself on being the breadwinner. On the surface they appear to be the perfect family. Sarah was college roommates with Kathleen.

Ben & Cassie: Ben is in his late '30's, lawyer, no one thought he would settle down. Cassie is in her early '20's, thin and drop-dead gorgeous, but not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. Ben and Cassie live out of state and are in town visiting - hence the reason for the dinner party. Ben and Mike were best friends in college.

Ed: Late '30's, the eternal bachelor. Handsome, funny, charming. Kathleen has been trying ti fix him up for years, but he refuses to settle down. His friends give him a hard time, and he is sick of them telling him how wonderful marriage is, so he comes to the dinner party to shed light on their perfect lives. Ed was also friends with Mike and Ben in college.


Do You Need Crew?
We are also looking to fill some crew positions, so hit me up if you are interested.



Location?
AND, I need a location: upper middle class suburban home with a large kitchen, formal dinning room, and large entryway. Will likely only need it for 1 day (maybe 2).



What Now?
Interested in helping a girl out? Shoot me an email: jacqgaul@gmail.com.

I'm a dreamer...

...I always have been. One of my favorite past-times is playing what I call the "Lottery Game" - a big what-if scenario of all things I would do if I had unlimited financial resources. Since I got into the whole filmmaking game, my what-ifs have gotten out of control. I imagine the projects I would make and who I would bring along with me for the ride. I imagine a bustling studio with 4-5 projects happening simultaneously. I imagine the friendly receptionist up front answering multiple phone lines and screening my calls. I imagine my days spent writing, producing, marketing. I do all the high-level strategy - the fun stuff - and have a whole team of people out there executing it all.

Today, as I drove home from my day job, I found my perfect spot. I saw a For Sale sign on a warehouse and for whatever reason decided to pull over and peek in the windows. Large reception area with plenty of space for people to hang out while waiting for their names to be called to audition. Three offices directly off of the reception: one for auditions, one would have made a great editing suite, and the other a conference room - the idea factory. Huge windows on the West wall would be the location of my big fancy executive office. Stairs leading to an upstairs that I can only imagine would house wardrobe and make-up, a kitchen/green room, etc. But the best was the expansive open area that would be where all the magic happens - with enormous roll-up doors to load our grip truck from when we have location shoots. Room to house all the equipment I would purchase - oh, and it would be stocked with everything I could possibly need to make whatever I could possibly want to make.

The only problem with being a dreamer, is that is fosters impatience. I want it all - I can feel, touch, taste it - I can see myself in that space, the activity around me, the hustle and bustle and craziness that comes with it. I have it all planned down to the tiniest detail in my head - even a space for Jake to hang out while Mom works - an uber awesome play room with all the latest high-tech gadget a kid could ever want (I bet crew would want to hang out there too).

My studio.

And yes, when that  multi-million dollar Powerball ticket finds its way into my grubby little hands, I will remember every single person that helped me in this journey. Yep, I'm like Santa - I have a nice list. Nothing formal, it's not like I have an Excel spreadsheet or anything, but I know who needs a great big thank you.

Why I love birthdays, by Jacqueline Gault

Every year around mid-May I start to plan my own birthday party. Why do I plan my own party, you ask? Because on my birthday I only want to do what I want to do. In past years when I have left it up to someone else to plan, I always end the day feeling like it was someone else's interpretation of what I would like most to do on my birthday, not mine. Sound selfish? So what. It's my birthday. It's the one day of the year that I allow myself to be totally selfish. It's the one day of the year that I don't want anyone else telling me what to do. It is the one day of the year that I feel this enormous sense of entitlement and I don't feel bad about it. Not one little bit.

I grew up in a household where we always made a big deal about birthdays and they often stretched out to include events and activities that spanned the entire birthday week. As an adult, that has gotten even worst - there is often a celebration with my parents/siblings/nieces/nephews, and then another similar celebration with my in-laws, and then one more with my husband and our son, and then the big party - the one that I plan and invite anyone and everyone who wants to come play. One year I made all of my friends dress up in '80's attire and go to Lola's room for '80's night. It was one of my very favorite parties because everyone really got in to the spirit of things. David's "Prince" costume was the best - purple velvet jacket and all!

So this year I started planning my birthday at the usual time. Coincidentally, Toys Story 3 in 3D opens on Friday - so Jacob (my 7-year-old son) is going to take me to a matinee. I invited my mom, Kimmie (my niece) and David (my nephew) to come along as well. Then my fabulous husband and I are going to have a quiet, relaxing dinner somewhere cozy and romantic. AND THEN it will be time to bring on the karaoke! Sent out a Facebook invite to all of my friends with plenty of time for them to block the date out on their calendars (or come up with a good excuse as to why they can't make it) - to those that have been with me for many, many years and celebrated many, many birthdays and to the dear friends I've made in the past year. It will be one of those rare moments that my two worlds will come together.  With roughly 40 people expected to show up, looks like we will pretty much be taking over the bar! The only thing that would make my birthday even better is if the weather would warm up enough to take the boat out on the river on Saturday.

The other big event that is happening on my birthday is the end of our Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign for Meet Jane Doe. We still have $19,975 to go to meet our goal. Or as I like to think of it, we only need to find 133 people with $150 to support our project. Is it doable with less than 3 days to go? I'm an eternal optimist, so I think anything is possible. The moment I think it is impossible is the moment I seal it's fate as being impossible. We shall see what we shall see. Until then, I plan on having one hell of a *gulp* 38th birthday!

The Fantastic World of Film Finance!

At this moment in time, as I write this, as these words are hitting the paper, we are roughly 6 weeks from day one of principal photography for Meet Jane Doe. And do you want to know the number one question I hear on a daily basis? The one point that people are dying to know the answer to? "Do you have all your financing in place?" I hear it from crew members wondering what kind of paycheck will be attached to all their hard work. I hear it from other filmmakers that are just plain curious. And I hear it from every single new person I meet and tell them I am making a movie.

What a loaded question. The short answer is not yet. The long answer is much more complicated. Well, not so much complicated as it is uncertain. Call me a fruity nut cake (everyone does anyway), but I honestly believe that I would not have been given this opportunity that is in front of me if it were not meant to be made. I wouldn't have written an amazing script. I wouldn't have attracted a cast and crew that is of the caliber I have on board. What a cruel beast fate would be if it were to dump all this good fortune in my lap and then just rip it away from me. No, the funding is there. And in the last three days I have been given every reason to believe that funding will be completed in the coming weeks. It seems everywhere I go these days there is a new lead on a new funding source - our bank has a client who is a filmmaker and he thinks he would be interested in backing our project, a business acquaintance has a co-worker who is a producer with money and is looking for a film project, our attorney has interested clients, a crew member talked us up on set and discovered that the man she was talking to is Mr. Moneybags and he wants more info, and those are just a few examples! No, fate would not dare dangle these juicy carrots in front of my face if it were not meant to be. While most people are lucky to get one lead, we have several.

So where does that put me now? Investor wooing. Speedie and I are providing our very lovely investor packet to qualified sources and being gently aggressive in our tactics to gain their confidence. And in the meantime we are plowing forward fully expecting that our financial partner is out there - right now - just waiting in the wings. Because if there is one thing the last 12 months have taught me, it is that anything is possible if you want it and are willing to work your ass off for it. Done and done.

My brand new blog!

So I have a blog for my film, Meet Jane Doe. I have a blog for my production company, JackSpeed Productions. But I realized that I don't have a blog for just me. A place where I can share my journey - for it's going to be a fabulous one if it continues the way it has thus far. I want to document it for myself as well as share my experience with others. I'll try and post regularly - whenever there is something I feel I must document or that I want to share.

With this being blog post #1, I feel it necessary to give some background. This could be a long one, so hold on tight. It's a good story though.

About Me, My Background:

In high school (Hudson's bay High School, Vancouver, WA) I was in every production the school put on. Musicals, comedies, dramas. The best part of being on stage was hearing the audience laugh. I loved to make people laugh then and I still do. I was the first and only Freshman to be offered a role in a high school production - a trend that followed me to college, as I was the first and only Freshman at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia to have a role in a student production. One of my acting professors at UArts, Mr. Johnny Hobbs, told me that I had a manic quality about me. I took that as a compliment, as my dream at that age was to be a cast member on SNL. Coincidentally (or not) I was voted "Most Likely To Land a Ensemble Role on Saturday Night Live."  I was living the dream - going to auditions in NY, performing regularly on stage in Philly, writing skits for local productions, happy, happy, happy. So why did I ditch it all back then? Because it hit me, as I was sitting in an audition in NY (#304 out of 500+ that were there) that actually making a living at acting was tough.  I didn't want to be a starving artist. I wanted to someday have a family and live the middle class lifestyle. And I didn't think I could do that if I relied on acting to pay the bills. So, I moved to Seattle, enrolled at the University of Washington, and began studying marketing. I told myself that I would continue to act as a hobby but not rely on it to be able to support myself. I got a degree in marketing and was offered a job working for an ad agency before I even graduated. But I didn't step foot on stage for over 15 years.

My husband Corey and I moved to Portland shortly after we got married in 1998. We knew we wanted to start a family soon, and wanted to be closer to our parents (i.e. free babysitting). My husband and I met in high school, dated on and off our first couple years of college, and moved in together when we were 20 years old. We both got good jobs in our fields (he is a PR guy), but I quickly started job hopping - blaming the place of employment for my unhappiness, rather than the job itself. I kept telling myself that every new job would be the one that would make me happy, and I worked for some amazing companies in that time period, making some great friends and contacts. But I wasn't happy. It was during a period of unemployment in 2009 that a friend of mine was talking about a friend of hers who was going to be an extra in a movie that was filming in town with Harrison Ford and Brandon Fraser. I thought to myself, "Ooh, that could be fun. Maybe I'll do that too. After all, I'm not working right now and it would be a fun way to earn a few bucks." I singed up with Extras Only and also with Rutagaba (Lana Veenker's extra casting arm). My first call was to be an extra on Leverage - episode #201, the first one the filmed here in Portland. If you look closely in the opening scene of that episode - there I am in a beige suit walking through the office. The hours were long and it was apparent that background actors are pretty much the lowest rung on set. BUT, I had a blast. All of a sudden I remembered why I spent so much of my youth pursuing acting. It's a rush. It's exciting. It's fun. So now what? I immediately sought out an agent and decided that I wanted to pursue acting. Again.

And So Begins My Future:
I decided that my return to acting would be via film.  Why? I didn't want to give up nights and weekends rehearsing and performing on stage. I have a family now. I figured I'd pick up a project here and there and it will only eat up a few days per month. It would be fun. I landed some fun roles in a few independent shorts and features - got to play some great characters. Got to warm up my rusty acting chops. But shorts and indies rarely pay. You certainly can't make a living at it. No, in order to make a living as an actor you need to do commercial work or land a coveted studio feature that occasionally comes to town. Where the frustration lies is in the fact that I am a character actor - those kinds of roles are few and far between. In one singe week I had three auditions and they were all for "Crying Mom" roles. That's not me. Instead of throwing my hands up in the air and giving up, I decided to take charge of my destiny and write something for myself. A short film that would really show my range as an actor. And so I started writing again. And my short film turned in to a web series. And then my web series turned in to a feature length film. And my script got torn apart. Criticized. Determined to create an award winning script, I re-wrote the script no fewer than 5 times. And it just kept getting better. And finally it got to a place where where my producer, Andrea Speedie, proclaimed "We have a movie."

So here I am. Roughly one year after I decided to follow a long-forgotten bliss, script in hand, cast and crew in tow, frantically fundraising so that I can be one of those Indie filmmakers that actually has a budget to PAY their cast and crew. Because they have been ridiculously supportive. To the point that I often ask myself what I did to deserve this good fortune. They are the best cheerleaders in the world, and if it wasn't for them I wouldn't be where I am now.

And where am I now? In fundraising mode. The media frenzy has begun. My interview with KEX radio airs this weekend and The Governor's Office of Film & Television posted info about the production on their blog, The Confluence. We have a few bucks in the bank already and are pushing hard to get group funding through Kickstarter, in addition to seeking film finance through individual investors. The ball is rolling. And it's rolling fast. We start principal photography in mid-July.

Hang on kids, you're in for one hell of a ride!