…AND SCENE!

I must apologize for being missing in action for the past couple weeks, but family, friends, and the holidays played a bigger role than usual and left me waiting in the wings and out of sight, so to speak, on the blog front.

In addition, I was in the studio recording voiceovers for the children’s design show “Clean Your Room!” which we filmed in Tarzana, CA earlier this year in preparation for some upcoming network meetings. I quite enjoy being in a studio and recording a number of lines repeatedly while sitting behind a microphone in a comfy chair. However, it is hearing my voice on the playback that is always a bit odd, but it is said that we hear ourselves differently from the way others do.

As the year comes to a close, the acting front is once again on uncertain ground with a possible SAG (Screen Actors Guild) strike around the corner, a mere year after the WGA (Writers Guild of America) strike. The notion to strike or not is in the hands of its union members and will be decided by our voting for or against it on January 23rd.

It is said that the poor economy might have some impact on the result, as will the number of working and non-working actors. Only 10% of actors in the union rely on TV and Film work as their primary source of income and make a successful living acting. The other 90% of us earn less than $28,000 a year from acting jobs and, therefore, have less to lose if we were to strike. We might have less to lose as far as money from acting jobs goes, but we would lose the opportunities to gain work doing what we love and to become a part of the 10% of actors in the union constantly working.

So, today, being the last day of 2008, I am setting the stage for a new year and the possibility of a new role outside of acting. 2009 holds a set change for me on the stage of my life as I enter a new decade in age and my desire to work with children, especially those with disabilities, grows stronger.

We are all uncertain of what the future holds, but that of an actor is almost consistently unstable. I have always wanted to make a positive difference in peoples’ lives, and I strongly believe in the importance of patience, genuine kindness, truly listening to people, and believing in others, young or old, something I try to practice in my life on a daily basis. It is when we are children that we are affected the greatest, in a beneficial or detrimental way, and is a time when we start discovering our true potential.

I was fortunate to have loving parents who always were, and still are, encouraging in all aspects of my life. Unfortunately, many people are not given the time or attention they deserve, be it at home or in school. So, it would be a true reward for me to be able to be a positive influence in the lives of others, especially those who do not have it in other areas of their lives or who need a little more than others due to special needs.

I will still pursue acting, but want to explore doing something to sincerely help others, something that I have always found to be fulfilling. Regardless of where my life’s path takes me or what adventures await, I hope you have all had a Happy Holiday and that you have a very Happy New Year! Be sure to have a fun and fabulous time, and I will see you next year…and scene!

“Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.” - Hal Borland

THE PERFECT MOVIE SET

I’ve just returned from a nice mini break away from LA in the “land of enchantment,” better known as New Mexico. I went to spend Thanksgiving with my younger sister and her fabulous fiancé in Albuquerque, or “The ABQ” as my sister prefers to call it. There the three of us enjoyed a quaint, fun-filled time together exploring the area, as well as nearby Santa Fe, and eating lots of my beloved carbs!

I had passed through the area before on road trips, but never stopped for an extended period of time. The first thing everyone says, without fail, when I mention New Mexico, is just how beautiful it is. I can now express this statement myself and strongly back each of these people, because it actually is!

Although the landscape is relatively brown and earth toned, and those in the area want the homes, businesses, etc., to blend in with the surroundings, there is no shortage of color when it comes to the vibrant, breathtaking hues of colors that magically appear during a small window of time as the sun sets over the Sandia Mountains! Plus it is sunny 310 days out of the year, which makes for a crystal-clear, azure-blue sky almost daily.

Aside from the “magic hour” I experienced while in Prince Edward Island earlier this year, I have never seen such amazing natural glowing light! The crimson, persimmon, amber, rose, amethyst, gold, and cyan explosion of color is truly a sight to see and a unique charm I tried to capture in some of my pictures below.

Albuquerque actually has its own film studio and many feature films are shot “on location” there. These include the Oscar Award Winning “No Country for Old Men,” starring Tommy Lee Jones and Javier Bardem; “The Eye,” starring Jessica Alba, released this year; and the upcoming “Crazy Heart,” starring Colin Farrell and Maggie Gyllenhaall.

I would love to get the opportunity to do just that one day and I could even save the film some money by camping at my sister’s place…any takers? OK, so regardless of the above and keeping with reality, the people are friendly, the air is clean, the space is vast, and the backdrops created during sunset are stunning, all of which make for the perfect movie set!

“Albuquerque has a wonderful quality of natural light that ranges from sun-splashed days to brilliantly hued sunsets. Almost daily, one can catch a spectacular sunset with velvety blue, pink, orange or red hues dancing across the sky!” – Don Peterson