The "Glamorous" Life of Auditions - Day 18 ( Audition 19 )
Wahoo to auditions!!! You should be having fun with these because after all, they're just auditions. Quit looking at them as a job you should have but more as people getting to know/see some of your work. Sometimes the first one doesn't do it, sometimes it takes 3-4 auditions and sometimes they'll never see it but that's the fun part of it! Will they get it? Will they get you? Do they have only their vision? Whatever it is, it's not your concern, you're in to give your version of the art as you see it to be...whether it meshes or not, whether they understand your questions or not ( because you thought it was deeper than the surface - I told you I see scripts differently, ) you are there to just be and that is all you can do. Had a lovely audition for the first time at Seeker Studios for an interesting short film and it was nice just being in this place with it's over stuffed chairs and the "Before I Die..." wall. Although the ambiance was absolutely wonderful for me, I felt bad for a certain girl who had been there for quite some time and was getting frustrated. Realize that's part of this process, this industry is a you hurry up and then wait kinda place, not fair but it's the nature of this beast. You have to be prepared to expect the worst most times and the more of these you end up at, the more you'll see that some are great at time management and others...not so much but hey, you got an audition! You're there instead of not, learn to enjoy the aspect of this and give yourself some time if possible. Most of the time, I don't make any plans for at least an hour and a half after auditions and it's now caused less stress in my life, of course, things collide and at times there is nothing you can do but what you can control, try and then let it go! Got to see a familiar face (via Facebook) in the room and found out later she's one of the peeps working on it which is absolutely awesome. Although there seemed to be a lag in lines given, you do what you do and you leave, I just don't have time to ask for another read, especially when there is someone I kinda know and if I don't feel it was nothing I could control. Give what you've got to give, let them decide so you can LEAVE HAPPY!!!
In the midst of auditions, with one tomorrow already scheduled, I'm nervous as all get out for an opportunity I never thought I'd see. After some back and forth, the idea of me being a fight choreographer for a music video has been looming over my head. I've complained for years that this business gives no looks to black female martial artists, even skilled at their craft and I've had to develop my own series to short film to feel like I'm working towards showing it. So when I was offered the job, I had it in my mind that since I've never done it, who was I to do it now? I compared myself to my instructors, other great stunt coordinators and I forgot to see that they too started somewhere. I've got over 15 years of fighting experience, I grew up devouring Kung Fu/Black Belt Theatre and I've gotten my black belt...who was I not to do this? Any male with this experience ( even less ) would've figured he deserved this and yet here I am ready to turn this down because I felt I wasn't as knowledgeable as I could be - HA!!!!! HA to that nonsense! I almost gave this away to some other male/human to do this, maybe with more experience, maybe with less but they weren't gonna be me. I needed to do this for all the little black karate girls who are never represented, so when they decide why even do it, they are undeserving because life and this industry can show you as such, they may get a glimpse of me, someone like me as we all fight for the future of all of us. I had to do it because I feared doing it and felt set on the idea that I'd be bad. How many other people have just done things with little to no experience, just to see...I take my art seriously so I train, I work, I study so I can feel I'm thus prepared. I forgot to see, because I've done this in most aspects of my life, I AM more than ready for these opportunities, I AM more than deserving and dammit, I AM!!! I took the job and I even got to hire my own set of guys ( thank goodness for Rodrigo, Davis, Marcus, Hayden and Kwesi for bringing it! ) I decided to hire with diversity in mind as well as knowledge of their work through either having trained them, worked with them or was referred. Lucky for me, I have a wonderful pool of underworked goodness that needs to be seen - hey, just like me and even hired a student I taught when he was a kid, this was his first experience in this setting. I had the opportunity to give a young, black martial artist his first opportunity into this business because I understand what it feels like to have a skill and still not be seen. Yes to my Brazillian/Asain/Black crew that ended up being a great looking and kick butt crew that took direction, gave insight and collaborated with me to give some really fun stuff to this cute music video. I ended up doing the opening choreo for the song as well, teaching the gals some stuff to look like they knew what they were doing and had back up mini fights to boot. I'm ever so thankful that an old casting director ( Cydney ) whom I've never had the pleasure of working with but has always called me in over the span of 8 years, believed in me for the both of us. No matter me giving her other names of male counterparts that could do this, she knew I should do it and even bring another element of femininity to the moves. She was right, my beast was right, my friends cheering me on was right and my inner creative being was right! I hired correctly, tackled this monster and slayed it into submission to the point that I knew I had earned everyone's respect by the time the shoot ended, yes I left getting nods from the crew. YES and what, YES and how, YES and...let's do this universe!!!!
During this crazy period, I even got a message from a familiar face wanting me back on a set that I had worked a year ago to this day. He even stated how he couldn't give me a big part since I was so prominent last season but would I mind doing a smaller role - um yeah, for this group of peeps, YES everytime! Even though I had to request to show up an hour later to set on the first shoot day, they worked around my hectic schedule and I was able to take care of everything I needed in order to do it all!!! Thank you Greg Francis for thinking of me once again...I am humbled to be a part of your art and I will forever be grateful for Aundrea Posey for giving me this opportunity to be a part of this family. WAHOO to working with folks you've worked with before and WAHOO for getting to play a detective this time around! Just keep at it...One step atta time...you never know when and where the next bit of work may find you and CHEERS to that!!!
Wahoo to auditions!!! You should be having fun with these because after all, they're just auditions. Quit looking at them as a job you should have but more as people getting to know/see some of your work. Sometimes the first one doesn't do it, sometimes it takes 3-4 auditions and sometimes they'll never see it but that's the fun part of it! Will they get it? Will they get you? Do they have only their vision? Whatever it is, it's not your concern, you're in to give your version of the art as you see it to be...whether it meshes or not, whether they understand your questions or not ( because you thought it was deeper than the surface - I told you I see scripts differently, ) you are there to just be and that is all you can do. Had a lovely audition for the first time at Seeker Studios for an interesting short film and it was nice just being in this place with it's over stuffed chairs and the "Before I Die..." wall. Although the ambiance was absolutely wonderful for me, I felt bad for a certain girl who had been there for quite some time and was getting frustrated. Realize that's part of this process, this industry is a you hurry up and then wait kinda place, not fair but it's the nature of this beast. You have to be prepared to expect the worst most times and the more of these you end up at, the more you'll see that some are great at time management and others...not so much but hey, you got an audition! You're there instead of not, learn to enjoy the aspect of this and give yourself some time if possible. Most of the time, I don't make any plans for at least an hour and a half after auditions and it's now caused less stress in my life, of course, things collide and at times there is nothing you can do but what you can control, try and then let it go! Got to see a familiar face (via Facebook) in the room and found out later she's one of the peeps working on it which is absolutely awesome. Although there seemed to be a lag in lines given, you do what you do and you leave, I just don't have time to ask for another read, especially when there is someone I kinda know and if I don't feel it was nothing I could control. Give what you've got to give, let them decide so you can LEAVE HAPPY!!!
In the midst of auditions, with one tomorrow already scheduled, I'm nervous as all get out for an opportunity I never thought I'd see. After some back and forth, the idea of me being a fight choreographer for a music video has been looming over my head. I've complained for years that this business gives no looks to black female martial artists, even skilled at their craft and I've had to develop my own series to short film to feel like I'm working towards showing it. So when I was offered the job, I had it in my mind that since I've never done it, who was I to do it now? I compared myself to my instructors, other great stunt coordinators and I forgot to see that they too started somewhere. I've got over 15 years of fighting experience, I grew up devouring Kung Fu/Black Belt Theatre and I've gotten my black belt...who was I not to do this? Any male with this experience ( even less ) would've figured he deserved this and yet here I am ready to turn this down because I felt I wasn't as knowledgeable as I could be - HA!!!!! HA to that nonsense! I almost gave this away to some other male/human to do this, maybe with more experience, maybe with less but they weren't gonna be me. I needed to do this for all the little black karate girls who are never represented, so when they decide why even do it, they are undeserving because life and this industry can show you as such, they may get a glimpse of me, someone like me as we all fight for the future of all of us. I had to do it because I feared doing it and felt set on the idea that I'd be bad. How many other people have just done things with little to no experience, just to see...I take my art seriously so I train, I work, I study so I can feel I'm thus prepared. I forgot to see, because I've done this in most aspects of my life, I AM more than ready for these opportunities, I AM more than deserving and dammit, I AM!!! I took the job and I even got to hire my own set of guys ( thank goodness for Rodrigo, Davis, Marcus, Hayden and Kwesi for bringing it! ) I decided to hire with diversity in mind as well as knowledge of their work through either having trained them, worked with them or was referred. Lucky for me, I have a wonderful pool of underworked goodness that needs to be seen - hey, just like me and even hired a student I taught when he was a kid, this was his first experience in this setting. I had the opportunity to give a young, black martial artist his first opportunity into this business because I understand what it feels like to have a skill and still not be seen. Yes to my Brazillian/Asain/Black crew that ended up being a great looking and kick butt crew that took direction, gave insight and collaborated with me to give some really fun stuff to this cute music video. I ended up doing the opening choreo for the song as well, teaching the gals some stuff to look like they knew what they were doing and had back up mini fights to boot. I'm ever so thankful that an old casting director ( Cydney ) whom I've never had the pleasure of working with but has always called me in over the span of 8 years, believed in me for the both of us. No matter me giving her other names of male counterparts that could do this, she knew I should do it and even bring another element of femininity to the moves. She was right, my beast was right, my friends cheering me on was right and my inner creative being was right! I hired correctly, tackled this monster and slayed it into submission to the point that I knew I had earned everyone's respect by the time the shoot ended, yes I left getting nods from the crew. YES and what, YES and how, YES and...let's do this universe!!!!
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